Be My Guest

by Caroline Clemmons

  "No, those three trees were inadvertently brought in by the early explorers and settlers. They've ruined ranches in areas where ranchers let them run rampant. They're pretty, but I consider them major pests."

  They rode across the rolling pastures and down into one of the many ravines that cut through this part of the world. The beauty and variety of the landscape she saw amazed her. "Your land has a little of every kind of terrain, doesn't it?"

  Will beamed, and his love for his land showed clearly. "This is a good ranch. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be."

  He climbed down to open a gate blocking their access to a narrow road of sandy soil. Kelly led Aurora through the gate and they waited while Will led Midnight through the open space and closed the gate behind him.

  They had ridden for over an hour. Aurora wiggled in her saddle to revive her numbed seat. “I'll bet I won't be able to walk tomorrow, but I'm having a wonderful afternoon.”

  Will led off again and Kelly and Aurora stayed close enough to him to converse amiably without having to shout. They passed through several other barriers, leaving them open or closed as they found them. At last they arrived at an iron-pipe gate bearing a large chain and padlock. Will produced a set of keys from his pocket as he dismounted and opened the lock. He closed the gate behind them but did not lock it.

  At the top of a nearby hill sat a tiny building all alone in the large pasture. Aurora tried to guess the purpose of the little structure. "You know, from here that building resembles a tiny church."

  Will smiled. "Because it is a tiny church. It's a cowboy cathedral."

  Aurora was astonished. "Here? In the middle of nowhere?"

  "Yes, it's for cowboys who can't get into town to attend church. It used to be open and unlocked all the time. Recently, it was vandalized several times, probably by a few local teens. Now it's locked except for special events"--he smiled and patted the keys in his pocket--"or a neighbor who borrows the keys."

  "How sad. It's terrible that a few rotten apples ruined such a nice tradition." What a surprise to learn that vandalism loomed as a problem even here in this land which seemed so far removed from all the problems of the city. Perhaps the life here was not quite as idyllic as it first appeared. Overall, it seemed a much healthier environment in which to raise children like Kelly.

  The picture of other children sprang to her mind, children she and this handsome man might have together. Would they have red hair or sandy brown, green eyes or gray? She shook her head to clear away the images.

  She was a fool to even let herself think such things. She could not prevent the depth of the attraction growing inside her. Attraction, or something deeper? Soon, it would be too late to leave this place and this man unless she restrained herself sharply.

  Kelly rubbed her stomach area and showed a pitiful face to her father as she whined, "Daddy, I'm so hungry my stomach thinks my throat's cut. When are we going to eat?"

  Will chuckled at the old joke, "Okay, honey. We'll eat under that tree and then tour the chapel." Will led them to a large tree standing several hundred yards from the chapel at the crest of the hill.

  Aurora clung to the saddle a few moments after dismounting. Her legs, unaccustomed to straddling a horse for hours, wobbled. She watched with a twinge of envy as Kelly and Will, seemingly unaffected by their long ride, set up for their early supper. With a deep breath and grim determination to prove herself as capable as her companions, she helped Kelly spread a blanket on the ground in the shade of the massive live oak. She caught Will watching her stiff movements with pity and not a little amusement.

  "Please, Aurora, you're our guest. Sit down and make yourself comfortable."

  Her independence burst to the surface again. She opened her mouth to argue that she could certainly do her share, guest or no guest. The retort that sprang to her mind never reached her lips. As she bent to straighten the corner of the blanket she gasped when her protesting muscles resisted painfully.

  Will chuckled with good humor as he helped her straighten the blanket and settle herself onto it. Grateful to stretch out and remain immobile, she sat on the blanket with her legs stretched out in front of her while Kelly and Will readied their meal.

  Thick ham sandwiches appeared. Will held up a plastic sandwich bag of crushed tortilla chips. "The chips suffered in the saddlebags, so we have little pieces. Sorry."

