Living with the Carters

Set In New Zealand

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CHAPTER 1

The new CEO of the construction company where Buck had worked for two years since his divorce smiled toothily and said, "Sorry Buck but you have been with us only four years so were foreman to sign on. We are downsizing your division. You are no longer required here."

Buck thought of grabbing the CEO by the throat and breaking a kneecap with his steel-toed boot but thought she'd only cry, making him feel sorry for the bitch. So he signed for his final pay and entitlements and was told they would go into his bank account overnight.

That was three months ago and Buck was still without a job, competing fruitlessly against the rising tide of the jobless. He'd arrived in this backwater on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island and the noise in the bar below his cheap room (ah so that's why it was cheap) kept him awake. Testily he dressed and went down to that bar for a drink.

"This is a private party for my dad's birthday," said a badly dyed blonde with bushy black eyebrows.

She began pushing him back through the door.

"Hey I'm private," he said, turning and said, "Kiss me."

To his surprise she stopped pushing, kissed him rather wetly and then led him into the din of people yelling and a small band doing a rotten job of making music.

"Hi mom this is um Peter."

The mother, pulling a young guy's hand from down the front of her dress top said, "Hi Peter. I'm glad you could make it. Please look after Valerie because there are some nasty loners on the prowl here tonight."

"Sure thing mom."

"Call me Janelle darling."

"So that's your name?"

"You've got yourself a bright one Valerie and that's a change."

As Valerie dragged Buck away she asked, "What is your name?"

"Aw I was going to save that until you awoke alongside me in the morning and asked who I was."

"You'd be lucky."

He grinned and said well would he be lucky and she said, "That depends" without telling him depends on what. He assumed it meant unless she found a better prospect. He pushed back her hair and said he was Buck Stone from Rotorua and kissed her and she pushed a hand against his abs and said Jesus but that wasn't her name because she said she was Valerie Carter.

"So your mom is Mrs Carter and your dad is Mr Carter?"

She looked at him through narrowed eyes and the barman handed her a wine and a beer. "It now appears you know half my family she said."

Buck said yeah without knowing what she was talking about but she took him into a group of her age of late-twenties something and he cuddled against her and her girlfriends looked suitably impressed and appeared happy to have Buck into the fold.

A couple of hours later the cops came in and broke up the birthday party because of noise complaints. A couple of young guys came up and invited Valerie to go with them to a party. She looked up at Buck and he cracked knuckles and quietly told them to fuck off and they melted into the crowd that was leaving the bar.

"I have a room upstairs."

"Nah come home with me. Everyone will sleep in till late morning."

Valerie couldn't open the door to her blue badly dented car so Buck put her into the passenger's seat and he drove, having to stir her to get her to look where they were and to give him the next set of directions, leaving him thinking they were a great team. The house was huge, surrounded by bush and overlooking a fast-flowing river from what he could see from the lights in the house.

Inside Valerie sleepily introduced him to her father Tyson who pulled his hand out of the top of his wife's dress to shake hands and slur, "Howyerdoingmateallright?"

"Yes thanks, you have a lovely daughter."

"Oh speaking politely like that makes me think you're from Wellington? Colette works for the Government but she'd not here tonight. She's down the South Island showing the wives of some foreign VIPs the beauty of the Southern Alps."

"No I've never met Colette sir, I was meaning Valerie."

"Yeah she's my daughter too. Now look Rambo for fuck sake don't call me sir. That makes me think you don't like me."

"Happy birthday pal."

"Ah, much better."

Valerie pulled him away and introduced him to a part Maori elderly woman. "This is mom's mom Mrs Fever but she'll prefer you to call her Aroha and this is granddad who is a marvelous guitarist and he's known to everyone including us as Fever."

"Hi Fever and Mrs... um Aroha. God what a beautiful pendant."

"Thank you young man. It's carved from whalebone and was a wedding present to my great-grandmother. Do you have a name?"

"Ooops sorry Gran, this is Buck Stone from Rotorua but he's fully European I think so won't be from Ngati Whakaue."

"Are you here to sleep with my granddaughter?"

"She hasn't made that clear yet."

"Yes he is Gran."

"Well it's lovely seeing you associated with a polite and good-looking man Valerie. You run with a rough lot."

