The Sanderson Curse

Prologue

Sanderson, Idaho. A bustling little town on Route 12, several hours from the border with Washington, nestled between the national mountains and forests of the state. It wasn't the most direct route to the ideal camping and hiking spots, which ran further north and south, so only locals really frequented the town.

What the town lacked in tourism, it also lacked in telecommunication, which was a few decades behind the rest of the country. This suited the population just fine, as the aforementioned hiking and camping were the primary past times of the town.

My wife's family lived here. Rather, they had founded the town. Generation after generation, the Sanderson women led the town fiscally, spiritually, and, as my wife put it, morally.

Her great-grandmother had established the Sanderson Church, focusing on community and charity.

Her grandmother had founded the Sanderson Private School for Women's Enrichment and Etiquette, providing young women the skills and opportunities to flourish.

Her mother, the mayor, had fought off the advances of major corporations, mostly, and allowed the local shops to thrive and develop the downtown area into something reminiscent of the 50's. Soda shops, tiny bookstores, cafes, all of these lined the clean streets and made the town feel homey.

I say this now, but it had driven me crazy when we'd first moved here. Everything was so slow-paced, and everyone was in everyone's business. As a city boy, it had been a hell of a transition. But I had come to love the freedom I had found here.

Amy and I had met in Boston while we were in undergrad and married shortly after graduating. We lived in Houston for many years and had both come to love the bustle of the city. That was, of course, until the recession of 2007.

Amy lost her job as an accountant, and I was put onto part-time with my consulting firm. Between rent and a toddler, we just couldn't afford it. Her mother had insisted we move to Sanderson. They set us up with a house, got the girls into the Sanderson school, even got Amy involved in the Sanderson Church and various charity organizations. Her sisters, Candice and Bethany, were over all the time to help and support us, even as they managed their own families. They were over so often that our daughter, Allie, practically thought of them as parents. We grew so close, that I could never imagine moving away.

It was all perfect. Or so I thought. It wasn't until much later that I realized what churned beneath the surface.

###

Chapter One

"Okay, am I picking you up today after school?" I asked as Allie loaded into the car. Her blonde hair bobbed in a short ponytail whenever she moved. She buckled in and adjusted her uniform, smoothing out the pleated skirt and straightening her jacket over her white blouse.

"Yes, daddy. I have soccer today and lacrosse tomorrow." She smiled as her soft, brown eyes met mine in the mirror.

Looking at her, no one would peg her for a big sports player. It wasn't because she was fat or out of shape. It was the opposite. It was her rather voluptuous shape she had inherited from her mother's side of the family. An hourglass figure was what I would call it, but I think she said something about "slim-thick" being the appropriate term these days. Funny enough, her mother was a petite woman with modest bust and bottom and was somehow the only one in her family who wasn't built like an absolute dump truck. Her sisters could turn a man's head clear around from a hundred paces, and every extended family portrait was a sea of double D's or more.

It seemed like everyone in Sanderson shared the same genes, because I'd swear that over 90% of the female population was rocking at least D-cups. That had to be one of the weirdest things about moving here. Small and petite women like my wife were few and far between. And the women here were fit as all hell to boot. Maybe it was just a combination of a heavy meat and potato diet coupled with plenty of exercise and little to no electronics.

"Alright. Don't be late, okay? I need to make dinner for your mom and her sisters."

"Yay, the aunties are coming over today?" Allie clapped her hands happily. "Do you think they'll take me out bra shopping? These old ones are getting kind of tight." She unbuttoned the top of her shirt and tugged at her bra strap. "See, daddy? I've gotten bigger again."

I averted my eyes from the rearview mirror as her creamy bosom jiggled. "Baby, I don't need to see it. We can just swing by the store and pick up something bigger for you."

"Ugh, no daddy. We aren't bra shopping at Walmart again," Allie complained. "The cheap materials are uncomfortable. It doesn't feel as nice as Aunt Candy's."

"I wish you wouldn't call her that. It's Candice."

"Why, daddy? Don't you like her candy?" she snickered.

"I get enough of that from her, I don't need it from you as well," I grumbled before realizing how that sounded.

She burst into laughter at that. She had picked up way too many bad habits from her aunts, especially from Candice. The woman practically oozed sex appeal and wasn't shy about teasing me. It had only grown worse in the last year since her husband had passed.

