0 comments/ 47703 views/ 4 favorites City BBQ By: cori It was a hot muggy afternoon as I sat on the back porch daydreaming of being some place far off with several handsome hunks to wait on me hand and foot. When the phone rang and brought me back to reality. It was Kaci on the phone inviting me to attend a citywide bbq down town. At first I told her thanks but no thanks because it was so hot outside and then being around all those people and the many grills. She asks again and finally I agreed to going. “Ok be ready in 30 minutes,” she said. As I sat there listening to a dial tone I thought to myself, 30 minutes is not long and jumped up, showered quickly and threw on a soft blue sundress and slipped on a pair of flip flop shoes. I pulled my long hair up and put a clippie in to keep it up off of my neck and shoulders. Just at that time I heard the honking of Kaci’s car out front. I ran out the door and got in her car asking what the big hurry was as I noticed how pretty she looked. She is not a very tall girl. She is thin with medium size breasts and a nice round ass. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail. She turned and smiled at me with a twinkle in her bright green eyes. “We need to hurry because Aimee just called and said the place was packed with sexy men!” she said. Aimee is also blonde but a dark blonde with light blue eyes and small features. She is probably about 5’9” and thin with small tits and ass. And then there is Becky a red head with brown eyes and built like a brick house. She enjoys lifting weights and working out, she is an aerobics teacher. As for me, well I’m 5’7” with long dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, almost black. My skin is a deep brown tan color; I have firm tits with small nipples. Tight round ass, long shapely legs and a killer smile I am told. All four of us are what some call ‘third look girls,’ for those of you who don’t know that means when a man sees us he has to take not only a second look but a third because we are such attractive women. Laughing as I nodded to her, then we had better hurry for sure. As she drove she went on about how she wanted to find a man that could last as long as her during sex. I joked with her that she could find something in that model at the adult bookstore and that she better stock up on batteries. Once we got down town and saw how many people were there we both looked at each other and took a deep breath and decided to jump in the sea of people. I thought to myself that we would never find our other girl friends in all these people. But it was not long before we did and all started out on the manhunt. We pretended to be there for the music and the wonderful exhibits as we strolled thru isle and isle of booths. It was not long before the men’s heads were turning and the smiles got splashed. After a bit of flirting we decided to get a cold drink to help cool down. We sat down at a table under a tent and sipped on our drinks. It was not long before the tables around us filled up with men. But one table had five nice young sexy studs at it and they were interested. I flashed that killer smile in their way and got five back. After a few smiles had been sent back and forth one of them got brave and came over to me and asked if he could buy me another cold drink. “Yes that would be great, thanks,” I said. The other girls didn’t even notice he had come to the table and spoke; they were knee deep in flirts with old men at neighboring tables. As the young beef cake walked over to buy the drink I checked out the other four and they were grinning ear to ear as they looked me up and down. He returned quickly with my ice tea and blushed as I told him thanks and asked about how his evening was going. He answered politely and shifted back and forth with is head down and a big smile on his face. Then he excused himself back to his table. I decided to have a little fun while my girl friends flirted with their dinosaurs. I turned and sat so that the young studs could see that I had no panties on, I slowly changed my position and flashed my nude cunt to them. Not all were watching but the two that saw soon informed the other three about what they missed. Now all five had their eyes glued on me. I smiled and gave another little flash this time it was not missed by any of the young bucks. Their seating positions soon started to change as well, it seemed they had ants in their pants now and could not sit very comfortably. I watched them for a bit then turned my attention too what the girls were doing and soon another of them came to the table and asked if he could buy me something to eat. I smiled and declined his offer. After a little small talk he returned to his table. The girls had started to grow tired of this group of men and were ready to get back to the manhunt. I gave the young men a little longer look of my bald cunt and left them with a wink. It was not long before I noticed the group of young studs was following us. Finally I motioned for them to come closer. Once they had all approached me and pulled their tongues back in