"I like the wild life Gran and you know that. Mr Cool here will be better suited to Colette."

"It worries me that Colette can't find someone to settle down with and now that poor girl is working so hard she'd unlikely to meet any man."

"She will Gran, believe me."

They kissed goodnight and the grandparents nodded goodnight to the visitor.

The bedroom, like most of the house was a mess. Two cats were asleep on the bed and as Valerie and Buck entered the room something scampered across the floor and leapt out the window.

Buck jumped.

Putting on the light Valerie said not to be afraid. "That's just Coco, my half-tame opossum from the colony out there in the bush."

The cats stirred and were pushed off the bed and marched out of the room in a huff. The door was closed behind them.

Valerie looked at Buck defiantly. "I'm sexually promiscuous and insist you wear a condom whenever you bang me."

"That's fine. Do you have any?"

She reached into her dressing table draw and pulled out a 10-pack, tossing it to Buck and said, "I bet you have a big one."

"I bet you do too."

"You rude bastard," she giggled and launched at him, crashing him on to the bed.

They were deep tonguing within seconds and she already had him unzipped and filled her hand with only part of it.

"I'm drunk and need sleep," she said. "Let's bang one off now and then go at it slowly tomorrow."

"Okay where's the bathroom?"

"Open the door and it's straight across the hallway. I don't mind if you piss out the window."

Buck again wondered what was he doing there. The environment was totally foreign to him. He'd grown up with only three people in the house whereas this home appeared to have six or even ten bedrooms and the dining table was huge and the grandparents lived with the family. Also Valerie was really not his type, preferring to run wild like that. Still if he'd not been eager for a bit of pussy he wouldn't be here, would he?"

Valerie was a complete surprise. She was big and already wet so he slid in every so easily and was concerned if she couldn't close around him there would be no friction. But suddenly she was telling him to suck and breast and had closed around him like a glove. And not only that. She was very good on technique, writhing and grunting and pleading to him to fuck her hard, whipping him along with all the things a guy likes to hear.

She came with some noise and praise of 'Good boy' and he hoped she wouldn't turn over and go to sleep.

She didn't.

Valerie power-fucked him until he was shooting into the condom, blathering like an idiot, before she kissed him and rolled over saying good night, leaving him panting and the stars behind his eyes lost their intensity and disappeared.

Jesus.

He'd bet her mom was also great at fucking and guys knew that including her husband.

Buck dressed just after 9:00 and left the bedroom quietly, carrying his shoes and wondering how the hell would he find his way back to town and how long would it take to walk there.

Tyson was at the huge solid table alone, bending over a teapot.

"Yeah someone is awake. Come join me Buck or having got what you wanted are you about to scamper?"

"Christ no Tyson, I thought I'd earn myself another round tonight by buttering up to the dad and ask if I could help out around here. It's Saturday isn't it?"

"I went to bed Friday so I guess it is. What do you do to feed the wife and kids?"

"I'm a childless divorcee Buck, aged thirty-two and can't find a fucking job after being laid off because of company downsizing."

"Yeah fucking economics triggered by slime balls at the top stealing money. The bastards want shooting."

"I admire your philosophy Tyson. You keep it simple."

Laughing Tyson went to punch the visitor on the arm by Buck caught the soft-fist and to his surprise Tyson found he could neither push nor pull his hand free until being released.

"Jesus boy you're strong. What work did you do?"

"I was a hands-on foreman constructing mainly houses but also warehouses and other lift-slab concrete structures."

"So you know about building?"

"I suppose so, even to the point of simple design work and drafting specs that get through the city council. I was used on that work between jobs."

"Have a read of this son."

Tyson left the table and returned with a document.

"Ah a council requisitions order."

"Yeah the pricks reckon this house is unsafe. I'm with the council as an overseer of a road maintenance crew and Joseph who has half-share in this property drives one of the trucks and he's worked for the council for more than forty years but those fucking jerks in white collars in those air-conditioned offices loaded this shit on to us."

"Tyson, please understand. This has come about as the result of a routine inspection and the inspectors are bound to take action if they discover faults. If they turned a blind eye they could be found in dereliction of duty and they and the council held criminally liable if a disaster occurred and they were found guilty of negligence and/or collusion in failing to follow property procedures."

