"Nonsense woman. How could they fail to like you? Just be yourself. They'll love you for who you are. More coffee?"
"Please." She held out her cup for a refill. "Speaking of families. I'm going to call Violet before we leave."
"Sure honey. Take your time. Give her my love. While you do that I'll be getting my things together, then I'm taking you home."
It had been some time since Scott had last brought a girl friend home. He was really looking forward to taking Carla home to meet his folks and hoped that at some point in the not too distant future the ranch would become home for Carla too... as his wife.
---oOo---
As Scott's car ate up the miles, he and Carla chatted. Carla wanted to know everything about his family. She seemed particularly taken with his English sister-in-law, Rose, and listened entranced as Scott explained how Rose and Hank met, and how Rose flew to Texas to be with Hank.
"That's so romantic," declared Carla. "And now that they are married, what does Rose do? Does she have a job?"
"Yep, more than a job. She has her own business."
"Really? Doing what?"
"She's a talented artist. Hank built her a studio round the back of the ranch. It's designed to resemble a barn, with a low sloping roof wrapping the east, south and west sides, and the north wall has massive windows to capture northern light. To start with, she spent some of her time helping with the running of the ranch, and the rest of the time on her painting. But as time went on she became so busy with commissions that she decided to paint full time. She loves it - and of course as we have paying guests throughout the year at the ranch, she has a ready made supply of customers."
"Sounds great. I wish I could draw," said Carla wistfully. "What kind of things does she paint? Landscapes?"
"Yeah, she's done a lot of large oil on canvas landscapes. Quite a few have been sold but we have some on display in the family lounge. You'll see them for yourself soon. They're stunning. But what she really excels at in my opinion is painting horses."
Carla raised her eyebrows and smiled. "How does she get them to keep still long enough for her to paint?"
"Good question. She started out by photographing them and studying the pictures, and then she would sketch an outline. It didn't end there though - she did a heap of research, familiarising herself with the anatomy of the horse. She learned about sinew, and the hard and soft parts of the horse's body; she learned what happens to the shapes and forms they create during movement, and the quality and shape of light that would be found on each part of its form. She's produced drawings, water colours and paintings in oil. They really are amazingly lifelike."
"Sounds brilliant. I'm looking forward to seeing them and meeting her, and the rest of your family. I think I've got the names now." She began to reel them off, much to the amusement and delight of Scott.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. But don't forget Tink."
"Tink? One of the ranch hands?"
"Not exactly. Tinker is a big loveable dog."
"Oh! I love dogs. What breed is he?"
"A boxer. He's a real character and though he looks kinda stupid he's no fool. He's perfected the art of sitting quietly, staring with his chocolate-brown eyes and looking pathetic so that Hannah and the other cooks will feel sorry for him and feed him. It's a strategy that has worked very well for the past six years or so and shows no signs of wearing thin."
"Clever boy."
"Fat boy," said Scott dryly. "If he gets any fatter we'll have to put him on a diet."
As the car sped on, Carla and Scott talked and laughed, enjoying each other's company on the journey. Carla felt a mounting excitement as they drew steadily nearer to the Armstrong ranch, and even though Scott had told her so much about it, nothing prepared her for that first view.
"Almost here, honey." Scott turned off the road and steered the car down a long wide tree-lined drive that seemed to go on forever. "Like it?"
Carla stared. The ranch house was large and inviting, white paint gleaming in the sunlight. Behind it she could see outbuildings; there were various barns - one of them must be Rose's studio - and a big stable block adjoining the paddock. As the car rolled on, luscious verdant lawns came into view and behind the house lay a shimmering lake surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Angus cattle and ranch horses grazed contentedly in nearby pastures, with rolling hills beckoning beyond.
"Like it? Oh my god, Scott - it's... breathtaking. It's fabulous. Wow - you actually live here?!"
"Sure do." He leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Glad it meets with your approval. Now - let's park this baby then we'll go and say hi to everyone. You can expect a welcome committee."
