“So,” Emma said. “You think you'll be able to take care of them with your long gun as they ride up?”
“I sure do,” I said. “I mean, they won't know what's going on until the first one goes down. I'm a good shot, and I'll let them get close enough where they either have to charge us for 100 yards or so, straight into our revolvers, or retreat while under fire. After that I think they'll probably head back to the town, or to the foothills beyond.”
Emma nodded and stared down into her meal.
“Emma,” I said. “Did you used to be a part of their gang? I just can't see a very good reason for a group of them to stop by this mesa and just wait . . . for what? A few peoples' wallets?”
Emma looked like she didn't want to answer, and I didn't blame her.
“You've figured it out,” Emma said. “I left the gang because they're terrible, terrible people. I hope you can understand that sometimes I have to do things I don't want to survive.”
“I understand,” I said.
Emma put down her bowl and stood up. At first, I wasn't sure what she was doing, but then she sat down next to me. She leaned over as if to whisper something in my ear, and then slowly moved her tongue from my earlobe to the top, and then down again.
“Do you want me to show you how to do what I did to you?” Emma asked.
I didn't know what to say, but that was all right. Emma already knew what the answer would be. I just hoped that I didn't make a fool of myself, that there wouldn't be a point where I was embarrassed or had to stop and ask for directions. I knew that Emma was willing to teach me, but I didn't know how quickly I would pick it up. It was one thing to have another woman turn me on and press all my buttons, but it was another to do it back to her in a meaningful way.
“Just show me what to do,” I said.
Emma took my hands in hers and started using them to caress her body. It made me feel good to know that I could have this kind of an effect on a woman. She was visibly turned on, and it gave me the courage to keep going instead of backing off. Because there was a big part of me that wanted to back off, wanted to run and hide. But Emma wasn't about to let that happen, not with the way her breathing had quickened and her pulse had spiked.
At first, Emma moved my hands for me, but soon I was feeling her body on my own. She felt so good underneath her clothes, and it wasn't long until we'd tugged her pants down and lay side by side. She kept moaning as I moved my fingers through her most private parts, her eyes rolling. It felt powerful to make someone feel so good, as if I were some kind of God animating a statue. Emma wasn't just receiving pleasure, though, she was also giving it to me. It was wonderful how our arms tangled together, and I nearly passed out when she threw her leg over mine and started grinding against me.
I'd never even thought of doing anything like this before in my life. I loved how it felt, the way Emma pulled me close and wouldn't let me go. It all felt so good, and I couldn't believe it was happening. There really was something about Emma that I couldn't put my finger on, and that meant feelings because there wasn't a place I'd yet to run my fingers across on her body. As we made love, I knew that what I was doing wasn't the smartest thing. I was letting my guard down, and that was always the number one rule never to break—a good bounty hunter always kept their guard up.
But maybe this circumstance was different and special. Maybe there were parts of Emma that she didn't even know about. That was what I was hoping for, anyway. As our bodies moved against each other, I could sense the feeling of ecstasy nearing the brink for her. The dam that had broken in me earlier was going to let loose in her now. I gyrated my hips more, sticking my tongue in her mouth and squeezing her gently. She loved it, and let loose a moan that reverberated through my lips. Her whole body started to vibrate, and then she was in the throws of passion. For Emma it lasted longer than it had for me, and it made me proud of myself. If I could make Emma feel this way, what couldn't I do?
When we were done, we lay by each other and ran our hands over each other's bodies. I wasn't sure exactly what I was feeling, but I knew I wanted it to last. I wasn't sure how to make that happen exactly, especially given present circumstances.
~*~
When I woke the sun had already crested the horizon, and Emma was gone. I looked around the campfire and found a note.
“Dear Samantha,” the note read. “I'm sorry to do this to you, and it's not that I doubt your ability as a marksman, but I'm riding out of here at first light. The Rooster Gang will see me and pursue me, just like they have every other time they've seen me. Don't worry, they won't catch me. They're too afraid of me to ride up on me, and apart they aren't much. Because they aren't willing to break apart the group, they are a cumbersome bunch.
What we shared together was fun, and real. I wish that things were different so that the next time I see you I won't have to either run from you or try to kill you. I want you to know that you're a beautiful girl, and that I'll always fondly remember you. That being said, I'd really appreciate it if you stopped chasing me. The reason that I answered your telegram was that you sounded smart and capable, not like everyone else who had answered. Yes, I put up the advertisement in the local paper to see if anyone out there was actually looking for me hard enough that it should concern me. When you answered, I was concerned.
And I know this is how you make your living. And I also realize you might pursue me for reasons other than money, especially after what we shared together . . . but I ask you to rethink that course of action. I'm alone in this world, Samantha, and that's the way it has to stay.”
Emma hadn't signed the letter. My eyes filled with tears, and soon they were streaming down my face. I wasn't sure what to do. I walked around and around the campfire, trying to figure things out. How had it all gone so wrong? I wanted to know what I could to fix things, how I could tell her that I'd forget all about the bounty. But would I? What we had shared was extraordinary, but I also knew that people shared things like that and then the next day they meant nothing. I wasn't sure what it meant to me now.
