Chapter 3

Dinner was finished, it had included a wonderful dessert made with berries and cream. Connie, Tammy and Harry excused themselves and headed to the barn when Pap said, "The stock needs feedin' and the cows need to be milked. Those are chores the young'uns do."

The women shooed us menfolk out to the porch while they cleaned up the kitchen. Having over eaten again I was stuffed and sat back as well as down. Pap took up a pipe and a tin of tobacco in a cabinet he kept out on the porch. He loaded a bowl and lit it. The smell was sweet and it wafted in the slight breeze that blew past us. "There is just something relaxing about a bowl after dinner that I enjoy." Cletus and I just nodded.

"Cletus, I was thinking about spending tonight in the bunkhouse if that's okay with you. Lana's and my room isn't finished and I'm sure the sisters wouldn't mind having a hen party for the rest of the evening."

"That sounds fine with me, Steve. But you better run it past the boss and that ain't Pap."

"Oh, I know that and she might be upset for a little while, but I think she will be able to handle it for one night."

Lana stuck her head out the door right about as the words came out. "Who might be upset?"

"You, dear. I was thinking of letting you and your sisters have a night together and I would sleep down in the bunkhouse."

"We have a room here that they have fixed for us."

"Pap said it wasn't finished yet. And I thought you might like some more time to catch up with your sisters."

"Well, if you're willing to let me spend just this one night with them, then you can sleep in the bunkhouse, but only for tonight!" She giggled.

Pap chimed in as soon as she closed the door. "Why don't we head down and see how the young'uns is a doin' in the barn."

We were off the porch when he spoke up again, "There's more to you a stayin' in the bunkhouse than meets the eye." Pap said.

"I can't get nothing past you, can I?"

"Nope, I just didn't know you were that smart."

Cletus was looking at the two of us go back and forth when Pap finally felt for him and said. "Cletus, them daughter's of mine want to be Steve's bitches and be a havin' his babies. With Lana expectin' and them havin' spent over half of their lives wantin' to be with the head of the clan, all of 'em together, they will be a doin' most anything to make that happen."

Cletus still looked lost as to why the house was a bad idea tonight. So I added, "What Pap is saying, Cletus, is that it's easier for them to ask for Pap's forgiveness sometimes that to get his permission."

"Forgiveness for what?"

"They are all working together so all of them can be my bitches and start having babies. And if I was in the house tonight at some point they would have snuck in that room which has the door off the hinges."

"And they figured once they were in bed with you..."

Pap chipped in before Cletus finished, "Exactly, he is only a man."

"And then they would just have to beg for forgiveness with Pap," I added.

"You are pretty smart for a city boy." We all laughed.

The kids were busy feeding the stock and milking the cows. Cletus moved over near Connie who was milking. I went with Pap to watch Tammy.

Pap asked, "Son, you ever milked a cow?"

"I'm a city boy, Pap. If that is a cow, where do you get the plastic jugs of milk from it?" Tammy and he started laughing.

"It's time you learned, Son. Tammy, put that milk in the container and bring the pail back. We will be a seein' if he can follow simple directions."

That's how I ended up sitting on the stool next to the cow and Tammy showing me the right way to squeeze on a teat to get the milk out. Funny how she really got close and I could feel her breasts rubbing on me. I looked at Pap and he just winked. And I thought we menfolk were in this together.

So finally Pap got Tammy standing back and I began to milk the cow. Then all hell broke loose. First the cow took its tail and swatted my face with the hair at the end of it. That of course nearly knocked me off the stool which had me close my fist and pull on the teat to hold myself in place, which caused the cow to step around and knock the pail over.

I tried to recover as gracefully as I could but all I could hear at that point was laughing. About the time I was going to join them the cow hit my face with hair on the end of her tail again. Of course I turned red and went to stand up. I figured that I should pick up the pail that was behind the cow and reached down to do that. Someone grabbed and pulled me back before the cow could land the hoof that she struck out at me. I was just starting to pull myself back up and my face was at the top of her tail level when she moved it and for lack of a better word farted. Of course it was not just gas that escaped but some pie matter.

I stood up and turned to look at Pap and he said, "Them be some interestin' freckles you got there." Of course he could hardly contain himself. All the rest were just joining in. The commotion had at that point brought the rest of them from the house.

So there I stood as the rest of them entered the barn with a new set of freckles and everyone laughing. Even Lana was. There was nothing else to do. I laughed along with them.

It was Cletus that came over and took me to the hose so I could rinse my face off. The women, including Tammy and Connie, headed back up to the house while Cletus, Pap, Harry and I stayed in the barn. It was Pap who spoke, "I'm sorry about that, son. I didn't figure it would go that wrong. But it was quite entertainin'."

"Thanks, Pap. Anything to brighten your evening."

"Ah, you ain't the first one to be baptized by Bessy."

"That's a comfort." I was laughing.

"Did you happen to notice anything special as you were trying to milk Bessy?" Pap asked.

"Special?" I was confused as to what he meant.

"Son, Tammy was all over you as much as she could be with me here."

"She did rub her breasts against me and she was holding my hand in hers as she was helping me learn to pull on the teats."

"What does that tell you, Son?"

"Ah, shit"

"It ain't that bad." pap replied with a little smile.

"You ain't the one she's after."

"Well now that's true enough."

Cletus looked at me and Harry snickered. It was Harry who told Cletus this time. "Cletus, Tammy's got a bad case of wanting the head of the clan too."

"Well, there is only one thing to say about that. Steve, better you than me." And they all started laughing. What else could I do but laugh too.

Pap and I headed back up to the porch while Cletus and Harry went to put the milk in what Pap called the spring house. Lana was waiting for me and had a change of clothes, my travel bag and a towel for me.

