Del kissed Marge goodbye and carried his bag out to the truck. The cicadas were extremely noisy just after sunset. He set the canvas bag on the seat beside him and relaxed for a moment. No charges, no Colonel, no nothing except cicadas. It was a relief.

He started her up, tapped the dashboard and backed out of the drive. He could see the glow of the TV in one room of his house, the glow of Marge's computer in another.

He stopped at a donut place, locally owned, not one of the chains, and bought a bag for him and the girls.

When he parked his truck behind the bunkhouse he sat for a moment after turning the engine off. He could see the Colonel's house on the hill glow with every light on in the place. There were lamps along the walkways and in front of the buildings down here. He liked it better where night was close.

He carried the bags, donuts and his canvas carry bag, to the stable. Except for lights on the ceiling down the center bay it was dark. The charges should be sleeping.

He took a second to look in Misty's dark stall. He couldn't see much, just the glow of her form and hair. She didn't stir.

He unlatched the door to Star's stall and turned on the light. Star and Penny were cuffed together on the floor. Penny's eyes watched him.

He dropped the bags on the bench and walked over to check her brand. No blisters, just a patch of raw skin, pale still. It would be red tomorrow. He hoped the mark showed well, he could never tell at this point how it would look.

He unlatched the cuffs, removed them and told Star to kneel in the corner.

"Kneel," he said to Penny.

He examined Penny carefully. Her eyes, ears and mouth. He checked her fingers and nails. He checked her cunt, wet as usual, and ass. Her feet were tender. She had a heel blister on her left foot. He patted her shoulder and got up.

He opened the bag of donuts, gave them each one and ate his watching them from the bench. Star's looks at him were smoldering. Her time cuffed to the ladder hadn't diminished her fire.

"Come here," he said to Star.

She began to rise to her feet. "Crawl," he said.

She came to him with a smile on her lips. Penny ate her donut slowly, didn't look up.

He motioned; she unfastened his pants and took out his cock. He began another donut as she licked him hard.

She watched him as she took him in her mouth then dropped her eyes and did as she was trained.

He watched Penny whose donut was finished. She knelt with her head bowed, hands palm up on her thighs. A good posture for once.

"Turn around," he told Star.

Star glanced at him, smiled and turned on her hands and knees so her ass faced him.

He knelt behind her and used her cunt, a bit loose but still nice, and then finished in her ass. He released her hair, leaned back on his heels.

She turned and lowered her mouth to clean him. She raised her face when she was done and smiled at him.

He slapped her. Penny looked up, then quickly dropped her eyes. "Bring me the crop, Star."

She rose slowly, sauntered provocatively to the shelf and come back with the crop offered to him with both hands.

He stood and fastened his jeans. He took the crop and dropped it in front of Penny as he went to the rope and the bar. He lowered the bar. "Star," he said.

Star came to him, raised her hands and watched his face as he tied her wrists to the bar. "Penny," he said.

Penny turned to them.

"When you whip Star, pay particular attention to here," he slapped her breast, "and here," he slapped the other. He raised the bar and tied off the rope. "At your leisure." He sat on the bench, opened his canvas bag and took out a book.

It must have been fifteen minutes later when he heard Penny stand. He raised his eyes from the book and watched her.

Penny circled Star slowly, tracing every bit of Star's skin with the crop. After a couple of minutes of this, she hit Star's thigh, waited a moment and began to slowly whip her.

He returned to his book, finished the chapter and set it aside. He leaned against the stall wall, stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. Penny's blows, Star's reactions, continued.

It had been a long day. Too long. He needed to work with Star, at least a little, begin training her the walks she would need to learn.

"Harder," he said.

There was a pause, then he could hear the crop as it was swung, the blow, and Star's involuntary reaction, part voice part body. The beating continued.

He wanted to sleep, couldn't just yet. There was still a lot he had to do.

Spot had joined them on their ride this afternoon, leashed to the buggy and following happily along. Sometime he would have to have her lie still, stretched out, so he could study her tattoos. It as almost as if they told a story, maybe several stories or chapters or whatever. He had never seen anything so involved or with such intense colors. He wondered where the Colonel had found her. He could never ask so it didn't matter.

He waited until Penny began to tire before telling her to stop. Star cried, her face red and contorted as she hung from her wrists. Her legs were folded under her.

