Corbin's Bend Homecoming

by Ruth Staunton

  What the hell was she waiting for?

  She called Mr. Scott back and when he answered she didn’t even tell him who was calling.

  “I’ll take the job.”

  There was a slight pause before he answered, “I take it this is Kelly Carmichael?”

  She could hear the amusement in his voice and said, “Yes, it is. Sorry, I’m suddenly so excited about the job and moving back to Colorado that I forgot my manners.”

  “I’m glad you’re excited. Tell me when you can get here.”

  “I’ll give my two week notice at work tomorrow, and give notice on my apartment. Then I’ll start packing and hope to be on my way in about three weeks.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll send you all the personnel paperwork in an email and we’ll get started on that so everything will be ready to go when you arrive.”

  “Okay. And Mr. Scott? Thanks for thinking of me when the position opened up.”

  “You were the one best qualified, Kelly. We’re all looking forward to having you here at the medical center.”

  RJ Butler let himself into his house and took the stairs two at a time to get to the loft. One side of it he used as a half-ass office and the other side was used for camping gear and anything else he hadn’t found a designated spot for.

  He’d moved to Corbin’s Bend almost six months ago and he’d bet he hadn’t slept here more than twice a week during that time. There were still unpacked boxes stacked in his bedroom downstairs and up here in the office area and what he called the junk side of the loft.

  It was all the fault of his job. He loved his job as a Forest Ranger and wouldn’t want any other job in the world. RJ was an outdoor man; stuffy office jobs and being stuck indoors weren’t for him. But sometimes he wondered if he should have just gotten an apartment in Boulder rather than buying into the Corbin’s Bend co-op.

  Living here wasn’t cheap and while he wasn’t hurting financially, he could be putting those extra dollars into his retirement fund or doing other things with it. The shifts he had, put him on duty for anywhere from three to eight days. He always had at least a few days off between shifts, but he sometimes didn’t know how long a shift was going to be until he got to the ranger station.

  Part of his job entailed organizing, scheduling, and supervising the volunteers who wanted to be Wilderness Area Interns. These volunteers hiked into the wilderness with a fifty pound pack and did a number of tasks for the Forest Service, including checking on the condition of the trails, constructing new trails, restoring habitats, and other tasks. His job also included manning the watch tower for one shift every month and keeping an eye out for forest fires.

  The whole reason he’d moved to Corbin’s Bend was in hopes of finding a woman he could spend the rest of his life with. Not just any woman, but a woman who would be willing to allow him to lead her and their future family through the pitfalls of life.

  RJ believed in discipline. Not just for the woman who would one day be his mate, but for himself as well. The only difference would be her discipline would be administered by a trip over his knee and his hand, or other implements, reddening her bottom.

  He was a disciplined man. That meant he kept his home orderly, his clothes were always cleaned and pressed, he followed a healthy diet—albeit with a healthy dose of enjoyable foods as well. There were never any dirty dishes in his sink; he always cleaned up after every meal.

  And yet, after six months of living here, there were still unpacked boxes in more than one room of his house. Shaking his head, he turned on his computer and then went back downstairs to empty his backpack. He had eight days of dirty clothes to wash, food containers to soak and wash, and then he needed to look through his camping food for the prepackaged meals he would take along on his next shift.

  He hadn’t spoken to anyone other than his ranger intern volunteers for over a week and as much as he looked forward to a night of sleeping in a real bed instead of camping out on the hard forest floor, he planned to go to the new BBQ place for dinner and hopefully there’d be a few guys he could shoot the shit with.

  RJ threw a load of clothes into the washer and while they washed he cleaned his service weapon and loaded his backpack with the supplies he’d need for his next shift. After the clothes were tossed in the dryer, he took a long hot shower and dressed in jeans and a polo shirt. By the time he was ready to go to dinner, the clothes were dry and he hung up or folded everything and put it away before leaving.