"Yeah, yeah. I know that stuff. But I have to have someone to bitch at."

He sat silently and they both sipped tea as Buck skimmed through the schedule.

"This looks pretty straightforward to me. Have you the money to pay for materials?"

"Yeah I suppose so and Janelle works too, as a District Nurse. But I doubt that we have enough to fork out to some thieving contractor to do the repairs."

"Well what about a deal. I'm wandering the road looking for work and here I've found work. I go into the council on Monday and register my qualifications with them and they will approve of me to do the work. I'd need help with lifting."

"The council might not approve you."

"We'll probably have that answered on Monday. I can assure you I'm over-qualified to attend to these structural shortcomings. Is the council going to take you to court for building here without a permit and without having had work in progress inspected?"

"How the hell did you know we built without authorization?"

"Because this requisition is unusual in that there is not a single reference to Code of Compliance."

Tyson shifted uncomfortably. "This is very hush-hush."

"Okay my lips are sealed."

"Some of those farts in council with white collars happen to be pals and we all sat down and it was agreed no action would be taken against me for building a home and then building extensions without authority and if I get this work done and it passes inspection then I'll be issued with a Code of Compliance."

"God Tyson, I'm impressed. You must be a real slippery bugger."

Tyson beamed in delight.

"Aroha will help you with small jobs. Although elderly there's nothing frail about Aroha. Also our elder daughter arrives home Saturday on a month's annual leave and she's big into fitness. Lifting wood and mixing concrete and with you with you cracking the whip will provide a better level of fitness than running along bush tracks."

"What about her hands and dainty skin complexion?"

"Fuck her hands and skin. She has to do her duty for her family. Family comes first Buck."

Buck, whose parents had lived in Hawaii ever since he'd left home, hadn't experienced much of 'family' in family life but couldn't imagine a women used to working in a high-powered political environment coming home to an almost very basic communal life in the bush and saying yes daddy she'd get her fingernails torn barrowing concrete she'd mixed or jacking up the end of a steel or timber beam for him while he checked by laser beam to get it absolutely level. She'd most likely kick her daddy in the shins and go and hide behind mommy or grandma.

Janelle came out yawned and rubbing a tit and eyed Buck in a predatory manner before smirking and saying, "Hi Buck. You have a healthy rose to your cheeks this morning."

"Yes Mrs Carter. I had a lovely sleep thank you."

She looked at him sternly. "What has changed since last night when you addressed me as Janelle?"

"Er nothing er Janelle."

"Thank you. Cereal and yogurt or should I also do you sausages, bacon, eggs and chips?"

"Reserve the cooked breakfast for me Janelle until I'm fixing your house extension."

"What this?"

Tyson said uneasily, "I've just found out this likely lad is a professional builder and has an agreement with me to do the work the council wants done in exchange for food and lodgings."

"Is what Tyson said true Buck?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I'm Janelle."

"Yes Janelle."

"Well I'm agreeable to that plus a reasonable living allowance."

"How big is reasonable? Buck is unemployed and if he stays here he won't need money."

"I say thirty bucks a day when he works all day you skinflint."

"Oh pocket money. Yeah I'm agreeable to that Buck."

"Look guys, just tucker and lodgings eh?"

"Either we pay you thirty bucks a day to ensure you maintain some sort of social life or you go and work and sleep somewhere else."

"Um Janelle. Don't be angry with me. I accept the terms as imposed on me."

On Monday as Janelle met Buck and Tyson and they had lunch at a café she asked, "Well?"

"I am approved and registered."

Tyson said proudly, "I haven't told you this Buck but Alan the council's chief building inspector told me you were even over-qualified to build anything required in these parts of the country."

"Oooh you clever young man.""

Driving Buck home on the way to her next rural call, Janelle pointed to the offices of the Government Department of Social Services.

"That's where Valerie works as a case worker for teenagers on court probation."

"Valerie holds down an onerous job with heavy responsibilities like that?"

"Yes of course. She's my daughter isn't she? Valerie's so tough the youngsters are really scared of her and do whatever she says. When they arrive unruly and contemptuous she takes them down to the gym, dons on boxing gloves and beats the crap out of them, earning huge respect. The Maori kids says she's so tough they can't believe she's not Maori."

