Ring of Fire

by Hestand, Rita

  "Am I supposed to babysit you?" Hank asked with a curious grin.

  "I'd appreciate you hanging around in case there is a problem or in case Candy Man wants to try a different area." Letty glanced at Hank. "That is if you don't mind?"

  "No horses today?" Hank asked before he got in the truck with them.

  "No, this is a fashion shoot," Candy Man replied. "By that I mean it's strictly for the clothes. A beautiful horse would distract from the beauty of the clothes, if you get my drift."

  "You have an appreciation for horses?" Hank glanced in the back of the truck and saw that Letty had added a large garment bag to the equipment.

  "Oh yeah, this is beautiful country and with the horses and cattle, I can get more than my fair share of photos here."

  "Looks like you might need a place that has some privacy this morning," Hank assumed.

  "That would be nice." Letty smirked.

  Hank adjusted his hat as he slid behind the wheel and satisfied they were loaded, he took off for the north pasture. The road was bumpy, but rutted, since they'd traveled it many times in trucks.

  Hank glanced over Letty to Mike. "Hey look, call me old fashioned but I kind of feel funny calling you Candy Man, you got a regular name?"

  Candy Man glanced at Letty and smiled again. "Sure, it's Mike Tobin."

  "Mike?" Hank asked with genuine interest.

  "Mike." Mike nodded.

  "I've always wondered, how did you come to be a camera man?" Hank asked as though Letty had disappeared from the truck.

  "Believe me, it was not my family's wish, but I'm afraid they lost that battle once I discovered what a camera could do." Mike adjusted his ball cap and leaned back for the ride. "They thought I was gonna be a doctor, but they didn't count on my weak stomach for blood."

  "I guess they gave you a lot of razzin'?" Hank mumbled.

  "For a while, until they realized how much money could be made, then they stopped." Mike leaned forward to inform him.

  Hank's brows went up. "Yeah, well, I guess that does make a difference."

  "Actually, Mike is pretty famous," Letty inserted. "He's worked with some of the best models in the business. I'm lucky to have found him."

  "You always work with models?" Hank asked.

  "No, not really. I got my big break in the business with my stills." Mike glanced from Letty to Hank and twisted his head in question.

  Exasperated with asking questions, Hank fell silent and before long he came to a halt. "This ought to be good for it."

  Letty glanced about, noting the shaded creek side and beautiful meadow. "It's beautiful, what do you think?" She looked over at Mike.

  "Great. We can start here, especially with the early morning haze and sunrise. This ought to capture some great special effects."

  Hank spotted some men working a small herd back to the south pasture and went over to check with them.

  "Movin' 'em south, Joe?" Hank asked as he approached the first cowboy.

  "Yep, Cade's orders. What you doin' out here with them?" Joe asked as he reined his horse in and looked at Hank and then the truck.

  "Miss Letty is gonna do a shoot out here this mornin'." Hank glanced back at the two of them who were already setting up and Mike seemed to be capturing some of the boys as they pulled a calf from the brambles.

  "Big Boss is mad as hell this mornin'. Found some bad feed and sick cows. He's going to give 'em hell right now. That's why we gotta move them out. Got one down already."

  "Thanks for the warning, I'll keep out of Wade's way, we don't get along too well when he's in one of those moods. I sure wish he'd find himself a woman and settle down. Takes the itch out of a man, if you know what I mean." Hank took his hat off and wiped the sweat gathering on his forehead.

  "He needs a good woman, that's what he needs." Joe laughed. "And if he don't get one soon, we may all be lookin' for new jobs."

  Hank nodded. "I guess."

  "'Couse if he had eyes, he'd know that little Wendy thinks he's nothing short of a God." Joe shook his head and stared down at Hank. "You poor suckers will never learn that a good woman solves a lot of that irritability. I should know."

  Hank nodded. "I agree, if you find the right one. It's finding her that's so hard."

  Joe laughed. "You got that right."

  "How are Nancy and the kids?" Hank asked.

