Farm

“Oh fuck yes,” she moaned, “Fuck my tight little pussy.”

Pulling her ponytail a little harder arched her back, changing the angle as I really started to pump into her. I stroked her back while I fucked her, not wanting to cause her any discomfort. I was going to fuck her harder than I had before. Eventually resting my free hand at her side, I leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Your pussy is mine, Emily,” I growled, getting into the act.

She could barely say a word, making do with a whimper of desire. “Fuck… me…” she managed to say through my thrusts.

Letting go of her hair, she flopped to the bed as I grabbed her firmly by the hips, repositioned her slightly, and really started to ram my cock into her. “Oh fuck,” I grunted, “I’m going to fill you up tonight.”

“Pull my hair again!”

I did as she asked, pulling harder still but not enough to hurt. Resting on her forearms, I switched hands as I held her in place with the other, but I couldn’t get comfortable, stopping long enough to get us both up on the bed, and once the position was better, I resumed pounding her. Letting go of her hair, I gently forced her head down by the back of the neck as I leaned forward over her, really starting to drive my cock into her.

“I own your pussy, my pretty young niece,” I growled, “Your body is mine. Those tits. Your mouth. Your pussy. And soon your arse. I will own them all.”

“Please,” she whimpered.

“Please what?”

“Please keep fucking me. God, I just want you to keep fucking me.”

I leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Okay?” I asked softly.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you just as much. Ready for more?”

“I want something in my arse!”

“I’ll cum first, then we can have a little fun.”

“Go hard or go home, Bruce.”

“Oh, I like a challenge. Good thing I own your pussy.”

I barely lasted another couple of minutes, truth be told. But those last couple of minutes, I was driving into her so hard, I earned a couple of grunts from her. But she was either a trooper, willing to put up with it, or she was loving it. Considering I could see the glimpse of a smile on her lips, I think it was the latter. Then I drove my cock into her and practically exploded, grunting and groaning so loudly, Mick and June would have heard it and thought ‘Well, that didn’t take long’.

Sitting back on my knees, I pulled her up to rest back against me, both of us needing to catch our breath. I worried I’d see tears but turning her head to face me, I was greeted by love in her eyes and smile on her face. “I’m a little tender, but totally worth it,” she said, kissing my cheek.

“That’s all I want to hear, that you had fun, sweetie.”

She rested back against me, wrapping my arms around her. “I loved it when you were saying you owned me. You sort of do, like I own you.”

“Just thought it fit what we were doing.”

To my surprise, I’d stayed pretty hard, something she recognised as I felt her squeezing my cock with her pussy. “Guess having a young girlfriend is helping, Bruce,” she said, giggling away, “Soon you’ll be walking around with a constant erection.”

“Certainly crack more of them nowadays than I used to. Invigorated these old bones.”

“Well, I’m loving the hard bone in me.” She gave me a look as I burst into laughter. “Yeah, that was a little on the nose, wasn’t it?”

I hugged her tightly against me. “As I said, sex can and should be fun. And my hard bone is loving where it is too.”

Recognising when I was at full mast again, she lay forward again, making sure I had my bottle of lube in hand. Leaving my cock buried inside her, I poured some lube all over her arse including her little hole, kneading it into her firm cheeks. She giggled a couple of times, complimenting me on my strong hands.

Moving to her little hole, I rubbed my thumb across it, and it provoked an immediate reaction, Emily making sure she glanced back and smiled at me. “It tickles,” she said, giggling away.

“It’ll feel different when inside. Just getting you nice and relaxed. When I slide it in, just try and relax still.”

Prodding my finger at her arsehole, I let barely a couple of centimetres slowly slide inside her. She gasped but relaxed immediately, getting used to the foreign object inside her. Sliding a little more inside her, I felt her squeeze my finger a couple of times, but each time she did, she relaxed again. Just one finger was incredibly tight, and add to that her arse was fantastic regardless, little wonder m cock was steel and she started to move her hips against me.

A bit more of my finger provoked a moan, though I think that might have been my cock, before I had my entire middle finger inside her arse. As I started to slowly thrust my cock, I also moved my finger at the same time, not too fast to start out with. I was barely moving my cock either, letting her take control of that. I think it was helping her relax… or turning her on even more.

“How is it?” I asked.

