“Can I cheat?”
“Of course you can.”
“Can I swear?”
“If you need to.”
“Can I sit on James lap and play with him?”
“Yes, but unlike Dominic I won’t drag you out of the room to cool you down. If you start something you better be ready to handle the consequences.”
“Then you don’t care what I do at the table.”
“I’ve never cared what you do at the table. I just care that you love me.”
Mirisa laughed. “Can I wear black stockings?”
“Not unless you want to have sex in front of everyone else and in the middle of the card table.”
She kissed him and put her head on his shoulder.
When she came into the room she realized they were seated the same way they always were with an empty chair between Dominic and James. She looked at Meeks and he just smiled. Dominic looked at her then went back to shuffling the cards. Meeks poured her a shot and she said something to James who stood up and moved the chair next to Meeks. Garnett picked up her left hand and touched the ring with his thumb and she looked over at him but neither said anything.
“Whose money are you playing with tonight Mirisa?”
“It doesn’t matter to me since I never walk away from the table with any more then I sit down with.” She reached over and took Garnett’s money.
Dominic did not deal well with the change in rolls but tried to ignore the fact that she was across from him all night. If he could turn back time, how far back would he go? He wanted to sleep with her so bad that it grated on his mood. She finally got up and said goodnight. They all watched as she left the room then continued to play for another hour.
Meeks crawled into bed with her and pulled her hair away from her face and kissed her. She rolled over and moved up against him. He reached up and ran his fingers along her rib cage and she tried to pull away from him because it tickled so much. He finally stopped and she fell asleep wrapped around him with her hand on his chest. He touched her fingers and thought how beautiful the gold band looked on her. Mirisa was slowly opening him up to a world he didn’t realize existed.
They came down for breakfast together and she wrapped her arms around James and ran her fingers down the front of his jeans and whispered in his ear. “Can I abuse your body?” She bit his ear then put the dishes on the table. He loved her when she was being bad and she was so incredibly relaxed and happy away from Dominic. Garnett came up behind her and told her that her behavior was not appropriate in the kitchen.
“Since when? If I recall most of the inappropriate behavior took place in the kitchen unless you count the card games.” She wrinkled her nose then put the coffee pot on the table. She walked out on the porch and put her arms around her husband and slipped her fingers between the buttons on his shirt. “Do you want a cup of coffee?” He ran his finger along hers and then brought her hand up and kissed her fingertips.
“Sometimes I forget that I can tell you I love you without getting you into trouble.” He slowly brought her around so she was facing him and he kissed her so passionately that a shiver went through her entire body. “It’s going to be a beautiful day. Do you want to go riding?”
“You have nothing to do?”
“No, I think I’ll take the day off and spend it alone with you.”
He took her hand and walked back into the house. This time he sat down next to her instead of across from her and poured her a cup of coffee
Dominic came in sitting down and poured a cup of coffee. The change in the seating pattern did not escape him. His relationship with Meeks was dreadfully strained. They basically agreed to just not acknowledge the other existed if Mirisa was in the room or the subject of a conversation.
Meeks and Mirisa rode northwest which was more mountainous than the lowlands of the property. Mirisa had never been so high in the hills and the riding was slow and relaxing. They stopped frequently to look at the scenery. She was surprised how many more animals were out as the weather cooled down. Meeks thought they would get at least another six weeks before the first snow but the temperature was already dropping rapidly at night. They finally dismounted at the top of a ridge and Meeks helped Mirisa down. She turned and looked out over the ridge and realized that you could see the lodge. “Alexander, it is so magnificent from here.”
He took her into his arms and looked into her eyes. “You look magnificent no matter where you are when I look at you.” They sat down and he handed her the canteen. “Are you wearing black stockings today?”
“You know I am.”
MIRISA BAKED a cake for the twin’s birthday since they planned on a very quiet dinner. She left it on the counter cooling as she cleaned up the bowls. James sat at the bar stirring the frosting while she turned over the first layer and put it on the plate. She set it up on the bar next to James and got out a large wooden spatula, fixed a cup of coffee then refilled James’ cup.
Mirisa scooped frosting out and spread it on the cake making sure it was thick. She loved chocolate frosting and they so rarely had cakes. She put the second layer on the first, centered it and made sure it was not hanging over before scooping out more icing and kept layering the thin cakes until only the top had not been frosted. James couldn’t believe anyone could be so messy but as much as he wanted to take over he let her continue. She had icing on her cheek, on the tip of her nose and on her fingers so she put them in her mouth sucking on them.
"Mirisa, what are you doing?" He started to reach for the towel when she ran her fingers in the bowl and put them in his mouth until he grabbed her wrist. "Stop it before you get icing everywhere."
She got off her stool, pushed him back, hiked her skirt and straddled him. She put her fingers back in his mouth and he sucked the icing off of them. She smiled and kissed him again. He moved the bowl out of her reach so she reached down and unbuttoned his jeans with her free hand getting icing all over his stomach.