  "Fine, got another one on the way." Joe chuckled.

  "Well, she's sure keepin' you busy." Hank laughed and walked off.

  Mike had already set up the cameras and taken a few panoramic shots when Letty came out of the woods with her lavish gown. Hank watched from a distance and marveled at how talented the two were together. Why wasn't Mike dating Letty, he wondered; she was smart, beautiful and had it all together, it seemed.

  Letty's movements were nothing short of charming and feminine. She instinctively knew what pose Mike wanted and performed like a pro. Hank had to admit they worked well together.

  Hank couldn't help but admire her for her work.

  They worked tirelessly for an hour and then Letty called from the bushes, "Hank, could you help me?"

  Wanting to be helpful instead of an admiring audience, Hank jumped at the chance to do something. "Sure thing, what do you need?"

  "I need you to come here." Letty glanced at him.

  Hank approached her and waited.

  "Would you zip me?" she asked. She was half in and half out of a beautiful gown, and Hank felt at a loss.

  Hank's face wadded into a frown. "You want me to zip you?"

  "Yes, do you mind?" She batted her eyes at him dramatically.

  Hank felt as though he'd grown five thumbs on each hand as he approached her and moved to oblige. Never had he done such a thing, except with his grandmother, but Letty was definitely not his grandmother.

  The zipper got stuck in a wad of material and he bent toward her to try and loosen it.

  It was taking too much time, he was frustrated and doing his best not to come unglued.

  Letty whirled about to look at his perplexed and frustrated face. "Just take your time and stop frustrating over it. It's just a zipper Hank, not the end of the world."

  "Yes, ma'am," he managed to mumble and suddenly the zipper slid upward. Hank sighed and his frown began to fade. He wasn't trying to ogle her backside, but he couldn't help but see the lovely tanned flesh of her back, and the gentle curve up to her neck. As he finished zipping her, she turned to him once more.

  "Thanks Hank, sometimes a zipper can be a real problem. And this dress cost more than most make in a year…." she said almost breathlessly as she noted the look on his face.

  "Yes, ma'am…" he murmured as their eyes met in turmoil.

  "Relax Hank, I don't bite, and quit calling me ma'am. My name is Letty. And I'm sure you've seen more than one woman's back before." She smiled.

  His inside lit with fire. Good grief, he had to get control. He was acting plum crazy. But, he had to admit, he hadn't seen other women's backs either. He started to correct her on that, but decided against it. She obviously thought he was worldlier than he was; maybe it was best left that way.

  It wasn't her back, but rather the cleavage of backside that had lit the fire in him that he was doing his best to squash right now. He'd never seen a woman in a thong before and seeing the flesh of her caused him to lose control for a moment. He tried to reckon the reason for such a thing as a thong, but it was beyond thinking a woman could look so perfect. Those rounded curves were made for a man's hands to possess. Her curves were enchanting to say the least, and Hank's imagination ran away with itself. He'd never met, let alone zipped up such a beautiful woman before. In his thinking she was more powerful than a fully loaded Chevy S10.

  What she evoked in that moment was thundering in his body, awakening feelings that were so out of place. He had instantly responded to the sight of her. If she had any idea of what was running through his mind, she would have never asked him to do such a thing.

  Visions of throwi
ng her on the ground and making mad passionate love to her flooded his mind. Touching her, caressing her, loving her.

  Good gosh man, get a grip!

  His thoughts rarely ran in that direction, as he'd schooled himself long ago. However, Letty didn't know anything about a man's reactions to a perfect body either.

  "Just not used to such tasks, sorry," he mumbled under his breath and moved away before he reacted any further. Not used to such a woman either!

  This woman lit something inside him that he thought dormant. He couldn't remember ever reacting to a woman in such a way. She stirred his libido and more. His reaction was to want a second look, a mild touch, of soft skin against callused hands. He nearly shook himself of the temptation she offered him.

  But when she turned around her face registered pure innocence.

  "I'm sorry Hank, I guess moving that log over there would be more up your alley?" She smiled at him now.

