February Consequences

They walked into an office with security monitors. "Who do you know that can?"

"My boss, Trisha could build it. She's really good at it."

"Do you think she would come and work with you to build it?"

"Maybe, but I know for sure that she is loyal to the company. Her husband is a CPA so I don't know if he'd leave where he works."

"We need CPA that we can work with, also. Maybe I can sweeten that pot as well." He was all grins.

As they sat and discussed the possibility of building a loss prevention program. Linda noticed something on monitor five. "Mr Steve, that man on number five brought out seven quarts of oil, and only put in six. The seven went into that box on the floor."

Mr Steve smiled. He reached over and ran the security video backward, and confirmed what she saw.

"That's what I am talking about. You sat here ten minutes, and already found a thief."

Linda looked at him. "Set-up?"

"Maybe."

"Sir, if you can give me reports on missing items, and have supervisors sent me video of suspected thefts, I can pour through it and look for potential losses. As I learned from Trisha, there is always a paper trial." She thought to herself, 'Maybe I can do this.'.

Jim and Carolyn got back to the dealership at almost 4 pm. Jim looked happy and excited. When he saw Linda, she looked happy and excited as well.

"How was your day?" he asked.

She replied happily. "It was good. Mr Steve is a good host. I spent the day with him here going over potential theft issues, and we found quite a few." She did this little thing with her head where she slightly moves it side to side when excited. "He wants me to help him build a loss prevention program."

He took her into his arms, and hugged her tightly. "That's great. You'll be wonderful at it."

Carolyn walked up with a set of car keys. See that blue Silverado out front? If you think you can find your way back to the motel, take it for the duration of your stay. Take a drive and get familiar with the area." She turned as she walked away. "Remember, dinner is at seven."

He looked at his wife. "Oh, dinner is at seven."

As they drove around the area, they held hands. She noticed little shops that interested him, while he noticed she looked happy. A little before 5 pm, Jim got a text from Maria. Jim handed his phone to Linda as he drove. "What does she say?"

"Offer accepted for farmhouse. Got paperwork. Bank wants signature. Got it for a lot less. smiley face, thumbs up."

"Text her back, that we'll meet her at the motel in thirty minutes."

They drove safely, and quickly to the motel. Jim got out and opened Linda's door, He felt like a newlywed. All excited, and happy. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she got out. She kissed him lightly.

The automatic doors opened for them as they entered. Maria sat at a table with papers and pens ready.

She stood with opened arms. "Congratulations, you own a house. You got it for a steal. I negotiated a purchase price of $350,000.00 with the cash from the sale of your old house of 125, and the down payment that you specified, the bank agreed to carry the mortgage of $125,000.00 at 2.5 percent." She pointed to the documents on the table. "Sign at the 'x's, and the offer is accepted by both parties."

Maria reached out and shook Jim's hand, and gave him a hug. "Thank you for letting me sell your house, and help find your new home."

"It was my pleasure."

"This is the card for the listing agent, she'll handle it from here. I have a map to the property, in case, you don't remember. I'll turn this paperwork into the bank tomorrow, and I'll have them email the loan application to you for the mortgage. Then Miss Carolyn is going to have me flown home in their airplane. Thank you once again."

She turned to Linda, and hugged her. "Thank you, too."

As they watched Maria get on the elevator to go to her room, Linda began to pull Jim towards their room. As the door closed, she pushed Jim backward onto the bed. She grabbed his shoes, and threw the shoes onto the floor. He unbuckled his belt and trousers, the she grabbed the trouser cuffs and pulled his pants off of him. She had a look of lust on her face. She stood before him as he lied on the bed, as she pulled her shirt over her head, and pushed her jeans and panties down. She removed her bra and threw it into Jim's face.

He watched as her breasts swayed when she pulled his boxer off of him. She smiled at his erection, as she climbed over it. His face and hers had a slight smile and she lowered herself onto his cock. She rode him at a slow pace. Moving up until he almost came out then back down until their hips joined. He cupped her breasts as she rode faster giving herself an orgasm. Grinding down hard as she climaxed.

He raised up and pulled her into a passionate kiss. She pulled away from the kiss, and put her hands on his chest, and rode him faster. He could feel her muscles as she approached her next orgasm. He could not hold back as she came, and he followed hers soon after.

