Chapter 14

Donna's fourteenth birthday was May 21^st, and school let out May 27^th. Our private party for her was held at home on the actual day, but we allowed her to invite a dozen of her friends to a party of her own choosing. She picked the bowling alley on Divide Avenue the following Saturday night, and we watched as the girls had fun eating pizza and rolling gutter balls. I don't think they cared about the score; I sure didn't.

The kids helped me care for the back yard during the mornings and then they'd ride their new bikes to a nearby playground. The playground was located at the school they would be attending in the fall, a brand new complex only two miles down the road. Named Riverside, although it was several miles from the river, it had been built recently for the population boom on the north side of town.

Everyone slept late every morning. Connie worked shorter hours through the week, and was usually home shortly after noon. The kids, except for their trips to the schoolyard to play hoops or soccer, rarely strayed very far, and never went anywhere without their cell phones. Most afternoons were spent under the awning in the back yard, at a patio table with four chairs. The kids did puzzles or talked, and Connie and I relaxed.

Connie and I talked one evening about the kids, and I shared what I knew about their personality differences and preferences. Shortly after our talk, she began to spend more time with Donna and Sarah, going as far as playing basketball with them. There was a hoop in the back yard near the garage wall, and she started teaching them the game.

I took up running again, jogging against the traffic down Washington to the school and back. It was only four miles, but it was better than nothing. Connie joined me sometimes, as did the girls. When they came with me, we usually walked back. I didn't care; I was sharing time and space with my children.

June 7^th, we celebrated Sarah's thirteenth birthday by taking her, Donna and ten of their friends to the Water Park in Mandan and buying them all-day passes. Sarah's two-piece suit was modest, Donna's a little less so, but still acceptable. Two or three of the remainder were downright skimpy by comparison.

By the middle of June, the kids had become bored sitting around with us in the afternoon and began exploring their neighborhood, searching for new friends. I got a phone call about one of these friends one morning around ten o'clock.

Sarah called, breathless and excited. "Mom! Mom! You've got to come! Please say yes!"

"What am I saying yes to, Sarah?"

"We're at Gail's house, and her mom wants you to come."

"Why?" I asked.

" 'Cause they got a pool and we can't go swimming unless you're here!"

"Well, I need to know where you are, then," I chuckled.

"Down the road. On the right, the blue house."

"I'll be there as soon as I can Sarah. Calm down."

"Okay! Thanks, Mom! Bye!"

Such excitement and enthusiasm from her today, I reflected. The house had to be on the right going south; there was nothing on the left except a field and some trees.

I found my bikini in a drawer and put it on. I didn't like what I saw in the mirror, so I changed into a pair of shorts and a halter-top. I picked up a towel and some sunscreen, and drove the mini-van south to the blue house.

As I stepped out of the van, the girls came running around the corner of the house. There were three instead of the usual two, and I blinked to clear my vision. Sarah had her arm over the shoulder of the girl next to her.

Sarah breathlessly exclaimed, "This is Gail, she lives here and can we go swimming now? Hurry!"

Gail was a cute little blonde with short hair, about Sarah's age and size. The pair ran toward the back of the house, leaving me with Donna.

I laughed. "She excited, ya think?"

Donna smiled. "Yeah, she is. She's been acting like a yo-yo ever since she called you."

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I'd like to go swimming too, but it's not like... necessary or anything."

I could see the look on her face, and she wasn't fooling me a bit. It might not be necessary, but she sure wanted permission.

"Let's go see her mother. I'll watch you in the pool."

Donna ran to join the others and I walked around the house. The pool, an aboveground model, filled their back yard. All the girls were jumping off the deck that surrounded it, and I looked for an adult.

A heavyset woman in a black one-piece was lounging on a chair, under an umbrella facing the pool. She was wearing dark glasses and a hat, and she had a bottle of beer in one hand.

She waved and yelled, "Come on in!"

As I walked up to the table, she said, "Hi. You must be Jeanie. I'm Wanda Harper, and that little hellion in the green suit is mine. I've got another one around here somewhere, but I can't seem to keep track of her. She's fifteen, and she's got a boyfriend."

I said, "I think we met once before, right after the snow storm. Connie and I were hauling food around the neighborhood."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" she said. "Nice to see you again. Have a seat."

She was very friendly and had a nice smile, which put me at ease. She offered a beer, and I accepted. I noticed five or six empties in the trashcan nearby.

The afternoon was pleasant. Wanda had two girls, and the absent one's name was Libby. Rick, Wanda's husband, worked the oil fields in Dickinson, two weeks on followed by a week off. Wanda liked not having him underfoot all the time, she said, and the kids behaved better when he wasn't around.

The three girls splashed in the pool and lay on the grass, played tag, ate snacks three times I knew about, and in general had a great time. I was persuaded to get into the pool, and was promptly dunked by all three. It was fun.

I left about four o'clock, with two mildly sunburned children and an invitation to "come back anytime".

With the help of a neighborhood teen who owned a roto-tiller, I planted a small garden in the back yard. I put in some tomatoes and peppers, and I wanted to see if radishes and carrots would grow in the sandy soil.

One benefit of having a huge back yard with no neighbors close by is the opportunity to be nude. My life was changing, and I thought adding a bit of nudity to my daily routine would make me... well, more sensual. I'd experienced the thrill of being nude on the farm when I was younger, and the danger of being caught had added something to my youthful orgasms. There was no danger in the back yard, but the idea of having an all-over tan excited me. When the kids were gone, I weeded the garden in the nude.

One afternoon, after completing my quota of work for the day, I took a quick shower and went outside to tan. We had two wooden lounge chairs on the patio, and I lay on one and oiled myself. I didn't think I'd be disturbed; the kids were down at Gail's, and Connie wasn't due home for about two hours. I had a cold beer by my side and a hat to keep the sun out of my eyes, so I let my fingers do the walking.

Jilling is good for you, or so I've been told. Feeling the warm light beating down on bare breasts and other regions of your body not normally exposed to the sun is erotic, I think. I will say it is for me, in any case. My fantasies while masturbating are pretty simple, and usually involve Connie in some way. I picture undressing her in our bedroom, or taking a bath with her and letting nature take its course. The results are a little noisy sometimes.

I'd just finished having orgasm number two when I heard a sound behind me. I picked up my towel and covered my front, then sat up to see who was there. Donna was standing there with a red face, shifting from foot to foot, with her head down. She was wearing her swimming suit, holding her damp towel in one hand. My first thought was, "Oh my God, I've embarrassed her!"