  He spotted Benjamin and Jonathan on the outdoor patio of The Pit and was glad when Ben waved him over. Being mid-April, it was still a little too chilly to be sitting outside but The Pit had several propane patio heaters to help keep their patrons warm.

  “Where’ve you been, RJ?” Ben asked when RJ reached their table. “It’s been some time since we’ve seen you.”

  “Work. I just got back from an eight day shift and I’ll be heading out again in two days. Gotta keep those wannabe rangers under a tight watch or who knows what kind of trouble they’ll get into.”

  Jonathan gave a little chuckle and said, “I love our trails here in the community, but the thought of those Wilderness Areas you work in gives me the willies.”

  “You definitely have to be careful out there,” RJ replied. “There’s a much greater chance of trouble and help is not too readily available.”

  RJ liked Ben and Jonathan. Even though he hadn’t spent much time with them, he sensed the deep commitment between them. Ben was clearly the leader, the HoH, and while Jonathan wasn’t what RJ would call wimpy, he was reserved and RJ was sure he was more comfortable spending time in an urban setting than being out in the wilderness.

  Matt Renton came to their table and said, “Hey, what’s going on? RJ, I feel like I’m not doing my job as your mentor. You never call me.”

  RJ shrugged and answered, “All I’ve been doing is working. There’s nothing to call you about. I seem to be in a perpetual solo relationship. This time of year is always the busiest with the ranger interns. Hopefully when things settle down I can take some time to meet the single women living here.”

  “You know you’re always invited to our BBQs,” Ben said. “We’ll be starting them up again next month just as soon as it’s warm enough. There’s always a few single women that show up and it’s a great way to get know your neighbors.”

  “Thanks for reminding me. I’d actually forgotten about your weekly BBQs since they’d already ended last year when I moved in. I’ll take you up on that offer the first weekend I get off once you get them going again.”

  Matt left to join his wife, Julie, who was waiting for him at a table inside The Pit. RJ ate a half rack of baby back ribs and then continued to visit with Ben and Jonathan while having a few beers. As other community members stopped to say hi and chat for a moment or two, RJ began to realize he envied the relationships everyone else seemed to have.

  Damn, he told himself, you better get your shit together and start meeting some women.

  Getting up, he said, “I’m gonna call it a night, guys. I’m looking forward to sleeping in a bed instead of a sleeping bag. I’ll be watching the bulletin board for the notice on your BBQs starting up so I can join in on that fun.”

  “We look forward to it,” Jonathan said.

  Chapter 2

  He was two blocks away when she saw him. She was on her way to the mini-mart here in Corbin’s Bend to save herself from having to drive to Boulder or Denver. Her father and his partner, Josh, were coming that evening for dinner and were expecting her signature dish, paella, for supper. Uncle Brent would be there too. Dinner would be their payment for helping her move all her furniture into her new home. She had most of the ingredients but needed a few more things. She didn’t know if the store would have everything she needed but she certainly hoped so. Char told her they had a small produce section so it was worth the time to check it out if it saved her from making a run to Boulder.

  She was catching up to him now as he had stopped to say hello to a
nother resident. He was damn near about the same size as her dad and Uncle Brent. He was wearing jeans and a red plaid flannel shirt. From where she was it looked like his hair was a very dark brown or black. When he started walking again, she noticed he had sort of a loose-hipped walk—more of a saunter. It was kind of nice watching his tight butt move with his long strides. She definitely liked what she saw.

  His broad shoulders looked like he was a man who knew how to work. Not the build you get from lifting at the gym, but the overall musculature that comes from doing real physical labor. Her work as a physical therapist had taught her all about musculature and her tongue darted out to wet her dry lips. Kelly’s gaze lowered to his hips again and noted how they emphasized his broad shoulders with their slimness.

