Chapter 49
Three days later, Jack harvested the next batch of corn. After watering the crops he stepped back and smiled.
*I see why Jeff suggested I go with corn. I think I'll go and thank him.*
After putting away the watering can, he walked to the stream that ran along the south side of his farm to wash the sweat from his face.
A voice called out, "Hello, Jack, how are you today?"
Looking up, he saw Karen and Ann on the other side of the stream holding their bathing kits.
Smiling he replied, "I'm doing great. Just had my second harvest of corn. I had a feeling that I should wait to bathe."
Karen and Ann giggled.
With a grin Karen said, "So that you wouldn't run into us?"
Jack nodded, "Yes. While I briefly saw Ann's 'birthday suit', I wasn't sure how you would feel if I saw your 'birthday suit'."
Karen smiled, "I would have covered the essentials with my arms and ask that you look away so that I could get up and wrap my towel around me. I wouldn't be mad, after all you are a nice guy."
Ann nodded, "I agree, but I would just go ahead and wrap my towel around me. I wouldn't be mad, I do trust you."
Jack smiled, "Thank you, ladies."
Karen raised an eyebrow, "Jack, I wouldn't be offended if you had said girl. In fact Ann and Elli are fine if you say girl, you are one of the rare guys that don't use girl in a bad way."
Jack nodded, "I had a feeling you wouldn't, but I didn't want to push my luck."
Shifting her bathing kit to one arm, Karen then rubbed her chin, "Well then how about this, let's go right now and ask Gotz to remodel your bathroom, I think that Gotz might be per swayed to give you a discount if Ann and I are with you."
Ann blinked her eyes, "Why me?"
Karen smiled, "I think that Gotz has a soft spot in his heart to you and me, since we were friends with Gina. So he might think we would be upset and hurt that he was being mean to a guy we like."
Ann grinned, "Yeah, you're right. Let's go!"
The two girls took off quickly towards Gotz's house.
Jack got up and had to run to the small bridge crossing the stream and then sprinted to catch up with the two girls.
The girls got to the house first.
Jack said, "You two don't need to do this."
Karen smiled while she knocked on the door, "Jack, we are your friends. Friends help each other out."
Ann nodded with a grin, "Yeah, think of this as a better gift then a hug from a tomboy."
The door opened and Gotz stepped out, "So what brings you here?"
Before Jack could say anything, Karen spoke up, "Well, Jack is going to get a payment for his next shipment of crops he harvested today. I suggested earlier this season that he get his bathroom upgraded to include a bathtub similar to the one at my house. I told him that it is due to your policy about not letting anyone go up on Mother's Hill in the winter."
Gotz stroked his bread, "I see. So why isn't Jack doing the asking? Can't he speak for himself?"
Karen stuttered, "W, w, well, I thought that if I did the asking that you might be kind enough to give him a..."
Gotz raised an eyebrow, "Discount?"
Karen nodded.
Gotz looked at Ann, "You came along to add your voice to this request?"
Ann nodded, "I want to do something more as a way of thanking him for saving my life when I fell asleep at the hot spring on my birthday."
Gotz nodded, "I see. Well when Joe still had the farm I had been offering him a discount to upgrade his bathroom, but he always refused. Somehow he was able to make it safely to the hot spring in the winter, I still wonder how he did it. Anyway, Jack I will make you the same offer. I will upgrade your bathroom with the same type of bathtub that Karen has, plus I will repair your chicken coop, and just charge you the price of just the repair for the chicken coop. It's far less then I would charge you for the upgrade of the bathroom."
A surprised look crossed Jack's face, "I, I, thank you. But won't that hurt your finances?"
Gotz smiled, "It might. Thank you for asking, you are very considerate for a young adult. I'm glad that Joe left his farm to a kind person. So, I'll start the work tomorrow. So while I'm doing the work on the upgrade to the bathroom, how about you stay at the Inn, I'm sure that Doug will give you a discount."
Ann nodded, "I'm sure my dad will. Jack, let's go now and you can ask him. Plus if you are hungry you can get some lunch."
Jack smiled, "Ok, I will."
Ann looked at Karen, "How about you, Karen, are you hungry for lunch?"
Karen nodded, "I am, so let's go. Thanks Gotz."
The trio of young adults walked away from Gotz. A small smile crept on his face.
*I'm sure that if my daughter were here, she also would have asked me to give Jack a discount. I don't think that I could turn down my daughter's request. Jack is a lucky man to have two lovely ladies that care for him.*