"God, that was great! It's been a long time since you did that."

She curtsied as she climbed off of him. "Hurry clean up! You got to drive me to see my new house!"

Once again, they shared the shower. Being care to not get her hair and make-up wet. They washed and explored each others bodies.

They dressed quickly, and drove to see their new home. It was almost 6:20 pm when they pulled into their new home. They were each surprised at how they had remembered where to turn and how to get there. Between the two of them, they made it.

Jim took out his phone, and texted Carolyn that they would be later than seven because the house offer was accepted, and they were there looking at the property.

A few minutes later, he received a text from Carolyn. 'OK, stay there. Micheal and I will bring dinner to you."

For the next forty minutes, they walked around the property as they smiled at each other. They held hands as he watched the breeze softly blow Linda's hair across her face as she tried to push it back. He pushed her on the swing set. He heard a honk, and they went around to the front of the house.

There in the back of a dirty work truck stood Micheal with Linda helping him hand down a folding table and four chairs. "Come on, dude. I'm ready to eat."

Jim and Micheal carried the table and four chairs upon the wrap around porch, while the ladies carried over several covered dishes. Micheal turned on two battery powered lanterns for light. Carolyn uncovered the dishes. They had four large rib-eye steaks, 4 baked potatoes wrapped in foil, a salad, and 4 bottles of water. Loaded their plates with food, and enjoyed each others company.

New friendships were born.

A few days later, Carolyn flew back with Linda on a commercial airline, so she could retrieve the children, and drive them south to their new home. She was pleasantly surprised when she met Linda's parents. They were so nice and pleasant to her even though she was 'stealing' their daughter and her family from them. Her mother and Carolyn hit off, and were soon chatting like long lost friends.

Jim moved himself and Linda into another motel room with a connecting door to a room for the children. It looks like they would be staying in the motel for a few weeks. Time was too short to rent an apartment, and even though Micheal and Carolyn offered to let them stay at their house. Jim felt that the friendship was too new to impose on the couple, especially two young children.

Maria had flown back, and oversaw the packing of the household for Jim and Linda. The cash purchase of the house got the sale of their home closed in only two weeks. The huge amount of cash that the sale provided allowed Jim and Linda to close on the new house the following day. Maria got the bank to allow Jim to begin any painting and superficial remodeling like carpet replacement in the bedrooms. No renovations until the mortgage was completed and signed at the Title Company.

Linda renewed her connection with the children while her parents entertained Carolyn. At trip to Chucky Cheez, and the movies, she was exhausted but happy. She had missed them so much, even though it was only a few days since she had seen and held her children.

Upon arriving to her parent's home, Linda found her parents house strangely empty. Where had they gone? She assumed maybe dinner, but her dad liked to eat early. A half hour later, she saw the head lights of one of her dad's work trucks pull in.

She walked outside and watched her parents and Carolyn get out of the front seat of the truck laughing and smiling.

Her father pointed to the back of the truck. It was loaded with boxes. "While you been having fun, we've been working our asses off."

Puzzled, she asked." "What?"

Carolyn walked up to her and smiled and patted her on the back lightly. "A lady needs the powder room."

Her mother smiled at her. "Oh, we decided to get you packed up for the drive home." She pointed to the truck bed. "It's all your clothes and Jim's. Kid's clothes and toys. You buy them too much. I decided to leave all your cleaning supplies for the new owners. We packed everything that I thought you might need until the movers get around to loading the big stuff."

"Ummmm, Mom that's not going to fit into my car."

"We know. Your father and I will follow you HOME. He'll can drive his truck with the boxes, and I'll drive Jim's truck. You know, I think I like it. Been driving it since we picked it up from the airport. I like sitting higher, I can see better."

As she walked toward the house, she held her daughter's hand. "You know that Dad will want to check out the 'Heating and Air' on your new place."

While Linda was gone, Jim and Steven had traveled to every dealership, new and used, that Emerson owned. He touched base with every sales manager. Told them his plans would be forthcoming at a mandatory meeting in Tulsa. At night, Jim poured over reports and sales figures from each dealership. He began to formulate his sales plan for Emerson.