Allie spent the rest of the trip discussing cup sizes, material, and style, knowing that I really didn't want to hear any of it. I could only shake my head and grumble at being used as a sounding board. Prior attempts at forestalling these kinds of monologues from her just ended up with her going into greater detail until I finally kept silent. I learned far too much about my daughter' preferences, which were apparently silky and lacy.

I pulled up to the school drop-off zone and she climbed out in a swirl of soft perfume and flicking hair. Allie turned to the passenger window. I was about to lower it thinking she wanted to ask something, but she instead bent forward and used the reflection as a mirror to button her shirt up again. A flirty wink to herself later and she was hopping off, the skirt bobbing dangerously high on her white legs.

As I pulled away, I caught sight of Ms. Kenzy, the head teacher and yet another distant cousin of my wife's. She was in her late thirties, her blonde hair in a tight bun, large, rounded glasses on her button nose, and looking completely professional in her pencil skirt and blazer. Professional, but no less enticing. The skirt only highlighted her generous curves and her blazer pulled tight below her chest, presenting her equally generous bust within her white blouse.

A lazy smile spread across her lips as she shifted her weight, striking an alluring and seductive pose. Her smoky eye shadow gave her a softer edge, but there was no missing the predatory gleam in her blue eyes as she watched me leave. I swallowed hard.

Those kinds of looks around town seemed to be getting more frequent. Maybe I was just imagining things. It wasn't like I was any particular catch or anything, I was just some guy desperately staving off a "dadbod" as Allie put it. Amy assured me that it was all in my head.

###

I racked the weights that afternoon and wiped the sweat from my brow. One of the benefits of working from home was being able to squeeze in some strength training between meetings. It wasn't as good as a gym, but it saved a ton of travel time and had helped me get into shape over the last few years. I wasn't rocking a six-pack or anything, but even I could admit that I looked pretty good for a man in his early forties. Just in time for my midlife crisis, I joked.

"Hello? Dan? You here?"

That had to be Candice. She was a few years younger than Amy, and several years older than their youngest sibling, Bethany.

"Yeah, come on in. Just let me towel off."

The clacking of her heels and sweet scent of honeysuckle announced her arrival as I grabbed my shirt. I pulled it on only to discover her leaning against the doorway, watching me with a little smile on her lips.

Candice had always been gorgeous, but she looked like she'd stepped out of a fashion magazine today. Her silky, blonde hair was pulled back playfully over her ear, displaying her long and elegant neck adorned with a sapphire pendant that hung heavily in her plunging bosom. The pendant matched her crystal blue eyes which sparkled as she watched me. Her silky sundress pulled tight around her, showing off her perfect hourglass figure, complete with perky D-cup breasts and a tight rump. She was breathtaking.

"Looking good, Dan." Her brow arched playfully. "Have a lot of energy to burn, do you?"

"Well, anything to fight off this dadbod," I laughed.

Candice approached with a fluid grace more at home on the catwalk than a house. Her hips swayed as she drew closer, her eyes never leaving mine. Her fingers slid across my shirt above the navel, working themselves under and across my skin. The pads of her fingers gently traced along my muscles, sending a little shiver down my spine.

"If that's a dadbod," she said softly, "then maybe I should call you daddy?"

I coughed and stepped back. I'd learned not to engage her teasing, as that only made it worse. "Ugh, you're here a bit early. Amy's not back and I haven't started dinner yet."

Candice pouted, stepping forward to keep near me. "Can't I come by and see my dear brother-in-law?" Her hand rested lightly on my chest. "We don't get to spend much time bonding. Amy's got you doing it all, doesn't she? Working while she's off with the church group, cooking the meals while she socializes, cleaning the house while she lounges around. Just being the perfect husband." Her hands traced along my stomach again. "Yet... leaving you here... with all this extra energy. All alone." She tsked softly.

My back thumped against the wall. Candice purred, her mouth inches from mine. "I was always thankful to my late husband for all he did. He never had the time or energy to do anything else. He never wanted to because I took care of him. Like a good Sanderson woman should."

I swallowed heavily and licked my lips nervously. "How has Renee been dealing with it? I haven't heard from her since she started college. Is she handling his passing alright?"