  "They'll taste the same, and I’ll bet those sandwiches taste wonderful. I don't know how sitting on a horse could make me so hungry. After all, the horse did all the work." Aurora could hear her stomach rumbling with hunger pangs. She removed her gloves and stuffed them into her jeans pocket.

  "We brought cookies and apples for dessert. I helped Lily make the cookies Friday." Kelly held up three sandwich bags of chocolate chip cookies. The unbroken cookies fared better than the chips.

  "And ate more of the dough than you cooked, I'll bet." Will winked at Aurora and her heart melted. "I think Lily has to double the recipe to have enough dough for cookies when you and Catrina are around."

  Honored they included her in their family circle, Aurora enjoyed the banter between father and daughter. Could she become a permanent part of this family? Would there always be that unreachable distance between her and these two? She would probably never know now. She had turned down Will's proposal and he was not likely to ask her again.

  She spoke sincerely when she said, "This is a lovely picnic. I don't know when I've enjoyed one more. It's such a perfect day."

  The picnic over, the trio led the horses to the chapel and tied them to the hitching rail in front of the door. Will unlocked the padlock on the door and stood back for Kelly and Aurora to enter. As he followed Aurora in, he placed a hand to the small of her back. She decided she liked the feel of his hand there.

  Small and slightly musty, a table and a wooden cross stood at the opposite end of the small church. Red seats for about forty people faced the table and cross. Aurora ran her finger over the velvety plush back of one of the seats. What odd seats for a country chapel, she thought.

  As if he read her mind, Will said, "The seats are from an old theater in Lubbock." He stepped away from her to sit in one of the seats. His hand’s imprint seared her back. Silly, foolish woman! She watched as he laid his cane on the seat beside him and rubbed an unseen wrinkle from the inside thigh of his jeans. She quickly turned away.

  "When is the chapel used now?" She thought it a terrible shame such a picturesque building had to stand locked away from the world.

  "Cowboy poetry readings," Will watched Aurora carefully for her response as he added, "weddings, things like that."

  Heat of a blush spread on her cheeks at his emphasis the word weddings. Maybe it was not too late. Maybe he planned to ask her again. Trying to conceal her feelings of insecurity, Aurora peered around. "Hmm, does it have a bathroom?"

  He laughed. Then, with a conspiratorial smile asked his daughter to show Aurora the bathroom.

  Kelly's laugh echoed her father's as she took Aurora by the hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

  Kelly led the way outside and around to the side of the building near the back. "This is it." Kelly unfastened her jeans, scooted jeans and panties down, then squatted near the ground.

  Out of her element, Aurora sighed with resignation. "Okay, I get it."

  She peered warily in each direction. "Are you sure no one can see us here?"

  "I'm sure. You have to be careful, though, or your jeans get sprinkled." Kelly seemed quite comfortable with the situation.

  Aurora sighed and followed Kelly's example. "I can't believe I'm doing this in the wide open spaces." If this didn’t impress on her she was eons away from the skyscrapers of downtown Houston, nothing could.

  Aurora and Kelly finished their business and returned to the chapel. Will sat quietly, grinning when they returned. "Well, did you find the ladies' room?"

  Aurora glared at him. "Some things about the Wild West are just a little too wild for me."

  Ch
uckling, he grabbed his cane and left to take his turn outside. When he returned, the trio left the chapel and Will locked up behind them.

  The ride home led them by a slightly different but just as scenic route. Pinks, reds, and golds of a desert sundown shot across the western sky as the three returned to the barn. What a wonderful afternoon this had been. Never had she considered herself the outdoor type, but this stood in her mind as one of the most perfect days of her life.

  Her reverie stopped short when she realized they were at the patio of Will's house instead of the barn.

  "We'll leave you here to warm up the swing while we put the horses away." Will reached over to take the reins of her horse. He flashed her a wicked smile as he added, "Or maybe you'd prefer the ladies' room here to the one at the cowboy cathedral. I'll be back in a few minutes."

  Grateful to escape brushing down horses and cleaning hooves, Aurora dismounted. She thought her legs would fold under her, and once again clung to the pommel for support. When she finally moved she walked stiffly with a new gait.