He had breakfast with Micheal every morning. Somehow, they had a connection, and were becoming good friends.

The night before Linda and the family would get back to Oklahoma, Micheal convinced Jim to help him unload feed bags into his barn. Jim had a new respect for hand labor. His back ached, but he had fun laughing and working. Ranching was not something he wanted to do.

In the week that Jim had stayed in the motel, he knew the names of everyone that worked there. That afternoon, He sat going over the days sales figures in his email box when the room phone rang. He looked shocked, but he answered it. "Mr Jim, Hector says that Miss Linda, and some other people are in the parking lot." She paused. "I will get another room ready for you."

"Thank you, Angela. I will be right out."

He hurried outside to see his family.

Outside, he saw Jeff stretching beside his work truck full of boxes. Rebecca was getting out of his pickup truck. His children were swooping excited around their mother's legs. Carolyn waved at him, as the children saw him and ran to him. As he hugged his children, Micheal pulled into the parking lot in his wrangler.

Jeff hugged his son-in-law. "You've did it. I'm so proud of you. You kept your family together when lesser men would have run away."

He grinned. "I could not have done it without your tough love to help break Dee's brainwashing."

"Rebecca wants me to buy your truck. She got attached to it."

His mother-in-law laughed at him, and Jim stated, "It's my truck, madame. But I happen to know a good place to buy one just like it. What kind of trade do you have?"

Jeff could be heard. "It's 5:30, I need to eat."

The next morning, her father was pleased with the heating and air on the new house. His verdict was still out on the mini-split units in the mother-in-law house. Rebecca teared up that Jim had thought about their needs as they get older. It made her proud. They weren't anywhere near that age yet, but it is nice that they would have their own space when they visit.

Linda was pleased with the painting that had gone on while she was away. The bedrooms had fresh coats of paint and ready to move furniture in. Her mother was in love with the large kitchen. They sat on the back porch steps and watched the children play on their swing set.

Jeff pointed out to Jim. "You're going to need a tractor to bush-hog ten acres. Glad it's you, and not me."

Years later.

Jim stops the tractor, and wipes the sweat from his brow. Bush-hogging wasn't hard work but it was time consuming. It takes most of a day to cut ten acres. He reached for his water bottle as he looked toward the house, and began to drink. He enjoyed watching all three kids running around the backyard. Emma was getting almost too old to play with Tommy. She was fourteen now, and she would never let her friends know how she played with him. The baby, Geoffrey tried to keep with them. It was hard to believe that Geoff would start PreK-4 this fall.

He decided to check his phone for messages before continuing. Three missed calls from his brother. Probably work related. His brother managed Jim's small chain of quick oil change centers. Jim approached Steven and the family about Emerson acquiring a couple of small oil change lube businesses that he had investigate for Emerson expansion. The 'family' backed Jim to purchase the two small chains, and reinvent them under his name. He enjoyed working for Steven and Carolyn so he recruited his brother to run the operation. Jim was a welcome addition to the Emerson family. He did his job well, and the company was more profitable for it. Jim wouldn't know it for years to come, but Steven would leave Jim shares in the company when he passes on.

Their friendships with Micheal and Carolyn was more of a bond than friendship. Each couple was there to help and support the other. They didn't get together occasionally for drinks like their old friends, but it was like they were life long friends even though they had only met a relatively short time ago. Micheal was like a big brother to Jim and Carolyn a big sister to Linda. They had even gotten Jim and Linda to ride horses.

Linda stood on the porch watching the children when she noticed Jim had stopped, she waved at him.

He waved back. She looked so pretty with the hot summer breeze blowing her long hair across her face while her sundress fluttered in the soft breeze. He wondered how he got so lucky.

Jim's Ending Thoughts...

I felt like my life before moving here was a dream. As a family, we were stronger than before the incident. My trust issues were getting better. I am not there yet, but with Carolyn and Linda's other new friends, I knew that they were people of good character so I really didn't need to worry.

As fate would have it, everything is working out for the better.

I started the bush-hog back up, and put the tractor into gear, when I saw my in-laws coming up the road to our home in their motor-home. I can't wait to hear their latest adventures from the road.