The Colonels Wife 3

All characters are over the age of eighteen.

Just a heads up. If this story seems familiar to you, it's because I had it taken down a while ago when I put it out there in the pay-to-read world. It did pretty well, but it's time to return it to Lit.

As always, please check the tags to make sure this is your kind of story.

The Colonel's Wife

Diane strode through the nearly empty parking lot, shaking her head sadly. 2008 had been a rough year when the market crashed. 2009 was worse. It was like the months after a hurricane when the damage could be gauged, and long-term effects, measured. Bronson's Custom Fixtures was a business she'd been involved with as a real estate agent for the two years she'd been in the area. She had developed a rapport with the owner and his team's work had greatly improved the appeal of many of the homes she had sold. It had been well worth putting the extra time and money into them. But the housing glut and the market crash had hit the Wichita community hard. Bronson's kept its staff working through 2008 because pre-ordered and paid-for work still had to be finished. But when the work dried up, the layoffs began.

Ordinarily, this lot would have been packed and the outdoor break area full of men eager to leer at her as she entered the building. Now it was nearly empty. Today had been the last round of layoffs and there was a man she was very interested in speaking with. For reasons that could change both their lives.

Diane approached the blue pickup. She could see a form hunched over the steering wheel through the open side window. Though she was wearing high heels that made a wonderful click-clack sound on the pavement, she was able to get right up to the door to startle the poor man.

--------

Henry had his head pressed against the steering wheel in deep thought. He'd had a while to plan for the layoff, but none of his prospects had panned out. Next week would see his last paycheck for the foreseeable future. The bed of the truck was full of his carpentry tools, which had taken him half his lifetime to accumulate, and now the prospect of pawning them was a very real possibility. He wondered how his mortgage company was going to take this news.

"Bad day, huh?" a female voice asked quietly at his window.

He started and cried out. "Whoa! Oh, hey... Diane." The pretty blonde woman gave him a sympathetic look. As great as she looked, it was all he could do to force a weak smile for her. "Yeah, a double tough day, for sure."

Diane had been a regular visitor to Bronson's over the last couple of years. He and the rest of the team always liked seeing her. Real estate agents always seem to dress very attractively, and Diane was no exception. Her skirt and blouse combinations were always very fetching, and the heels she wore were nearly scandalous. It took a special lady to rock a three-inch heel for everyday wear and she sure could. Stocking or nylons in the winter and bare legs in the summer. And what legs they were. Somewhere in her mid-forties, they had agreed she must be, but you couldn't tell from her figure. Some of the guys called her a cock-tease, but she wasn't, really. A bit of a flirt, certainly. When some of the bolder men would yell catcalls her way, she always just gave them a sexy smile and a wink, with perhaps a little extra wiggle in her walk.

"Got any work lined up?" she asked softly.

He shook his head sadly. "No. I had a couple of possibles that I was hoping would pan out, some short-term offers, but nothing came of them." Being in real estate, Diane had her finger on the pulse of the local building market and a new thought occurred to him. "Do you know anyone looking for help?"

She smiled brightly, and it made him feel better instantly. It's funny how a woman's smile can do that. Particularly one as stunning as Diane.

"Yes. Me," she said.

Henry's face screwed up into a quizzical expression. "You?"

She shrugged. "Well, me and my husband Jack bought a sweet little farm on the west side of town early last year and we've been renovating it."

Henry grinned. "Wait a second, Diane. Your husband is named Jack?"

She giggled. "Yep, just two American kids doing the best they can."

They both laughed. Afterward, she handed him her card. "Why don't you go home and relax? Then come out to my place tomorrow morning and meet Jack and see our place. We'll talk about the job." She pointed to the business card. "The address is on the back. There's enough work to get you through the rest of the year, at least. Sound good?"

A ray of hope entered Henry's heart. Seven months of work could mean the difference between survival and... he didn't want to contemplate past that. He smiled and took the card. "I'll be there! 9 a.m. work for you?"

She turned and took a step away from the truck before looking back over her shoulder. She smiled and replied. "Let's make it ten. A girl's got to get her beauty sleep." She watched Henry's eyes drift down to her ass.

