“Whatcha doin’ there, nature boy?” I asked.
“Fancy a dip? The water is perfect this time of year,” he said as he ran and dived into the water.
“Can’t you get rickets from standing pools of rancid water?” I asked sarcastically.
“No, that’s not how you get rickets, but you can get Legionnaire’s disease.” he said as he splashed water up on me.
I backed away just in time.
“Hey!” I shouted. “You almost got me wet.”
“That’s the point. I want to make you wet,” he said with a wink. Damn he was sexy, then he splashed again.
“What kind of disease was that?” I asked.
He started walking out of the lake and headed toward me, looking a little ominous.
“You only get it if you swallow the water, however, your clothes will get very wet if you don’t take them off now,” he said in a playfully menacing tone.
“Why?” I backed away cautiously.
“Because when I reach you, I’m going to throw you in the drink,” he exclaimed as he rushed for me.
Instinctively, I ran. He was too fast for me though and caught me easily. Sweeping me up into his arms like a baby, he carried me to the lake.
“NOOOO!!!” I yelled.
“You’d better get that shirt off then, before I toss you in,” he threatened again.
“Wait, wait, put me down and I will,” I said, acting as if I was a damsel in distress.
I resigned myself to the fact that it could be a fun game and took off my shirt and jeans just in time before he picked me up and tossed me out into the freezing cold water. I wanted to be irritated by that, but it wasn’t as freezing as I thought it would be, and it was fun swimming and splashing about with him.
There I was, almost naked in the middle of the vastness of our ranch, with a beautiful blue sky, and a man I had to admit to myself I was falling in love with. He caught me again as I was treading water after swimming out to the middle. He pulled me into his arms from behind me as the water lapped around us and I felt his hardness through his underwear jutting into my back. I turned to him and wrapped my legs around him, making sure my pussy sat right on top of his hardening erection.
“Having fun?” I asked as I wiggled on his engorged cock.
He leaned in and kissed me. I returned the kiss as the water gently lapped around us. The cool, fresh air tickled our skin as we kissed and wriggled on each other. I wanted to make love to him on the banks of the lake like they did in the movies, but frankly, my body was too sore from riding horses all day, and him all the previous night, so we just fooled around and enjoyed being close to each other.
After we’d kissed and groped to the point where we’d either have to stop or make love, I suggested a swimming race across the pond instead. Of course, he beat me, but I didn’t do too badly. I only came in a few seconds behind him.
“Ha! You’re a good swimmer.” he proclaimed.
“I won third place in our school swim championships, so I should be.” I gloated.
“Well, then. That’s it, we’ll have to swim out in this lake more often. Maybe you can beat me one day,” he goaded.
“I’m just off my game because of the horseback riding and sex. I’m not used to either, but I’ll win next time,” I said with more bravado than belief.
He got out of the lake and started to dry himself with his shirt.
“Why are you getting out?” I asked.
“It’s getting late and we’ve hardly seen any of your property yet. There’s more, so we should get going before it starts getting dark.” Now he was being Mr. Sensible, just like my dad—which wasn’t entirely all bad.
“Okay,” I sulked.
“There’ll be plenty of time to swim another day.” He still sounded like my father.
We watered the horses from a spout not far from the lake. They’d been resting in the shade, but needed water and carrots, then it was back on them… ugh. The second go around hurt much worse than the first and my legs were screaming in pain, but it was a good kind of pain. I felt my city muscles hardening and my body being pushed. I figured this was what bodies were made for—being outside and being active. When I thought about it, I regretted how soft the hustle and bustle of the city had made me.
As we circled around our ranch, we saw nothing but open land. Not much of it was being used for anything and there were crumbling buildings dotted all over the place. First, we came upon a dilapidated hay barn, lopsided and falling down. Next, we passed a barn with a massive hole in the roof, and a stable which had one whole wall missing.
“What happened to all these old buildings?” I asked Calvin. Everything seemed so desperate and neglected.
“The prior owners didn’t need them anymore. They were elderly and just couldn’t keep up with the maintenance,” he said as we trotted past.
“Seems kind of sad,” I shared with him.
“Yeah, but it’s a lot of work running a ranch, and those old folks couldn’t do it anymore,” he added.
There was no way my father would be able to keep up with maintaining all these building either, and as much as I wanted to repair it all, I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. Soon I’d be concentrating on school and getting my master’s degree. There wouldn’t be time to worry about worm-rotted wood. Although they looked so forlorn, the idea of tearing them down seemed a crime.
I remembered a story I’d read about a woman in California who was an animal rights activist of some sort. She rescued farm animals and raised awareness by teaching disadvantaged city kids about their lives by letting them visit her farm to learn about them. She had a place on the west coast, another in Tennessee, and they were very popular for education and inspiration.
I wondered if I could combine my desire to work with troubled children as a psychologist and use the ranch as well. Maybe I could create something similar by making it a summer camp for troubled kids. My life was peachy compared to theirs, but even I felt the positive effects of clean air and the open country after just one day. I imagined they’d feel the same, interacting with animals, growing their own food, and camping under the stars.