“I like it,” she whispered.

“Let me know if you want another one inside you.”

She wanted a second one within a couple of minutes. Sliding two fingers inside her like I did her pussy was something else entirely. And… she loved it. Absolutely loved it, rocking back on my cock while asking me to move my fingers faster in her arse. I could see her arm moving at the same time, figuring out she was fondling herself. There was a lot going on down in her groin area.

When I started to thrust, she moaned loudly, starting to thrust my fingers into her faster at the same time. “Oh god,” she groaned, “Oh god… fuck…”

Lifting her up so she was on her arms, I changed the angle of my hand and thrust my fingers even faster. “Bruce,” she whimpered, “Oh fuck, keep going… fuck… cum… orgasm… fuck…”

I had to keep her lifted up as she had one of the biggest orgasms I’d seen her enjoy since we started making love. She squeezed my cock, squeezed my fingers, whimpering and quivering, her entire body seeming to shudder and shake. As soon as it passed, she almost went limp back against me, breathing deeply. “Keep going,” she murmured.

“Sure?” I asked, kissing her cheek.

She nodded eagerly. “I’d love your cock there but not sure yet.”

“Then we’ll do it another night. Like my fingers?” She nodded again. “Want them to stay there?”

“Until you cum, then we’ll shower. I’m knackered, Bruce.”

I did have a little more fun with her though took my fingers out of her arse so I could fuck her comfortably, eventually turning her over, onto her back, so I could fuck her gently to end the night. She loved that, covering my face in kisses, her fingers moving all over my body, and once I came again, that was me over as well. It had been quite the night, in more ways than one.

After a shower, we cuddled in bed, and I could still sense the relief Emily was feeling after confessing what she wanted. “Guess we can now be a little more open at times,” she whispered

“I’d like that. Mick and June, sure. Anyone else, we’ll have to be careful.”

“Guess I can’t just fall to my knees and start sucking your cock in the middle of the yard?”

“I’d love it, don’t think anyone else would particularly approve.” I cuddled her tighter. “I’ll take you out on a date again. A proper one. Dinner, drinks, dancing. We’ll do it more often. They know me in town, they don’t know you.”

“How did we meet?”

“One of those internet dating sites. I wouldn’t be the first lonely farmer to use one of them.”

“I’d love to go on a date with you,” she whispered, “First of many, I hope.”

“Young woman on my arms, every man in town will be immensely jealous.”

We only waited a week before I kept my word about taking her out for a date into town. Despite the weather being cool, she wore a short dress that showed off her legs, a small jacket to keep away the evening chill. She wore a necklace, the pendant sitting in her cleavage, and I knew exactly why she wore it, as it was the first gift I’d given her. I bought her little things online, leaving them around the house for her to find. I just went with jeans, boots, shirt. I was going to shave, but she loved my stubble. Didn’t want me with a beard, but liked running her hand and feeling a slight roughness to my face.

I took her to the next town past the closest as it was far larger. Dinner was the RSL club. Full of the elderly and workers, but it was well funded by the pokies, and the food it served was bloody good. We both tucked into some steaks, chips and veggies before sitting in the bar area, enjoying a beer. We found a good pub playing some decent music and a lively atmosphere. No-one knew me so I certainly received a few glances, an obviously middle-aged man walking in with a young woman on my arm. No-one said anything, of course, and Emily barely noticed. If she did, that’s when I earned a cuddle and kiss on the cheek. When she headed to the bar to get a drink, she was hit on within thirty seconds. I laughed when she pointed in my direction, watching the faces of the two young men fall. I’m fairly sure I heard something along the lines of ‘he’s old enough to be your father’… “God, don’t give the young woman ideas,” I muttered.

Placing our drinks down, she kissed my cheek and snuggled into my side. “Can’t wait until you fuck me later, Daddy,” she said. I groaned loudly, which just made her giggle. “Don’t worry, I’ll stick with what we usually say to each other.”

Neither of us drank too much, sticking to light beer so I could drive us home at the end of the night. It was mostly just an evening for us to relax, act like a couple for once, not stuck to the confines of our home. Ending up chatting with a few other couples, and the cover story actually went down a charm. I was a farmer looking for love, Emily was looking for love and willing to move wherever. We met up a few times before I just bit the bullet, asked her to the farm. Been together ever since. Only one asked about the age gap, both of us casually stating that we didn’t care.

