Jacob swung his legs off the side of the bed and stood up, stretching as he walked to the door. Virginia couldn't help but admire the muscles shifting in his back as he did so, apparently oblivious to the fact he was still shirtless.
He held a conversation in hushed tones with the person at the door, then shut it slowly. He walked back to the bed soundlessly, and sat on the edge, staring at the floor between his feet.
"What's wrong?" Virginia asked, scooting closer to lay a hand on his shoulder. "What is it?"
Jacob was silent for a moment before replying.
"It's my da. He's dead."
Virginia sat in stunned silence for a few seconds, then shuffled over to Jacob's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. The touch was enough to crack his stillness, and he shuddered.
"I... I don't know how to feel," he murmured. "I know he is a prick, but... he's my da.
Was
, I guess."
"It's okay to be sad," Virginia said. Jacob made a face, and she hurried to add, "and it's okay not to be, too."
Jacob sighed and set his head on Virginia's lap. She softly brushed her fingers through his hair. "I don't know what I'm going to do," he mumbled into her skirt.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity for Jacob, and Virginia stood by his side, supporting him. He took over managing the Morning Glory, keeping things going as best he could, and Virginia grit her teeth and moved back there with him so he could work longer hours. They lived in the room she'd convalesced in, sharing the small bed.
Jacob would slide into bed behind Virginia, long after she'd fallen asleep, and pull her in close. He'd slide his hand under her knickers, his fingers gently caressing her smooth pussy. He'd asked her to shave it to make him feel better, and Virginia had gotten tips from one of the girls on how to do it right.
He'd relish the soft skin, and often would not resist dipping a finger between Virginia's lips, and she'd stir and wake to feel him probing inside her, kissing her neck. Her mild protests would soon die down as Jacob's fingers dipped in and out of her, the first one quickly joined by a second.
Soon enough, he'd push her forwards, angling her hips back towards him, and work his cock inside her. After a few thrusts, he'd grunt and shoot his load, then give her a kiss on the cheek. Virginia would slide out of bed to clean herself, and more often than not, she'd find Jacob already asleep by the time she returned.
Their daily struggles at the Morning Glory continued for a few weeks. But despite his best efforts, much of the saloon's success was based on his father's reputation, and once word spread of his death, things got... harder. The loyal locals were still around, but the number of visitors stopping by notably decreased.
Then Cassie and Annie quit and, to add insult to injury, started working for Collins at the Stag and Vixen one town over. That marked a turning point for the Morning Glory, and Virginia could see Jacob deflate day by day. He was eating less, sleeping less - he even stopped propositioning Virginia as much, often sliding into bed and going right to sleep.
One morning, Jacob woke up and made a decision. Virginia could sense a shift in his mood, but he dressed without a word and left town. When he returned later that evening, he poured himself a large glass of moonshine, downed it in one gulp, and sighed.
"It's done. I've sold it to Collins."
The next few days were a blur to Virginia - handing over the reins of the Morning Glory to Collins's new manager, saying goodbye to the girls, packing their few belongings... Before long, Virginia and Jacob stood in front of the Morning Glory, suitcases in hand, their clothes secretly lined with cash.
"So... What now?"
Jacob smiled and wrapped an arm around Virginia's shoulders. "I've been giving that some thought, actually. What would you think of investing in construction?" Virginia glanced over to Jacob and frowned in confusion. "Specifically... a hover-road construction site. A
Curtis
site."
Virginia gasped and her heart skipped a beat. Curtis... her parents. Jacob was giving her an opportunity to continue the work her parents came here to do. He wiped a tear that had run down Virginia's cheek, then pulled her in for a kiss.
"I think I'd like that," she whispered.
A mere two weeks later, after a quick visit to the capital city to formalise Jacob's purchase, Virginia stood at the entrance to the site, and swallowed past a lump in her throat. She looked up to the digital billboard towering above her, scanning past the various building licence approval numbers and the like, until her eyes found the name at the very top.
Curtis Construction.
Seeing her name - her parents' name, her brother's name - made her breath catch in her throat. Jacob appeared at her side and squeezed her hand. She looked over at him gratefully, tried to speak, then bit her lip as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.
"I know," he nodded, "I know. It's okay. Shall we?"
Jacob and Virginia entered the work site together, first stopping to put on mandated safety equipment, as well as lanyards holding their access cards. After a brief introduction by the site supervisor, they were given a tour. Jacob had mentioned wanting to be fairly hands-on with the project, and regularly stopped to ask questions, from supplier costs to construction techniques.
Somewhat bored, and feeling nature call, Virginia excused herself and went searching for a toilet. She headed towards the cluster of identical-looking prefabs, hoping she'd recall which one the supervisor had indicated held the bathroom. She pushed a door open and froze. Her brain took in the scene in front of her in a fraction of a second.
