A Father's Love Ch. 03

First, I would like to thank all of the readers who have followed my first story and have asked for additional chapters.

As a disclaimer, all persons involved in sexual activity (Sam and her father) are 18 years old or older. This was established in Chapter 1. Also, I recommend reading Chapters 1 and 2 before reading this for continuity.

I'd like to thank Ciguardian for editing this and helping me figure out some plot points!

*****

My wife's and son's return was met with the usual fanfare of hugs and cheers. They dragged into the house a little after 3:00 PM, and were pretty tired from the drive. Sam and I helped with the luggage and other detritus that was scattered throughout the van, rolling our eyes at each other and chuckling at how messy they could be in the car. We also took every chance we could to steal little kisses here and there.

Dinner wasn't anything fancy as they talked about their trip and how much fun they'd had. Dan was his usual quiet self, seemingly lost in thought for most of the meal. For our part, we explained what a boring and uneventful two weeks we experienced. Sam just gave me a little wink when no one was looking, smirking behind her fork.

"What is that you're wearing?" my wife asked at one point during the meal, looking at Sam's shiny new ring.

"Hmm? Oh, this?" she held up her hand. "It was Ma Mae's. I found it in the garage, and Dad said I could have it."

"Oh, okay." Brenda breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you'd gotten engaged while we were gone!"

I managed to not choke on my water.

"I'm 18, mom." Sam reminded her, "Kinda young to get married!" she gave me the side eye and a sly grin when Brenda walked past her, sighing exasperatedly.

That night, as my wife and I lay in bed, she quickly turned the lights off and laid down with her back to me. I took a slow, deep breath and reached under the covers for her.

"Not tonight David; I'm exhausted." She said through a yawn.

"It's okay Brenda. Get some sleep."

A minute or two later and I could hear the deep, rhythmic breathing of her slumber. I guess she was telling me the truth. I was still wide awake and laying on my side, staring at her outline. She was still facing away from me. For all intents and purposes, I was alone in my bed and I have to admit part of me was relieved that she was so tired.

The past couple of weeks I had become used to a nearly nightly regimen of incredible sex with Sam followed by drifting off to sleep holding the most wonderful girl. I'm not sure if I could have properly performed; sex with Brenda paled in comparison to making love to Sam.

I gave up trying to sleep. Quietly I left the bedroom and went into the kitchen, grabbing a beer and going out onto the back deck. The night was still a little muggy, but a nice breeze kept it from getting too stifling. I stretched out on a lounge chair and just stared up at the stars. A hundred thoughts swirled through my mind. The inner voices argued back and forth, never reaching a conclusion but still arguing away. I had Congress in my head and the floor was open.

Slowly I came to the realization that I still loved Brenda, but I wasn't IN love with her anymore and haven't been for quite some time. And if we were both honest with each other, I was pretty sure she'd have to admit that she wasn't in love with me either. She was a smart woman. Kind. Generous. A good mother. A great friend. Over the years, however, we had become different people than the ones we married. Were we staying together just for the kids' sake? Were we that much a cliché? Or was it because it was familiar? Comfortable? We had a routine. People like routine; what's familiar and comfortable. Change is not easy, and most people shy away from it.

As I sat there trying to figure all this out I heard the door open. Sam sat down beside me, a bottle of beer in her hand as well.

"This sucks." She said, plopping in to the lounge chair beside me and taking a drink from the bottle.

"Like I said, it's an acquired taste." I tried to inject a little humor.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah..." was all I could say.

"How're we gonna handle this, Dad? It's just the first night, and it's killing me."

"I know, baby. We'll figure it out."

"That's what I keep telling myself. It's just hard to accept that right now. And..."

"And what?"

"Nothing."

"Sam, tell me."

"It's just... Well... I'm jealous, okay?" she looked away

"I know it isn't much consolation, but I really rather it'd be you there with me."

"Me too." She said, reaching for my hand. I took hers, holding her hand in between the chairs.

"So how was it?" Sam finally asked. I could hear the edge in her voice, asking a question she didn't want the answer to but for some reason was compelled to ask.

"Well." I said, trying to relieve her, "It wasn't."