Driving us home later that night, Emily had us stop on the side of the road between the nearest town and home so we could sit on the tray in the back and watch the stars. I’d packed a rug so we wouldn’t get too dirty, and we must have spent an hour at least before she started to fall asleep against me. Making sure she was safely sat next to me, I drove us the rest of the way home before carrying her into our bedroom.

Woken up by soft lips on mine the next morning, I opened my eyes to see hers gazing at me. “I fell asleep and didn’t end our date by having some really hot sex, Bruce,” she whispered. Her hand moved down my chest towards my cock, which was rock hard. “Should we make up for lost time?”

We stepped into the shower an hour later, grinning away like idiots.

Life continued on as normally as possible after that. Farm work continued as always. I recognised Emily started to spend more time indoors, happy to look after the house, keeping it clean, making us breakfast, lunch and dinner, even going so far as to make lunch for some of the boys during the week. She loved baking, and there were almost endless treats from time to time. After a couple of weeks, I had to ask if she was happy doing that. Earned me a hug as she replied, “This is what I want to do, Bruce. Look after you in return. This is now my home too and I want to look after it. Plus, it does need a good clean from time to time.”

“Well, I did my best but… you know… single bloke…”

She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed me. “I love cooking. I find cleaning therapeutic. And I can relax in between all the chores. You’re busy all day, Bruce, but you still help me regardless when you’re home at night and during the weekend.”

“My home too, sweetie.”

“When you marry me, I won’t be the house girlfriend, I’ll be the housewife.” I raised eyebrows at how adamant she sounded. “You will marry me… right?”

I hugged her tightly. I’d have married her then and there, to be honest. “I’d love to, sweetie, but… that’s one hell of a bridge to cross.”

“I know,” she said softly, “But that’s not all I want. It’s my birthday soon.”

“Ten days, Emily. I remember your birthday better than mine.”

“Maybe not this birthday, but I’d love to… try…” She trailed off as I heard a sniffle. “I want a baby with you,” she added softly.

“So I should make an honest woman of you first?” She giggled at that. “Well, you’ve just given me lots to think about, Emily. Anything you want this birthday, at least?”

“I have everything I want in my arms right now, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

What she wanted was dinner out with family. That meant inviting Mick and June along. She wanted dinner at the same RSL as our date, then a night out at one of the pubs or bars. June offered to drive us all the way, looking in the rearview mirror every so often as Emily happily snuggled into me, wearing another beautiful dress that showed plenty of skin, tight to her curves, having done her hair as well.

“Twenty-year-old girlfriend, Bruce. How old are you again?”

“Old enough, June. Old enough.”

“Well, certainly put a smile on her face. I look at her and see me when I was dating Mick all those years ago.”

“Warned him he had to look after her, June,” Mick stated, glancing back at me, “Think he’s taken my warning to heart.”

During the journey, my phone started to ring. No surprise there. Usually one of the boys letting me know he’d be late or missing the next day. Most of the time, it was a family problem. Considering they worked for me through little more than verbal agreement and cash in hand, I looked after them. Glancing at the lock screen, I noticed it was my sister calling. Letting Emily know, that had her sitting up and at attention, Mick and June both glancing from the front seats.

“Hello,” I answered.

“Hello, Bruce. How are you?”

Well, that was a better greeting than I imagined. “I’m okay, Maggie. I’m okay. You doing well?” She was quite a few seconds, long enough I had to ask, “Maggie, you there?”

“It’s my daughter’s birthday and I haven’t heard from her in months. Is she okay, Bruce?”

I glanced at Emily. “She’s happy, Maggie. She’s home.”

“Oh… You’re looking after her?”

“Of course, Maggie. She’s my niece, and she came to me for…” I didn’t expect the sound of soft crying to come over the phone. “Maggie, are you doing okay?”

“No,” she cried softly, “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore.”

She didn’t sound particularly drunk though her speech was slurred a little bit. She sounded like a woman now regretting some decisions she’d made. I glanced at Emily and made a gesture. She made me smile when she nodded, handing her the phone. She put it on speaker so we could hear.

“Mum?”

“Emily? Oh, Emily! It’s so good to hear your voice again. Happy birthday!”

