McKinley Manor Pt. 01

"Here you are." She said gently, the door gliding open silently on its well oiled hinges. The room was simple, cream walls with walnut furnishings, a blue and green quilt on the bed with matching blackout curtains and a soft rug over the oak floor. She went to the closet and pulled open the double doors.

"I estimated your size based on your father in his high school album, the shirts may be a little tight in the chest now that I see you but the jeans and pajamas should fit. We'll make a shopping trip tomorrow and find you something comfortable that is to your liking. If you want to wash up and refresh yourself before supper, you have a bathroom between you and the guest bedroom. Please, make yourself at home and if you need anything, I'm here."

She flashed another smile and closed the door gently behind herself. She leaned against the door frame and sighed, why was she so nervous?

Jacob looked around the room in wonder. He remembered the quilt, his grandmother had made it for his dad as a wedding present. It was in his earliest memories, he wondered if Gretschen knew the significance. He turned to the closet and found that the few clothes in the closet would indeed fit him well enough so he chose a green shirt and a pair of jeans from the rack and headed to the bathroom.

He was mildly surprised the bathroom had modern fixtures but it was still rather old fashioned. It was nearly as large as his new room with a clawfoot tub as well as an upright shower, two basin sink and formal dressing table.

Jake ached as he tugged his shirt over his head, it smelled of smoke, he could feel the lump forming in his throat again. Shoving his upset back down he finished undressing and made his way to the shower. The hot water eased the soreness from his arms and tension from his shoulders. He thought of the beautiful woman as she had descended the stairs. Her graceful poise, her soft hands, her smooth, round breasts...He shook his head.

Snap out of it stupid, that's your stepmother.

He scolded himself. He shouldn't think about her that way and certainly not with the way his dad must treat her, the poor lady. His mother had told him all about her years of abuse at the hands of the man he called father, that was why she had always been so harsh with him, to teach him to be better.

A soft towel awaited him on the dressing table so he dried, dressed and headed toward the smell of food.

The table was laid with two place settings across from one another, Jacob frowned.

"Did you forget I was here already?" He asked as Gretschen pushed through the door between the dining room and kitchen. She looked disheartened until she realized his assumption that his father would be there and that he would expect three places set for him to join them.

"No, Jacob, I could never forget you. Your father is out of town on business and has been for two weeks. He's flying home tomorrow to check on you and see how you're settling in."

"He's gone a lot?"

"Yes, he's got a lot of people counting on him. The house gets kinda lonely when he's away, I'm truly thankful you decided to come here. Given the circumstances, I hope that you can find some solace here. I know you probably aren't ready to talk about things and that I'm a stranger but my door is always open and I'm a good listener if you need a friend."

"Thank you." Jake was a little surprised that such a warm hearted woman would marry as cold a man as his dad. "That smells delicious."

She nodded, "It's an old family recipe, homemade meatballs and gravy. I also have mustard greens and biscuits made, I wasn't sure how hungry you would be.

"Sounds amazing."

Gretsch couldn't take her eyes off of him as he ate, he seemed to be enjoying his meal and was putting away an alarming quantity. He had strong shoulders and well built arms that indicated a fair amount of work, he wasn't lazy. His face had seen sun and wind, to her he looked like one of those Greek statues of Apollo crossed with a good natured field hand. Rugged and a little hard around the edges but kind with an underlying nobility and intelligence in his eyes.

"Thank you for the meal, I apologize for eating you out of house and home but this is the first meal I've had since breakfast two days ago." He said sheepishly. "Even the thought of food has made me sick since...the fire."

Her eyes took on a look of pity.

"Mom had sent me to the post office and the store. I told her not to cook while I was gone, the stove was messed up and she didn't know how to use it. It's my fault, I should have been home sooner, she would never have tried to light the stove if I had been there." Twin rivers were streaming down his cheeks as she watched this strong young man crumble into a choking, sobbing mess before her eyes. Gretsch rose from her seat and made her way around the table to wrap a hug around his shoulders.

"Hey now, this is not your fault. Accidents happen and it's not always someone's fault. You shouldn't blame yourself for this tragedy. You love your mother and you wouldn't have ever hurt her, would you?"