Suddenly, I felt energized and excited about the prospect of giving back to the community while still working in New York and Texas. I looked at Calvin riding ahead of me, I was so excited about my new idea that I wanted to share with him. I had a lot to plan and work out if this crazy notion was going to take root.
“Is it hard to get permits to use the land as a non-profit?” I asked casually.
“I’m not sure, I’ve never tried. What’s brewing in that pretty head of yours?” He must have seen the scheming look in my eyes.
“Not too much just yet, I was just thinking of ways to use the land to help others. We could renovate those buildings and use them as part of a learning project for troubled children.”
He looked at me, stunned and speechless for a moment. I let the silence play out for a minute as we rode.
“That’s very ambitious,” he said after a minute.
“It is, but I think it’s something I can do, and I’d be able to work here and in New York.” I said with a flirty smile.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” was all he added.
“We’d have to apply for grants and hire a bunch of people to help out,” but I was mostly talking to myself.
I mulled over everything I might need to do as we continued along the perimeter of the property. It was an endless sea of dead grass, broken fencing, and miles of disuse. It would be a lot of work, but I felt it would be so worth it in the end.
When we got back to our house, Dad had just set the dinner table and the welcoming aroma of seared steak, biscuits and gravy hit us the minute we walked in the door.
“Wow, that smells amazing,” Calvin commented.
“That does smells good, Dad. When’s dinner?” I was starving.
“Right now. Just wash up and I’ll serve,” he said jovially.
Over dinner
we told Dad what we’d seen, and Calvin shared some ideas he had about using some of the land as an organic farm. Dad would have to hire people no matter what he decided, but growing produce might be an option. He’d been considering keeping bees and, of all things, candle making. That surprised me, but maybe now he was retired, it was his chance to bring out his creative side.
I shared my idea about creating a summer sanctuary with barn animals and crops for inner city kids, and Dad loved the idea. I thought Calvin still believed my idea was half-baked, but I didn’t care, I was ready to start on my plan.
“Don’t you think that’s going to be a lot of work, honey?” Dad asked cautiously.
“Everything out here is a lot of work, Dad. I’m beginning to learn that’s the nature of country living.” I was being as earnest as I could.
Calvin chuckled and said, “Today wasn’t even working, Lainey,” he teased.
“And I feel like a locomotive ran over my ass, so sitting on this aching butt and filling out a few forms for a grant proposal should be a lot easier than riding around the prairie on horseback with you,” I said, smiling, and rubbing my sore backside. They both laughed, but I wished it was Calvin doing the rubbing.
But that would have to wait for another time.
Chapter Fifteen
Calvin
It was clear from her wincing and rubbing of her aching joints that Lainey needed rest, so I returned to my ranch after a wonderful dinner with my new neighbors. I’d had a great day with her and I had no desire to start working, even though I knew my head had been in the clouds for the last few days and there was a lot of business I had to get down to. I called Lainey later that evening and asked her to go out on the town with me on the Wednesday night and since it was only Monday, it gave us both a little time to catch up on things.
I wasn’t surprised, but I couldn’t deny I was disappointed when she told me she had to go back to New York. She’d received her acceptance to NYU and sounded so excited about starting her Master’s degree. She hoped to pitch her idea of a rehabilitation ranch to her professors with an independent study, spending half her time in Texas and the other half in New York, and the reality of her life away from Texas… and me, started to sink in—she really was going to leave at some point. I hated the idea of her being so far away, even it was only for a few months. I felt devastated at the thought of not having her around.
While I’d have loved to have kept her here for myself, the thought of her being able to travel back and forth was an interesting one, and at least I wouldn’t lose her completely. I agreed to see her later and hung up the phone. She assured me she’d call me when she had all the details and would see me before she left.
The rest of the day was a total wipeout as I couldn’t stop thinking about her and when she called back later that night, it felt like she’d been gone for years. I was a grown man, and I knew I was being absolutely ridiculous. I couldn’t even go half a day without her? She said she was leaving for New York the next morning and apologized about the short notice, but she had to pack for the trip and couldn’t see me that night.
I was disappointed, of course, but I offered to drive her to the airport and she accepted enthusiastically. At least I’d get to see her one more time before she left, but the fact she couldn’t make time to see me knocked me off kilter a little. I knew it was crazy—maybe even possessive—to worry about that, but I had to accept we’d only known each other a few short days, that she had ambitions in her life and perhaps they, and New York, would always be a conflict for us.
I guess I’d known that from the start, but the stark reality was hitting me hard and I missed her in my bed that night.
***
On the ride to the airport the next morning, we talked about the future, maybe more me than her. I knew how crazy it was to be thinking about a future with a woman I’d known less than a week, but that was exactly what I was doing—I glanced in the rear-view mirror before changing lanes and I didn’t like what I saw. Normally, I was a strong, confident guy, but what stared back at me was the face of someone who’d officially gone insane.
“How long are you planning to be in New York?” I asked.
