Three - Daddy Finds Out

“Thank you, Quinn,” Tatum said, a smile breaking out on her face.

“Can you see everyone?” Riley said, standing by the computer, turning right and left so the built-in camera could see everyone.

“Yes, you all look great. Sorry, I can’t be there. We’re busy training,” he said. It looked like he was in his barracks room, based on the simple furniture and uniforms hanging in an open wall locker behind him.

Tom smiled at his son’s Army haircut—regulation-long, typical for cyber warriors (17C) or short-timers. Quinn was both. His son had been accepted into a Green to Gold ROTC program at Iowa State University and was coming home this summer. Quinn had chosen to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, not his dad’s. Tom had been a Cavalry Scout (19D) with the 1st Armored Division in Germany and finished his four-year enlistment with the 82nd Airborne, the same unit as his son, who’d spent his entire enlistment with the 82nd Airborne.

The family made small talk; Tatum stood up from the armrest to talk to her brother, then returned. He’d asked Riley to make this happen, bringing Quinn into the party. The room quieted down as Riley, who wore blue jeans and a loose blouse, took a seat on the couch. All eyes turned to Tom, who was drinking his beer, one arm around Tatum.

He’d spent most of Sunday on the big John Deere tractor pulling the planter. Putting soybean seeds in the ground, Tom had lots of time to think about the last few weeks — to reflect and find the best way to put his thoughts in front of his family. There had been a lot more going on during their teen years than he’d been aware of when it came to their sexuality. Back then, he’d pushed back some, uncomfortable as the girls grew into young women. That had been a mistake, he now knew.

Quinn, he had an easier time with when it came to puberty; yet still, from what he’d heard from his daughters, their brother was quite the explorer, for lack of a better word. Not afraid to share or show them when they were curious about male anatomy, his sisters had obliged his curiosity, educating their brother.

He set his beer bottle on the small table next to his chair and stood. He hated giving speeches. Tatum slid into his seat behind him.

Briefly, he imagined himself as Sherlock Holmes solving the crime, laying it out for the police, but this was no crime, just family drama. “Mom and Dad, Debbie, kids...” He paused for effect. “I have a confession,” Tom said, making eye contact again. He hadn’t liked being played the last few weeks. So, like the high school wide receiver he’d once been, he dodged to one side, trying to throw off his opponent, or in this case, the woman who sat across from him.

He retreated to his club chair and put a hand on Tatum’s bare left shoulder. He had her permission to talk about them, but he wasn’t going there yet. Debbie’s legs were crossed in a short skirt, blouse tight over her curves, holding her glass of wine. His wife sat next to Hilde, who waited, blue eyes watching, holding her beer. The rest of the family attentive.

“When I was fifteen, my mom and I went on a trip in Germany, just the two of us. I’ve kept what happened on that trip a secret from my wife and everyone else until recently, when I told Amelia,” he said. Debbie sat forward. Hilde cocked her head, shapely legs crossed. His dad, in the recliner, drinking beer, eyed Tom. The room was silent.

Riley spoke. “What happened, Dad?” She had chosen a beer, picking at the label as she waited.

He paused a beat. “First, I need to tell you all that in the last few weeks I’ve been led to understand that as a dad and even as a husband, I became closed off, not sharing or asking about your lives. For this, I am sorry,” he said, glancing at a framed family photograph on the far wall. “I’ve spoken to each of you and apologized,” he added, looking each family member in the eyes.

Riley and Amelia nodded, as did Debbie. Tatum gripped his hand. His mom waited, then sat forward, setting her empty beer bottle on the coffee table, little crinkles in the corners of her blue eyes.

Hilde cleared her throat. “What Thomas is trying to say is that I took an active part in my kids’ sex education,” she said.

Quinn’s whistle came from the computer, his clean-shaven face filling the screen.

Tom glanced at Amelia, who had already heard the story. “Go ahead,” she mouthed silently. His mom’s statement was an understatement that, to Tom’s ear, sounded like it applied to his brother and sister, too.

From the table next to his beer, he picked up the same envelope he’d given Amelia, the one with 1993 written on it, and passed it to Tatum.

“Mom taught me about sex that weekend,” he said, his voice suddenly emotional. “For that, I am forever grateful,” he said, looking at his mom. Their eyes met, a little smile, a shared memory. Leaving out the part about the weekend of going-away sex when he was seventeen, heading off to the Army.