Carla got out of the car feeling suddenly shy and inadequate. Scott put his arm around her shoulders and urged her forward. "They're gonna love you. You'll see." Sensing her reluctance he paused, fixing her with his vibrant blue eyes. "What is it, Carla? Scared?"
"Um... kind of. It's just that I... I haven't brought many nice clothes with me. I just threw a few basic things into my bag when I left Newport. I... must look very shabby."
"Shabby?! Carla Odell, one thing you are not nor ever will be is shabby." Inwardly he chided himself for not offering to take her shopping en route if it was so important to her as a confidence booster. "We'll go downtown later and fix you up with a few things if you like. It'll be fun, there's plenty to see and some good shops. But until then, I don't want to hear another squeak from you about feeling shabby or inadequate, because you're not. Understood?"
Carla nodded. "I guess so."
"You've known me some time now Carla. Do you seriously think I'd give a damn if you're not wearing the latest designer fashions?"
"No. I don't think that. You may be rich but you have no airs and graces."
"And neither do the rest of my family. Now come with me. Let's go meet them."
---oOo---
Carla felt buffeted by a whirlwind of goodwill. People came out of the house to greet them and Carla had never been hugged so many times in her life. She recognised Hank immediately as he and Scott were so much alike - and it seemed they inherited their good looks from their father. Isaac grinned and enveloped Carla in a bear hug.
"Hi, I'm Isaac. Welcome to the Armstrong ranch, Carla. It's about time he brought you home."
"Thanks Isaac. It's great to be here." No sooner had she been released from Isaac's embrace, she was hugged by his wife.
"Wonderful to meet you at last Carla," smiled Brenda, a tall and attractive woman in her mid fifties. She had shoulder-length light brown hair and intelligent hazel eyes, and a personality that exuded warmth. She kissed Carla on the cheek. "I almost feel I know you already as Scott has spoken of you so often."
"He has?" Carla felt herself blushing. The realisation hit her that Scott had been waiting patiently for her all these months and talked about her to his family as though she was really important to him. The thought made her glow inside.
"Constantly," interrupted Hank. "Hi Carla. Good to see you." He gave her an even bigger hug.
"Hank. I knew it was you of course - you two are so alike!"
"He's uglier than I am," grinned Hank. "Meet my lovely English wife. Here she is." He turned round and caught the hand of a beautiful young woman with vibrant and smiling green eyes. Her waist-length hair was that rare colour of blue-black like the sheen of a raven's wing. Today she wore it loose and it sparkled in the sunlight.
"Rose," smiled Carla. "It's great to meet you too. I've been hearing all about you."
"Likewise, Carla. I'm so glad you're here at last. You'll love it as much as I do." She hugged and kissed Carla. "We've so much to show you."
"We sure have." Scott put an arm around Carla's shoulders. "Here's a bunch of our ranchers - Matthew, Nathan and Ryan."
Three smiling faces approached, hands extended. "Howdy, Miss Carla."
"There's Caleb over there," Scott pointed to a dark haired guy who waved. "And over in the paddock are Gabriel and Noah. Caleb and Connor ar
e in the stables and Joshua's either out mending fences or he's skived off to fish in the creek. You'll meet them soon... along with the kitchen and housekeeping staff and anyone else I've forgotten. Jeez, I'm starving. Is there anything to eat round here?"
"That's our Scotty - always thinking of his stomach," grinned Hank.
"You're a fine one to talk." Scott grinned back at his brother.
"I thought we'd all have a late lunch," said Brenda. "Hannah's ready to serve up a feast. Carla - come into the house and make yourself comfortable. Lunch in ten minutes. I'll fix us a drink first, then after we've eaten, no doubt Scott will be wanting to show you around the place."
"You bet," nodded Scott.
Carla was ushered inside and sat sipping an iced tea. She felt at ease with these people and was soon sitting down to an appetizing shrimp salad, followed by pesto chicken sandwiches served with hearts of palm, and smoked salmon sandwiches with red onions, eggs and capers served on rye bread. There were big bowls of sweet potato fries, platters of fruit, and an amazing carrot cake topped with cream cheese.