“James.”
“What Mirisa.”
"Do you want me to lick it off?"
"Do you want me to talk to you until you can’t take it any longer?"
"Do you think anyone will catch us?"
"Do you even care darling?" He ran his hands up her skirt and felt her muscles tense. He started talking to her and she closed her eyes. Meeks was watching them from the top of the landing and knew that James was aware that he was there. He slowly caressed her and listened as her breathing slowed. She smelled so good but he loved the way she moved with him. He thought she could probably pull off having sex in church and not get caught. He kept talking to her and she put her hands on his shoulders to stabilize herself leaving little chocolate prints on his shirt.
Garnett was standing up against the doorway to the porch and looked up at Meeks then at James. You could see her building, the spatula slowly dropped from her fingers leaving chocolate icing as it continually rolled across the floor. Mirisa slowly arched her back as she put her hands on his wrists while her breathing became extremely labored. James never took his eyes off of her face as her muscles contracted from deep inside and James finally reached up kissing her as she opened her eyes. Then he asked her if she was aware she had an audience. She merely smiled and slid off his lap. Meeks came down the stairs and told her she could start his day like that every day.
Garnett poured a cup of coffee and leaned across the bar and told her he had missed her calling. She bit her lip but didn’t respond to either of them. Mirisa mumbled something about changing clothes which made Garnett laugh and she hit him as she went by.
James served a light dinner in the great room so the children could open presents. Maggie climbed up on her father’s lap and put her finger in his piece of cake and sucked it off before she kissed him. She made such a mess with the icing that James told Mirisa there was no doubt who created her.
James picked Maggie up and stripped her down before putting her in the kitchen sink. James slowly filled it up and took down the soap b
ut she kept splashing him and by the time James got her washed he was soaked and her laughter filled the house. Mirisa wrapped her in a towel and told him that Jonathan was next. She took her daughter to the nursery with Matthew and helped get them ready for bed when Dominic came in with Jonathan. Dominic watched her rub Jonathan’s hair with a towel while he shook like a Dog making her laugh. Jonathan had straight black hair with expressive blue eyes that always sought out someone’s attention. Mirisa dressed him in a night shirt and tucked him into bed.
"Mirisa." She looked up at Dominic and he smiled. "Thank you for both of the boys."
"I’m the one who should be thanking you for them." She stood up and he took her in his arms and kissed her. It would be so easy to fall back into his arms, so very, very easy and he felt it. There were times when her sexuality was just so far out of control and it was like they all sensed it and actually waited for it to happen. The worst part was that this was when Dominic would defuse her where Meeks just lets her continue to climb. Meeks much preferred her at the end of the night when her entire body was on edge and her needs for attention were like the sweet night blooming jasmine. Dominic stopped her and brought her back in his arms. "Dominic, please I...” He kissed Mirisa with such love. “...can’t do this." She broke away and left the room in tears.
When she didn’t come back, Meeks went to look for her and found her curled up on the porch swing. "Mirisa, you can’t love a man for seven years and just cut off the feelings when he tries so hard to win you back." She held onto him and he asked her if she wanted to play cards or if she thought she was just too emotional to handle any more. She looked up at him and he kissed her gently. "If you want to just sit with me tonight I promise to protect you from the bad boys!" She laughed at him and told him she wanted to be with him tonight. "Good because really I think they are the ones who need protection from you."
"Alexander, I just thought you should know how good you always make me feel."
"I know that. I can see it in your eyes especially when they are dark green." He kissed her and asked her if she wanted white wine or red wine.
They were all at the table when Meeks walked in. He put down the glasses and opened a bottle and poured her a glass. Meeks didn’t give any indication to Dominic that he was aware of what happened. Garnett was shuffling the cards and James was kicked back smoking his cigar.
"You know I think I am getting the short end of the stick since I can’t reach her if she’s sitting over there."
"Well, that’s something you will have to discuss with Mirisa."
"Discuss what with me?"
"Where you sit." Meeks looked at her across the table without any expression and she smiled when she saw the empty chair. She knew he was challenging Dominic slowly but with definite boundaries and yet she felt like the dynamics of the way they handled her was different now that Dominic no longer was a barrier.
Mirisa looked across at Dominic who was watching her then he poured a shot and kicked back. The tension in her body was so obvious. Garnett reached over and pulled her into his lap. Dominic smiled because he knew all three would protect her because they knew she couldn’t protect herself from him. Dominic should have stayed married to her even if it would have driven him mad because it was far better than not being able to control her.
Mirisa didn’t play but watched the way Garnett played. When he would do something she would quietly ask him questions about why he was doing it. He kept one arm around her waist and would occasionally pull her tighter because she was affecting him just by being in his lap. She finally got up, kissed her husband and said goodnight to everyone.