He held up a donut to Penny. "Come here and sit by me." He made a place for her on the bench.

Penny sat on the bench several inches of space between them. She took the donut without looking at him.

He wasn't quite sure what he would do with Penny. He knew what he was going to do with Star, but not Penny. He considered a night ride. Just around down here, but wasn't sure if Penny was ready for that yet.

He set his bag on the floor, book on top, watched Star compose herself. She stood on her feet taking her weight off her wrists. She tried to turn so she didn't face him but couldn't. She marked well. A paint but a paint with lots of potential.

When Penny was done with her donut he told her to kneel. He got up and walked to Star, carrying the crop with him. He examined her eyes and nose which were running. He checked her mouth. He felt over her body and checked her cunt, pulling it open, tugging on her labia rings. He felt her ass, gave her ass a friendly slap. "Good girl," he said.

He went to the bench and sat down next to Penny. "Did you enjoy your time at the Colonel's last night?"

She said, "Yes," without raising her eyes.

"Would you like to do that more often?"

"More please." Softly.

"Tonight?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Do you like Star?"

"Yes."

"Do you like me?"

She was quiet. After a moment she raised her head and looked at him. "Yes."

"Do you want to stay here tonight?"

"Please. Yes." She lowered her eyes.

He didn't know what to do with her. "Are you hungry, Star?"

Star nodded, she still kept her eyes lowered.

One who thought too much and one who was shamed by a whipping. Just his luck. He took off his boots, wiggled his toes. He put his boots back on.

"Do you like Penny, Star?"

"Yes," she said quickly.

"Do you like the Colonel?"

"Yes."

She didn't even know who the Colonel was. "Do you like me?"

She smiled but didn't say anything. She raised her eyes and gave him that look she had.

"Would you like to go for a walk?"

"Please," she said.

"Okay," he said. He stood, went to Star and untied her wrists. Her arms fell heavily. "Kneel," he said. He raised the bar, tied it off.

He took the hood off the shelf and dropped it over Penny's head. He locked it to her collar, raised her from the floor by her arm and walked her to the post. "Kneel," he said.

After he cuffed Penny's wrists and ankles to the post he took Star's arm. "Come." She rose from the floor and followed him.

He latched the stall door, went out into the stable yard, Star following.

"Working late tonight, I see."

He saw jerkhead who everyone else called Jerry. "For the next couple of nights."

"Wish I had work like that." Jerry pointed the flashlight beam at Star and came up to them.

"Be my guest."

"You're kidding, right?"

"All fours," Del said stepping away. "She's yours."

Jerry went for the mouth, didn't even have to think about it.

"You won't break her," Del said.

Jerry held Star's head and began to thrust slowly.

Del leaned against the stable and watched them. Jerry was going at it like a man starved. He didn't last long.

After Jerry zipped up, Del said, "Come here a second."

Jerry left Star and the both of them went into the stable.

"See that ladder?" Del said.

"Yes."

"There'll be one there all night. Feel free."

"You're kidding."

"While I'm here working late, next couple of nights. Feel free."

Jerry couldn't thank him enough, the jerkhead. It was okay by him. That solved the Penny problem.

He raised Star to her feet after Jerry left. Jerry could tell he didn't want to talk. Star followed Del on the gravel path up the rise.

When they got close to the Colonel's, Del left the path, keeping out of the light, circling around. He could see Spot had noticed something. He squeezed Star's arm, made her stand still and left her. He gave a soft whistle as he entered the lit area.

Spot gave a jump and ran back and forth wiggling her butt.

"Quiet," he whispered.

Spot nodded.

Del motioned for Star to join them and scratched Spot's ear as Star approached. Del unclipped Spot's chain from her collar and clipped it to Star's. "You're spending the night here," he whispered.

"But . . ." Star said.

Del covered her mouth, moved her to Spot's doghouse. "Here. I'll get you in the morning." He took his hand away.

They were partly in shadow and partly in light from the house. Star looked at him and nodded. She fell to her knees.

He gave her shoulder a pat and walked back to Spot. He was tempted to have Spot bark so the switch would be noticed but figured he shouldn't make it too easy for the Colonel by bringing him a girl every night.

Spot took his hand and licked it. He gave her a pat and she followed him down to the stable.