  Kelly guided Misty near. "You're walking kind of funny. Are you okay?"

  "Yes, but muscles I never knew existed are complaining to me. I'll probably be walking like an old, old woman all day tomorrow--if I can walk at all, that is." She sank onto the swing, her legs quivering at their unaccustomed exercise. With a relaxed sigh she removed her hat and gloves. Remembering Kelly's warning about "hat hair," she trudged inside to the bathroom to comb her hair with her fingers and wash her hands and face. Perfect as the day seemed, she admitted she much preferred modern plumbing to squatting in the open.

  Back on the patio and rocking to and fro in the swing, Aurora mused on the day and the progress of her relationship with Will and Kelly. Kelly treated her as if she were already a part of the family. With a smile she recalled the sneaky smile Will gave her as he mentioned weddings at the little cowboy cathedral. Not very subtle, was he?

  Will opened the door from the kitchen and stepped out onto the patio. Two glasses filled his left hand. "Could I interest you in a soft drink?"

  She took one of the drinks and sipped the cool liquid. "Where's Kelly?"

  "Kelly rushed off to tell Catrina about our ride and got invited to go into Post with Catrina and her family for a pizza and video games.”

  Aurora flexed her shoulders to stretch tired muscles, and Will apologized, "I'm sorry, I guess that was an awfully long ride for your first time in the saddle after so many years."

  "I'll be fine, Will. It was a lovely ride and I really enjoyed it. Even the lack of plumbing didn't spoil it."

  Will laughed. He set his glass on the table beside the swing and lay his arm around her shoulders. He told her about other rides they could take and rides he had taken.

  As night enfolded them, he pulled her into his arms. His tender kisses became more ardent and he gently guided her to her feet and led her into the house. As if in a trance, she followed this gentle cowboy to the bedroom they had shared on her first weekend here. Was it a few days or years ago? Life had changed so much since then, and it seemed as if her life really began here.

  The cautious thoughts which raced through her mind were abruptly quieted when Will once again kissed her. She forgot everything except how his kiss tasted. How wonderful to be in his arms.

  This time the kiss became deep, exploring, inciting. She fell into a vortex of ecstasy where only she and this man existed. His tongue probed her mouth and she responded. He pulled her closer, pressing her against him. The heated bulge of his desire pressed against her. Unconsciously she swayed to rub her pelvis against him. He moaned. Or was that her voice?

  Her hands moved slowly from his back to his chest and the snaps of his shirt as his trembling fingers fumbled at the buttons of her blouse. Between fervent kisses discarded clothing dropped in a pile at their feet.

  Will jerked back the covers of the bed and lifted her to place her gently on the cool sheets. He stood beside the bed, his eyes aflame with passion as he stared down at her. "Oh, Aurora, let me look at you. You're even more beautiful than I remembered."

  Her eyes feasted on his lean, muscular body and his manhood rigid with his need for her. He reached into the drawer of the nightstand and withdrew a foil package. Without speaking she took it from him. His eyes closed and he gasped with pleasure as she spread the condom over him.

  With one motion he joined her on the bed. Their limbs intertwined as hands explored and his long body slid next to hers. His mouth found its way to her rosy nipple and she gasped with pleasure as she kneaded his shoulders with her hands. This time she knew the moan to be hers, a low primitive sound that surprised her. When his mouth moved to the other breast, she seensed herself on the edge of sanity. How could she withstand such bliss?

  She realized she called his name only after he raised his head. "Are you sure?" he asked.

  "Yes, oh yes," she cried as she pulled his mouth to hers. With his hand he found the moistness of her nub and caressed her. Stars exploded around her and she thought she too would explode if he didn't enter her soon. She wanted to beg him to enter her for she could withstand this burning desire no longer.

  Before she could cry out again he was in her and their bodies melded, each attuned to the other. Their passion reaching crescendo in perfect union.