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously

"Seriously. Too tired. Rolled over and went to sleep. Just like the last few months."

"Wow- wait. Months?"

"Months." I nodded.

"I knew it wasn't much, but I figured... What gives?"

"I do not know. Hell, maybe it's for the best. Ever since they came back, I've had this sinking feeling. That I'm cheating."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"Don't be. That's what I've been out here thinking about. When I was lying in the bed tonight, I couldn't help this feeling that I was cheating. But the thing is, I don't feel like I'm cheating on her." I leaned over and kissed the back of her hand. "I feel like I'm cheating on you."

Sam just looked up at the sky, her watery eyes refracting the moonlight. "We're gonna be okay." She said as much to herself as to me.

"Yeah. It'll be hard, but we will."

We sat together for a while longer, finishing our drinks and holding each other's hand.

****

The rest of the summer passed quickly. Brenda and I rapidly fell back into our day-to-day routines. The biggest deviation from that routine was Sam and I. We would find excuses to spend time together. Out of milk? No problem, I'll just run to the store and Sam will tag along because she's bored. Hardware store? Away we go!

School started again before anyone was ready. I've always considered Sam a very smart and intelligent girl. Brenda and I always made good grades and excelled when we put our minds to something. Earlier, when I commented on our kids doing decently in school, I'll admit I was downplaying it a bit. Sam was smart, but Dan? Dan outshone us all. The only time he ever did poorly in school was before we found out how gifted he was. He was getting bored in the standard classes, and stopped caring, causing his grades to drop. We enrolled him in advanced classes and after school programs as often as we could when he was younger and he quickly turned around. He had a natural gift with numbers and by the time he reached High School he was breezing through his AP classes. If there was an academic team he found his way onto it. Math Team, Chess Team, Chemistry Team (Chemistry Team? I didn't even know they had those!), Debate Team. I lost track of all the teams he was on, and it was a logistical near- impossibility for all of us to make it to all of his events. He was a bit of a social butterfly, but when he was with his peers he really came into his own. As such, he spent a lot of time at school, both before and after the bells rang.

Sam's pursuits lay on the technical side, with computers and programming. If she'd had more of a devious side, she would have become a hacker and probably escaped to some non-extradition country by now. Luckily for me, what little 'devious' streak she did have she focused on finding ways for us to be along together.

Instead, she spent her free time working various programs on her laptop that she would then use to help her in video games or with homework or anything else she could think of. Any club or extra-curricular activity she participated in happened on-line, so she really didn't need to stay after school that much. I had to remind her to also focus on English and History, so that we didn't get a repeat of the past summer. That's when she would remind me that that summer had been the best summer she'd ever had, and that her mind flashed back to it on a regular basis. I couldn't disagree.

In our free time, Sam and I worked on discovering new ways for us to be alone together. The best discovery Sam and I had was the garage. I have a small workbench in the back that sits unused for the most part. The grandiose plans I had for being a handyman had long ago met with the crushing weight of reality; I was better off calling a repairman than trying to fix it myself and wind up making it worse. One Sunday afternoon I was in the garage trying to get the weed-eater rethreaded when Sam ran into the garage and barreled into me, wrapping her arms around me while squealing in delight.

"I GOT IN!" she exclaimed over and over.

"Woah! Slow down! What's going on?"

Her response was to hand me a neatly folded piece of paper. The letterhead was from a local University and the first line read "We are pleased to let you know that you have been accepted for Early Acceptance..." College. My baby girl was going to college! I snapped my head up at her with the biggest grin on my face. Wrapping my arms around her, I lifted her from the ground and spun around and around. When I set her down I didn't know where I was exactly and plopped her down directly onto my workbench. She yelped in surprise when her bottom hit the wood, but we wound up laughing as we caught our breath.

With her arms and legs still wrapped around me Sam leaned in and gave me one of the most loving kisses I'd ever experienced from her. When I leaned in to her, that's when we found out the best thing about the workbench. It was the perfect height for us! In a matter of minutes her shorts and panties where pulled off and my shorts and briefs were around my ankles. Her hand gently stroked me to a full erection, and then guided me to her entrance. She wasn't as wet as she usually was, since this was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. As my head spread her folds apart, that was quickly changing. As I rocked my hips back and forth, I pulled out a little more of her fluid, allowing me to push deeper more each time. Finally, our bodies met and I was completely inside her. She shuddered slightly, breaking our kiss and looking down. I saw a small smile spread across her face.