their mouth I told them if they wished to walk and talk with me I would be up for that. They all agreed it would be fun to do just that. Soon my girl friends had left me to the young guys and moved onto the dance floor. One of them asked if I would like to dance. I declined the offer telling him I was not a big country and western dancer. They asked what kind of music I liked to dance too, and after I told them that I enjoyed belly dancing and slow dancing they insisted I show them some belly dances. And after a bit of begging from the five of them I agreed. I told them we would have to go behind a building because I didn’t want to belly dance there on the dance floor and draw a lot of attention to myself. They agreed and off we went to find a belly-dancing place. As we walked one of them got a little brave and let his hand “bump into” my ass. I looked at him with a knowing smile and he blushed and looked at the ground. Once we found a place they stood back and waited like little boys waiting for new baseball bats being passed out for free. I started out with some basic moves, as it was a little hard to dance with no music. Finally over at the bbq they played something a little faster and had a beat that I could move too. The guys watched my body ripple and move as their mouths dropped open and their pants grew tighter in certain areas. Once I noticed their cocks were getting hard I added more erotic movements just for them. One finally had the balls to adjust his and ask me if I fucked as good as I danced. Smiling at him I answered with a soft yes, probably better. I thought they all were going to cream their pants on that comment. I laughed a little and then another one said well were do we need to take you to find out? I enjoyed the boldness of him and his question. “Lets sneak into this empty building and find out” I said. They all quickly agreed and followed me in the broken window. Once inside we found a room that had no windows and a door. I instructed them to all get undressed and they did just as I asked in fast-forward. I stood there admiring these five hard studs in front of me. One of them spoke up and said can you undress now please? I picked my dress up at the hemline and pulled it over my head that left me standing there nude. I was worried they might hurt themselves as their jaws fell to the floor. “Are you guys going to let me just stand here all evening?” I asked. They all looked at each other for a second then two of them moved over to me. “Turn around so we can see the whole package” one said. I turned slowly giving all a good look at me as they moaned and sighed. One of them was really nervous and made the comment that he didn’t know if this was a good idea. “Look at her nude, muscular, perfect butt!” “It’s a perfect idea to me,” another said. One moved next to me taking me in his arms and kissing my lovely, pouty lips. “I love kissing, your lips are so soft and full and oh so sexy.” He said. “Give me your cock,” I said as I kneeled down in front of him. "Mmmmmm you’re so hard for me! My hot breath made his prick jump as I brought my face to his crotch. My hands steadied his throbbing cock as I licked out my pink tongue and dug the tip of it into the tiny slit in the tip of his cock. Then I kissed it. "Succkkit, baby," he groaned, "oh suckkit!" My mouth slid down over his dick, my teeth raking down his cock head as I swirled my tongue around. The warm, wet feeling of my mouth made him shiver and groan in pleasure. I take in a sharp breath through my nose as I let his cock slide slowly up into my throat. His cock in a wet, sweet heaven as my head bobbed up and down over his stiff cock, my cheeks going concave, giving my face a lean, snake-like look as I sucked his prick. The guys standing watching with their hard cocks in their hands commented on my tits… “Her tits are perfect, they are full, ripe, and more globe-like than any I have seen” one said. The one behind me moved over closer and slid a hand around to cup my right tit, feeling its heavy, soft lushness weigh in his palm. My beautiful breasts are large for my small frame, but not huge, 32C. My nipples are magnificent, like an eraser on the end of a pencil and taut, wine red, popping out stiffly when I am aroused, like now. My aureoles are a light pink and cover a small oval over the middle of my tit. I love to have them sucked and licked as well as bitten. "Ooooo," I said. Moving my mouth off of his wet cock, "I always love to have my tits touched." I moaned. My mouth plunged back down, driving him wild with erotic need. The one behind me ask for us to get into a sixty-nine with me on top of him. Once into position he looked down at my adorable ass just above his face. My mound was shaved bald and so baby smooth. He scrubbed his fingers thru the glistening puffy lips of my cunt, causing me to moan in expectation with my mouth still full of his stiff cock. He continued to move his hand in between my opened thighs, rubbing and teasing my swollen, pouting cunt lips. My outer lips parted slightly allowing my inner butterfly wings to swell out like a