  Will lay back on the bed with his arms around her. He placed a kiss gently on her cheek and nuzzled his face on her shoulder. "I knew it would be this wonderful between us," he whispered. "I've wanted you since I saw you that first day in Snyder." His hands caressed her and he softly kissed her hair.

  She brought one of his hands to her mouth and kissed his palm before she lay her cheek in it. "Oh, Will, I never knew it could be like this." She nestled into his arms further, then suddenly raised her head.

  "Will, how long does it take the Chapas to get pizza and play video games? I wouldn't want Kelly to find us like this."

  The two reluctantly donned their clothes and remade the bed.

  "I'll take you home now. If the house is dark, Raul and Lily will keep Kelly with them until I get back."

  Back at Rose's, Will came around and helped Aurora out of the truck. His support was appreciated, but no longer was she concerned with aching muscles. Reluctant to have the evening end, he guided her to the swing. She sat down slowly. Will joined her, cradling her to his chest.

  "You'll be calling me a city dude if I don't get better at riding than this."

  Will laughed again, and leaned his cane against the house. The evening breeze once again stirred through the honeysuckle and Lebanon cedar and swirled the scents to Will and Aurora. The aromas reminded her of Will's proposal on a similar night. Would he repeat his offer? She now thought herself ready to answer him. Had he changed his mind?

  Will pulled her gently to him and kissed her. When at last he spoke, she could hear the catch in his voice.

  "Aurora, I know I made a mess of things last time. I should never have talked so much about Nancy, but I wanted you to understand my feelings. I can't go on like this, though. I want you too much. Can't you see what you're doing to me?"

  "Please, tell me, Will."

  "Aw, Aurora. I love you. Can't you see that you're more important to me than any woman in the world? I can't promise not to love Nancy. I promise you that what I shared with Nancy has nothing to do with my love for you."

  "I can't help feeling you're comparing us in your mind, that you wish I were her."

  Will turned her to him, one hand on each of her arms. "You can't be serious? Listen to me. I love you more than life itself. Nothing, no one living or dead is more important to me than you are. Can't you see that?"

  "Oh, Will. That's what I needed to hear. I love you so much." Aurora melted into Will's arms.

  "Remember that first weekend when I told you I didn't plan to let you get away again? I loved you even then. Marry me soon. We can announce our plans at my birthday party next week."

  "That sounds wonderful. Oh, Will, I'm so happy. This
makes everything just perfect. Peggy wants to sell me her shop, but I couldn't give her a definite answer. I couldn't bear to live here and see you and not be able to be with you."

  Will pulled away. "What do you mean? You can't mean you still want to own your own business? Honey, there's no need for that now that we're going to be married. Everything's changed."

  She shook her head and met his gaze as she spoke firmly. "Not that. I intend to have my own business. Being married won't change that."

  His brow knit and his mouth became a firm line. "You won't need your own business now. I make enough money for us both to live quite comfortably. Surely you want children?" He ran his fingers through his hair in distress.

  "Of course I want children. I want lots and lots of children--your children. But that doesn't mean I can't be a business woman too." What happened? Where did this get out of hand?

  "Do you think I can't take care of you? Don't you trust me? Surely you don't think I'll keep you barefoot and pregnant and refuse you an allowance? I tell you, there's no need for you to work now. You can spend your time running the house and raising children." His voice showed frustration--and anger.

  She placed a hand on his arm, placating him, forcing him to understand. "Will, I have to have my own business. It has nothing to do with trusting you. I know you're a generous man, and that you're very successful. We’re in the twenty-first century. A married woman doesn’t have to be a stay-at-home wife to prove her love. Loving you doesn't change the fact that I want my own business."

  The anger erupted. "Dammit, why?"

  "I want to have my own source of income, but it's more than that. I've dreamed for years of owning my own business. I don't want to depend on anyone for my livelihood. I want to contribute my share. I need to do feel that I'm doing that."

  He shook his head, unable to comprehend how a proposal could deteriorate into this discussion. "Keeping a house and raising children is a big contribution. What could be more important than that?"