Harry allowed himself to be pulled along by the girls as they showed him around the family property and he particularly enjoyed their colourful descriptions.

They stopped at a nearby fence where two cows lazed in the grass.

"That's Blackie," Dottie said as she pointed at one cow, "and that's Milky," she said as she pointed to the other one.

Harry studied the cows closely.

They were both black and white in colour.

How the hell could they tell the two of them apart?

He gave Grace a side glance who stood there with a bemused expression.

"Uh...they're both black and white," Harry finally said, "how do you know which is which?"

"Blackie has more black!" Dottie explained, as if it were perfectly obvious.

Again, Harry looked at Grace, still none the wiser.

She lifted her hand towards her face and made a circular motion at it.

Ah.

"So Blackie has more black on her face?" Harry asked.

"Yes!" Dottie replied excitedly, "see, he gets it," she said as she nudged Tilly with her elbow, who nodded along sagely with her big sister.

"Of course," Harry said, "how many eggs does she lay?"

"Eggs?" Dottie looked up at Harry.

"Eggs come from our chickens Harry," Tilly shook her head at him, "Blackie gives us milk!"

"You sure about that?" Harry said, giving the girls a serious look.

"You pull those Harry and the milk comes out," Dottie points to the udder on the cow.

"Maybe Harry would like to have a go some time?" Grace suggested, much to Harry's horror.

"I'm sure you'd be a natural Harry," Lucy stood next to him and leaned on the fence as she awkwardly pulled her heel out from the mud, "you just have to put your hand on it and give it a tug."

Harry didn't quite know what to say as he knew exactly what Lucy's hidden meaning was.

And it was never gonna happen, not in a million years.

From what he had seen of her so far, he wasn't impressed.

"Actually, you don't pull it, you squeeze," Grace said.

"I just think you'd get more if you pulled..." Lucy began, biting her lip as she looked up at Harry.

"Alright, time to head back," Grace interrupted, not wanting this kind of conversation happening in front of the girls.

Fortunately, Harry was being pulled back to the house and Lucy's choice of footwear currently held her back from keeping up, her heels sunk with each step.

Grace turned and stood in front of Lucy, blocking her while her heels sunk into the ground yet again.

"Look, it's obvious even to a blind man, that you want to screw him but you need to stop," Grace said in a low voice, "he's been here for five minutes for Christ's sake."

Both women glared at each other.

"Jealous are we?" Lucy rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law.

"Hardly," Grace replied, "you're making him uncomfortable with your stupid innuendos."

"You're just trying to keep him all to yourself," Lucy accused.

"He's my bloody employee Lucy," Grace said in exasperation, "if you were a bloke I'd tell you to put your dick back in your pants."

"Oh I see," Lucy crossed her arms, "you're hoping to get a bit of the Englishman, aren't you?"

"Yes," Grace replied as a look of triumph crossed Lucy's face, "yes I'm trying to get him to look after my girls."

Lucy frowned again as Grace turned on her heel and began to walk in the direction of the house.

"Stay away from him Lucy," she hissed over her shoulder, "I'm warning you."

She left Lucy where she stood and jogged over to where Harry and the girls were, currently standing under a nearby tree that was home to the girl's cubby house.

Harry was busy listening to the girls and trying his best to keep his expression neutral, considering the conversation he just overhead between the two women.

"You're going to have so much fun going down the slide with us Harry!" Tilly said.

Harry was more worried about how he was going to fit inside it and as he glanced over at Grace, she simply kept her gaze trained on the treehouse but there was a smirk that danced on her lips.

"Can't wait munchkins!" Harry replied with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.

Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

They were a couple of pretty excitable little girls.

But Harry was never one to back down from a challenge.

Especially one that was going to pay $1500 a week.

Lucy wobbled up behind them again, her shoes thick with mud.

"You right there Luce?" Grace asked.

"Couldn't be better," she huffed, but put a smile on her face when Harry looked at her, "and what are my darlings up to?" she cooed at Dottie and Tilly.

Both girls stopped running around and looked at Lucy before they looked at each other with strange expressions on their faces.

"Muddy puddles!" Tilly suddenly yelled.

"Can we mama?" Dottie looked up at Grace hopefully.

"Well I don't know..." she pretended to look like she was thinking about it, "technically Harry's in charge of looking after you..."

Both girls ran over to Harry with Dottie wrapping her arms around his waist and Tilly around his legs.

"Please Harry?" Dottie gave him her best smile.

"Yes please Harry?" Tilly echoed her sister.

Harry looked at Grace, silently seeking her permission, which she gave with a slight nod of her head.

"Okay," he said, "let's go."