blossom of exotic flower petals. My erect little clit poked out of the gothic arch of my cunt. He slid his hand back and forth along my warm slit, smearing the beaded drops of moisture oozing out across my cunt flesh. Then he cupped my moist labia, slipping his middle finger into my hot fuck hole. I began working my way down his legs between long licks and kisses to his aching cock. My hand gripped his balls, squeezing them as the other guy fingered my open cunt. He started kissing up my left thigh as he worked his middle finger in and out of my slit, coating it in my warm cunt honey. He stuffed his face into my cunt. “OOH your slit is heavenly scented,” he said. Then I groaned and cried out in pleasure as he placed his lips back on my cunt, sweetly kiss-sucking at my dripping fuck hole. I quickly slid my mouth back down around his jerking cock as we kept up a feverish, writhing sixty-nine-six for the next five minutes as the other three stood jerking at their hard cocks watching. "Suck me there, oohhhhh goddd, yesssss, suck my cunt right there!!" I groaned at last, letting his cock fall out of my mouth with a spit-wet slurp. The one I had been sucking groaned when I stopped sucking him. “I was about to come in your mouth!” he moaned. He had kissed and licked all up and down the inside of my sweet cunt, from the tip of my clitty to the dark, puckered indentation of my rectum as I groaned. I started kissing his balls as the other rimmed my ass. Then he slipped his tongue up and drilled it into the hot tart depths of my twat. Next he moved his lips and tongue over my rigid, blood engorged clit. He teased it with his teeth, grazing across the rounded tip of my clit, and then sucked at the whole top of my wet, oozing pussy. "Ooo jeeezus!" I cried put your dick in my pussy and fuck me! Ohhh shit, fuck me now!" He gripped my hips, just above the bulge of my butt and pulled me back against him as he thrust deep into me. One of the guys watching moved over and took the clippie from my hair letting it fall loosely all around my face as he rammed his cock into my soft, tight cunt. The one under me started jacking off as the third one pushed his cock to my lips and rubbed his pearls of pre cum across my lips. I grabbed his dick in my hand and guided it to my wet open mouth and sucked hard on him. He loved the wonderful sight of my firm tan buns bouncing against his thighs as he thrust deeper and deeper with each stroke. "Mmmm hummmmm!" I groaned, muffled by the cock in my mouth. "Slow down!" I warned, then pressing his cock back into my mouth as the top of my head butting against him as the other slammed his meat into me again and again. My luminous long brown hair spread over my back and covered my face in disarray as I erotically groaned and lifted my ass to meet each stroke. The one under me jerking off grunted and shot his wad up and across my neck and tits. The one fucking me grunted, lengthening his strokes until he was sliding his cuntjuice-slick cock in and out of me in long, generous slow motion strokes. Then his speed picked up and he slammed in and out of me, with a low groan and a deep thrust he shot his hot seed deep inside me. Know sooner had he moved back did another move in and take his place. He moved in behind me for more Doggie style, he slid in and didn’t waste any time. He started pumping in and out of me, half bending over my luscious body, so that he could reach forward and cup my swaying tits, and then roll and pinch my nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. He grasped my breasts hard, squeezing them, spreading his fingers across the tan mounds of my tit flesh until I moaned louder in pleasure. This one fucked me for a long time, slowly building intensity and speed with each stab into my wet hot cunt. Several times he felt his cum boiling up, just as little orgasms wracked my hole, making my cunt clench and unclench around his cock shaft. Each time I thought he would shoot into me, he slowed or stopped; just waiting, knowing he was keeping himself from cumming until he had satiated my need. He was nearing another climax; I bent forward, pulling my cunt nearly all the way off his dick. “I want those two still watching over here now!” I said. They moved over to me and asked were they could fit in. I instructed one to lie on the floor next to me. He did as asked so I climbed over on top of him and grasped his dick in my hand and guided it to my pink-hot, slightly gaping pussy lips. Sliding down on him, facing him left my ass hole open for the other one. I quickly told him to get in behind me and fuck my ass. He got into place and smeared some of my sticky pussy juice up and around my ass hole. "Mmmm, hurry!" I urged, "Stick it in me! Put it in my ass! Ohhh shit, screw my ass hard!" My ass was writhing just in front of his cock. I reached back with both hands, sliding my painted nails into my ass crack, then spreading my ass cheeks wide apart, inviting his dick in as I bent forward. He pushed just the tender head in to my tight open ass, and then I pushed back swallowing his cock deep inside my ass