  "Yes ma'am, I will…" He moved the log with such ease that it astounded Mike.

  "Wow, I thought we might have to go get a tractor trailer to move that." Mike laughed.

  "Clearing debris is one of my daily duties." Hank began to relax again. "This log fell from the last bad storm we had. Otherwise it wouldn't be here. Your father prided himself on keeping the land as perfect as he could," Hank explained, looking back at Letty.

  Letty smiled. "And you do it so well!"

  Letty's smile was contagious and the moment lightened.

  All throughout the shoot, Hank kept his distance. He had to. His needs were so pronounced he was afraid she might become aware of it too. Nothing like embarrassing someone, he thought.

  Instead, he affixed his attention on the pasture beyond where several men were branding new calves.

  Hank raked a hand over his face when he envisioned Letty in that pasture, lying there, with her hands outspread to him.

  Scolding himself, he moved away and went back to the truck. He opened the hood and checked some hoses. He felt like a hot hose about to explode. He glanced at her graceful figure as she practically danced about the earth.

  Then it hit him. He was attracted to Letty McKay. How had that happened? He knew better.

  He had no right to go there. No right to be so absorbed by the woman. She was a McKay for God's sake. But that didn't stop his mind from playing and replaying her backside to him. She was everything a man dreamed of having in a woman, and nothing he could do but stay in raw pain the entire day around her. Somehow he had to get Letty McKay and her beautiful backside out of his mind. If only his body parts would cooperate. He saw the outside of Letty, but without struggle he also saw a glimpse of what made Letty a McKay too.

  Hard work didn't bother her, getting dirty didn't bother her. Her camera man said she was always on time, always accountable, admirable traits to say the least. She wasn't a snob like he first suspected, she spoke to everyone, asked about them and their families. When there were any children about the ranch, Letty was the first to get involved in whatever was going on. And when rumors spread all over the ranch about Julie and Kellie, it was Letty who quickly put everyone's suspicions to rest about her sister and niece. Yes sir, Letty McKay put the word nice on the map. Appealing didn't begin to describe her.

  Chapter Three

  The end of the day couldn't come soon enough for Hank. He'd been through pure hell all day long and the sooner he got away from Letty McKay, the sooner he could go back to cowboying. No woman should yield that much power over a man, but he had to admit, she was a show in itself. The notion that he wanted her in the most basic way disturbed him. McKay's were off limits, and even though the old man was no longer here, he knew the rule still applied. It was unspoken.

  Women like her should be married to doctors or lawyers, not a cowboy. This woman in particular was educated, well bred, and certainly not for the likes of him. It didn't stop him from reacting to her though.

  He scolded himself most of the day for not ignoring her.

  His mind however lingered on the beautiful Letty McKay, for several days.

  Granted she was absolutely the most gorgeous woman Hank had ever dealt with. Yet he knew thinking along those lines was not a good idea, and Hank prided himself on using his head about things. Problem was he couldn't control what he felt when he was around her. That bothered him greatly.

  It wasn't just the McKay rule that kept him from approaching Letty, it was common sense.

  Control was what made a cowboy. Self-discipline was crucial. From riding a bronc, to branding a steer, women clearly were not part of the picture. He needed to concentrate on his work, and not on Letty McKay.

  But he found it devilishly hard to do. Letty McKay was more than just a beautiful woman.

  The woman had brains, spirit, and an undying passion for life.

  Why would a woman wear such a beautiful contraption like a thong? He remembered the beautiful and delicate white lace that ran around the perfect pouting cheeks of her backside and his pain increased. It boggled his mind. It looked down right uncomfortable, and yet it certainly made an imprint on his mind. It didn't cover enough, for he had gotten a sensational glance at her backside without effort and with that intention. Didn't she have any idea what the sight of her backside might do to him…or any other red-blooded American man?