Emily looked at me, a little confused. I could understand why. The last time she’d spoken to us, she’d been full of fire and brimstone. This was not the same woman at all. I could see June looking at me again. All I could do was shrug.

“Bruce is treating you well, Emily? You’re feeling at home at the farm?”

“Yes, Mum. Bruce and I are getting along really well.” I had to glance out the window to hide my smile. “And the farm has always felt like home in a certain way. I’m glad I chose to come here.”

“Good, baby, that’s… good… Look, I just wanted to call and wish you a happy birthday. I’m sorry I can’t be there. I’d love to give you a hug.”

Emily looked at me, now utterly dumbfounded. So was I. All four of us in the car were. “Um, thanks, Mum. I’m glad you called.”

“I miss you.” Emily couldn’t say those words back because she simply didn’t feel the same way. Then there was a soft cry again. “I know you don’t miss me. It’s all his fault, of course. Not Bruce. He’s always looked after family. No, I mean… him… tried to put hands on you…”

“Mum… look, maybe we should speak later? Another time maybe?”

“I’d like that, baby. I just wanted to hear your voice today. Hopefully I’ll be there when you turn twenty-one…”

“Sure, Mum. Fingers crossed things get better, then we’ll see.”

“I love you, baby. I miss you. Give my love to Bruce. I’m glad he’s looking after you. I’ll speak to you soon.”

“Bye, Mum.” She hung up and handed me the phone. “Okay, what the fuck was that all about?” she asked.

I stared at my phone, shrugging helplessly again. “I have absolutely no idea, Emily.”

We put it out of our minds, Emily snuggling into my side for the rest of the drive. Letting the RSL know it was her birthday, we ensured she got a couple of presents, and we certainly enjoyed a fine meal. No fancy restaurants in the outback. Most you’ll find is an RSL club and pubs that’ll serve food. You want fine dining, you’re driving at least a couple of hundred kilometres, and that’s if you’re lucky.

No idea how long we stayed out for, Emily and I certainly enjoying a few drinks together, though we still behaved in front of Mick and June, though they were now used to us kissing and cuddling, at least. June looked on with nothing but approval. It had taken Mick time to get used to it. Now he just looked away, but he could see the love on display.

We did find ourselves in a pub that had music blaring a small dancefloor, finding myself dragged up yet again. I might not be able to dance, but having a young woman cavorting against me had me rock hard in seconds. Thankfully, she danced against me in such a manner that she covered that, running my hands up her body though avoiding her tits and groin area. Mostly… By the time she’d had enough, the look in her eyes suggested she wanted to end the night in another manner.

We behaved in the car on the way back, Mick fast asleep in the passenger seat next to June. “Bruce, can I ask a question?”

“Sure, June.”

“Were you having sex before that night?”

“We were,” I admitted.

She smiled. “I thought so. That’s all I wanted to know. You look so happy, you two. Let me know when you propose, Bruce. I’d love to help Emily plan the wedding.”

“Won’t be a big thing, June. Quite a few people know she’s my niece.”

“True, so we’ll just make it a small, intimate thing. Don’t need a big bash if all you want to do is confirm your love for each other.”

“We’re getting married, then we’re having a baby,” Emily said softly.

“More than one, I bet,” June retorted, making Emily giggle next to me, “Well, I’m always here for advice about that too, Emily.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

We might have been worn out once June dropped us home, but Emily dragged me inside to our bedroom, dropped to her knees and eagerly fished out my cock, her head quickly bobbing up and down on my cock. I lasted five minutes at most. She swallowed every drop of cum before sitting back on her knees, looking rather pleased with herself.

“Now you’ll last longer when we make love,” she said.

Having got that out of her system, we undressed each other slowly, our mouths rarely apart before I lowered her to the bed. I showered her body with attention, barely an inch of skin going untouched, except her pussy, which I completely avoided. Drove her wild, earning one soft moan after another, and she was soon begging me to lick her pussy. Lowering my mouth, I inhaled her scent, earning another giggle.

“Love your scent, Emily,” I whispered, “That alone makes my cock harder than steel.”

“But you prefer the taste?” she asked softly.

