Chapter 2

Karen jerked violently, almost falling out of bed. Startled she answered timidly, "Yes... who..."

"It's me Dad." There was a pause. "If you want to get up now I've got some late breakfast for you."

Karen couldn't bring herself to call the stranger outside her door "Dad." She called out, "All right, Mr. Lind." Then remembering that she hadn't showered. "I want to jump under the shower first. Be out in ten minutes or so."

"Fine. We have a lot of getting acquainted to do."

She heard faint steps as he retreated down the hall. For a few minutes more she lay quietly, then sighing resignedly, she crawled out of the comfortable bed and moved toward the shower, not daring to look at her nude body in the mirror across the room. Inside the shower she turned it to high so that the stinging jets of water covered her quickly as if to wash away the guilt. She soaped herself thoroughly, not pausing at her pussy too long for fear of what might happen. When she felt clean she washed away the lather and just as suddenly turned the shower off and stepped out. She rubbed her body briskly with the towel until she felt as if the blood were going to pour from her skin. Finally she felt clean.

Since she had unpacked only halfway, there wasn't too much of a selection from which to chose a dress. The only pair of panties available were the sheer red ones she had vainly purchased when she had gotten the black ones. She slid her body into the tight brief panties and still felt nude, then not bothering with a slip she merely pulled a light sun dress over her body. She fluffed at her hair until she felt halfway presentable, then she noticed that the red panties showed plainly through the thin material of the white, dress. Well, he would just have to get use to it, she decided, after all she was his daughter-in-law, and certainly he wouldn't think any lewd thoughts at the way she dressed. Besides, she rationalized, all her other clothing were waded and wrinkled from the trip. She'd have to do the laundry before she would have a choice of what to wear.

As she walked toward the kitchen she smelled the bacon frying and, too, the beautiful aroma of coffee penetrated her nostrils. She was hungry all of a sudden.

Quickly she breezed into the kitchen and said cheerfully, "Good morning."

"Good morning yourself, but I'm afraid you're a little late. It's afternoon. Almost two."

"Oh, I'm sorry... I, uh," Karen stammered, puzzled.

"Hey," his voice was cheerful and teasing, "I don't mind a lazy daughter-in-law, especially one that's as cute as the one I have." He grinned and his wide face was pleasant.

Karen eased herself into the chair he had pulled from the table. "Sit and have some coffee while I finish the bacon. Then I'll throw on a couple of eggs.

"Oh, please... I should be doing this."

"Hey," he said again, using his favorite expression. "You're my guest today. Then we'll let you spoil me."

Karen studied him as she sipped at the hot coffee. He was much bigger than Jerry, wider in the shoulders. His black hair held only a wee bit of grey and the grey was in the right places. Instead of giving him an elderly look, it made him appear maturely handsome, she decided. There wasn't much of a paunch around his middle either. Something just didn't fit. She had thought, since he was in the hardware business, that he would be milky white and chubby from being indoors.

He turned now and smiled at her. "Do I look all right to you?"

She blushed.

"I don't bite and we are going to be friends." He put the bacon on her plate and then turned to the stove to prepare the eggs. In a while he was turning back with the eggs.

"Now eat. Later we'll go for a swim, then we'll talk."

That explained it, Karen thought. He's a swimmer. That's why he's in such fine shape for his age.

"I love swimming," the father-in-law said. "In fact I go everyday. I had this pool put in five years ago and I have really enjoyed it. After my wife died from a heart attack, I decided that I wasn't going to become a slave to my business the way she was. I let Jerry run it until he went into the service. When he left I hired a good manager. I spend only a few days a week there. The rest of the time I enjoy life..." he paused as if to let the words soak in. "'Course I'll have to watch that Jerry doesn't get into the same rut his mother did. I might have to teach him a few tricks."

Karen looked for a double meaning. Maybe the man could teach his son a few tricks, at least a few that would help her out when she was in bed with him. She blushed again as if the man sitting across from her could read her thoughts.

They made small talk for at least another hour. Karen liked the man. But she still couldn't bring herself to calling him "Dad."

"Mr. Lind," she started to say.

"Hey," he cut her off, "let's get rid of this mister stuff. I know you're stiff around me, and that's normal. Why don't you just call me George. That's my real name, you know. Okay?"

She nodded timidly, "Okay, George." It seemed more comfortable to her tongue. He was so at ease around her that she found her self being drawn to him in a closeness that she had never experienced before... not even with her mother. She decided that she liked the man. He was so much different from his son. Jerry, who at first had been cheerful and fun, was in the past few days taken to brooding. He told her that he wanted to get into the business and learn everything he had forgotten. Karen knew it was just an excuse for him to stay away from her. He didn't seem able to cope with his inadequacy to fulfill their marriage vows.

Later Karen and her father-in-law went into the backyard and sat on the patio overlooking the pool. Karen relaxed for a while, then got up to stretch. She stood for a long time letting the sun burn into her face, feeling it wash away her uneasiness and tension.

She thought George had fallen asleep until he spoke.

"You have a beautiful body, Karen."

She turned quickly flustered. "How, what to you..." At loss for words she could only sputter. Even as she searched for something to say she felt the crimson flush creep up her body.

"Standing there like that, in the sun. With that thin dress on, I could see everything you have, and it's beautiful." He said, this quietly as if he meant it as a compliment and not as a forward person would say it. It didn't seem to be lewd at all.

Yet Karen felt she should do something or say something.

As she stood there she realized he was still looking at her outline. Quickly she returned to the shadow of the house.

"Did I embarrass you?" He was very solemn. "I'm sorry if I did. I didn't mean it that way at all."

"I, uh, I..." She still couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Look, young lady," he raised himself to a sitting position and patted to a spot on the lounge chair beside him. "Come here and sit. I'm going to give you a brief lecture."

Karen looked at him to see if he was serious. He was, she could tell. Meekly she walked over and took the offered seat. She sat stiffly, waiting to see what he was up to. Maybe her mother was right. Men could be brutal without even laying a hand on a person.