  Of course some of the outfits she wore seemed to demand her dress that way. Never had he seen a woman dress is so many delightful ways. From blue-jeans to evening gowns, the woman was at home in clothes. Did she know how beautiful she was? He doubted it. Conceit was not part of her make-up. Self-confident, yes, but no conceit. He learned that fast. Despite what he had heard about Letty, he quickly formed his own ideas after meeting her.

  There she was posing for pictures, earning money, and yet she didn't have to. He respected that. She wasn't just a loafer. He liked that about her.

  She hadn't a clue as to how she affected him, thank God.

  And that night, in bed, he closed his eyes and envisioned how his callused hands would hold her lovely buttocks and how he'd caress them with his hands and lips, too. He'd take his time, and kiss every inch of her, making sure he lit a fire under her too. Although, he knew he'd probably never get the chance to in real life, it certainly did no harm to dream. Cowboys were full of dreams.

  Dear God, he was in lust with Letty McKay. He was a pervert. He had to be, he couldn't get the image of them together out of his mind. How he would make love to her tossed in his head like a ping pong ball. He suddenly realized he would be in physical pain until she left the ranch.

  He closed his eyes with force, and willed her away from his dreams. It was the only way to get any rest.

  Two days later, he had convinced himself he had swept that day under the rug. He was sure he had control of the matter. Pretty butts were just that, pretty butts. However, when he stared at the backside of a cow too long a cowboy punched him in the ribs.

  "Hey Hank, got somethin' on your mind?" The young cowboy grinned.

  "No….I don't," Hank replied gruffly.

  "You better ride back to the house and get another cup of coffee; you're grumpy Hank," Jay Merrill said with a grin.

  "Merrill, I can still out do you, without coffee." Hank laughed.

  Then one afternoon as he was stowing his gear, he saw her on Thunder and he was miserable again. Nothing was more beautiful or appealing to Hank than watching a lovely woman on a horse with spirit. The wanting of her started all over and he was angry at himself that he couldn't get rid of the yearning.

  He even stood there in broad daylight and imagined riding the horse with nothing but a thong on, and falling from the horse onto him on the ground where they made torrid love for hours.

  He glanced around him as he shook the feelings away. Had he lost his mind?

  He groaned. Maybe he needed to start thinking about getting a woman of his own. It wouldn't be Letty, but surely he could find someone that was better suited. Still, deep within, he knew that what he wanted was not for him.
And what he wanted was Letty McKay.

  Besides, he had other things to worry about right now.

  His grandmother, whom he saw on weekends, needed him more and more as her sight began to fail her. Her glasses weren't helping any longer and she forgot where she laid them half the time. He'd taken care of her ever since his folks died. She had no one else, all the other kids had moved off and it was too hard for them to be there when she needed something, so Hank had dedicated himself to seeing after her.

  She was first in his life and would be until the day she died. That thought didn't bring him any comfort, so he switched back to Letty who continually tried to ride Thunder, and continually got pitched. After watching her land in the dirt several times he chuckled to himself; she sure was a hardhead, he thought as he walked away from the corral. He heard the thud of her hitting the ground again, and the slight groan she made, but he determined he would not turn around and help her. That would be downright dangerous.

  Somehow he was going to stop his all-male reactions, he just hadn't figured out how, yet!

  ***

  "Ya just can't let him alone, can ya?" A voice that shocked Letty as the horse twisted in midair, throwing her to the ground once more. "That horse ain't for you, girl…"

  That voice again. Where was it coming from? It had to be real. It had to belong to her father, but then…he was dead!

  Letty handed the reins to a nearby cowboy and walked around the corral and into the barn. Had she lost her mind? Her father was dead. Gone. And just that one thought had tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. An emotion she had forced to the back of her mind and heart now seemed to pour out.

  The smell of hay after a rain could be overpowering sometimes and Letty sneezed.

  There was no one there but Caleb and he had his back to her again. She glanced at him. "Did you see anyone out there just now?" she asked him.

  Caleb half turned and looked over his shoulder at her. "Nope…been in here. Why?"

  Letty felt silly for thinking she heard her father once more, but wanted to be rid of the ghost.