while the other cock was deep in my cunt. I told the other two to plug my mouth and one in my hand. Moving quickly to my open waiting mouth one pushed his wet head between my red lips and down my warm mouth. As I lay there, naked ass raised high and my thighs spread wide, the other slipped into my hand and moaned as I started to pump his cock up and down. The last one I told to move behind the one fucking my ass and slide deep into him and fuck him good and hard. A passionate shiver rippled over my body as we all fucked and pumped and came over and over several times, changing positions many times until everyone had their turn at my ass, cunt and mouth. I moaned, whimpered, and screamed at the electrifying contact, feeling the feverish impulses of lust stabbing wildly through my body. Soon we were all quaking with wild erotic orgasms. After relaxing for a while and riding the wave of hot lust out we all dressed and left the building and went our way with a smile on our faces… City Boy & Country Girl There is no sex in this story. Please search elsewhere for that type of story. I want to thank my wife for her assistance, guidance, and patience with me while I was writing this story. As usual constructive comments and critiques are requested and welcome. Thanks for reading my story. Enjoy. * Sitting on a high bluff overlooking Lake Wappapello, I am amazed again at the natural beauty of this land. Lake Wappapello is the result of a dam built by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in 1941. All though built primarily for flood control it has evolved into a beautiful and very large recreational area. The lake winds its way around the mountains and into the valleys laying a foot print of life giving water to the land. I use this overlook to clear my head and think. What do I have to think about, you ask? That is the story I will relate to you. Hang on. I graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) with a BS in education. By the way, my name is John Columbus Riley; please don't ask about my middle name. My dad said he would pay for my education if I maintained a 3.0 GPA until I got a degree or turned 24, whichever came first. After that, I was on my own. Dad told me, "I want to help give you a good start in life, but I don't plan on supporting you into old age." Dad was smarter than I gave him credit for. During the dot com craze, my dad and a friend got into one of the companies soon after its inception. Dad didn't hold on until the huge payoff near the bust, but he did manage to make a very large return on his investment. He didn't have "in your face, go to hell" type money, but he did have "We're very comfortable, thank you" type money. He wanted to be comfortable on a farm. Not a get up at dawn everyday and work yourself to an early grave farm, but a lot of land and a small hobby farm. So he and mom bought 125 acres just outside of Van Buren, Missouri and after I got out of high school they moved to their hobby farm. I was starting college and would basically be living on my own. I had grown up and gone to school in St. Louis but we had spent most of our vacations in Van Buren. Most of the summers and a lot of the holidays we would drive to Van Buren. I learned to hunt, fish, and run the river. Current River is a clear, spring fed and cold body of water that is the perfect place for a city boy to learn something about country life. As I said my parents were paying for my tuition, books, and housing so I could get an education. In the mean time, there are a lot of incidentals that a college student need, well at least this one needed. I wanted money to buy essentials such as pizza, beer, and an occasional trip to the dens of iniquity in St. Louis. I also had a truck to fill with gas and maintain. The truck had been a gift from my grandfather when I started college. Dad said he would pay for school but I had to foot the bill for my play time. So I worked a part time job to pay for the extras while I was in school and I had to maintain that 3.0 GPA. I was very fortunate that my folks paid for my education, but anything other the normal expenses for college I had to pay for. In addition to my education being paid for, there was a trust fund left to me by my grandparents which I could claim when I graduated. It wasn't huge, but a little over six figures, $216,000 to be exact. That money meant I didn't have to start a career right after school. Again I was lucky because I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with my life. It wasn't that I was drifting; I just hadn't decided what to do with my life. A BS in education would insure that I could get a job in whatever part of the country I landed in and the trust fund meant I wouldn't starve to death. I knew how lucky I was to be on my own and not have to worry too much about the future. My best friend and running partner is Jim Barnes. Jim and I met one of the summers I spent in Van Buren. My dad and I had gone fishing at Lake Wappapello and rented a boat to get out on the lake. Jim worked at the marina and Dad hired him as a guide. He and I