“Oh, I’ll be home on Sunday,” she cheerfully replied. “I have a couple of meetings at the school and I’m planning to see some old friends while I’m in town. Can you keep an eye on Dad for me? He hired an overseer to work on the property, so he’ll be there, but it’s nice to have another pair of eyes checking in on him,” she smiled.
“Be my pleasure. I hope to hang out with him and we can sink a couple of beers together. He’s led an interesting life and I really like the guy.” She laughed, and I felt a warm-hearted connection with her.
“Great, but don’t you two go getting yourselves into too much trouble,” she playfully warned me. “I’ve seen the movies about cowboys whooping it up down at the saloon, drinking whiskey, playing poker and taking girls upstairs to be, shall we say… entertained,” she said, her fingers making air quotes.
I laughed out loud at the thought of me and her dad hitting the town and barging our way through the swing doors of some saloon doors with our six-shooters and a gun belt.
“In case you didn’t notice, our little town isn’t exactly the wild west, Lainey,” I chuckled. “It’s much more like Harlequin Western Romance. Anyway, what did your father decide to do with the ranch? I’m surprised he’s hired someone already, that was so quick.”
“Oh, right. Well, turns out he’d already spoken with someone local before he bought the place. They discussed some ideas for the land yesterday and Dad was so impressed, he hired the guy there and then.”
“Really? Maybe I know him if he’s from around here?” I said, inquisitively.
“His name was Jake. That’s all I can tell you. He was already at the kitchen table when I came down from my room after I’d packed my suitcase. Does that ring a bell?” she asked.
“Not sure. I know a Jake who’s the foreman at old Johnson’s place. Could be him,” I replied. “I’ll find out, though. I’d hate for your dad to be taken for a ride.”
“Would you?” she said, grabbing my arm and squeezing it. “I’d hate that, too, especially with me being gone. Anyway… I mentioned my proposal again to both of them, and the details of the plan I’ve been working on. You know, the specifics about a working barn for rescued animals, a place to hold a summer camp for underprivileged city kids for a start, and I’m so excited they agreed to it,” she said, a wide smile beaming across her pretty face.
“That’s great, Lainey. I’m so happy for you and I’m totally impressed you’ve got this idea of yours off the ground so quickly. You sure do get things done once you put your mind to something, don’t you?” I was truly blown away by her drive and ambition to help people less fortunate than herself—as if I didn’t love everything about her already.
“Why, thank you, Calvin,” she said, beaming with obvious pride and staring at me wide-eyed as I drove us down the highway.
I took my eyes off the road momentarily and smiled at her. “You’re more than welcome. Have you and your dad decided what to do with the rest of your land, yet?”
She wrapped both her arms around my right arm, snuggled her head against my shoulder then said, “Well, I don’t know anything about anything out here, but they discussed it and thought the most sustainable business would be crops like wheat or sorghum… whatever that is, and Dad mentioned bees again, of course. He really wants to keep bees, for some reason.”
“Nothing wrong with keeping bees,” I said.
“Ya think so?” she said, raising her head and looking at me intently. “Those fuckers sting… and I know… first-hand,” she said, somewhat indignantly.
“Do tell,” I turned to smile at her, then she snuggled back into my shoulder, facing the road ahead.
“Well, a couple of years ago, I was out shopping… just minding my own business, you know,” she started. “Just walking down Fifth Avenue like a girl would, loo
king in the store windows at all the pretty things on display… when suddenly a bee snuck up behind me, tried to fly through the glass I was looking through, bounced off and fell straight down my cleavage… and I mean… like, right between my tits, if you know what I mean?”
“Um, yeah… I can picture those… I mean, that scenario,” I said with a grin. She giggled at my innuendo and continued her story.
“Right. So now I’m freaking out. I didn’t know what to do. I had a bug in my bra that could sting one of my tender lady parts at any moment. I didn’t know exactly where it was, other than some tickling as it buzzed around my boobs trying to get out, and I didn’t want to pat my clothing or put my hand down there and annoy it any more than it was,” she continued.
My body started shaking uncontrollably as I began to laugh at the scene she was painting in my head. She sat up straight and slapped my arm. “Calvin! It wasn’t funny,” she said, indignantly.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But you obviously survived to tell the tale. So, what did you do?”
“Well, duh! Of course I survived, but I was going batshit crazy in the middle of Manhattan at the time. I don’t do bugs, so have a little sympathy, will ya?” she pleaded, nestling into my arm once more.
“I’m really sorry for laughing, Lainey, but you have to admit, it does sound funny to someone else. Oh, and just a quick heads-up… you’d better get used to bugs out here. We’ve got lots of them… big ones too. Anyway, tell me what happened. I want to hear the end of this story,” I said with a chuckle.
“Bugs? Eeeww!” she squealed, and I laughed again. She was such a city girl. “Well, I moved slowly so as not to annoy the bee then looked around to see if I could find a woman close-by who could help me, but at that moment, there were none. All I saw in the immediate vicinity was a middle-aged guy with glasses and bushy eyebrows smiling at me. He looked like a total pervert and so not on my list of potential help, then I turned around and saw a news stand run by an old guy with a beard and just hoped for the best,” she recalled.
Saddled On The Cowboy Page 7