Conversation flowed around the table. Seated in between Scott and Rose, Carla joined in with the general chat, and when the subject of horses came up, Rose talked non stop.
"She loves the horses," said Hank, darting a fond look at his wife seated opposite.
"I do!" enthused Rose. "I love sketching and painting them, and I love riding them too. Do you ride, Carla?"
"I'm afraid not. Scott asked me the same question earlier. I never had the opportunity. I'd like to give it a go though."
"I'll take you out every morning," said Scott. "Would you like that?"
"Yes! Yes I would."
"Great. She can ride Splash," enthused Rose. "He'll be perfect for her."
"Splash? That's a funny name for a horse," smiled Carla.
"Oh he's lovely. You'll adore him," said Rose. "Won't she, Scott?" Scott smiled and nodded his approval. Rose continued, "He's so gentle - very obedient, easy to ride and smooth."
"Yeah, you'll be fine with Splash, he has a wonderful temperament and he loves being around cattle," said Scott.
"If Scott takes you out in the morning, you could join me for my ride in the afternoon," suggested Rose. "Two riding lessons a day - you'll soon be an expert horsewoman."
"You'll be walking a bit stiffly for awhile until you get used to being in the saddle," volunteered Hank. "But in a week or two you'll be fine."
"Thanks. I'm really looking forward to learning to ride."
"Great. We'll start tomorrow then," grinned Scott. "I'll be gentle with you to start with and make sure you don't fall off too often."
"Now don't you go scaring the poor girl, Scott," said Brenda. "No mad galloping until she's confident."
"Don't worry. We'll take good care of her."
As the conversation moved on to other things, Carla found herself opening up to Rose more and more. Scott eavesdropped on their exchange with undisguised interest and an element of surprise when he heard Carla mention her degree. Until now, he'd had no idea she had a Bachelor of Science degree.
"I've always been fascinated with computers. I took pre-computer science courses at Oregon State. The computing element was great, but I didn't like the mathematics very much. They had me doing advanced algebra and trigonometry. It was a struggle but I managed it. I loved the programming though."
"You can program? Wow, I am impressed," said Rose. "You're one clever lady, Carla!"
"Not especially," said Carla modestly. "But I developed a real interest in web design. Maybe I'll progress that as a career at some point in the future."
"Why wait?"
"Well... I live with Violet and Herb. They own a cafe at Nye beach. They've been so good to me and they funded my studies. I just felt that I should work for them, help them out a bit, you know?" Rose nodded. "It's not that they expect me to hang around - they have often told me they want me to do exactly what I want to do, and if that means moving to go where the jobs are then that's fine by them. The business is doing ok but I know they don't make a lot of money, so I hung around for a couple years or so. And I'm still there." She laughed. "I like it though. I've been happy enough."
"They sound real nice, Carla, and I'm sure they appreciate you helping out. You sound a real whiz with computers."
"What's that?" Isaac leaned forward. "Carla's a whiz with computers?"
"Yes pa, she sure is," smiled Rose. "She does web design and clever stuff like programming."
"Hey - that's excellent. Maybe you could give me some advice on the website we have for the ranch?"
"I'd be happy to, Isaac."
"Great. It's looking old and tired and... distinctly amateurish." A sheepish look came over his face. "It was my baby. I like to dabble with HTML and I built the site myself. I thought it was great. But it's not. It's a bit of a mess and needs a major facelift - just like me!" He grinned and patted his jowls.
"Isaac Armstrong, you're still the most devilishly handsome man I have ever been married to," said Brenda.
"And exactly how many husbands have you had?"
"Just the one. Lord knows I couldn't cope with any more. Carla, dear, it won't be long before you get the measure of these Armstrong men. They are all so alike!"
"You'd be lost without us, ma, quipped Hank." He flashed a bright smile.
"They all have the same disarming smile," said Carla. Sexy as hell!
"So we do," grinned Scott. "And we use it to full advantage." He winked at Carla then leaned back in his chair. "That was a mighty fine lunch. Have you had enough, Carla?"
"Yes thanks - I'm stuffed. It was amazing. I think I'll have to ride for hours every day to work it off."