“Well, while I could sit here and just sniff you, I don’t think either of us will get satisfaction from that.” For some reason, that made her laugh out loud. “So yes, sweetie, I much prefer your taste. Want to know what I’m going to do?” Her nod was very eager. “I’m going to eat you out, but slowly. Really tease you until you orgasm. Then we’ll make love. Sound good?”

“Best birthday ever,” she whispered.

I teased her for so long, by the time she enjoyed her first orgasm, I think it near enough knocked her out. Considering we’d returned from town rather tired as it is, I don’t think either of us had much energy, but the desire to make love was overwhelming. Sliding my cock inside her, she wrapped her arms around the back of my neck as I slowly thrust into her, just gazing into each other’s eyes.

“So you’ll knock me up next birthday?”

She said it so seriously, I stopped and gulped. It didn’t bother me in the least. Then she grinned and kissed me. “We’ve got a year to discuss it,” I finally replied.

Once I came inside her again, that was me done for the evening, eventually lying beside her and using my fingers to get her off again. That set off some tears, wondering why, until she finally murmured that it was simply for the fact I always cared. I could have just cum in her, rolled off and not bothered. But she still had to pinch herself at how considerate I was. I hugged her, said I’d always look after her, every way possible.

Then we drifted off together.

It was only two days later that my phone rang again, this time at breakfast. It was my sister again. Another glance of surprise was shared across the table, placing my phone down and putting in on speaker. “Morning, Maggie.”

“Bruce…” The voice was slurred, but not drunk, almost as if medicated. “Bruce… are you there?”

“I’m here, Maggie. So is Emily. Are you okay, Maggie? You don’t sound well?”

“Did I speak to you the other day, Bruce? Emily’s birthday?”

“You did, Maggie. Wished her happy birthday. Said you missed her. Maggie, are you okay? What’s going on?”

What we saw next shocked me, and upset her daughter. She switched on her camera… Her face. My sister, despite the attitude, was a good looking woman. “He did that,” Emily whispered.

The bruising on her face was horrific. I’d seen reports of domestic violence on television, but seeing it for myself. I wasn’t just shocked, I was beyond angry. My sister and I didn’t have a particularly good relationship, but she was still blood, and deep down, I’d always loved and would always love my sister. “Where are you, Maggie?”

“Hospital… Not sure how long…” She broke down. “I think he tried to kill me… I’ve made so many mistakes, Bruce. So many. I don’t know what to do anymore. And it’s all my fault.”

“Margaret, get that out of your head. Nothing you could have done would have deserved you ending up in hospital. Which hospital are you in?” She told me after asking a nurse. “Maggie, I’m coming to get you.”

“No, Bruce. If I leave him…”

“I’ll fucking kill him if I have to. You’re my sister. I’ve stood by long enough, watching you make these mistakes. No more. It’s time to look after my family, and you’re my little sister. So I’m going to arrive in a couple of days, then we’re going to pack your shit up, then you’re coming home.” I glanced at Emily. She was concerned about us, I could understand that, but I smiled when she gave me a firm nod. Mother and daughter needed a heart to heart too. “Maggie, Emily and I are going to drive there. We’ll gather you when you’re released. If need be, we’ll pack up whatever you’ll need first.”

“Bruce, what happened with Chris… and Emily… I… Emily, I’m… I’m a bad mother. Always have been. I deserved…”

Emily burst into tears. “We’ll be there soon, Mum. I promise. Then we can talk.”

“I don’t deserve that…. You should just leave me here…”

Then the line went dead. Emily sat on my lap and sobbed. No-one deserved to see their mother in such a condition. As soon as she’d had her cry, she pulled out her own phone and called her brother. I know they spoke at least once a week. I’d occasionally have a chat with him too. He was doing well for himself. Again, she put him on a speakerphone, letting him know what happened. He couldn’t drop everything to come visit the farm, but we let him know we’d take care of everything, and ensure he could talk to his mother if he wanted to when we had her back.

I called Mick and let him know the situation. He arrived with June in a matter of minutes. “You’re bringing her here?” he asked, a little surprised.

“I know, mate, I know. But you didn’t see her, didn’t hear her. Everything has gone wrong since she left the farm. I know what happened between dad and her was bad. But right now, she needs us. All of us. Then we need to sit down and simply get everything off the chest. Maybe if we do that, the future will be better.”

“When will you leave?” June asked.