"You know, it looks as good as it feels when you're inside me." She whispered. I looked down, watching as I pulled out. My shaft glistened with her juice and I watched as her lips spread apart to let me inside. I could see her little clit, small and pink but begging for attention. Sam's hand slid down and started to rub circles against her clit, pulling and spreading her lips she moved.

"I'm so proud of you, Samantha. My college girl." I said, pushing back inside her. She looked up at me, pulling our lips together as I began thrusting into her. For the next few minutes our universe centered on each other. It felt like coming home finally. It felt right.

"Cum with me." She urged, in between kisses. I sped up, my cock sliding in and out of her dripping pussy. I had to keep from using as much force as I wanted to prevent the table from slamming against the wall, but it was enough. I felt her body tense up, shaking as she neared orgasm. She bit back her cries, moaning through closed lips. When she came, she bucked her hips into mine, forcing me inside and pushing me over the edge. I threw my head back and opened my mouth, restraining my own cries of ecstasy. I looked at Sam, who had her head down and was watching as my cock still slowly slid in and out.

"I could see it pulse and spasm when you came. Each time, I felt your cum shoot inside me. You have no idea how much I love that, Dad." Sam rested her head on my chest, "how much I love you."

Sam slowly lowered her legs, watching as I slid out. A small stream of my cum followed, but she closed her legs tightly to keep it inside. I picked her up off the bench and helped her stand on wobbly legs. She sighed contently as she bent down to pick up her shorts, then stopped when she was eye-level with my slick, semi-hard cock. Without warning, she pulled me into her mouth, cleaning me of our combined juices. I nearly cried out again, as I was still hypersensitive.

"Not funny." I admonished.

"But delicious." She giggled as she pulled on her shorts and I pulled up my own.

"We gotta remember this." I patted the workbench.

"Mmmhmmm." She agreed, sitting on one of the stools beside the bench to get dressed, "Though I'm gonna need a cushion. My butt hurts!"

"I think we can manage that." Then I changed the subject, picking up the letter. "I thought you wanted to go to a west coast college. UCLA or someplace similar."

"I did. Before."

"Sam, you don't need to change your plans for me."

"I know I don't need to. I want to. My place is here now, with you." She put her hand on my chest. "And here." She grinned slyly and slid her hand between my legs, pulling a low groan out of me. "And here too."

"Are you sure? About the college I mean?"

"Positive. It's the only place I applied to." She shrugged. "I love you, Dad. I'm not gonna leave you. Not now, not ever."

We were interrupted as the garage door on the other side started to open, causing us both to jump. We watched as our minivan pulled into the bay a short moment later. A quick glance at each other conveyed the unspoken truth that we had been lucky. A few minutes earlier, and it would have been a hell of a scramble. We both started snickering as we realized it, bursting into laughter as we kept on.

"What are you two laughing about?" Brenda asked as the garage door closed

***

The next few months passed in relative normalcy. I would take Sam and Dan to school in the morning and did my best not to flirt with her too much while Dan was in the car. He usually had his nose in a book or his iPad, so he might not have noticed even if Sam stripped naked and rode me in the carpool lane. Still, best not to take the chance. In the afternoon one of her friends would drop her off at my office. The excuse was that she could come to my office after school so that I could make sure she was doing her homework. After all, we didn't want summer school again! Dan usually had some kind of after-school program requiring Brenda or I would pick him up after work.

Sam would stay in my office (or an empty cubicle right outside if I was in a meeting) and finish her homework. Then she'd sit and work on her laptop in the chairs across from my desk, occasionally spreading her legs and giving me a little tease. I admit my productivity after 4pm dropped significantly. There were several nights when we stayed late, closing my office door after most people had gone home. It was risky as hell, but being with her made me feel like a teenager again.