He watched as the girls took off and was about to start after them when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

It was Lucy.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed, "I've broken my heel," she bent down and took off the offending shoe and held it up, the heel barely attached, "Harry," she pouted, "do you think you can carry me back?"

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Grace huffed, "give me your shoes."

Puzzled, Lucy gave Grace her broken shoe then took off the other and gave that one to her as well.

Grace promptly pulled the broken heel off before she tucked it under her arm and then proceeded to break the other heel off, much to Lucy's horror and Harry's amusement, before handing them back to her in pieces.

"Problem solved," she said, "come on Harry."

"Grace!" Lucy said, mortified with what she'd done to her shoes, "my...what...you own me a new pair of shoes!" she spluttered.

"Sure," she said as she turned around and continued walking backwards next to Harry, "talk to James."

She turned back around and fell into step with Harry.

"Word of advice, whatever or whoever you do on your own time is your business," Grace said, "but when you're with the girls, you're at work and I expect you to behave as such, are we clear?"

"But her...I wouldn't..." Harry began, taken aback by Grace's upfront attitude.

"Harry, she's pretty, I wouldn't blame you," Grace said, "but I'd definitely use a condom."

Harry stared at Grace, his mouth open wide in shock before she reached out and pushed his chin back up.

"Careful, you'll catch flies around here doing that," she grinned.

They paid no attention to the complaints coming from behind them as they reached the girls, and the subsequent puddle of mud they were now jumping in, their pants well and truly covered in mud and their tops weren't fairly much better.

"Come and jump Harry!" they squealed.

Harry looked down at his suede boots.

"We've got to get you some gumboots and work boots, don't we?" Grace chuckled, "you can always take those off though," she gestured at his boots.

"Only if you do," Harry replied cheekily.

"You're on," Grace agreed and the two of them kicked off their shoes, Grace only doing so in sympathy with Harry and joined the girls in the mud.

Lucy finally came hobbling over and looked at them all in disbelief.

"You have all gone mad," she said as she pointed a perfectly manicured finger at them, the broken heels from her shoes in her other hand, "I'm leaving, this is utterly ridiculous."

She turned sharply on her shoeless heels and as she took her first step, she landed awkwardly on a small rock and consequently lost her balance.

And landed on her bottom in the mud.

Everybody froze.

Nobody moved.

"Oh my god!" Lucy screamed.

Harry quickly snapped into action and grabbed Lucy under her armpits and pulled her to her feet and out of the mud.

She was so furious she couldn't even string a sentence together, but rather let out a low, frustrated scream before she threw her hands in the air and clumsily stomped off.

"Should we..." Harry gestured to Lucy.

"Nah," Grace replied, "unless you want to?"

Harry felt bad for Lucy but quickly shook his head no and went back to jumping in the mud again, the girl's laughter filling the air.

The sound of a car driving down towards them had both Grace and Harry stop their jumping and watch the sleek black BMW pull up at the house.

"James," Grace said as Harry looked at her questioningly.

The door opened and Harry watched the man exit the vehicle and look over at the group for a moment before he shut the door and made his way over, briefcase in hand.

"Daddy!" the girls cried out.

"Well look at you two," he said, Harry noting that Grace seemed to tense up as she watched her husband, "we might have to get the hose out and wash you down."

"Noooooo!" Dottie laughed.

"Lucy just drove past me looking quite angry..." James said.

"Decided to come outside in her heels...in the mud..." Grace raised her eyebrows.

James rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Harry, is it?" he turned his attention to the young man, who was now red with embarrassment as he stood before his new boss in a puddle of mud.

"Yes Sir," he said, "really pleased to meet you and thank you for giving me..."

"It's all Grace," he cut Harry off, "she's the hiring and firing person around here," he smiled at his wife, "so if she's happy with you then so am I."

"I'd uh...shake your hand but..." Harry held out his arms to indicate his current appearance.

"Of course Harry," James nodded in agreement, "well, I've got work to do so I'll leave you all to it, nice to meet you Harry."

"You too Mr. van Otten," Harry replied.

"Gracie, we should take young Harry out for dinner sometime this week when he's settled in," James suggested.

"Sounds lovely," Grace replied before her husband smiled again and walked off.

"Well we should probably get you girls cleaned up hey?" Grace suggested, "bath time my little cherubs."

The four of them made their way back to the house, Grace guiding Harry around to a side door that led into the small laundry.

She stripped the muddy clothes off the girls, leaving them in their knickers and t-shirts.

"You girls run up to the bathroom and I'll be there in a second okay?" she said, "pick out your bath toys and I'll run the water for you."

"Okay mama," Dottie said, as she took Tilly by the hand.

Harry pulled his socks off and pulled his jeans up a little.

"Um, do you want some help with the girls?" Harry asked.