“Emily and I will leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow. No idea when we’ll be back. Been a long time since I’ve driven to the city. Shit, when Emily came out this way, she flew here.”

We left before dawn the next morning. Well, I did. I carried a still sleeping Emily to the cab and made sure she was buckled up before I dumped our bags in the back. Mick was up to meet us, telling me to drive safely as normal, but I grinned when he said to bring my sister home too. Getting behind the wheel, I knew the way to the city, though would have to rely on GPS once I was in the city itself, though Emily could possibly guide me.

It was a long two days and nights, plenty of sights along the way, passing through small and large country towns, kilometre after kilometre of highway. It was lunchtime of the third day by the time we made it to the outskirts of the city, Emily awake and alert, so in addition to GPS, she was able to guide me to the hospital.

After parking up, flabbergasted at the price I had to pay for parking, we headed into the reception. I felt out of place in my flannel shirt, jeans, boots and Akubra, but after giving the name we wanted to see, we were pointed in the right direction. She was in a ward shared with four others. Her face was still a mess, and I was left with little doubt the rest of her body was bruised. When she saw us, she started to cry, Emily going to her mother and hugging her without hesitation. I stood to her other side, taking her hand.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“I’m taking you home, Maggie.” She nodded without a word. “Then we need to talk.”

“I know. I know.”

“Do you know where he is?”

“Probably at home.”

“Emily, stay here with your mother.” She met my eyes. I thought she’d say it wasn’t worth it, but a quick glance at her mother firmed her mind. All she did was meet my eyes and nod her head. “Good girl. I’ve got your address in my GPS. I’ll collect your things then return here. Emily and I will stay close by until the hospital says you’re good to go.”

“Bruce…”

I shushed her. “Not now, Maggie. I’ve watched from afar for too long. Time for your older brother to finally put his foot down. You are coming with me. No arguments.”

She squeezed my hand tighter, watching tears cascade down her cheeks. “I don’t deserve you.”

“You do as you’re my sister, Maggie. I love you, and I’m… I’m the older one and should have been as responsible for you as I’ve been for Emily. And I see my sister in hospital right now after some scumbag…”

“Just don’t get in trouble.”

“Trust me. What’s his name?”

“Brian.”

“Good. I’ll know who to hit when I see him.”

“Fuck him up, Bruce,” Emily stated.

I strode out of the hospital with fists clenched, no doubt murder in my eyes and on my face. I hadn’t liked my sister for a long time, but I always loved her. You always loved family. She was blood. She was kin. And no-one, man nor woman, deserved what had happened to her. I got behind the wheel of my ute and practically tore out of the car park, heading straight for her house.

It was quite the dump, that wasn’t a surprise. Pulling up on the road outside, I was tempted to go armed with a tool of some kind, a wrench or a hammer. But I’d get pulled up on a murder charge. Striding down the driveway to the front door, I banged on it until it was answered. Didn’t recognise the guy at all, but I figured this was Brian.

“You Brian?” I asked.

“Yeah, who the fuck are you?”

“You know someone called Emily?”

“Yeah, she’s the daughter of some slut I know.” I felt my fists curl. “Shame she left. Would have been some good pussy.” I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He was already drunk so little wonder he barely thought about his responses. “Who are you again?”

“You with Maggie?”

“That slut? Yeah…”

I smacked him in the face before he could add anything else. He went staggering back down the hallway as I stalked in after him. He was already bleeding from the nose, but managed to take a swing in my direction. I wasn’t going to fight this prick fair, putting my boot straight between his legs. He went down to his knees, and my boot connected with his face. He was lucky I wasn’t wearing steel-capped boots, otherwise I probably would have killed him. Instead, he ended up on his back, groaning away.

Crouching down next to him, I grabbed him around the throat. “Now, Brian, listen very carefully. I’m going to be grabbing Maggie’s things. She won’t be returning to this dump you call a home. I would suggest you lose all her details. And if I even get a hint of you trying to contact her or Emily, I will personally tie you up like a sheep, drive you to the outback, and bury you in a deep, dark hole.”

