Misery Breeds Company

Now, the final piece of information is my notebook. Inside, I've listed every cookie recipe I have ever baked. I also took the liberty of marking the ones I know you enjoyed. Please take those recipes and give them to Jess. I know she's a fantastic baker and when she finally saves for her bakery, these recipes will be enjoyed by many.

She's a good girl, Tim.

With all my love, Your friend, Sandra.

P.S. Watch out for Milli next door. She's an incorrigible gossip, but she'll water your plants and check the mail if you go out of town.

I smiled softly, before getting up. Heading for the stairs, I went to the top and found the vent. It was held on with plastic clips and came off easily enough. Inside, sure enough, was a tag hanging from a small metal hook. On the tag was four numbers. With a childish grin, I took the tag and headed for the garage. Sitting against the far wall, was an old ladder. It took a few minutes to clear space to get to it, but I got there eventually. With the ladder in hand, I made my way back up the stairs. In the hall before the master bedroom, I spotted the manhole. I was halfway up the ladder when I heard footsteps behind me.

"What on earth are you doing?" Holly said.

Turning, I took in the sight of her. She was naked beneath the towel she had wrapped tightly around herself. Her wet hair stuck down the side of her neck and between her breasts. Looking away, I swallowed nervously, before collecting my thoughts.

"I found a note from your mother. I'm checking it out."

Holly nodded slowly, "alright. You be careful up there."

I nodded and pushed the manhole open. Climbing further, I hauled myself up inside the ceiling. Looking around, I could make out a large box on the far side. But I couldn't see properly. Pulling out my phone, I activated the flashlight and confirmed it was the safe. Climbing completely into the ceiling, I made sure to stand on the wooden beams. I was careful as I made my way over, but the safe was in the tallest section of the ceiling. So I wasn't under a lot of pressure. Approaching, I saw the dial on the safe and pulled out the tag. Spinning the numbers, I checked the handle and sighed as it creaked open with only the slightest resistance. Pulling the door open, I took in the contents. Firstly, this safe probably hadn't been used in years. Sitting right on top was an old dusty notebook. Taking it out, it was the book mentioned in her note and I smiled, seeing Sandra's handwritten notes. The next thing in the safe was a small cardboard box. Inside there were dozens of old photographs. And I'm a little ashamed to admit, but Sandra looked fucking hot back in the day. With a grin, I put the photos aside and grabbed the velvet bag. It had an old drawstring, which I loosened and reached inside. These must have been the heirlooms she was talking about.

The first was a pearl necklace. The second was a wooden case that, when opened, contained some war medals. The bag also contained what looked like Sandra's late, husband's wedding ring. The final thing to come out of the bag was a glass vial. Inside were a dozen small diamonds. I couldn't help the whistle that escaped my lips. But I suddenly had a new respect for Sandra's wishes to keep this away from her less than stellar children. Putting the items back into the bag, I pulled the string tight. Looping it over my wrist, I grabbed the notebook and the box of photographs and headed back for the manhole.

"You find it?" Holly called.

I poked my head over, to see her climbing the ladder towards me.

"Here," I said, passing the items to her. Climbing down a moment later, I left the ladder where it was and gestured for us to head downstairs. Heading into the kitchen, Jess paused, to give us a funny look as she stirred a large bowl of batter. "Alright, first things first. Your mother sends her love, I'll also give you a copy of the note she left. It's on the computer," I smiled sadly at Holly, who nodded back. "She also wants you to have that bag and it's contents." Holly frowned and pulled the bag open. I grabbed the notebook and handed it to Jess. "Grace wanted you to have this. It's all her recipe book and she wants you to use them in your bakery." Jess froze up, before putting down the bowl and taking the book.

"Oh my god," Holly said. Turning, I took in the sight of her crouched on the floor with the items of the bag set out neatly. "I thought we lost these in the fire," she continued, before looking up at me with tears in her eyes. "These pearls were my grandmothers. The diamonds came from her family when they fled Germany in the thirties. I thought these were destroyed years ago. Mum must have kept them safe all this time."

I nodded, "that makes sense. She was sharp as a tack till the very end."

Holly nodded before looking up at me, "would... Would you like some of these?" She gestured to the vial of gems.