"Sure, if you're up for the challenge!" Grace smirked, "why don't you go and get changed and meet us in the bathroom, just follow the squealing noises."

Harry nodded in agreement and Grace watched him leave before she removed her jeans and threw all the muddy clothes into the wash.

Left in just her underwear and work shirt, she quickly walked down the hall towards her room to change.

Harry was now changed when he saw a flash of something more past his room.

Thinking Grace was headed to the bathroom, he walked over to his half open door and stopped short when he saw Grace's retreating form.

In particular, her short, shapely legs and shirt that just covered her bottom.

Ease up there Harold.

This is your boss.

Your very married boss.

You can't be looking at her or thinking of her in that way.

He decided to wait a few moments before going in search of the bathroom and ended up messaging his mum just to let her know that he had arrived safely and would call her soon. He also sent her a picture of his room and she was just in awe of it as much as he was.

Harry then walked over to his door and stuck his head out and listened for the girls and he could indeed hear a fair bit of commotion from down the hall. Deeming it safe to go out, he followed the sound and found Grace in the bathroom and the girls in the bath.

"Look at the bubbles Harry!" Tilly yelled.

He almost felt like he was intruding on the girls and wondered if he should just stay in the doorway.

"Come and sit down," Grace motioned to the space next to her on the floor.

Harry padded over and sat down, smiling at the girls as Dottie played with her mermaid doll and Tilly with her ducks, "you'll need to get comfortable since you'll be helping them to bathe."

Grace washed the girl's hair as they splashed around in the bath, happily throwing their bath toys around.

Harry soon had a duck thrust into his hand and it was currently taking turns with Tilly's to see whose could make the biggest splash.

Consequently, judging by the state of Harry's shirt, it was safe to say that Tilly's duck won.

"Time to hop out now girls," Grace said as she started to pick the toys out of the water and into a net bag hanging on the wall.

"My turn!" Tilly exclaimed excitedly and she put her hands under the water, concentration on her face as she searched for whatever it was that she was looking for, "ah!" she smiled a cheesy grin when she pulled the plug free.

They both stood up and Harry felt Grace throw a towel that hit him in the head.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "I mean, I don't mind but I'm not their dad..."

"It's okay Harry," Dottie said, "mama taught us about our private parts and who can touch them."

Harry's eyes widened as she explained it all to him.

He also noticed Grace tense up next to him again as she watched her daughter with an expression he couldn't quite read.

Dottie had climbed out of the bath and was waiting patiently for Harry to help dry her off.

"Harry I'm cold!" she tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh...right," he said, "sorry love."

Harry quickly dried Dottie off and helped her to dress before they tidied up the bathroom and walked out.

"I might just go and change my shirt...again," Harry chuckled.

"Of course," she smiled, "take your time."

Harry walked back to his room and looked through his suitcase for another shirt.

Finding a black one, he pulled it out and laid it on the bed before grabbing the wet one on his body and peeling it off.

"Harry! Harry! Harry!" he could hear Dottie calling his name.

He turned around, clean shirt in hand as the door to his room flew open.

"Girls!" Grace scolded them, "wait I said!" she shot in after them and stopped short.

Good lord.

His skin was littered with tattoos and he was much more muscular than he looked.

Not that Grace had really looked.

And broad.

His shoulders were really, very broad.

"Uh...Grace?" Harry snapped her out of her daydream.

"Harry why did you draw on yourself?" Tilly asked.

"Oh, these are tattoos," Harry said as he quickly threw his shirt on.

"What's a tattoo?" Tilly asked curiously.

"It's like a drawing that doesn't come off," Harry explained.

"Like that time you drew on me with that black texta," Tilly looked at Dottie.

"Yes that took a lot of baths to come off," Dottie mused.

Harry and Grace shared a smirk at the girl's story.

"Sorry to barge in like that but the girls just remembered something," Grace apologised, "they know they need to knock next time, don't you?"

"Yes mama," Dottie said as she hung her head, "sorry Harry."

"Yeah, sorry Harry," Tilly echoed.

"We got you this," Dottie held out a stuffed animal for Harry and he gently took it off her.

"Thank you, Dottie, Tilly," he said, "I love elephants."

"It's a kangaroo Harry!" Dottie shook her head.

"You're so funny," Tilly said.

"It's in case you miss your mama," Dottie explained, "you can cuddle it at night."

Harry was truly touched by their gesture and sat the animal on top of his pillows.

"What do you think?" he asked them.

"Perfect!" Dottie said as she clapped her hands together.

"Well, let's leave Harry to unpack, shall we?" Grace said, "take your time, settle in," she smiled, "you'll know when afternoon tea is ready, just follow your nose," she tapped the side of hers before she led the girls out.

Harry watched them go, a smile on his face.

He knew he was really going to like it here.