He shook his head.

"See, you wouldn't have done anything you thought was harmful and you were doing what she asked you to by going to town. It's not your fault."

He sniffled and tried to regain his composure.

"Sorry, didn't mean to fall apart like that."

"This will take time to get past, and that's okay Jacob. It's good to let it out and there's not a thing wrong with missing your mom. Lean on me all you want, I won't let you down."

"Thanks." Jake grumbled, a little more gruffly than he intended. "I think I'll turn in for the night if that's okay. I've had enough reality for one day."

"Very well. Goodnight Jacob, I will see you in the morning."

Gretschen watched his back retreat up the stairs and sighed.

The smoke was thick and he was coughing, he couldn't see, he couldn't breathe. He found her but she was limp...lifeless...dead...

Jacob shot up in bed, sweat pouring off of him. The darkness was calm but was different than home. "Where am I? This isn't my bed." He rolled out of bed and felt the soft carpet under his feet. Definitely not home. He ran his hand along the wall until he hit a light switch.

The light blazed on and he could see the blue and green quilt and the sparse, old fashioned room. He sat back on the edge of the bed and let despair take him. He wept until dawn and finally fell back into fitful sleep.

At the ten o'clock chiming of the grandfather clock, Gretsch carried a breakfast tray upstairs. If he wasn't well enough to come down for breakfast, perhaps he would like to dine in bed. She set the tray on the hall table and knocked gently on his door.

"You can come in."

She lifted the tray once more and made her way into the bedroom. Her heart fell to see his red eyes but he looked resolute. He had made a decision it seemed.

"I come bearing gifts." She said kindly, offering the laden tray. He accepted it from her hands and she sat on the foot of the bed. Jacob ate without speaking. When he had finished, he met her soft blue eyes with his brown ones.

"Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. Your father will be home shortly, would you like to go to town and find some new clothing before he gets home? If not, you have a few more changes of clothes in the closet, it can wait a day or two." She smiled gently at him.

"I'll wait. I'd like to make sure I'm here when he arrives."

"Very well." Her smile warmed even more as she lifted the now much lighter tray and headed back to the kitchen.

A freshly dressed Jake made his way down the stairs around noon to find the house empty. He finally spied Gretschen's light brown hair gleaming in the sunny garden behind the house. He slipped out the back door to join her.

She was pulling weeds, he knew this work so he silently started on another bed she hadn't gotten to yet without saying a word. She glanced up at his approach and saw that he was helping to weed the garden. Good, it might help him let out some frustration. She worked her way around her bed and he worked around his until they were back to back in the garden path.

"Whew! It's getting a little warm out here. Jacob, would you care for some tea?"

"Sure." He answered, never looking up from his task.

Gretschen fetched two glasses of tea from the refrigerator and headed back to the garden. She handed Jacob a glass and watched him down half of it at once. He pressed the cool side of the glass to his sweating brow to cool himself and streaked a little dirt on his cheek in the process. She liked this boy, he was a lot like her, they would get along fine.

Gretsch started as she heard a vehicle turn in at the bottom of the drive. She grinned and took off at a sprint around the house to the front. Jake watched her go, her ass jiggling beautifully in her sun dress, hair dancing behind.

Bad Jacob! She's your stepmom!

He yelled inwardly at himself.

The truck rolled up to the front of the house, he was home! The driver's side door opened and she lept into his arms almost toppling them to the ground. She kissed him fiercely and it took all her willpower not to begin shedding both of their clothes. She wanted and needed this man that she loved but she contented herself with a passionate hug and kiss.

"He's around back." She answered to the unasked question in her husband's gentle eyes. He pecked her on the lips again taking her hand and walking around to the rear of the house.

Rick stopped in his tracks at the sight of the young man, wiping sweat from his brow beneath his mop of thick brown hair, focused on his task. He was tall and strong, not at all the child he had been. A tear glided gently down the man's cheek and into his beard at the sight of his son.

His boy, his little man...He was a big man now. The man quietly made his way over to his son.

"Jake?" Rick reached his hand down to his son.