"Jesus."

"Thanks Buck. Oh when Valerie is done with you don't forget there's always me."

"Jesus."

"Why thank you Buck."

"Um Janelle, could I accompany you on your rounds this afternoon? I'd like to get some understanding of what you do. To me you appear to be one of those woman who can do everything."

"What about your own mother darling?"

"I don't get to see her a lot, about once every three years when they visit. Mom and dad went to live in Hawaii when I went to work at seventeen as a builder's laborer when I quit high school early."

"Oh darling. How did you get by?"

"Okay I guess. I prefer not to talk about it."

"I bet you don't. Valerie tells me you've very okay. She rather likes you and that's good. She's not worried that her father thinks Colette will be all over you when she arrives Saturday."

"What with me being unemployed and working with my hands? Somehow I don't think so."

Janelle sighed and said she wouldn't think so either but then again Tyson seemed to know their older daughter better than she did. Valerie was bouncy in bed that night. Breathing heavily through her nose after riding Buck cowgirl told him to roll on a new condom and then she handed him a tube of lube and said, "Go Tiger."

Next morning after a sixty-nine Valerie said, "My current boyfriend arrives from Auckland on the bus about noon so will want to be back in the saddle with me. If you become impatient waiting for Colette to bend over for you then give mom the look. I learned how to be promiscuous by watching her move around men. You'll notice how she has few female friends and yet she goes out quite often without dad. Oh and you may as well know dad and mom's sister Aunt Alice mess around together a bit."

Although Buck thought he didn't need to know that he certainly found the information most interesting.

"Do you really think I'm make it with your sister?"

"That's a tough one," Valerie said, going off to the bathroom.

Eh?

Buck dressed and went out to the kitchen and said hi to Janelle and she lifted her head from the magazine she was flicking through and said the men had gone off early because they were working some distance away from town that day and for the rest of the week.

He kissed her and she complained, "You call that a kiss?"

Indignant he fired up and ground his lips against hers, pressing his hand into her back.

"That's more like a morning kiss my friend. Play with a tit if you wish. Slip your hand into my gown. I'm not wearing a bra just yet and I really do liked being touched by men."

"Er I'll get coffee. Do you want one?"

"No thanks, I don't drink coffee until after noon. Make me a fresh pot of tea"

After inspecting the main areas of council concern about the construction and wincing, Buck spent most of the day with a chainsaw cutting regenerating bush from around the sprawling dwelling. Around 4:00 a friend dropped Janelle off because she had to leave her work car at the base hospital overnight, as all medical outworkers were required to do.

She saw what had been achieved and kissed him and said congratulations.

"Aroha was great, dragging the lopped off bits away. She's inside resting now."

"I love the smell of your sweat. May I feel you dick?"

"Janelle please."

"Ah guilty conscience coming about to haunt after what you did that led to your wife divorcing you?"

"You've got that wrong Janelle. I filed for divorce after my wife disappeared with one of my closest friends."

"Oh Buck," Janelle said looking quite concerned. "How stupid and insensitive of me. What can I do to attempt to get back into your good books?"

"Hug me but don't touch my dick."

"Of course darling. God you've had a hard life."

Joseph and Tyson arrived home ninety minutes later and inspected what Buck had achieved that day.

"Jesus mate, you've had your ass into gear today," Joseph said. "He should be working with our gang eh Tyson."

"Yeah."

Buck said, "My thanks goes to Aroha who worked behind me solidly, dragging away the cuttings. Tomorrow I begin digging round what's left of the stumps so I can cut down below ground level. We won't want to trip over stumps carrying timber or pushing a barrow."

"Nah mate," Tyson said. "Charlie our neighbor over there has a spare tractor with a bucket he uses to spread metal on tracks. I'll get it for you plus a chain. Hitch the chain round the stumps and use the hydraulics to lift them out."

He pulled out his phone and called Charlie. Charlie said yes, that he'd be over with the tractor in half and hour and stay for a couple of beers.

"Thanks Tyson. With the tractor I'll achieve in three hours that probably would have taken me two days to do."

"I figure four hours. I'll get a truckload of metal delivered before noon tomorrow and you can fill the holes and then spread metal over the entire worksite and compact it with the tractor."