I just shook my head, "you keep them. I have everything I need right here." That earned me a kiss, when I wrapped my arm around Jess's waist.

Holly just smiled, "thank you, Tim."

Chapter Twenty

The funeral was rather short if I thought about it. Sandra had everything spelled out. Flowers, color, no-nonsense and get her in the ground. But it was the fact that being a small town like this, just about everyone showed up to pay their respects. By the time every member of town had come up and touched the coffin, it had gone way over the schedule. Not that it mattered, as the priest was a local and took it all in stride. The shock came, when it was time to carry the coffin out to the final resting place. It had quickly become common knowledge of how close Sandra and I were, and in the face of no male family, I was directed to take the first rung. With tears in my eyes, I stood and marched alongside other members of the town and carried my friend to the grave. The only person I looked at as we passed, was Jess and Holly. Grace had left town immediately after getting what she wanted. Holly had tried calling to confirm, but it seemed that Grace had disconnected her number completely. So Jess had taken over as her support person. A job she took seriously as she held the crying Holly.

The next surprise I received was during the wake. It turns out Holly's skill with film was actually rather good. She'd skimmed the hundred hours or so of footage of our gaming sessions. What she presented was a fifteen-minute video that played like a presentation. The whole thing was of Sandra narrating our adventures and laughing at our jokes. This time Holly and I both had to be consoled by Jess as I mourned the loss of my friend. I cried even harder at the end of the video, when Holly presented me with the flash stick with the video on it, saying she had another copy. That evening ended with Jess and I on either side of Holly, who cried herself to sleep in the master bed.

When I woke the next morning, my hand was on something soft, tipped with something firm. Smiling, I squeezed gently, and heard a small moan. Without thinking, I pulled them closer and took the nipple in my mouth, rolling my tongue over the firm nub.

"Oh fuck," Holly gasped.

My eyes snapped open and I immediately released her nipple. Holly looked dazed like she was coming out of a dream. The nightshirt she'd been wearing was pushed up under her neck, allowing both her breasts to sit exposed in the morning air. But it was Jess's eyes on me that made my heart pound.

"Jess, I..." I stopped, not knowing what to say. It was an honest to god mistake. I was still half asleep and thought it was Jess I was holding.

What I wasn't expecting was for Jess to lean forward and take Holly's other nipple in her mouth. Holly hissed at the sudden contact and I felt her hand press into the back of my head. A moment later, I was staring into Jess's lustful expression as we each suckled on Holly's nipples. But...

Releasing her nipple, I quickly sat up, "Wait, wait, wait. What's going on here?"

Jess released Holly's nipple with a firm pop, before sitting up and kissing me. "I love you, Tim. You know that right?"

"Of course," I said back. "That's why I want to know what's going on."

Jess nodded, "When we fucked the other day, Holly saw us." I heard a quick intake of breath from Holly beneath us, but Jess just placed a finger on her lips. "I got up to get a glass of water after you fell asleep, and heard buzzing coming from her room, along with a few... Words..."

"Oh god," Holly wined. But Jess hushed her again.

"I propose this. We're all consenting adults. Tim and I are getting married at some point, and Holly will be leaving soon to go back to her life," she said to both of us. "I'm also pregnant, hormonal as fuck, and horny enough not to care about silly things like proper etiquette." Jess paused, looking at both of us. "So... Whoever is still in this bed in the next thirty seconds, is consenting to fuck and be fucked by a pregnant woman."

I glanced from her to Holly and back. Shifting, to allow Holly to move away if necessary, I honestly had no idea what to do. But part of me was scared about what this would mean for Jess and my relationship. So I moved away to get off the bed, only to see Holly's hurt expression as I moved away.

Shaking my head I stopped. "Wait," I sighed. "Jess, I love you. I really, really love you. But I'm only going to do this if you can promise me, that our relationship won't change from this... I can't lose you... Not now."

Jess just beamed, as Holly looked unsure of her position. "Tim, honey. Holly's a beautiful woman and I'm very curious to find out what she tastes like. But I haven't fallen in love with her, in the same way she's not in love with one of us. But that doesn't mean we can't fuck like rabbits and have orgasms." She grinned, "I really, really love that you're worried about our future. And if you're not completely comfortable with this, I'm happy to stop."

I nodded along, then looked at Holly, "what do you want?"