  He went into the mini-mart just a few minutes before she reached the door and she wondered if they would cross paths inside the store. Sweeping the tiny produce department with her eyes, she didn’t see the flannel shirted man and got busy selecting her items. She first gently tested the ripeness of the limited supply of tomatoes before choosing the ones she wanted for her paella. She put the plastic bag with her selections in her cart and then moved on to the bell peppers, garlic, and onions. She supposed it was too much to hope they had red and green bell peppers but was happy to find they at least had the green ones. It looked like a trip to Boulder could be avoided.

  “Excuse me, you look like you know what you are doing when selecting your tomatoes. Do you know how to tell if a cantaloupe is ripe?”

  She turned around at the deep voice and couldn’t keep her eyes from widening at the red plaid shirt in front of her. It was him. And his hair wasn’t dark brown, it was black. His eyes were steel blue, but had a glint of humor in them. For some odd reason she wondered if two blue-eyed parents guaranteed their children would be blue-eyed. No, that’s not how the recessive gene thing worked.

  Shaking the unusual thought from her head, she smiled and said, “Sure, just push on the end with your thumb and if it gives a little bit it should be ripe.”

  “That’s all there is to it?”

  Kelly thought he had a nice smile and found herself wanting to continue the conversation. She liked his deep voice and wanted to hear him talk some more.

  “Yeah, pretty much. You probably want to check the whole thing over for any soft spots, but that’s pretty much it as far as ripeness goes.”

  “Are you new to Corbin’s Bend? I haven’t seen you around before.”

  Jeez, his voice made her melt. It was so smooth and warm, like a caress. What the hell was the matter with her? She wasn’t one of those females whose knees went weak over a hot guy.

  She had to clear her throat before answering him, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am brand-new to Corbin’s Bend. I just moved in yesterday. What about you? Have you been here long?”

  “A little more than six months now, but I’m rarely here so I haven’t even met many of the people here. The ones I have met have been really great.” He stuck his hand out to shake hers and gave her a charming smile, saying, “My name’s RJ Butler.”

  She shook his hand firmly, and said, “I’m Kelly Carmichael. Nice to meet you.”

  “Well, since you’re brand-new to Corbin’s Bend and I’m not around very much, what do you say we get a bite to eat tonight and get to know each other a little better?”

  Oh, he is smooth.

  Kelly hesitated for a minute. She was tired from moving, she needed a shower, and she was expecting three men for dinner. Dammit, she did want to go get a bite to eat with RJ.

  “It’s okay,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be so forward. Maybe we’ll see each other around.”

  Realizing she took too long to answer, Kelly quickly said, “No, not at all. I’d really like to go for a drink, but I’m making dinner tonight for the guys that helped me move into my house. Why don’t you join us? Or we could make it for drinks maybe tomorrow night?”

  She was sure no one coming to her little dinner would mind if she invited RJ.

  “I’m back to work tomorrow on a four day shift so if we don’t go for drinks tonight it’ll have to wait until after that. But you know, if you’re sure it’s all right, and the guys you’re making dinner for won’t mind, I think I’d like to take you up on dinner tonight.”

  “I’m sure they won’t mind at all. Let me write my address down for you and you can show up at about six-thirty.”

  She dug in her purse for a little notebook and jotted down both her address and phone number. Handing him the piece of paper, she smiled and said, “See you tonight.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” he said, giving her a little smile that made her belly do a little somersault.

  They went their separate ways in the small store and Kelly could barely keep her mind focused on the things she needed to get for her dinner. She felt energized and forgot all about how tired she was. What do the initials RJ stand for?

  RJ had his own difficulties keeping his mind on his shopping. Damn that girl is tall! But it was nice talking to a woman without having to bend down or her having to tilt her head way back to look up at him. He figured Kelly must be damned close to six feet tall.

  And what a figure! Legs that went on forever before reaching a very shapely bottom, a small, nipped-in waist, and breasts he would love to snuggle up against. Her blonde hair was what he supposed his mother would call dishwater blonde, but to him it was a gorgeous shade of medium blonde with highlights streaking through it. Her eyes seemed to be a blue/gray color, but leaning more towards blue. He definitely wanted to get to know her better.