She was practically nose-to-nose with me now, her sapphire eyes holding me captive. "She misses her daddy. We both do. At least he went with a smile on his face."

"How... how did he go?" I knew I shouldn't have asked.

A broad grin spread across her face as she drew near my ear. "He died doing what he loved," she whispered. Every hair on my body stood on end as she breathed softly into my ear. "Me."

A little grunt escaped me as my cock twitched violently.

She planted a soft kiss on my cheek before separating from me. She never looked back as she sashayed into the hallway, her scent lingering in the room.

I took a deep breath, the smell of honeysuckle immediately causing my dick to twitch again. I let out a ragged breath, willing myself to calm down.

###

A soft pair of breasts pressed into my back that evening as Bethany hugged me tightly from behind, my hands still submerged in the warm and soapy dish water. Her palms lay flat against my chest as she lay her cheek between my shoulder blades.

"That was so good, Dan. You are an amazing chef. I wish you'd cook for me all the time."

"Anytime you want, Beth." I smiled and continued hand washing the plates. It wasn't that we didn't have a dishwasher, but I'd found a rather Zen calmness from doing the dishes.

"Cooking, cleaning, working. Is there anything you can't do?" She nuzzled my back, that pillowy softness still pressing on me.

"Amy says my dancing could use some work."

"Little miss 'two-left-feet' doesn't have much ground to stand on. You can be my dance partner any time."

I was a little disappointed when she let go, that pleasant bounciness against my back gone. Bethany had always been the more touchy-feely one of Amy's siblings, though Candice could certainly get handsy. While Candice reminded me more of a tiger playing with her food, Bethany was a kitten. Warm, kind, and sweet. She was always willing to lend a hand.

She took a spot next to me, her shoulder lightly bumping me as she slid off her wedding band. It had been an unfortunately short marriage. He had passed away not even a year after the ceremony, but she still wore the ring.

"I love washing dishes, too. I don't really know why. Something about the bubbles and warmth. It just makes my skin tingle." Her hand grazed mine under the soapy water before she pulled out a plate and began washing it with the other sponge. "Two peas in a pod, huh?"

She wasn't wrong, we were far more alike than Amy and I. Amy hated the outdoors, preferring to spend her time inside with the heating or AC cranked up. I had come to love hiking, especially with the amazing views the mountains offered us around here. Bethany joined me frequently on my excursions as she loved to sit at the top and paint. I didn't have much of an eye for art, but I enjoyed watching her stroke the canvas and paint the glistening view of the lake from far above. She and I also loved karaoke, much to Amy's tone-deaf chagrin.

I tapped her nose with a soapy finger, leaving a few bubbles playing across the tip. She gave me a mock glare and then wiped her nose on my shoulder.

Amy wandered into the kitchen and dropped off her wine glass beside me before giving me a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks for dinner, baby. I'm going to take a shower while Candice occupies Allie."

She left and moments later there was a burst of giggles from the dining room.

"It must be rough for you living with only women." Bethany bumped her hips against mine and chuckled. "I imagine you've learned more about your daughter than you ever wanted to know."

"You have no idea," I groaned. "I'm glad I don't have to go underwear shopping with her anymore, but I still find it when I do laundry. I swear, the older she gets, the smaller it gets."

Bethany always had the cutest laugh, reminding me of wind chimes lightly tinkling in the breeze. "Just be glad she's still wearing any. Candice used to go commando and it drove mom nuts." She grinned mischievously, "Let's hope she isn't giving her any ideas in there."

She laughed again at my grimace, planting a swift peck on my cheek.

###

That night, Amy moaned softly under me, her fingers grasping my arms as I slowly pumped into her. I could barely make out her face in the darkness of the bedroom, the wan moonlight peeking through the shades hardly providing any illumination.

Her grip tightened suddenly, a tiny squeak slipping from her lips as her walls pressed against me. She had always been a quite woman. I smiled, leaving myself partially inside her while her pelvis twitched against me. I caught a glimmer of light from her eyes as she shifted below me.

"Remember, not inside."

"Of course, baby." I leaned down and kissed her soft lips.

I resumed my motions, slowly driving into her again. She whimpered cutely as I moved. I slowly pulsed, my shaft only halfway in. It wasn't that I was particularly big, but she was a small woman, and I didn't want her to feel discomfort. It was enough for me though.