"Come with me, hon. I'll show you to your room."
Carla followed him out of the dining room, and the rest of the lunch party began to disperse. "I like your family, Scott. They're lovely - and I think I could be real friends with Rose."
"Yeah, you and her seemed to hit it off well. And what's this about a Bachelor of Science degree? You never told me that, you naughty girl."
"You never asked," retorted Carla primly. But there was a gleam in her eyes as she remembered the events of the previous night, and Scott's statement that 'Naughty girls get spanked'.
Scott picked up her bag and led the way up a wide staircase. "Now I may or may not have mentioned it, but my folks are a tad old fashioned, so we're not sleeping in the same room - but the next best thing is that you're in the guest room opposite me." His eyes twinkled. "So who is to know exactly which bed you sleep in, huh?"
Carla giggled and followed him along a corridor on the second floor. "This place is huge!"
"It is. The family each has a suite of rooms so there is plenty of privacy, with the added bonus that we can all get together downstairs. It's an arrangement that works well. Ok - here's your room. In we go." He opened the door into a light and airy room with coral drapes and bed coverings, and walls painted white with just a hint of pink. "The closet is through there, and that door leads to the bathroom. There's a small lounge area over by the window so you can relax and take in the view."
"It's lovely, Scott. I really like it. It's very pretty."
"Good. I'll help you unpack, spank your bottom for not telling me you had a degree, then we'll go downtown and get you some more things to wear."
Carla blinked. "Did you say 'Spank my bottom'?"
"I did." He smiled wolfishly. "Come here. To hell with the unpacking, lets get our priorities right, shall we." He grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to the bed.
In mere seconds she was half over his lap, her arms outstretched on the bed. Without further ado his big hand cracked down on her jean-clad rump.
"Ohh! But won't someone hear us?"
"Nope. Aside from the linen room and this guest room, the rest of the corridor is my domain. And anyway, even if they did hear a bit of noise, it's like water off a ducks back - all the Armstrong men like to spank their women. It's what we do - and
we're oh so good at it," he whispered as his fingers reached to unfasten the zipper on her jeans.
Carla raised herself up, allowing him access. If this spanking was anywhere as good as the previous one, she couldn't wait to get started!
He ran his hand over her panties, tracing the curve and swell of her buttocks, then tugged her panties down to her knees, baring her bottom. "Mmn, I shall never tire of this particular view. But I think it will look even prettier with a little more colour."
Carla swallowed. Lying bare bottomed over his lap made her feel deliciously squirmy, and the feel of his hand as it splatted down across her buttocks made her yelp and squirm even more. It felt so good. It was so incredibly erotic. She wriggled a little, not knowing the effect her wriggling had on Scott.
He growled softly in pleasure and them commenced the spanking proper, slow then fast, hard then soft, his hand skimming her warmed flesh and pausing to stroke and smooth and caress. "I do believe my lady is enjoying this," he said with a grin and began a fast and furious volley of spanks using upward strokes that left her heady and breathless.
"I do believe I am," she gasped. "Don't stop!"
"As you wish. A little harder now perhaps. Let's turn these pink cheeks red, shall we?"
"Oh! Ow! OW!" she yelled, half laughing. "Gee - that HURTS! You're killing me! OW!"
"Killing you? I've barely started, woman. Now I'm going to show you what a real spanking feels like."
He did too. Carla writhed and wriggled beneath his expert hands, alternately yelping and squealing and moaning with desire because she was so turned on. He knew of course, the signs of her arousal shimmered silver at the tops of her thighs. He explored those thighs, and the sacred cleft between. Somehow, Carla found herself on her back, her jeans on the floor, closing her eyes in ecstasy as this guy expertly used his tongue and fingers to bring her to a shriekingly loud climax.
He chuckled in the afterglow, stroking the wonderful and now extremely tangled mane of her hair. "Was that good?"
"Good?" she said weakly. "Good? That's an understatement, it was... oh god - I was so noisy! Sorry!" She began to laugh.
Love on a Ranch Box Set Page 27