Tatum was holding up the picture of shirtless young Tom and topless Hilde standing in front of the castle for everyone to see. “Wow, Dad,” Tatum said. “You were hot back then. So was Grandma.”

Hilde stood, stepping around the coffee table, and met Tom in front of the TV for an embrace. He hugged his mom, pulling her curvaceous body against his. She did the same. As he held his mom, he locked eyes with his dad in the recliner. Trey nodded with approval. Tom whispered in her ear, “I know it was you,” before breaking the embrace, a hand brushing her breasts through her blouse as he let go. His cock suddenly stiffened in his Wranglers.

He and Hilde returned to their seats. The room was quiet, they weren’t done. He held Tatum on his lap, and Debbie watched as he wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss on her slender neck.

“I know everyone here has a secret like mine,” Tom said. He’d decided the best way to deal with his family’s secrets was to invite each person to confess something. He’d already talked to his girls and asked Dani to lie low in the office.

“Honey, go ahead,” he said, pulling reddish-blonde hair off her neck. He felt her body tense in his lap.

Tatum focused on Debbie, “Mom, since January, I’ve been working as a cam model for my sorority. Daddy found me online after someone told him,” she said.

Debbie looked at her wine glass. “Okay, thank you for telling me. We’ll talk later,” she said. Tom had given hints to his wife during their dates. Quinn had opened a beer and was drinking; Tom could see that much on the computer screen.

Amelia stood, smoothing her dress, she told her story to her mom with glances at her grandparents and brother. “Dad found me out in Sioux City working in a strip club. He found me just in time to save Dani and me from the Minden tornado,” she said, making Tom look like a hero.

Debbie nodded. “Honey, thank you for telling me. We’ll talk later. I’m glad you’re here now.” Her voice neutral.

Tom was most interested in hearing Riley’s confession. He’d never gotten a clear answer from her as to who Madame L was or how Riley wound up on the cross in front of him the first time he visited.

Riley stood, looking at Quinn, then her grandpa, then Debbie. “Daddy found me working in a social club in West Des Moines,” she said, glancing at her grandma. Tom saw the look and the slightest of nods from his mom. “At first, I was a waitress on weekends, working mostly for tips. My government job doesn’t pay a lot. Now I work with clients as a submissive novice...”

Debbie didn’t flinch; Tom noted that neither did his grandparents.

“What do you mean, Riley?” Quinn asked. “Like whips and chains?”

“Yes, something like that,” she said, clasping her hands. “Daddy found me working there. He was told,” she said, then sat. The room was quiet.

“Quinn, do you have anything you would like to say?” Tom asked not to leave him out.

His son took a swig of what looked like Heineken, then leaned into the camera. “So, Dad, since you talked about Grandma. I guess it’s okay for me to say that Mom and I did something similar,” Quinn said.

Debbie cut in. “Let me tell them, Quinn. Since we’re all being so open. I may have given Quinn some tips on masturbation,” she said.

“Like how, Mom?” Tatum fired off.

Quinn added, “She gave me a couple of hand jobs when I was a senior. It was fun; I kept it a secret until now,” he said, a grin on his face. “Mom has great tits, like Riley, just saying,” he took a swig of beer.

Tom chuckled, receiving another look from Debbie. Good for Quinn. His wife was damn good at giving hand jobs.

His girls were all trading glances. All the confessions were “PG-13” watered down. He knew there was more there between his four kids. Tatum’s butt was rubbing against his cock, which had grown even harder. It would have been obvious to a blind person that his family had issues with sex. To put it bluntly, they were all hiding their true selves.

Tom looked at Debbie. He hadn’t talked to her about tonight, this little confession circle. “You all know I have a friend, Pat, from the National Guard. We were in Iraq together. He’s a Lutheran pastor now, in Sioux City,” he said, warming up to the idea. “Right now, Pat would say that our shining light on these secrets is healthy. Secrets have a way of eating away at us,” he said, this time looking at his parents.

Debbie spoke up. “You’re right. Tom and I first tried ‘swinging’, opening our relationship fifteen years ago. We stopped for a while but have agreed to start again,” she said, looking at the blank TV screen, then back at Tom.

The kids were quiet, then Amelia spoke. “That’s cool, Mom. We used to sneak upstairs and watch you and Dad have sex when we were kids,” she said, trying to be helpful.

“I know, I saw you,” Debbie said, finishing her wine, a little smile on her lips.