The sun was slowly rising in the sky, and the town still smoked like an old cigar stuck in between wanting to ignite and go out. I decided the best thing I could do was hit the trail. But before I did I surveyed the horizon to see if I could make out any members of the gang taking chase after Emma. I wanted to see if she was full of shit or not, if she had taken off to pull them away from me—to protect me.
I could barely make them out, but the gang was indeed moving from the town's smoking rubble across the desert in pursuit. I wasn't sure what to do, they were too far away to really shoot at accurately, but then I wondered why that would stop me. I quickly pulled my long gun out of its scabbard and rested it on my horse's saddle. I aimed high, so high there was no way there was accuracy, but that didn't stop me. When I let off the first shot, I peered over the saddle, waiting for the reaction.
It took a few seconds for the bullet to get there. I knew that as far away as they were the rifle's report would sound confused. They probably wouldn't know whether it was coming from their front, side, or from the rubble behind them. Their horses spooked, and a few of them wheeled about wildly. I waited a few minutes for them to calm down. It wouldn't do to just rain lead down on them. I wanted to slow them down, not give away my position. One thing I noticed that made me smile was that they didn't even look toward the mesa. They were so certain they had everyone scared stiff of them they'd never thought about how leaving a campsite half set up meant that anyone could come along and utilize it with little to no effort.
When things calmed down, and the group of bandits started to spur their horses to a trot, I let off another shot. I aimed even higher, this time, hoping to send it whining over their heads. Again the horses went crazy, but this time one of the bandits fell off his saddle. Without thinking, I slid my rifle in its scabbard, mounted up, and started out into the desert the opposite direction of the bandits. I hoped that I'd bought Emma some time, and I also hoped that the ba
ndits would be too stupid to figure out where the shooting had come from. Even if they did, by the time they made it to the mesa, I would be long gone.
As I rode out once more across the desert plane, I thought of Emma. I knew that I would keep pursuing her. The bounty was high, and the emotional stakes even higher. If she turned out to be an amazing person, maybe I could forget about the bounty, and we could make a life together. However, if she turned out to be otherwise, I could always bring her in. Or at least that's what I told myself as I rocked back and forth in the saddle with the horse's gate. There would be many long days of riding ahead, but I'd brought water I'd found at the campsite, and I knew that what lay ahead of me was better than what lay behind me.
There would be another town, and there I would gather my thoughts and myself. I needed to rest, and figure out what my next move was. And I needed to hurry, because Emma wasn't waiting for anyone. Not even me. Not that I expected her to, by any means. She was, after all, an outlaw. And outlaws led lives on the run. As a bounty hunter, I led a life of chase. It almost seemed to perfect, and I knew it wasn't perfect at all. But thinking about it kept my mind off the heat and the desert wind. Soon the sun was sinking in front of me, and I knew that the next town was close.
When I got to the next town it wasn't just a little spit of humanity. There were large buildings and streets that bustled with traffic. In one of the saloons there wasn't sawdust on the floor, and I met an old friend there. We hadn't seen each other in years, but it seemed like yesterday we were chasing cattle rustlers across the desert. We talked about my most recent experiences, and I was glad that he could empathize. I told him about Emma, about the feelings she manifested inside of me with her presence and touch.
“Well,” Brad said. “Looks like we should be headed out after her.
“We will,” I said, having already known Brad would want to help. “But for right now I'd just like to sit and talk, maybe get a nice room at the hotel and take a bath.”
Brad nodded. He knew how nice it was to take it easy after a harrowing experience. We both leaned back and our chairs and sipped our beers. A band took the stage and started playing old songs. I looked out the window to see the desert stars twinkling down at me, and I smiled. There would be more adventures, and another day. And now, with an old friend, I felt ready for anything.
Just as we were about to walk up the hotel stairs to our room, someone covered my eyes from behind. I could tell who it was by their smell, and that made me feel strangely alive. There was so much I had missed about Emma, and I hadn't realized one of the things was her very essence. I turned and wrapped my arms around her, and we held each other for a few seconds.
“Brad,” I said. “This is Emma. Emma, this is Brad, an old friend of mine.”
Brad tipped his hat and went to make accommodations with the hotel clerk for a room of his own. The night held the night held so much surprise, and so did the future” so much promise, and so did the future.
~ THE END ~
The Boss
A Western Lesbian Romance
Chapter 1
Lilly was excited to start her new life at the Rocking U Ranch. She'd just come from her mother and father's failed ranch. They'd been pushed out by some of the bigger cattle operations up north, and Lilly had had to move to the next ranch over, which happened to be the Rocking U Ranch, to look for a means of support her parents. She wasn't bitter about it, though. She knew sometimes life had a funny way of putting you exactly where you should be, and Lilly had an idea that was what was happening now. Her father's bad leg had been giving him trouble while he ranched, but he wouldn't have given it up if he hadn't been forced out. Lilly felt that her mother was secretly grateful, she knew she sure was.