"Ten a.m. sounds good." He looked back up at her face, realizing she'd seen where his wandering eyes had gone. But she was still smiling. "Damn, she is fine," he thought.

He watched her walk away in that leg-over-leg runway stride and realized he had an erection.

-----------

Diane smiled as she slid into her sedan, smoothing her skirt down over her legs. That had gone very well. Henry was an artist with a saw and a wood chisel. The things he could do with wood in a home were very impressive and had been the reason he'd been among the last to be let go at Bronson's. Her home could really use a person with his talents. That he was a completely scrumptious man made the idea an easy decision for her. She shivered a bit, imagining his lean frame on a ladder, completely oblivious to her admiring gaze. Suits were great and all, but a man in well-fitting jeans, boots, and a tight t-shirt was the cat's meow for this lady. That or a handsome uniform. Henry wore his straight dark hair shoulder length but frequently pulled it into a ponytail to keep it out of his face while he worked. He was usually clean-shaven, which she had always appreciated. She thought he was just shy of six feet, with the lean muscularity a person with an active and physical lifestyle seems to achieve. But it was his ready smile that always drew her eye. It was disarming and very charming.

-----------

The next morning, Henry whistled as he turned into the driveway of Diane and Jack's home. It was a vintage farmhouse that had once been common in the Wichita area. The classic two-story home with a wrap-around porch. It even had a covered carriage entrance on the side of the home, something not seen much after the 1930s. A separate three-car garage stood to the right of the home. It was a modern construction but had been decorated and painted to match the house rather nicely. The impressive acreage around the home was recently fenced in and two gray horses grazed calmly in front of the house. His tires crunched on the gravel driveway.

He parked his ten-year-old truck in front of the garage and got out. He smiled when he saw Diane exit a screen door under the carriage porch. The beautiful blonde had her hair pulled into a ponytail and was dressed for yoga, in a pair of pale green tights and a matching sports bra. She certainly wasn't dressed as though she expected him. She leaned against the column of the carriage porch as he approached.

He looked at her with a smile. She was

so

easy on the eyes. A classic blonde beauty with curves in all the right places. "We said ten, right?"

She grinned back. "Yes, we did. Jack was supposed to give you the nickel tour, but he got caught up in a phone call from work, so I guess it's up to me. I was in the middle of a workout. Do you mind? Shall I go change?"

Henry grinned wolfishly. "Not at all."

"Down boy," Diane giggled.

----------

There was evidence of a

lot

of recent construction activity at the home. The outside had been recently painted and all the windows looked new. The interior was fresh as well.

"There was some pretty extensive termite damage. Some joists and framing had to be replaced. We ripped down all the plaster and lathe, reframed, and hung sheetrock with spray-in insulation. New electrical throughout."

Tim was impressed. "Wow, that must have taken a while."

She chuckled. "We had crews in here full-time for a year. There was so much to do, the crews were stepping over each other."

Henry gazed down into her blue eyes and smiled. "But it's not done. There's no floor or crown molding, no windowsills, no door or window frames."

"That's where you come in, handsome." She smiled, waving her hand toward the tired and worn staircase. "Your skills are what we need to finish the home. All those things and several others. Shiplap in the kitchen, the mantlepiece, the entire staircase, some built-ins. All of it needs an artist's touch, to make this the home we've always wanted. Jack has all the details."

She led him through the home, inspecting each room. The small master bedroom on the ground floor had been converted into a home gym with its own bath and the sitting room into a comfy library. The kitchen, dining and living room had been tastefully updated without losing the country look. Upstairs, two of the four bedrooms had been converted into a large master bedroom with an outstanding ensuite. The other two rooms were a guest bedroom with a bath and Jack's office, where she led him now.

She opened the door just as Jack was wrapping up his phone call.

Jack acknowledged them with a smile and waved them in. "Yes, that's right. The engine specs by the 28

th

and the final design by the end of the year. Okay? All right, I'll make a call to the General's office. Yeah, I'll be in touch. All right. Goodbye."

Those few seconds gave Henry time to size up his prospective employer. Jack was a bear of a man. Tall, trim, and broad in the chest and shoulders. He was ruggedly handsome, with a tight military haircut that was going gray. The big man wore jeans and an Old Navy printed T-shirt. He looked... casually formidable.