"Dad?" Jake's took his father's hand and rose up to meet him. Rick pulled his son into a crushing hug and began to sob and in seconds both men were crying uncontrollably, hugging one another.

They spent the afternoon and most of the evening sitting on the porch talking about his mom and the good things about her and carefully avoiding the bad. Gretschen occasionally brought them a glass of tea or a snack, kissing Rick, cooing at him affectionately.

Gretschen watched the pair through the kitchen window. They were so alike and so different. One tall, one not so tall. One lean and one with a bit of padding. One clean shaven and one with a thick beard...but they moved alike and laughed easily, even in hard times. They had the same smile and both their eyes crinkled with laughter when they told a joke or funny story. She was thrilled to see Rick so happy after so many years. He was finally whole again.

She had supper started and in the oven so she made her way upstairs to prepare herself for Rick's welcome home later that night.

After dinner and dessert Jacob said goodnight and headed for his room. He looked like he was feeling a bit better and less uneasy now that he had seen his father. Gretschen was cleaning up the kitchen when Rick wrapped his arms around his beautiful wife and nuzzled his face into the right side of her neck. She squirmed in delight at the sensation as it sent tingles to all the right places. She purred softly as his lips covered hers gently at first but with a passion that grew into an inferno until she was panting for breath.

"Shall we retire to the bedroom, my love?"

All she could do was nod as the man swept her off her feet and carried her up to their room.

The instant the door closed behind them Rick dropped his bride onto the downy soft comforter and began unbuttoning his shirt cuffs. Gretschen's eyes flashed with silver fire as she watched the object of her desire disrobe himself. Rick wasn't exactly a young man anymore. At nearly 41, his hair was thinning quite a bit on top now and he was growing in the middle but to Gretschen, it was the man inside of him that was important. His love for her was undeniable, he would gladly give his life for hers, though she would never ask him to. She was his sun, moon and stars, the very air he breathed and she knew it. To her, that was sexy beyond measure and she showed him her appreciation.

As he unbuttoned he did a little jig, being silly and giving her a comical farce of a striptease. She giggled at him, her living, breathing cartoon. He made her so happy just being around, how had she ever survived without this man? He spun around, flipped his collar up and posed, his chest and belly catching the moonlight over his underwear, legs bare except for his black socks.

"So sexy!" Gretsch giggled at the silly man before her, she loved it when he was funny.

She perched on her knees and raised her hands over her head, stretching her back, hitching her sun dress up and slowly tugging it off over her head, soft hair spilling down her back. She was his serious side and she knew that he couldn't resist her pale skin in the glow of the moonlight filtering through the window. He watched as she slid her bra straps gently off her shoulders and reached back with one hand to undo the clasps.

Her beautiful breasts cast shadows in the moonlight, nature had blessed her abundantly and Rick stared as his wife seductively danced her fingertips across her bare skin, watching the light and shadows play. She slowly rolled her panties off of her wide hips and down her legs to the floor. She pressed against his chest, grabbing him by the sides of his shirt and holding him to her. She could feel his cock twitch as it hardened, shyly she smiled up at him, mischief in her sparkling eyes.

He kissed her and the days he had been gone melted away, her anxiety and fear that something would happen to him on his trip faded too as all their pent up passion came bubbling to the surface. He caressed her beautiful body and admired the little sighs and gasps his hands brought to her lips. He kissed her neck and nibbled his way down to her chest, lavishing nips and kisses on every inch of skin he could reach until she was squirming on the bed. She clawed his back under his shirt as he bit down on her right nipple and she came, hard and fast. The first was usually like this from the anticipation of having her lover back in her bed.

Rick let her come down from her high as he finished undressing, tonight was about her, she needed this. He crawled up over her legs, watching her muscles twitch in anticipation as he lifted one knee over his shoulder and planted soft kisses along the inside of her thigh. She shivered, knowing what he was doing and trying to stay quiet. She bit her lip as his tongue ran over her slit, tasting the bounty of her first orgasm. He looked up at her with his smiling brown eyes.