Meeks found her curled up in bed reading a book. He took out a small box and removed a tiny gold band. He ran his hand down her leg to her foot and slid it on her toe. She looked at it and asked if she was running out of fingers or if his obsession was just that great. Meeks took the book out of her hands and put it on the table. He had promised her the wait would be well worth the torture and he kept his promise. Meeks always kept his promises to her even when he only made them to himself.
Mirisa came downstairs with Matthew dressed to ride. They all watched her as she went in the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee then fixed Matthew’s grits and put them in front of him. Neither of them were talkers in the morning and they seemed to do everything without needing to communicate.
“Good morning Matt.” Matthew looked up at James and just nodded. He stood up and reached across the table for a biscuit then sat back down.
“Mirisa.”
“Good morning James.” She sat down next to Meeks and took a biscuit off his plate.
“Are you two going somewhere this morning?”
Matt looked back up at James then his mother. Everyone waited for a response from one of them.
“Mirisa?” James thought she was more beautiful in the mornings than any other time.
“Is there a reason you feel it necessary to actually want to engage in a conversation in the morning?” Dominic smiled because he knew she didn’t want to talk to anyone.
“Mirisa?” She turned and looked at her husband. “Are you riding with us today?”
“Yes.” He nodded and got up from the table to fill the canteen. He strapped on his gun and grabbed a new cigar before heading for the door.
Garnett lit his cigar and kicked back. “Where are you going?”
“To saddle her horse or it will be lunch before we leave.” They all laughed and she just smiled because she knew he would do it no matter what the reason. She finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink before she pulled her gun out from behind the bar and put it on. She stood up and was facing Dominic.
“How long are you going to avoid me?”
“Until I no longer react to just the sight of you.”
He smiled and watched the change in her eyes. “Then that means forever?”
“Why do you.” She stopped.
“I really have never been able to help myself when it comes to you.”
She stepped around him and started for the door. James tried to stop her but she pulled her arm away and left the house.
“Why do you do that to her?”
“Because I still love her.” He put on his gun and grabbed a cigar.
“Then you should have stayed married to her.”
“I didn’t think she would actually marry him.”
“So what, you were trying to teach her a lesson that living without you was worse than living with you, exactly what was the point?”
“What difference does it make what I do. Meeks slept with her while she was married to me and I really don’t think he has a reason to complain if I sleep with her while she’s married to him.”
“This isn’t about either of you, this is about her.”
“And what about your relationship with her? Exactly how do you define it James?”
“Whatever relationship I have with Mirisa is solely defined by what she needs or wants from me not the other way around. You have always made her meet your needs and you still expect her to do that. You know she struggles being around you, she always has and she’s always forgiven you for everything you do to her even in the heat of the pain.”
Garnett got up from the table and filled his canteen because it was going to be a hard day. James put on his gun before heading out the door. Mirisa was sitting on the step with Matt and Dog as Meeks walked up with the horses. He looked at her face then at James who just shook his head. He tied the horses to the railing and lifted her chin. Dominic and Garnett came out and he looked up at Dominic but said nothing. He knew that Dominic was going after her and that she was extremely vulnerable but the only thing that he cared about is keeping her on solid ground. Garnett lifted Matt up on his horse and made sure he was seated well before he mounted his horse. Mirisa stayed next to her son during the ride and James rode on his other side.
They dismounted on the edge of the large pasture. She hadn’t been hunting with them since the first ride but
she came mostly because she knew they would be teaching Matthew how to shoot a rifle. She leaned up against a tree that was set back from the opening. Garnett had taken her rifle out of the scarab because it was the only one small enough for him to handle. They needed to get enough turkeys for Thanksgiving then they were going to try to find smaller birds for Matt to practice shooting. Matt stood with her until Garnett told him to come over and sit with him.
They were all sitting against the trees watching the different birds and small animals when a male turkey came out of the edge of the woods just south of their position. He had disproportionately long legs with body feathers that had a green-coppery sheen to them. The large turkey was followed by another male and six or seven females. Matt sat completely still and watched them as they slowly walked out into the clearing looking for pine nuts. Meeks raised his rifle and centered on the largest male as Dominic raised his just behind the male. They shot simultaneously and both birds went down as the females instantly rose in flight. All four men stood, aimed and four of the seven went down. Mirisa had never seen anything executed so perfectly. Matthew was so impressed that he had both hands over his mouth to keep from talking.
Garnett told Matthew to follow him and they went out and picked up the birds and brought them back hanging them on the tree. James gutted them and washed them out in the little stream, salted the cavities then hung them back up. They took Matthew out into the field and when they found a covey of quail they stopped so that Dominic could put the rifle on his shoulder. What surprised them was that Dog was right behind Matthew and he slowly came around him as Dominic was adjusting the gun. He stopped then suddenly pounced causing the birds to fly. Matt immediately swung the gun from right to left and brought down a quail. Dog picked it up and brought it back and dropped it in front of Matthew who took something out of his pocket and gave it to his Dog. Mirisa just smiled.
The Visitor - Colorado 1869 - 1871 Page 16