Lockers lined the walls, and a row of benches stood in the middle of the room. Two men turned to look at her, a quizzical look on their face. One was sitting on the bench, leaning his elbows on his knees, sweat and grime covering his face: clearly coming off a shift, and taking a breather before getting changed.
The other was probably the man replacing him on site - clean, energetic, he was getting dressed for a shift. He'd already slipped on his thick, protective work trousers and steel-toed boots, but still held his work shirt loosely in one hand. Virginia couldn't help but stare at his chest, and her eyes lingered on the sharply defined lines of his abs, obliques diving under his waistband...
"Sorry!" She yelped and stepped back, pulling the door shut behind her and quickly turning a corner to lean on the side of the prefab. Her heart beat in her chest and she leaned her head back against the wall, eyes closed.
"Enjoy the show?"
Virginia jumped at the gruff voice. The man stood next to her, now wearing the shirt, though he'd left the top few buttons undone. He'd rolled the sleeves back up above his elbows and the muscles in his forearms bulged as he crossed his arms and took a step closer to her.
"Sorry, I was looking for the... the bathroom," Virginia murmured. She took a step away from the man, keeping distance between them, retreating further into the shadows between the changing rooms and the neighbouring building.
"Sure you were," the man smirked. He reached forwards and Virginia cringed, but he simply took her access card between two calloused fingers and lifted it, angling it in the light to read her name.
"Curtis... Heh, yeah, I should have figured. You look just like her."
"Her... do you mean my mother? You knew my mother?"
He nodded. "Yep. She was also a hot little piece of ass." Virginia flinched, but the man continued. "You know, she also...
got lost
one day, and walked in on us. Like mother, like daughter, eh? Always walking around lookin' all delicious, bet she was just gagging for it, y'know?"
"Shut up," Virginia spat out.
The man pulled on the access card he still held, and the lanyard around Virginia's neck yanked her forwards. "Like mother, like daughter... I saw you check me out. I know what girls like you
really
want."
He roughly grabbed one of Virginia's breasts and squeezed hard, making her wince. She pulled at his arm, even digging her fingernails in, but he didn't even seem to notice. Using his grasp on her tit for leverage, he pushed Virginia against the wall.
"Stop," she said, trying to squirm her way out. She fumbled at the lanyard around her neck and managed to undo the small plastic clasp, abandoning her access card to him and taking a step sideways.
"Oh no you don't," he growled. He dropped the card and his hand shot up to wrap around her throat.
A one-room shack. A boot. A knife pressed to ribs.
The flash of images took Virginia by surprise and she froze - she'd been able to push down those events for so long, she'd been able to forget about Jesse, but those fingers wrapped around her throat...
"See, you're just a little slut, with a filthy little pussy, fucking desperate for some cock," he whispered in her ear. "Aren't you?"
Virginia stood frozen, words dead in her throat. With a growl, the man unzipped her trousers and shoved his hand inside her panties. She couldn't help but twitch as his middle finger found her clit and roughly brushed it.
"Yeah, that's what I fucking thought," he grinned.
His long, rough fingers parted her lips and he pushed a finger inside her. "Fuck you're so fucking wet," he laughed. He moved his wrist, pushing his finger in and out of her a few times before bringing it to his lips. "That's the taste of a proper cunt."
He returned his hand to her pussy, but before he could slide inside her underwear he went flying sideways. His grip on Virginia's throat threw her off balance, and she fell to the ground, the pain shocking her out of her stupor.
A few feet away, in a small cloud of dust, the man lay in a heap. Jacob was scrambling to his feet, panting, fists balled up. "She's mine," he growled, "keep your fucking hands off her." He gave him a kick for good measure. He stepped over to Virginia, picked up her discarded lanyard and access card, and held out his hand for her.
"Are you okay?"
Virginia took his hand and let him help her to her feet. She nodded. Jacob smiled and gently zipped her trousers back up. She blushed.
"Jacob, I... I'm sorry, I wasn't... he..."
He shushed her. "I know, love, I know. You wouldn't. Come on, let's go."
He wrapped an arm around her and led her away.
***
Virginia stood in the shower later that evening, letting the hot water cleanse her of the events of the day. She watched as dirt and dust swirled away between her feet, and sighed as she felt the weight of her unfortunate encounter lift off her shoulders.
The curtain twitched aside and Jacob peeked in. "Room for one more?"
"Barely," she smiled. He smiled back and stepped close to her, bringing her in for a kiss. His hands wandered up and down her back, and he turned her around. "Let me help."
He poured some soap into his hands and rubbed them across her back and shoulders, methodically, using his thumbs to release pressure where he felt it. She moaned and let her head fall forwards, leaning her hands on the wall in front of her for balance. "That feels great," she murmured.
Jacob worked his way down her back, squeezing her ass once before wrapping his arms around her and starting again on her front. He pulled her in close, and she could feel his erection pressing against her ass. He pinched her nipples and she winced. "Mmh, no, not now," she mumbled.