"I love you, Gretschen McKinley." His deep voice resonated in every fiber of her being as he slid his fingers into her wet pussy and his tongue and lips went to work on her clit. Her hips bucked as he stroked the soft lining of her inner walls, his lips kissing and sucking her lower lips and inner thighs. She gasped and shook as her second and third releases rocked through her. Still she was keeping quiet as she could.

"My turn." She whispered pulling him up to the headboard with her. She kissed him deeply, tasting her own juices, she loved this man.

Gretschen threw her leg over Rick's waist and sat astride him. She felt his dick bobbing against her lower back and grinned. He made her feel like a goddess, he could never get enough of her and she wouldn't have it any other way. She slid her soaked pussy up and down the length of his cock, enjoying the sensation of the head and veins as they rubbed over her clit. She repositioned slightly and slid herself onto him.

"Ooooohhh...that's so nice." She sighed, her head tipping back as she started up a gentle rhythm.

"Careful, it's been a while." Rick gasped between strokes. Fuck, she was stunning. She picked up the pace as he kneaded her ass cheeks in his big hands.

"YesYesYesOoohhh...I'm so close baby, hang in there. I'm so...Ahh!"

"I can't sweetheart, you're so sexy...I can't hold it any longer..." Rick groaned as pulse after pulse of hot cum shot into his wife's beautiful, fertile body. As they basked in the afterglow Gretsch cuddled up to her husband. It was a beautiful but bittersweet moment for both of them. They both knew that their union would never bear any fruit.

Jacob's mother had never wanted children, when Jake was born she had planned to get her tubes tied but Rick didn't want her to have to live with the possible side effects and risks so he had gotten a vasectomy to give her the life she wanted. Shortly thereafter, she started a long term affair with his closest friend, which he forgave her for. After nearly six years of cheating, she divorced Rick to marry his friend. They had gotten married only to find out he was sterile and she couldn't have any kids by him. She divorced him a year later and lived out the remainder of her life alone.

Rick had met and befriended Gretsch when she was seventeen, a musician and aspiring artist, he fell for her hard. She loved Ricks stories and his humor and the two grew closer by the day. He took her out for her nineteenth birthday and proposed to her, that was the first night they made love together. That was the night he told her she would never get to be a mother because of a sacrifice he had made for the love of another.

Gretschen loved Rick, children or no children she couldn't live without this man. It was love like she had never known. They wed in June under a full moon the year she turned 21. Rick was thirteen years older than her but to see them together you would imagine him to be the younger by personality. They both longed for a child that they could never have.

She fell asleep in her husbands arms and dreamed that he had planted his seed in her and that she would become a mother. She smiled in her sleep, blissful dreams of a big family danced behind her eyelids.

Gretsch awoke to Rick's phone ringing.

"Alan, what did I say about phone calls when I'm home?...Yeah, alright...No. That hasn't gone through yet...Yes, I'm positive..."

Gretsch covered her head with the pillow.

"Yeah, I can be at the airport in twenty." He looked down at his drowsy wife. "Make that forty five." He hung up the phone and kissed his wife from her beautiful round ass all the way up to the back of her neck, giving her rump a playful swat. She scowled at him and slumped back into the pillows face first.

"I have to get back to the project site before we end up with major delays. They can't function for five minutes without me."

She groaned. She was so ready for him to be home for a while. "Fine, give me kisses. Your suitcase is already packed."

"Already packed?"

"I know Alan can't even take a shit when you go outside of a hundred yard radius. I knew he'd call and I knew you would go. I love you, please be careful so you can come back to me." She kissed him tenderly.

"I will. I love you too." More kisses and out the door he went. She lay there naked under the sheets, running through last night in her head. She heard Rick telling Jacob he had to go and closing the door at the far end of the hall.

"Bye baby, I'm out of here. Take care of my wife while I'm away." Rick said, popping his head back in the bedroom door for just a moment.

"And you take care of my husband." She called after him as the door closed. It was still very early so Gretsch relaxed and drifted back to sleep.

Her eyes sprung open to a gentle tapping on her bedroom door.

"Gretschen? It's me. May I come in?"

Jacob.

"Give me one moment." She dashed around throwing clothes in the hamper and quickly tied her robe on. "You may enter."