Jack stood with a smile and came around the big desk. "Henry, right?"

Henry nodded and stuck his hand out. Jack shook it. The handshake was firm but not overpowering, for which Henry was thankful. He motioned for Henry to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

"I'll let you boys get acquainted and go finish my workout," Diane quipped. She shot Henry a wink. "Don't let the Colonel intimidate you, he's just a big teddy bear in a crew cut."

Henry turned back to Jack. "Colonel?"

The big man motioned toward the wall to Henry's right, which was full of awards, photos, and mementos from a long Army career. "I retired from the Army two years ago after twenty-two years. I feel bad for leaving while the war is still going on, but I had a close shave and decided to call it a career. I'm lucky to be in one piece. A lot of my friends weren't so lucky. I was an Apache pilot in a cavalry battalion. After making Colonel, I retired." The man's face was withdrawn and despondent for a moment, and Henry couldn't think of anything to say.

"Anyway, enough about me. Let's talk about the job." Jack's face broke into a broad smile. "Diane gave you the tour. What do you think of the house?"

Henry cleared his throat. "It's beautiful. I'm very impressed with what you've done so far. It's very tasteful."

Jack grinned. "Yeah, it was tempting to gut the first floor and make it into the big open floor plan that everyone wants, but it wouldn't have been right for the house."

Jack leaned over the desk and looked Henry in the eye. "Diane tells me you're the guy to finish the job, and I trust her judgment. She'd like you to do it. We're tired of having huge crews and the house a disaster. We want one guy, doing one room at a time. Everything the room needs, plus painting whatever you add. Finish one room and move to the next. I don't care if takes you a year. What do you think of that?"

The craftsman in Henry was astounded at the amount of work, but the artist in Henry saw a huge blank canvas, just waiting for him to break out his paint kit and start painting happy little trees. "I can't wait to start, but I'm going to need some equipment that I don't own."

Jack waved it aside. "Already taken care of. I called John Bronson an hour ago. You will continue to work for Bronson at your current salary. I will employ you through him as a contractor. That way, your insurance and 401K stay in place. Monday through Friday, forty hours a week, eight to five with an hour's lunch. I'm not interested in paying overtime. The tools you need will be here tomorrow. Sanders, radial arm saw, miter saw, the works. Lumber and paint will be here the day after."

Henry sat back, impressed. The Colonel wasn't a guy for half-measures. "That sounds great. Thank you, sir." A huge wave of relief washed over him.

Jack laughed. "No. Thank you. It will be a pleasure watching you work, not to mention being able to enjoy my home for a change. Any other concerns?"

Henry rubbed his head. "Yeah, but I'm hesitant to mention it, seeing how lucky I am to have this opportunity."

Jack looked at him levelly and spun two fingers in a horizontal circle. Let's hear it, the gesture said.

"Well, I live on the east side of town and you are on the west. My commute would be over forty miles one way, and my truck doesn't get great gas mileage and doesn't need the extra miles." He said a little sheepishly.

Jack smiled. "Diane and I talked about that. There are two options. One, I can rent you a car. Or two, you stay here in the guest room Monday through Thursday and go home on the weekends. Got a girlfriend, or pets that would need you home every night?"

Henry blinked. "Umm, no sir... I ah, don't have a girlfriend anymore. And no pets either."

"That's great. I'll be honest with you; I'd rather you just stay here if that's agreeable to you. It'll be easier on the project budget."

Henry rose and extended his hand. "That will be fine! Thank you, sir. You will not regret this a bit. I'll stay out of the way as much as I can."

Jack rose and shook it. "Your welcome son, and please just call me Jack. I've had enough sirs, for three lifetimes."

------------

Jack and Diane sat on the porch as Henry drove away. He pulled her in tight with his left arm. "So, he's the one you want, huh? He looks like your type," he said with a grin.

Diane snuggled into her husband's chest. "I think so. He's handsome and in great shape, but it'll take some time to get to know him before I'm sure." She looked up into his eyes. "When I've spoken with him in the past, he seems sweet, so I'm hopeful. Regardless, he is perfect for this job. You wait and see."

Jack kissed the top of her head. "If you say so, baby doll. If you say so."