He kept on thinking man's best friend and if he weren't so tired he'd find a stick to throw for her. The ranch was beautiful in the light of the moon and stars. It looked otherworldly and yet at the same time more substantial than during the daylight. It looked bigger.

He went into the stall and shut the door after Spot. "Over there," he said.

Spot knelt on the blanket; her alert face followed him as he moved.

He tossed her a donut, enjoyed the look on her face. Dogfood must not be that great. One of the fun things about having a dog was spoiling them with people food.

Spot didn't use her paws to hold the donut, she ate it directly from the floor.

He uncuffed Penny from the post, set one handcuff on the bench. He raised her and led her into the main bay of the stable. "You're sleeping out here tonight."

At the ladder he made her kneel. He cuffed her ankle to the ladder.

He couldn't tell what she was thinking because of the hood. Her body was stiff. "Star is taking Spot's place tonight on the hill. Spot's sleeping with me. You're sleeping out here."

Her shoulders fell.

He ran his fingers over her side, under her thigh until he felt her bare cunt. He stroked the outside, then slipped his fingers in the slit. Still wet. He smiled. Lucky Jerry.

He stroked her clit, not to get her off, just so she knew what he could do. "You'll be used tonight. Me and another."

Her body shifted slightly. She leaned into his arm.

He didn't care if she came or not. He stroked her for a minute more than withdrew his hand, set it on her thigh.

She relaxed.

He thought about Star and the Colonel. He wondered if the Colonel had any idea what he was missing.

"You did well today," he said.

"More," she said softly.

"Tomorrow." He stood. "Night."

She bowed her head.

He latched the stall door behind him and sat on the bench. The day was almost over. He took off his boots and rubbed his feet. He picked up the handcuffs and cuffed Spot's paws. He took the lead from the peg on the wall and clipped it to her collar. He tied the other end to the post.

He took his sleeping sack from the canvas bag and unrolled it next to the blanket. The floor was hard but he'd get used to it.

He undressed, left the stall to use the bathroom. He figured he'd use Penny on his three o'clock run. One of the benefits of getting older and not being able to hold it all night.

He turned out the light and lay on his sack. Light from the outside came through the north window. As he relaxed he could hear some of the charges sleeping. He wondered if that was Misty snoring. Maybe her owner wasn't so lucky.

"Come here," he said to Spot.

Spot curled up next to him.

"On your back," he said.

He could hear her stretch out and whimper in anticipation. He'd never leave a dog chained up all day. Never.

He laid his hand on her stomach, felt the bump of her navel stud. He drew his hand across her stomach to her breasts. He tugged a nipple ring until she gasped, then let go. He touched her face with his knuckles, she grabbed his hand and licked each finger, holding it in her mouth, drawing it out slowly.

He pulled his hand from her paws and rolled onto his side. He held her cunt as he ran his tongue over her face feeling the eyebrow stud, the nose ring and the lip rings.

He settled on her, held her cuffed paws over her head as he entered her. Her body writhed under him, rippled and rolled around his cock.

He fucked her slowly, stopping when he needed to rest, beginning again a little faster each time. She started to yip; he took one hand from her paws and held it over her mouth. She arched her back.

When he was ready he came, held still for a moment then settled on her. He released her paws, uncovered her mouth. He rested his cheek against hers.

If his charges didn't demand so much of his time he would have a better . . . what? He didn't know. They were his job and he tried to do the best he could for them but they demanded so much.

Spot was perfectly happy to have him spend the whole night this way but he couldn't sleep on his stomach, never had been able to. He rolled off her.

"I want you to wake me at dawn," he told her.

She gave a yip then pressed as close to him as she could.

He scratched her ear. If there were some way he would but there wasn't. There was no way he could afford to buy her from the Colonel. He just couldn't afford someone like her.

He never played the lottery, never thought it worthwhile. People like him never won the lottery. But sometimes he dreamed of what he'd do if he won.

He'd get a place of his own right off. He loved what he did. Most of the time at least when they weren't goddamned pains in the ass.

It was worth it to see their faces after they'd done it right the first time. Who cared about the owners? The owners were even more a pain in the ass. Always in a rush. Always taking them away before he was finished with them.

He could hear Jerry and Penny. He hoped the poor girl got some sleep tonight. He was instituting a new policy. The stable needed a dog. She'd be it in the morning.

He could tell it bothered her to watch him with Star which was fine. He had used that to push her and she'd done better than ever before.