I grunted as I pulled out, twitching into the condom and filling the reservoir tip with my milky liquid. I panted, resting my slowly softening member on her pelvis. She stroked my cheek, letting me catch my breath.

"I love you, Dan."

"I love you, Amy."

###

Chapter Two

I had never been big on churches. It just wasn't my thing. Whether there was a God or not, it really didn't affect me. Amy hadn't been a big believer either, or so I had thought. In Boston and Houston, we never went near a place of worship, but the moment we were back in Sanderson, she couldn't be pried from Sanderson Church. She joined every weekend, organized and ran community events, and participated in every charity group. Allie and I joined her for Saturday mass, but I bowed out of the longer Sunday sermons. She never took issue with it. She did put Allie into Sunday school there, which I had initially been wary of, but she always returned with a big smile, so perhaps things had changed since I'd had to go to Sunday school in my youth.

I usually spent my Sunday mornings downtown at the local coffee shop with a few of my friends. It was one of the few opportunities we had to hang out, as everyone was always busy during the week.

I was talking to Geoff when Andrew joined us with another person in tow.

"Hey guys, this is Ryan. He married into the Sandersons a couple of months ago and finally moved here. Ryan, this is Dan, our old-timer, and Geoff. Dan's been here longer than anyone I know. Almost a decade now?"

"Decade and a half," I said, only slightly resenting being called the old-timer. "Nice to meet you, Ryan. Welcome to Sanderson."

"Thanks," he said as he shook our hands and took a seat. "Glad to have some folks to talk to. The place always seems so deserted on the weekends."

"Can't be helped," Geoff said. "Nearly the entire town goes to church. The few husbands left over could barely fill a few shops."

"You make it sound like it's a cult," Ryan laughed. He paused, not getting a reaction from us. "Oh my god, is it a cult?"

I couldn't keep a straight face anymore and started laughing, which set off the others.

"Nah, nah. Nothing like that," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Plenty of folks don't go to church or stick around downtown. We're here because we all have kids that are still at Sunday school. Mine is graduating this year. Geoff's kids are, what, six and seven?"

"Yeah. Jenny's seven and Alex is six. She got into private school on the lottery system. Alex wants to go too, but they only have so many slots."

"Liz is coming up on sixteen now," Andrew said. "She loves private school. Made a bunch of good friends there."

"Lainy's been talking about that," Ryan said, accepting a cup of coffee from the waiter. "She said she loved her time there. Hopes that the little one will go there too. Of course, that won't be for a while yet. We only just got married."

Geoff leaned in conspiratorially, "Your wife. Does she... fit in... with everyone else?"

"Don't start, Geoff." I rolled my eyes as he started up on his conspiracy theory again.

"No harm in warning him," he said defensively.

"What? What do you mean?" Ryan asked.

"You heard of the Sanderson Curse?"

"Don't let him scare you. He does this to everyone." I said this, knowing that at least a quarter of the people here believed this stupid curse.

"No. What curse?" Ryan was already leaning forward in his chair. Seemed that Geoff got another one.

"Most of the men who marry into the Sandersons never make it to forty."

"I'm forty-two," I added.

"And that's because Dan's wife is a petite Sanderson. It's the other ones you need to be careful of."

"I'm sure your wife, AKA the other one, will be thrilled to hear this."

"And that's what I'm worried about," Geoff said. "My wife, love of my life, mother of my darling children, is a voracious woman. And she'll be the death of me. If yours is one of them, you'd best make peace with not making forty."

Andrew just shook his head while mixing sugar into his coffee. "This is his way of bragging about how much sex he has with his gorgeous wife. We get it Geoff, she's a nympho. Good for you."

"I'm going to need you to squint more and smoke an old timey pipe to sell this curse of yours," I added dryly. "Didn't you just run a marathon?"

"Scoff all you want, but I need to keep myself in shape, lest I go any sooner."

The topic of conversation quickly changed, and we moved on to less crazy things, like aliens.

An hour later, the door chimed again, and four bombshells walked in. They were dressed in their finest, the light breeze tugging at strands of blonde and brown. It was getting late in the season, but they all wore summer dresses with shawls draped loosely around their shoulders, some bare while others not.