I saw a hint of recognition in his eyes. No doubt Maggie had mentioned a brother. “You’re… him…”

I squeezed a little harder. “Did you understand what I just said, or do I need to stamp on your balls to make sure you do?” He was no doubt used to pushing around and hitting defenceless women. Unfortunately, our country had a long standing domestic violence issue. Too many dickhead men at times. But he was nothing but a coward, nodding as I stood up over him. “Very good. Now, I’m going to grab her things. You just lie there, think about the decisions in life you’ve made to this point. You want to take this further, you’re more than welcome. But I don’t particularly want to go home with a murder charge looming over me.”

I packed three bags of what I figured was her things, grabbing one or two items I knew would prove of sentimental value, putting it all in the rear of the cab on my ute, before performing one last check of everything. I could see one or two things that she might want, but all that mattered was getting her away from this life. And away from him. By the time I was ready to leave, he was laying back on the couch. When I stalked towards him, he almost cowered with fear.

Crouching in front of him, I asked, “Do we need to have a conversation?” He shook his head. “You beat my sister. The urge to return the favour and more is incredibly overwhelming. I have adrenaline flooding my veins right now. Voices in my head telling me to just beat you senseless. But it won’t prove anything. What does matter to me is that my sister and niece are now safe. It’s time I took care of my family. All of them.”

With that, I walked out of the house, sat in my ute, and drove back to the hospital. Taking a seat next to Emily, her mother was asleep so she took my hand, leaning her head against my shoulder. “Sorted?” she asked.

“Sorted,” I replied.

Asking how long my sister was going to be kept, once they learned I was her brother, they told me she was being kept for observation for another couple of days, and for the swelling to go down, then they’d likely release her. Asking if she’d be okay to travel, explaining the situation and my plan, they suggested it was actually a good idea, obviously aware she’d been a victim of domestic violence.

Emily and I found a bed and breakfast only a short distance from the hospital. I called Mick and let him know the situation. He assured me the farm wouldn’t collapse without my presence, telling me to just do the right thing. After grabbing some dinner, nothing more than a bite from a nearby takeaway, we snuggled in bed later. Despite the situation, we made love, though it was the slow and gentle sex that made up the beginning of our relationship.

We spent most of the next two days with my sister when visiting hours allowed. She spent much of the time asleep, recovering from her injuries. Whenever she was lucid enough to talk, I shushed her, stating everything would be discussed when we got home, but let her know that the situation with Brian was sorted out. That earned a grab of my hand, kissing it before she simply whispered her thanks.

She was released the fourth morning after we’d arrived, given prescriptions for a few medications we could pick up nearby. Wheeling her to the ute, Emily got up into the back seat, picking up her mother and carefully sliding her inside so she was laying down, head on her lap. I stopped at a nearby pharmacy to pick up her medicine, including some other things I guessed she’d need, then a convenience store to pick up a load of snacks and drinks, before turning us towards the farm.

It was a long couple of days as I didn’t stop except for the evening. Maggie slept nearly the entire way, pretty much knocking her out with sleeping tablets, while ensuring she took the pills required. Emily sat in the back with her the entire time, making sure she was comfortable. I would glance in the mirror to earn a loving smile in return.

Pulling into the farm, Mick and June were waiting for us. Noticing me pick up my sister from the back seat, having been startled at how light she was when I’d done so at the hospital, they followed me in as I carried her to Emily’s old room. The living situation didn’t bother me at that moment. My sister was going to find out and she’d have to deal with it.

June pulled back the blankets so I could place Maggie down, taking off her shoes, before lying her back and covering her. The swelling had finally gone down but the bruising still made me wince. Having undressed her in the hotel on the way to make sure she had a wash, her body was a mess. I had no idea if she’d done drugs or not, but the bruises and other scars suggested Brian, or god only knows who… well, the urge to go back and finish the job was on my mind while I was driving the three of us along.

“What have I done to deserve this?” she whispered. Emily heard the croak and returned a few seconds later, Maggie sipping at the drink before lying back on her side. “Bruce, all I’ve done for years…”

“Maggie, when you’re feeling better. We’ll talk about everything. Right now, you just need to get better. So what you’re going to do is lie here and relax. There’s a TV you can watch. I grabbed your phone and you can connect to the WiFi. We’ll bring your meals in until you feel fit enough to get onto your feet. If you need help having, just give either of us a shout.”

“We need to talk later too, Mum.”

“I know, baby,” she whispered, looking at us with wet eyes, “I made a mess of everything.”