December brought life-changing news. (No, Sam wasn't pregnant!) Brenda's company was bought out by a rival, a much larger national company. She was an auditor in the financial/tax industry and positions like hers were usually the first to go, being consolidated at the new owner's headquarters. For several weeks we all pulled together for support, causing Sam and I to forego some of our alone time and spend it with the family. If it was possible for Brenda to be less interested in sex, this caused it. We drifted further apart, until I felt like we were just two acquaintances who shared a bed. I knew it was depression, but nothing I could do was able to pull her out of it. I suggested going to talk to a professional, but that idea just made her angry. She didn't feel like she needed my or anyone's help. In the end I did the only thing I could for her. Just be there and listen to her when she needed to vent. Still, it was hard hold my tongue when she would snap at me for almost anything.

By January, Brenda's new employers had made their staffing decisions, and it was a mixed blessing. Brenda not only kept her job, but received a promotion. However, it came with a price: travel. Her new position required her to visit the company's many field offices and review their annual audits. And they had offices all over the country. As a family, we all sat down and talked about it.

"How long would you be gone, mom?" Dan asked.

"Each time? Probably most of the week. I'd fly out on Sunday evening, and fly home on Friday afternoon."

"If mom does this," I said, "I'm going to need both of you to step up and help out more around the house." I didn't miss the slight glare Brenda gave me, and I could read it in her eyes. "IF?"

"No problem dad." Sam interjected before a fight broke out, "We're here for you. Right Danny?" He hated being called Danny which only made Sam use it more often.

"Yeah." He grumbled. He and Brenda were close, and I'm sure he felt like he was like losing a friend and a parent at the same time.

"You say that now. But we're going to be a driver down, and Sam? You're going to need pick up the slack. That includes getting Dan to school and bringing him home, as well as some after-school errands."

"I get the car though, right?"

"Yeah... I guess it does," I said hesitantly.

"Deal!"

We talked for a while longer, discussing what duties we would have and how things would change. Eventually we all went into our rooms, and that's when things went a little sideways with Brenda.

"IF?!" she spun on me suddenly, putting me on the defensive.

"I didn't mean it like that." I tried to remain calm, but I had a temper too and I could feel it rising, "I just said that because you haven't said what the hell you were doing one way or the other!"

The tension was thick between us, each one of us needing to say more but not wanting to be the one to start another argument. She finally spoke first. "Maybe this is for the best. I think we need some time apart."

It took a moment for it to sink in.

"You mean..?"

"Yeah. I mean."

"What about the kids?"

"Christ, David, I'm not saying we need to get divorced! Just some time away from each other."

"The kids need you."

She scoffed, "No, they don't. Dan has been doing his own thing for years, now. Sam gets a car out of this, so she's ecstatic." Could she really be so blind as to not see how this was going to affect Dan?

"What about me?" I wasn't sure where I was going with this; it just seemed like the right thing to say.

"Maybe this will be good for you. It's only during the week. I'll be home on the weekend."

We got into bed and I reached over for her. I guess I was thinking that she would open up one last time for me. Instead, she just stiffened and took a sharp breath when I touched her shoulder. I let my hand rest there for a moment, hoping she'd relax and turn towards me. She didn't. Only when I pulled my hand back did she visibly relax. It was at that moment I realized the truth. Our marriage was over. Maybe not legally, but in every way that truly mattered.

***

That Sunday we took Brenda to the airport for her first trip, hugged goodbye, and watched as she went through security. Sam held my hand reassuringly, squeezing it occasionally as if saying, "I'm here, Dad. We're going to be okay." Dan didn't move until she had passed through security and had walked down the terminal and out of sight. I put my arm around him as we walked back to the car. Sam noticed and trailed a few steps back so Dan and I could talk.

"You okay buddy?" I asked.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm okay."

"Listen. I know you and mom are closer than we are."

"No, Dad-"

"It's okay, son. I understand how it is. I'm not an idiot, or blind. It's the way things go, sometimes. But I want you to know that I'm here if you need anything. Ever. Sam is too. I know you two don't always get along but she's your sister and she loves you, even if she shows it by throwing things at you." That got a chuckle out of him. "Mom'll call every night, I'm sure. You two will still be able to talk like you normally do. I just don't want you to forget that I'm here, too."