Chapter 1

'Don't forget Mac Glint's. He complained last time you were late and had to finish up the next day. He is a good customer and in this economy, customers are worth more than workers, if you get my meaning?'

'Yep!' Ralph thought. This economy had really turned sour. Very few farms even bothered to plant let alone clear the fields and bush out. What should have been a busy time was now barely moving at all.

Ralph had come to this valley to forget a lot of things. In a few months though, he found more work than he ever would imagine. Work mind you, not wages. The things people needed or wanted did not command the kind of wages he was used to. No matter, he liked his neighbors, they treated him well and had accepted him in town. That to Ralph meant more than anything. He started to get dressed, eat some breakfast and thought he would head out to Mac Glint's place early this time when he heard a knock on the side door.

"Be right there! Come in and make the coffee, I'll be down in a second." Thinking it was his neighbor Sam, he did not hurry. It was a neighbor all right, but not Sam. When he got into the kitchen, three girls were standing there, each trying to make coffee and crying their eyes out.

"Whoa, hold on there girls, I'll never have enough coffee to make anything with all them tears your making. Now get some juice for yourself from the fridge and sit down. If that deluge of tears slows down maybe one of you gorgeous creatures can tell me what's the matter?"

Like girls anywhere and of any age, a compliment went a long way in making almost anything look better, these three were no different. One, who looked to be the oldest, stopped her crying, "Are we really gorgeous Mister?" The two others had stopped and were now staring.

"You, my loves, are more beautiful than angels. Those are the prettiest things I can think of, so yes, you are, all three of you. I only wish I was five years younger. Now, can you tell me your names, I know you live next to me cuz I've seen you playing and running around. If you then tell me what's wrong I just know we can fix it."

"Sniff, sniff" was now trebled. "Home, we got problems home. Papa did not come home last night. Mama just is staying in bed, crying and won't say 'nuthin'! I'm Mandy, I'm the oldest, almost 'full growed', see" as she turned around, a smile that girls seem to naturally learn when they get older, on her face. "Jenna and Beth are my sisters, Jenna is 15, Beth 14 and I was 16 last week. If I tell you 'sumthin', you got to promise not to tell anyone, K?"

I almost did not hear what she had said. I just nodded my head. Here were three rag-a-muffin like kids, red eyes, hair straight back no shoes but they were clean, clothes neat and tidy and they were very polite as they sipped the juice.

"I heard Papa and Mama arguing. All last week that's all they did when they thought we were outside or fell asleep. I don't think he is really our Papa but that's what we call him. Mama works at the cafe in town but recently her hours were cut back. Papa and her argue about money and he told her to get another job. Mister, there 'aint' much in the way of jobs around here now. These are tough times and Mama told him so. I think he left us all."

It was a story that was being repeated all over, our little valley was not the only place to feel the economic woes. My own life saw signs of that when my girlfriend, Gwen, brought our engagement to an end to marry a more prosperous candidate. If she only knew my parents had left me more than I ever would need, I might still be stuck with a gold digger wife...

"Hell girls, doesn't sound so bad. We may have to work a little harder for a while but I need help right here, a lot of help, so what say you finish your juice, we hop into my truck and go to see your Mom, let her know you all are going to be my helpers, get paid for it and let her start taking care of my house, as a job, whenever she has time, starting right now?"

We may have been in a poor area, these girls were not big strong lumberjacks but they had something about them any employer would love to have, enthusiasm. Now if only their Mom showed some ambition they would make this problem go away. 'We took care of our own!' and since the town had accepted me, no questions asked, I would take care of my neighbors. We piled into the truck, Beth coyly squeezed her legs together and whispered to something to Mandy, who quietly asked if they could use the bathroom. "Go, all three of you, a reward to the one who finds it first". That little thing would start my undoing.