  He pulled out his smart-phone and thumbed through the screens until he found his grocery list. Good thing he’d taken the time to make the list because with Kelly Carmichael on his mind, there would be a good chance that he’d forget most of what he came here for. With the list, he managed to get at least the basics of what he needed. He’d need to make a run to Boulder once he got back from his next shift for the rest of the items. Once at home, he put everything away and tried to take a nap so he wouldn’t be tired tonight.

  He was looking forward to meeting some other Corbin’s Bend residents and then wondered who these three guys were that helped her move. Just friendly neighbors? Or could they be single guys looking to get close to Kelly? From what he knew, there were seven or eight single guys currently living in Corbin’s Bend, but he’d only met a few of them. Well, he was sure to find out tonight.

  He got up an hour later when it became obvious his thoughts of Kelly weren’t going to allow him to get any shut-eye.

  Kelly spent the rest of the afternoon making the delicious dish that she knew would elicit exaggerated sounds of lip-smacking enjoyment from both her father and Uncle Brent. At first, she’d been planning to cook for four—her dad, Josh, Uncle Brent, and herself. Then Brent called and asked if she minded if he brought Char and the kids along. Of course she didn’t—she loved her little cousins. But now she was feeding six adults and a five year old. The baby’s food would be taken care of by Char.

  Three of the men were what you could call extra-large size and she could probably figure each one of them eating twice what a normal portion would be. When it came to food, she was no slouch herself. Her height and build required more calories than the average woman. She adjusted her recipe to make sure she had enough and was relieved she had enough ingredients to increase the amount she was making. Along with a salad and some dinner rolls that came from a tube—Italian bread was not to be found in Corbin’s Bend—no one would be leaving her house hungry. Sticking with the Italian theme, she had bought a tiramisu cake at Ange’s little shop.

  It probably wasn’t fair for her to have invited RJ for their first get together when her father, uncle, and their significant others were going to be there. She shrugged and figured it was a good way to get their take on him. She’d never had such an instant attraction to a man before. At least not one that set the butterflies off in her stomach and made her gut do little flip-flops
.

  Considering it had been quite some time since she’d been with a man, it was probably just a severe case of horniness brought on by seeing such a fine example of the kind of man that turned her on. He lived right here in Corbin’s Bend and that brought on another small issue.

  That he lived here was sure to mean he wanted the kind of relationship that was pretty much one hundred percent prevalent in Corbin’s Bend. A relationship in which she knew he would expect to be the HoH. One where he would dole out punishments when he deemed they were warranted. And he would expect his TiH to accept those punishments.

  That was the issue. She’d enjoyed some erotic spankings with her ex-boyfriend, Brian, but they weren’t punishment. They were hot, sexy fun, and felt oh so good. Being dominated in the bedroom was one thing. It excited her and made the sex that much more satisfying.

  But to let a man decide when she’d crossed some line he didn’t approve of—she wasn’t sure she could go along with that. She couldn’t help wondering what those lines might be with RJ. Nor could she keep from wondering what it would be like to be punished.

  Those thoughts stirred up the damn butterflies in her belly again, though admittedly not as much as the thought of a sexy spanking. Still, the fact that they fluttered their wings at all—well, she couldn’t help but wonder what that meant. Could it mean it was something she subconsciously wanted?

  It gave her a lot to think about and in the end the only thing she could tell herself was, you’re not even dating the guy, he’s only coming to dinner and after he finds out dinner is with family and that family included two alpha males who happen to be your father and uncle, he may never want to see you again.

  RJ turned into Kelly’s street and saw two big trucks parked in front of one of the smaller homes and figured that was probably where he was going. Sure enough, the address was the one she had written on the little slip of paper for him. He rang the doorbell and a man in his early to mid-forties answered the door saying, “Hey, RJ, I haven’t seen you since you moved in.”