It was weird having my sister back in the house, but as she was confined to the bedroom for the moment, Emily and I lived our lives mostly the same. The day after arriving back, I was back at work, Emily enjoying her role as house girlfriend, cooking up a storm for our first night back after living on crap food for around a week. Mick and June did join us for dinner that night, and we discussed the situation quietly. Emily was adamant nothing was going to change. Her courage impressed me, and I was equally as adamant. We were consenting adults, and by the law, doing nothing wrong. Society would never know the real truth, and morals… Well, we didn’t think our love was immoral either.

I passed by the bedroom door to find the pair deep in discussion more than once. My sister was slowly healing, but I think the wounds inside were far deeper than those on her skin. I had this feeling she carried some turmoil. I just didn’t know what, but I had a further feeling it led to where she now was in life. But I when I heard laughing for the first time between them around the third or fourth day, I walked away, grinning to myself. At least their relationship was mending.

It was a week before Maggie was able to move about by herself without needing help, hobbling into the kitchen on a Sunday to join us for breakfast. The bruising was slowly fading, but she looked incredibly pale and thin. Emily placed an enormous plate of food in front of her and ordered her to eat. “Every morsel, Mum. Need to put some meat back on those bones,” she said.

Maggie glanced at me. “She do this for you?” she asked, surprising me with a smile.

“Every Sunday, Mum. And I generally cook for him every evening. Make his lunch every day. Bruce is a hard-working man. I like looking after him, just like he’s looked after me.”

Maggie couldn’t meet my eyes, moving them to her plate. “Maggie, we’ll talk about it. Don’t worry.”

“It was him…” she started, “He was… I don’t know even know how to explain it. The last in a long line of men I seem to find myself with?”

“We’ve all made mistakes, Maggie.”

She shook her head. “My life has been one giant mistake since…” She trailed off and sighed. “Yeah, guess we’ll need to have that talk later.”

After breakfast, I escorted her outside for some fresh air, sitting her down in the chair on the veranda, Emily and I sitting to either side of her. I talked about life on the farm, what we were doing nowadays. Being the time of year, we were now seeding the fields as we grew wheat, barley and oats. Had a lot of cows and cattle, some for milking, others for meat. And, of course, sheep. Lots and lots of sheep.

“Have to diversify in today’s world. No farm can focus on just one or two fields of production. Shit, some farms around here are going organic and all that sort of stuff.”

“Doing well for yourself?” she wondered.

“Milk sucks. Has done for years. But meat will always sell at a profit, particularly if we have good qualify. Wool will never be an issue. The crops are the newest addition. Done well so far. Yeah, I think dad would be happy with the progress.”

“God, feels like I’ve just wasted my life,” she muttered.

“Maggie, you hated living here most of the time. This life never suited you, though… I guess the city hasn’t exactly worked out either.”

“True. Can’t lie about that.”

Maggie was understandably a little lost during the week. I have no doubt she noticed the affection between Emily and I. The only thing we didn’t do in front of her was kiss, but there were the same number of hugs, whispered words of loves, and everything else one would expect to see from a couple in love. I noticed more than one glance from my sister, but I was surprised that she didn’t raise any concerns. Perhaps she just thought her daughter had the hots for me and I was playing along.

To my surprise, she never asked where Emily and I were sleeping. I certainly didn’t put any pillows and blankets in the living room to suggest I was sleeping on the couch. Sure, there was a third room, but that was mostly for storage, with a bed in there that was unmade. She never noticed Emily and I go to bed together, generally as she was in bed early each night. Emily and I certainly didn’t stop making love, though made sure we kept the noise to a minimum. It was a little frustrating as Emily loved being vocal nowadays.

“I want to go see our parents’ tomorrow,” she said at breakfast on Saturday. Seeing the surprise on my face, she smiled. Now that the bruising had basically disappeared, she’d been sleeping okay, and was on the mend, she was starting to look like her old self. “While we’re there, I guess the three of us should talk.”

I wondered if she meant talk about what was obviously going on between Emily and I.

Maggie wanted to walk the next day. She still hobbled slightly, holding her arm, Emily holding my other hand, as we strolled up to where our parents were buried, our grandparents and other generations before them. We’d owned this land since the first white settlers had arrived in the area. Emily had brought along a rug and picnic basket, figuring we’d be spending a while there.