Life was going to be different at the Rocking U Ranch. Different, but not necessarily worse. Lilly was excited to meet new people and prove herself. She was just in her early twenties, but having worked at her family’s farm all her life, she knew she was as good as, and probably better, than any cowboy. She felt guys didn’t appreciate that though. Maybe they thought her sweet face, and her lean young body didn’t match the rough ranch work she loved doing. Lilly didn’t care. Of course quite a few men had approached her, she was really pretty, but they found her intimidating and she found them boring.
This morning was her first time stepping foot on the Rocking U Ranch. She'd heard that every hand there met Sam on their first day. Sam was the ranch manager and owner, a woman who didn't take shit from anyone. She had a reputation for being tough, yet fair. Lilly waited in the dining room of the main cabin, wondering when Sam was going to show.
“Well, hello,” Sam said. “It's a pleasure to meet you! I've heard a great deal from our foreman, who you spoke with in town, Brad. Tall, brawny looking guy?”
“Yes, I remember him” – Lilly said still holding Sam’s hand. She was blown away by the woman's ability to project strength and power without even trying. Lilly had not met anyone like that before, man or woman. Sam was also very attractive; about 30 years old, with shiny dark hair that fell softly on her shoulders, and green eyes that were hard to ignore. Her figure that was slender but curvy. She didn't sound like a rough woman at all, just a woman that was about business; and she wore a gun on her hip, which many ranchers had stopped doing considering how modernized everything was becoming.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lilly said. “That's my beat up blue pickup truck out by the well. I hope you don't mind me parking there, I wasn't sure where else to put it.”
“Oh, no, no,” Sam said. “Don't worry about that! Where ever you park is just fine. So, tell me a little bit about yourself. What brings you to the Rocking U Ranch?”
Lilly looked around self-consciously, wishing that this beautiful woman named Sam, her new boss, wasn't putting her on the spot.
“Well,” Lilly said. “My parents' ranch just went under, as I'm sure you're aware. That means I've had to figure out a way to help support them while they figure things out, and I'd really like it if that way turned into something permanent if it's a good fit.”
“That's right, I heard your parents' ranch did go under,” Sam said. “That's a shame. The big operations up north are trying to run everyone out of business by hiring scumbags who aren't even real ranch hands. They take anyone willing to try to learn how to ride a horse.”
Lilly nodded.
“I know,” Lilly said. “I just wish things were different. My dad isn't taking it so well, and I have a hard time blaming him. Just before they went under his leg had been acting up badly, and I think he was trying to prove something to himself by keeping the ranch going as it was.”
“It was a small operation, your parents' ranch,” Sam said. “I'd imagine that your father put in many hours working, probably much more than he did managing.”
Lilly shook her head in agreement.
“An operation that small can't afford to pay anyone who isn't family because someone who isn't family wouldn't accept such poor pay,” Lilly said. “But I didn't mind the pay, it was just watching my parents get run off the range by a bunch of businessmen who think that moving cows is nothing else than making money. They don't love the country, and they sure as well don't care about ranching.”
Sam smiled and nodded, offering her hand across the table to Lilly.
“I think you'll make a great addition to Rocking U Ranch,” Sam said. “And I'm glad that you came here for work. Brad will show you around, tell you how things work here. You're going to have to work near twice as hard as the men to earn their respect, but it is possible, believe me. Everyone who works for me has to pull their own weight, because, as we both know, the people up north are a bunch of bastards who work transients to death for near starvation wages. It's hard to compete with that.”
“I won't let you down,” Lilly said. “And fully intend to prove myself to the rest of the men here.”
“Hey, Brad,” Sam said. Brad had just walked through the door. “Would you please show Li
lly up to her room?”
“Sure,” Brad said.
Chapter 2
“I know things are a little Spartan in here right now,” Brad said. “But soon enough I'll refurbish your room, and it'll be right as rain. Is it big enough for you? What do you think?”
Lilly took a step forward into the room and looked around. It was plenty big, although rich city folk would have scoffed at its dimensions. The room wasn't bad at all, in Lilly's estimation. It had a country feel, which made her think of home. It was also cozy, and right next to the stove pipe, running up from the kitchen to the roof above her, so she wouldn't ever be cold.
“I like it,” Lilly said. “There is so much potential!”
Brad nodded.
“I want you to know that you're welcome here,” Brad said. “And if you ever need anyone to talk to, about anything, just let me know.”
Brad stamped back down the stairs and I followed him
“Well, I hope you enjoyed the only time you'll feel special at the Rocking U Ranch,” Brad said. “Because we are far too busy to entertain even the most remote idea that any kind of princess-like behavior is going to be tolerated!”
Lilly wasn't sure if he Brad was being serious at first or not. He had a mean expression on his face, but his temperament and posturing were obviously just that. Lilly thought about it for a moment, and something clicked.
“You wouldn't have happened to have served in the military at some point,” Lilly said. “Would you?”
Brad laughed.
“You aren't the first person to notice, I assure you,” Brad said. “Now, listen up. Life here is fairly straightforward. You wake up and do what needs to be done. As a cowhand, you know that that could be anything on a given day. Why one day it might be finding the next place to dig a well, and another day it might be helping me deliver a baby calf in the middle of nowhere and trying to save the mother's life.”
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