"There is a shower down in the bunkhouse."

"I love you too. Get over here and give me a kiss."

She came over gave me a quick kiss and that said, "You don't smell very good, but I still love you."

She walked back in the house with Pap laughing. Cletus and Harry came up on the porch and sat down. Harry looked over at my clothes sitting on one of the chairs.

"Lana thought I needed a shower before I went to sleep. I don't think so. What do you think, Cletus?"

"Were you plannin' on sleeping in the barn or the bunkhouse, the shower will settle that."

"What type of hospitality is that?" I asked in mock protest.

"When you smell like you do, it's about the best you can be expectin'." And we were laughing again.

"Well, I know when I'm not wanted so I'll just head off to the shower." I gathered my belongings and headed off to the bunkhouse.

I showered and was picking out a bunk to use for the night when Cletus walked in. "You clean up pretty good for a city boy."

"I'm going to be some head of the clan, now, aren't I?"

"Hey, Pap tries to baptize everyone at some point. Yours is over. He is still workin' on mine."

"A little friendly farm humor?" I raised my eyebows and cocked my head with my shoulders moving up.

"It does keep it interesting. He's a sly one."

"Well then I guess its best that he and I are over this. I have more than enough to keep me on my toes with the women."

"Yeah, I understand that. And you got Tammy added into the mix now too."

"Sure I can't give her to you?"

"Oh no, Connie is more than enough. Tammy wants the head of the clan and that ain't me."

"Cletus, you just are not pulling your weight on this at all."

"Yeah, I know my limitations. You're the one who needs to learn." We both laughed.

"I need to take a shower. I'll be out in a bit."

I picked out a bed and put all of my clothes in a pile to take back to the house in the morning. Cletus was done about ten minutes after that. He came out, put his clothes away, and went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of bottles of beer. He opened them and handed me one and pulled out a chair. I grabbed a chair and tipped the bottle up for a swallow.

I said, "Nothing like a cold beer after a hard day of milking." He laughed and I just did too.

"Cletus, as you can tell, I know nothing about farming."

"I believe you."

"So I am going to need help learning all about it. Pap will help me but I'm going to need your help too."

"Well if this evening is any indication, I would say that's the truth."

"Hey, I'm not completely helpless all the time." I said in my defense.

"No, you're not. You do seem to have the women figured out more that I do."

"I only have that because Lana helped me a lot on the way here, plus my Mom is a Kentucky clan woman. If not for them, I would be lost."

"Well, I'll take pity on you then too and help all I can."

"Hey, we menfolk are in this together. Remember you need to be good to me or I'll send Tammy to you as head of the clan."

"Okay, okay. No more teasing, you don't fight fair." He took another swallow of his beer.

"Cletus, honestly, I need you here. I don't want you to leave just because I am going to be head of the clan. I read some about being the head of a clan but I have my own rules that I plan on living with."

"Clan rules are pretty specific at times."

"Well, from what I understand, as long as I don't directly flaunt our style out in public, I can have the rules I want in my own home."

"That sounds about right."

"One of the rules is I am not going to force my being the head of the clan on anyone. I am not going to have Connie or Tammy just because they are living with me."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that. I would have fought you if you were plannin' to have Connie that way. It might not have been my right to stop you but I would have. I plan on matin' up with her as soon as she agrees."

"From what I understand she is only waiting for me to finalize being with the other two out of family loyalty to them."

"That's right." Cletus replied looking straight at me...

"Well, I know that Pap has given his approval for the two of you and I am of the same mind on it. Of course I want to give you a mating up present of Tammy."

"Don't you start that again. I only want Connie and you just have to deal with Tammy."

"But I'm already dealing with Lana, Shana and Jana. Can't you be a team player and help out." I took another swallow of my beer.

"No! What part of that do you want me to explain to you?"

"Okay, okay. Head of the clan it is my issue to deal with." We both took another drink of our beers.

"So, when this is worked out with me and the three. Where do you want to live with Connie?"

"We figured we had a while before we'd be getting' mated up and that it would be takin' some time for you and the other two." Since we didn't know what Lana was plannin' it was hard to know. Now it is a bit more settled."

"I'd be happy to build you a house here on the farm as a wedding present."

"I'm not saying that I don't appreciate that, but I was hoping to have my own place one day."

"Well, maybe we could buy a place around here and have this and that one combined."

"That's an idea, but we will have to explore it. I do have some of my own money saved up to buy a place."

"Money isn't a real problem for me."

"It's not as much of one for me either thanks to you."

"What does that mean?"

"Well. Pap looks at me like a son some. And when he bought that stock in your company he had me buy some too."

"How much?"

"Just over 10,000 shares."

"So you got a bit more than $100,000 after taxes then?"

"That's about what I figure."

"I'm glad you have that. How much does a farm around these parts cost?"

"Somewhere between $200 to $400 an acre depending on what type of land it is going to be used for."

"So that's 250 to 500 acres if you bought it with no mortgage"

"Yeah, but you have to have some working capital too."

"That sounds right. Like you said we have time to work on all of this. I have to work on making the others mine and that will be taking some time. We have time on our side for now and it would be good to ask Pap what he thinks."

"That it would, Steve. Can I ask what you plan to do with Shana and Jana?"

"Cletus, like I said, my clan rules are not the same as the clan rules that others might have. I know that I am going to have the three of them as mine. I plan to have them all mated up with me. The clan rules say I don't have to but if they are going to have my children then they will be my mates."

"You know that Pap is mated up with both Mam and Betty Ann."

"Lana told me that, but I had decided to mate up with Shana and Jana before I knew that Pap was mated up with both."

"You know that is throwing coal oil on the fire when they find that out you want to be mated up with them." He finished his beer then.