Holly sighed, "I'll be honest right here. I'm not gay, I don't even think I'm bi. But most of my film work has been erotic and I've starred in my own films quite a bit. Let's just say, I'm comfortable with sleeping with men AND women and I would totally like to have some orgasms with you both this morning. No strings attached. I like you guys, but I'll be out of here today or tomorrow no matter what. I've got work to do back home."

"Alright," I nodded, "how do we do this? Because I've got no fucking idea."

Holly and Jess giggled before Holly pushed herself up and kissed Jess. I gotta tell you, I've seen lesbian porn, but nothing beats seeing it in person. Seeing the woman of your dreams with another woman is just otherworldly... Before I could react with more than an instant iron-hard erection, Holly stopped kissing Jess and twisted around to kiss me. Her lips were soft as I expected, not as soft as Jess's but not unpleasant. Immediately though, I could tell this was a different kind of kiss. When I kissed Jess, I wanted to convey emotion. To push all my love into a single action. But kissing Holly, while not unpleasant, was more just a build up of excitement. It was comforting to make that realization, as Jess's lips wrapped around the head of my cock.

Holly pressed me down onto my back as Jess bobbed her head over my length. Holly released, before spinning around and throwing her leg over my head. I got a front-row view of her hairless slit before I felt my cock pop free of Jess's mouth. A moment later, a mouth with a different sensation took over, while Jess's soft tongue moved lower to stimulate my balls. With a soft groan, I reached up and took hold of Holly's hips. Pulling her ass down, I pressed my tongue between her folds and licked her gently from clit to opening. I then made a game, to try and emulate what Holly did to my cock, but on her clit. As she sucked, I sucked. When she licked, I licked and as she stroked my length, I slid two fingers inside her wet little hole. In the end, she came violently as my tongue circled her entrance, while my thumb massaged her clit.

"Your turn," Holly said.

Before I could guess what was about to happen, I felt Jess move and Holly quickly got off my face. Rolling, Jess was getting in position and opening her legs, as Holly got between them and started licking. It was the most erotic thing I'd ever seen, seeing Holly's ass wiggling in the air as Jess mewed in pleasure. But she cracked open her eyes, long enough to mouth, 'fuck her,' to me.

Nodding, I sat up and walked on my knees behind Holly. Taking my cock, I rubbed it gently on her clit. Holly's only reaction was to moan, making Jess smile, and rock her hips a little. Taking that as consent, I positioned myself at her entrance and slowly pushed in. It wasn't quite the sensation that Jess gave me. Jess seemed... Softer... In a way. That's not to say Holly's pussy wasn't soft, wet, and inviting, just... Different... But, with a shrug of my shoulders, I grabbed her by the hips and started thrusting. Holly moaned after the third or fourth and released Jess's mound.

"Fuck, Tim. It's been a long time since I've been stretched quite like this," she moaned.

I paused, before slapping her ass, making her giggle, "You're just saying that," I said, fucking her a little harder.

Holly moaned and shook her head, "no, I'm not. Fuck... You're no porn star, but what you've got isn't anything to be ashamed of," she bit her lip and went back to Jess's mound.

Jess for that matter, nodded in agreement with Holly's statement, before moaning softly as Holly began licking her again.

Holly ended up leaving that day. Though, it was a long day. We'd fucked for most of it. Jess and I even got a surprise out of it. Holly brought lube for her dildo. So Jess insisted on trying anal in reverse cowgirl while Holly ate her out. This was apparently so erotic, that Holly just had to try it herself. She'd buried my cock to the base in her ass and Jess had only just started sucking her clit, when she mentioned this was the first time she'd tried anal. I tried to be gentle after I heard that. But it didn't stop Holly's screaming orgasm as she slammed her hips into my own when she'd come for the third time.

Needless to say, she went home with a new respect and a surprise for her current friend with benefits. Holly and I wished her well on her drive home and left her with a promise to house her if she wanted to visit again. Neither of us had any plans to move away for any reason. We were raising a family after all.

Chapter Twenty-One

"I love you," I said, squeezing Jess into my side.

She sighed softly, kissing my chest. "I love you too."

"Do you have any regrets?"

She shook her head, "none. Holly is fun, but now I'm here with you."