-----------

Henry arrived on his first day of work and found everything, as Jack had promised. There was a covered area behind the garage where the lumber had been stored and the tools were under the carriage porch. He made a quick call to John Bronson to verify everything was still good on that end. His employer seemed legitimately overjoyed to help give Henry this opportunity. The worst part about layoffs for the employer is not getting back those workers who are nearly irreplaceable when the contracts roll back in.

Diane met him at the door with a smile. Henry smiled back. "So where do I start?"

She slid her arm under his and led him toward the kitchen. "Breakfast first. You will eat with us every day. Jack works from home mostly, but he needs to travel a few times a month, so sometimes it'll just be the two of us."

He smiled inwardly. Spending time with this beautiful older woman would

not

be a chore.

Her real estate files and laptop occupied the kitchen table, so they ate at the island counter in the kitchen on barstools. The three of them ate together, discussing the project. They told him to start in the master bedroom, move to the office, and then the guest room. There were covers for the furniture. The couple would sleep in the guest room while he was working in the master bedroom, and they set him up on the couch downstairs.

Jack gave him a flash drive with all the plans for each room. Afterward, he sat in the kitchen with his laptop, looking them over. Some rooms were planned to the Nth detail with photos of the desired moldings, descriptions of built-in shelving, and where they wanted them. For most of the bottom floor, they wanted more of an artist's touch and wanted Henry to come up with unique ideas and discuss them with the couple. All his creative synapses were firing, and he was thrilled. Infrequently was he offered the opportunity to be a designer and a carpenter.

Work began. No foreman, no other guys to work around, and

almost

no distractions. He popped in his earbuds, kicked off his music, and got to it. Jack was the hands-off type of boss. He'd check in a couple of times a day, look around, maybe ask a question, then nod and walk out.

Diane, on the other hand... was everywhere. At least a dozen times a day, she'd pop in to refresh his water, discuss meal plans or just talk. They would frequently chat while he worked about this and that, hobbies, interests, or future aspirations. And it seemed she didn't own a piece of clothing that didn't look amazing on her. If she had a home showing, she'd be in her nice dresses and heels, which always drew his eye. On other days, she'd spend the day in her yoga outfits or just a pair of jogging shorts and a halter top. The mornings were the best because she never wore a bra under her tank top and seemed to have unusually prominent nipples.

In the evenings, Henry was encouraged to spend time with the couple in the living room watching television or playing cards. It made him feel less like an intruder and helped him feel his presence wasn't burdensome.

Friday of his first week rolled around and he was very happy with the way the job was proceeding, though he'd been growing exceedingly nervous. He'd thought being around someone as sexy as Diane would be great, but he found he was constantly distracted by her. She was fond of eye contact and the sexy little smiles that drove him crazy.

It was not unusual for him to eat lunch alone, as the couple were often busy in the middle of the day. Henry liked to take his meal out to the back deck and enjoy the warm spring weather. The deck included a well-used grill and smoker, a furnished patio with a fire pit, and a hot tub. What Henry had not been expecting that Friday afternoon was the addition of a naked woman.

Lying on an upholstered chaise was Diane, wearing only sunglasses and a golf visor. She lay on her back, facing him. Her breasts were two wonderful handfuls of heaven that settled on each side just a bit. The beautiful blonde's nipples were longer than any he'd seen before. Her vulva was bare but for a tiny triangle of golden hair above her vagina. Her legs were open enough to see the lovely petals of her inner labia. He froze mid-stride with his sandwich halfway to his mouth.

After about twenty seconds Diana spoke. "Are you going to say something or just stand there like a peeping Henry?"

He stammered, "I ah... I am so, so sorry. I didn't know you'd be out here... naked."

Diane smiled. "And if you had known?"

He set his sandwich back on the plate and straightened. "I um... don't know. I wouldn't want Jack to get the wrong idea. I'd like to think I'd be respectful, but umm..." He cleared his throat, as his eyes devoured her. "Do you... do you do this often?"

She smiled and stretched languorously. "Often enough. What's the point of living a half mile from your nearest neighbor if you can't walk around in the buff every now and again? And as for Jack, I wouldn't worry about it. He's not the jealous type. But you might catch him out here too, so keep your eyes," she lowered her sunglasses to look at him seductively, "Open."