Quinn opened a second beer. “I agree, Mom. It’s cool. Whatever you and Dad want to do,” he said.

Tom glanced at his parents. He’d been lucky to be raised by them and didn’t want to embarrass them. The fact was that whoever was behind the clues, he was pretty sure it was his mom, had done him and the family a favor. He slapped Tatum’s butt, and she moved off his lap.

His parents kept quiet, his dad sitting up in the recliner. He didn’t push.

“Dani, bring the Champagne, please!” he called out, raising his voice. “While she gets the glasses ready, these are my new rules,” he said, looking at Debbie, who nodded and met her husband in front of the TV.

“Starting this year, I am taking each of you on a weekend trip,” he said, looking at his kids. “Amelia and I are going to Las Vegas this weekend. We’ll be done planting by midweek. Riley requested Miami when her busy schedule allows,” he said. Both girls were smiling. He’d bought the Vegas plane tickets and made a hotel reservation this morning.

In the kitchen, a cork popped. “Tatum, I could meet you in Anchorage after your leadership program in July,” he said. He’d once been to a farming conference there and would love to go again. Yes, there were farms in Alaska, he’d learned.

“Yes, please, Daddy!” she replied from beside him, touching his hand.

To Quinn, “I’m thinking a trip out to California to visit my brother. We’ll take Grandpa Trey with us. A guys’ trip,” he said, liking the idea.

“Awesome, Dad,” Quinn said, lifting his beer.

Trey nodded at Tom and lifted his beer bottle. “I’m in,” he said.

Dani, who’d changed into baby blue lingerie, was passing out plastic Champagne flutes filled with golden bubbly with Riley’s help. The lingerie was Tom’s idea — her full breasts and the curve of her pregnant belly on display. She looked damn good. Quinn whistled again, receiving an ass shake. Debbie looked at Dani, then Tom, and gave him “the look.”

Holding the plastic flute, Tom eyed his mom as they all stood. “There have been far too many secrets in this family. We’ve been afraid to openly be ourselves, that stops now. When Tatum was on cam, I masturbated with her and shared dirty fantasies once I knew it was her behind the mask,” he said, then dove in, looking at Amelia. “I let my own daughter give me lap dances, and we’ve continued here at home.”

Debbie was watching him, a slight smile forming on her lips. Tom continued.

“Riley, I watched her submit in the social club, then I participated and enjoyed it,” he said. He knew everyone in this room except Quinn and Dani was present that night. Debbie, he’d recognized her in The House’s bar, in the leather cadge outfit; she’d been in the other viewing room with Madame L, he was sure. His Dad, Trey. Tom didn’t know his place in all this.

Tom lifted the small flute of Champagne. “I intend to have an open relationship with my family. Mom, when I was fifteen, you shared with me the joy of sex. Thank you,” he said. In his mind’s eye, he could see his mom’s face covered by the leather mask, holding the riding crop, coaching Lilly-Riley’s clients. That was her secret to tell in time.

“Tonight I am taking Tatum to my bedroom with my wife, and we are going to give her a proper birthday present,” he said. “The door will be open.”

Raising his flute, he offered a toast. “To the Marshalls, and to Tatum — happy birthday,” Tom said, looking everyone in the eye, even Quinn on the computer. Receiving nods from the room, he drank the glass of bubbly in one gulp as they all repeated the toast, Quinn lifting his beer bottle.

Tom’s heart was hammering. He’d made that last part up on the fly, reading the room, and to his relief, no one objected.

“Honey, that was a beautiful toast,” Hilde said. Trey stood behind her shoulder. “We’re going home now. Come over for dinner tomorrow. We have a lot to talk about.” His mother’s blue eyes showed her steel; a farmer’s wife, she wouldn’t be pushed around or broken.

“Good words, son. This was a long-overdue family meeting,” his dad added before following Hilde outside to his truck.

Quinn had signed off, and Riley was already closing the laptop. On the other side of the couch, Dani stood arms folded across her ample chest. Tom looked at his wife. “You’re good with going upstairs with Tatum and me?” he asked. He’d assumed she would be.

Debbie smiled. “Yes, and maybe you can do that little move you did at the club ... with Jeanette,” she said, teasingly tucking her arm behind her back.

“When is the lease up on that BMW of yours?” Tom asked. He’d seen her driving the sporty sedan and realized he’d spotted one just like it in the parking lot at The House. He’d taken a photograph of the license plate with his phone.