Mandy and the girls came back skipping and smiling. Wonder of wonders what OJ and a bathroom can do. "I found it first" sang out Mandy, "What's my prize?" Like a dummy, a big dummy, I motioned her to me before she got in, leaned out and kissed her cheek. I think if she had been hit over the head there would have been less of an impact. She just stood there, hand to her cheek, in a daze. I was not much better. She seemed to react to such a simple gesture of affection that I began to think of how I had the opposite reaction when Gwen left me. There was no way I could expect a 16 year old to take her place, or could I? They piled in. Mandy climbed into the front seat this time, if she did not have on jeans, it would truly be a sight I began to imagine. 'Wait!' I thought.

We drove up their drive. "Tell your Mama I'm coming in about 5 minutes. To get decent and then we'll outline what she needs to do this week and explain how you three are my new assistants for work.

I waited a few minutes then walked in. "Mrs. Err I don't know your name?"

"Evie, Evie Brown, and you be?"

"Ralph, Ralph Kincaid. Pleased to meet the mother of these three wonderful girls. I can see where they get their great beauty from."

Yep, works on them all, any age. A smile swept across her face.

"The girls came over to see if I needed any help, which I do. They said your job was cutting back and you might be willing to help take care of my house, maybe cook some meals and the like. This would pay you a full time salary and when you did the work is of no matter to me, I'm right next door. This would be ongoing, as is the girls work helping me. Even when they go to school I have tons of things that need to get done. I will pay them whatever you and the school say. There is a little bonus from time to time that you and the school won't know about. Now, the girls and I need to get to work, lunch and breaks are provided for and if you can make dinner for us at my house, everything should be there. Here is some money($50), keys to the car(4-WD Subaru) are hanging by the phone if I did not have everything you need and we will be back by 6pm. If you have any questions, my cell number is by the phone in the kitchen. Dress is casual but you may not want to work in what you have on?(She was still in bed in underwear, I suspected.)"

"Yes Sir!"

With that answer I knew she was a 'Submissive'. No doubt about it. Great, if we made this work out not only would those money problems get straightened out but the family could start healing.

Might as well push my luck. "Mandy, honey, make sure everyone has shoes on. We'll stop in town, get you all work clothes, boots, gloves, goggles and some supplies. If you have an ice thing and a water jug bring that and some cups, we'll get food and drinks in town before we head out. My treat for everything so I don't want to hear why you don't need stuff, now get everything and head to the truck sweetie! Mrs. Brown, we will be at Mac Glint's farm after town then head back home. I really appreciate all this, I don't know what I would do if you and the girls were not helping me." I thought I heard something like, "She's full growed, you know!" That was more obvious now as Mandy had seemed to change into a tank top, no bra and shorts that would make Daisy Duke blush.

"Here Hon!" handing me an ice chest and sliding her hand along my arm as she released it. Did she say she was only 16 last week? The other two bounced in front of me carrying the jug and cups. They too had adopted their sister's dress code, white tank tops but rolled up a little high though, and no bra unless 'pink' was a natural chest colour. Oh well I thought.

There were now four of us in the front seat. Poor Mandy had to almost sit on my lap. She made room by putting her arm around my waist and bumping me every few seconds, as her sisters kept pushing over. It was hard to drive, and not just from the road. Little fingers were playing some tune on my back as Mandy just looked ahead and smiled.

We had two choices, 'Cheyenne Guns and Things' and 'Wally-Mart'. Trying to sneak a look over to my trio with their tops ever rising up and shorts lowering 'Wally' would probably be a good choice to outfit three teens, then again what they were now 'almost' wearing might not be a bad choice, I thought.

Inside my 'troops' lined up. I want you to get everything, I mean everything. Pants, shoes, socks, shirts, hats, work gloves, goggles, bras, panties and any personal items you may need for the next month, everything. Get everything too for your Mom, she may need them around for housework?"

"Honey, what colour bra and panties should we get, and will we need anything for bed?" asked the vixen Mandy.

Now it became very evident who was in control. She said she was 16, right? "No, ... Yes, maybe ... just get whatever you need, Jeez! Meet me by the boots, Beth help your sister get a cart, Mandy, please be nice, Okay?"

"Honey, I can be very nice! No one has ever treated Mama and us as nice as you have. In case you didn't notice(as she pulled her tank top tight across her 38 D chest) I'm full 'growed up' and Suzy and Bella in school already are pregnant?"