That cracked a smile on my face. After cuddling a while longer, Jess and I got up and showered. After dressing, we walked to the diner together and ordered breakfast... Or... I ordered breakfast and Jess made it while promising she'd eat in the kitchen. Satisfied, I let it go and tucked into my eggs. With breakfast over, I crossed the road and entered my store. The answering machine was empty, which gave me a twinge of sadness. But I took a deep breath and got to work. I made a few calls, organizing for some of the locals with trucks to come round to mine and Jess's places this weekend. There wasn't much we wanted to keep, but there was too much to fit in my Camry. Besides, I wanted my bed back, now that I had someone to share it with. Then I had another call to make.

Picking up my phone, I dialed the number and watched it ring.

"Hello, Tim?"

"Hi, Mr Harrison. I've got something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh? Well, best come round for a barbeque tonight then. Bring Jess, Martha wouldn't forgive me if she didn't get an opportunity to poke her nose in your business a little."

I just laughed. This old farming couple just said what they meant. It was refreshing and one of the reasons I settled out here. There just wasn't any bullshit outside the gossip. "I'm sure I can do that. What time did you want us over?"

"Take that lady of yours home to get comfortable, then head on over. I'll expect you a little after six."

"Sure thing, Mr. Harrison. I'll see you and Martha tonight."

With the invitation set, we hung up and thought about how our lives were going. Then I thought about the baby. My parents weren't in the picture, but for a vastly different reason than Jess's parents. A quick search online through social media didn't reveal anything. A search over the archives for the local news didn't pop up anything either. All I knew from memory were their names. Willet and Henry May. I just couldn't help the feeling that they'd want to know about the baby. Even if it WAS Mike's, he wasn't around any more. But they'd need to be told first. So I typed up a letter explaining everything that had happened, then made a google search.

Turns out, hiring a private investigator is dead simple. One phone call, an exchange of emails, and the passing on of Jess's parents' names and the name of the town and we were done. He had his instructions. Find them, deliver the letter, along with my phone number and let them contact me. If they truly didn't want anything to do with Jess, it was no loss. But if they fled for Mike, and Mike alone, then hopefully I'd get a call sooner or later.

With that all done, I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the door open.

"Hey, I spotted the new case in the window," the young man said.

I just grinned.

In the end, it was a productive Friday. I sold the case and ordered a few more when the others showed up. I spent a quiet lunch with Jess, as we ate some savory muffins she'd baked up that morning. The look in her eye told me she wanted dessert, but we both had to admit we were sore after the thrashing Holly gave the two of us. In the afternoon, I realized the folly of walking to work, when I got a call out. Immediately, I realized I'd have to walk home first if ever I needed to be called away. I filed it away in my mental notes as I walked to Milli's house.

It turns out, she was amazed by the video of Sandra's flights. Unlike Sandra, I made damn sure I got out of Milli exactly what she wanted. She wasn't quite as tech-savvy as Sandra had been, so I made her a compromise. I'd rent her a system to allow her to play the game. If she liked it, I would sell it to her with a few upgrades if she wanted it. If not, she was down the cost of the rental fee and I had a spare machine to go back into my work office for when I was bored. So with that hashed out, I headed back to the office and ordered the few parts I was missing from building a whole new machine. By the time that was over, it was getting close to five. I checked the store over and made the quick walk home. I didn't think Jess would complain, but she did mention she'd been getting sore on her feet all day. Walking home probably wouldn't be something she'd be looking forward to. Needless to say, she was pleasantly surprised when I showed up at the diner in my car.

"Hey, honey, how was your day?" I asked, kissing her softly.

"Busy. Thank you so much for getting the car. My feet are killing me," she smiled.

"I thought so. Now, let's get you home so you can get comfortable. We've been invited to a barbeque with the Harrisons."

"Oh!" Jess smiled. "How did that come about?"

I shrugged, "I rang to see if he wanted to buy back the house. I didn't get that far before he told me to come around tonight and bring you, so we could discuss things in person."

Jess nodded along, "we'll have to swing by the store and get some chocolates or something."

I nodded and smiled. Jess was a domestic goddess I swear. It took no time at all to drive home. Jess darted upstairs and took a quick shower while I changed my work clothes into something more comfortable, myself. I was dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed when Jess came in. In all her naked glory, I couldn't help but stare as she sauntered past.