Ken got out to the estate early the next morning; in fact, he was early enough to get a good breakfast from Selena before he was allowed to go out to the barn and start to work.
It took him almost 3 hours before he was confident that he could get the old tractor running. Marta was lying out by the pool in a very small bikini when he found her.
Damn; he thought, the girls at school didn't even wear something that tiny. That is a lot of good looking woman on display.
"Pardon me Mrs. Horne, but I have an estimate of what it will take to get that tractor working again. It may seem like a lot, but it has been sitting neglected for quite a while." He handed her the list he had compiled while attempting to keep his eyes away from the view she presented.
"This is a lot of stuff Kenny. Do you have any idea of how much this will cost? Would it be cheaper to buy another tractor?"
"Like I said ma'am, it seems like a lot, but this shouldn't cost more than a few hundred dollars at the most, and a new or used tractor will run in the thousands. This one is actually in very good shape, it is just that most of the rubber items such as hoses and belts have dry rotted and need replacement. The major items are the battery and starter. The starter is probably what caused it to stop running for your husband. It is pretty easy to fix, but the part is kind of expensive compared to other brands. I can order most of the parts from Autozone, and the Tractor supply store can take care of the rest. Seaside has both stores and it shouldn't take too much to get them. Do you want me to go ahead with the repairs?"
"That sounds good Kenny. Go ahead and call in what you need and I will go with you to get them. Will they fit in the trunk of my Mercedes, or will we need to take the lodge's truck?"
"Your car will be fine ma'am; these things won't take up that much room. How did your husband fuel the tractor ma'am?"
"There is a diesel tank behind the barn, but I don't know the last time it was filled. Why don't you go ahead and check it while I get changed into something less revealing. Selena should have lunch ready and we can eat before we leave."
Ken nodded his head and took off to perform his errand. He found the tank and saw that it had some fuel still in it, and there was a company name and number on the tank. He called them and was told that the diesel in the tank had been put in just six months before and should be okay. They asked if he wanted the tank refilled and he said that he would ask the owner and get back to them.
When he told Marta about the tank she told him to go ahead and have it filled. She said that once he had the tractor fixed it would see a lot of use. After lunch he made the call and then called to order the parts needed to repair the tractor. Everything was in stock and they would just need to bring in the old starter and battery for the core charges. Ken went on out and removed the items and put them in the trunk of the tan Mercedes. He and Marta then drove to Seaside. The casual conversation on the way revealed more about the young man's values and abilities and increased Marta's opinion of him.
When they got back to the house, Marcia and Consuela were in the pool playing with little Stefan. Marta said that she was going to join them and Ken went back to the barn to finish his job. He surprised everyone by driving up to dinner on the Kubota. The old tractor was roaring like new and Ken had even mounted the front end loader on it to show that the hydraulics were working correctly.
"Kenny, that is amazing!" Marta said, "The mechanic I had look at that thing was going to charge me over $1,000 and take two weeks to get it running. You did it in just a few hours and a less than 300 dollars in parts. Does it need anything else done?"
"No ma'am, all it needs now is regular maintenance, and I can come out every couple of weeks to do that for you."
"Well park it in the drive here and go in and get cleaned up for dinner. You can show me how to drive it after we eat."
The meal was another lo-cal low fat wonder with grilled chicken breast and rice pilaf. Ken had never eaten this good in his life. He knew that he would miss it when he went back to his apartment. The good thing was that he was staying the night and would get another of Selena's great breakfasts.
After dinner Marta and Marcia both had a great time learning to drive the tractor around the lodge. Marcia was even able to get Consuela into the fun, to the consternation of Ken. He was very nervous around the Latin beauty.
The Kubota had no headlights, so it was soon time to return it to the barn. Ken retired to the living room with the sisters and they spent the evening watching an old movie.
Ken had never seen "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" and was amazed that his prim and proper history teacher was not scandalized at the story line. He spent most of the evening blushing and trying to hide his growing erection. Both sisters, of course, got a good look at his package despite his futile attempts at camouflage.