became friends almost at once. Jim and I are look enough alike that sometimes people think we are brothers. He is 6' 2 to my 6' 3 and both of us have dark hair and eyes. Jim played basketball and baseball while in college so he had a muscular build. I kept in shape by running a couple of miles three or four mornings a week. I would run, go to class until three, study and or rest until 7:00. I worked on the UPS loading docks 7 to midnight 4 nights a week. All and all, I was in pretty good shape and about as busy as I wanted to be. Jim was going to enlist in the Army after getting out of high school but his dad made him a proposition. His dad agreed to pay for Jim's college expenses, including a very nice monthly allowance for spending money. In exchange, Jim was to forget about the Army and take business courses in school so he could help with the family business. Jim's family owned the only grocery store in Wappapello and also a couple in Poplar Bluff. That was the reason for Jim's major of Business Management. He would begin to learn the business from the management side so he could take over for his dad one day. My major just allowed me to stay in school for a while; I had no idea what I would settle into. My buddy talked me into visiting his home for the summer. Jim said I could spend the summer fishing, hunting, and having a little fun before I had to start a career. I was 23 and the idea sounded good to me. After graduation I visited with my parents in Van Buren for a few days and then drove to Jim's home town of Wappapello, Missouri. See, same name as the lake. Van Buren is actually only about seventy miles from Wappapello and is hillier than the area around the lake. The two towns were close enough that I could visit my parents a few times over the summer. Wappapello is a small town of about twenty-five hundred people and about 60 horses. It really seemed small after living in St. Louis for four years. The closest "city" is Poplar Bluff, a town of about twenty thousand people. I don't know how many horses. **************** Jim and I had been at his home for about two weeks when we received an unwelcome visitor, Henry Pratt. Henry was a classmate at UMSL and the biggest blowhard, bragger, or twit that I had ever met. Actually, I think the phrase I used to describe him best was an ass. Have you ever met someone that you wanted to punch out just because he existed? That's how both Jim and I felt about Henry. Henry's family owned and operated four banks in the state. Two of the banks were in Poplar Bluff where the family lived and lived very well. They also owned the bank in Wappapello. They were better than well to do, they were stinking rich. Henry was sort of a roly poly type of guy about 5' 8". He looked soft and pale, like a grub worm from under a log. But his money ensured that he always had an entourage following him around. His money didn't impress Jim or me and never stopped us from slipping a zinger in on him now and then. Now being rich doesn't automatically make you a jerk, but Henry worked at it. He would latch on to Jim and I at a pizza joint or anywhere he could find us and begin to brag about how much money his family had. He played the high roller to the hilt. Being a high roller doesn't make you a bad person, but being an ass like Henry doesn't endear you to many people. Henry had a new convertible every year, sometimes a new one every six months. He would flaunt his cars, his money, his contacts at school, and the girls he took out. There were always young ladies that would date him because of his car and his money. These girls were practicing living as the idle rich. Henry never failed to bring his latest hottie around to show off for us of the lower class. We didn't hold it against Henry that he had a lot of money, or cars, or beautiful coeds, more power to him. What we held against him was the fact that he looked down on anyone not of his "social class". That meant Jim and I. We weren't rich therefore we didn't count except to show off to. This was the jerk that showed up in Wappapello that day. Jim and I were sitting in the shade on a bench in the town square and saw a cherry 67 Mustang Mach I pull to the curb. We were so busy looking at this amazing car, we didn't notice the driver. It was our "buddy" Henry Pratt his own self. Aw hell, just what we needed. "Hello boys," Henry chose to speak to us peons. He singled out Jim "I understand you know Lake Wappapello as good as anyone around here. I need a fishing guide." "What has that got to do with me Hank?" Henry hated to be called Hank. "That's Henry; I thought you would want to earn a guide fee. I mean with you financial situation you know," Henry's self importance showed in the tone of his voice. Jim's smile at Henry was anything but pleasant. "It does my heart good to know that someone like you is concerned with my plight," Jim responded. The sarcasm was thick enough to choke you. Henry didn't notice. "I don't have the time to run a guide trip for the next couple of weeks, I have to work at the store." Now the bullshit was getting knee deep. Henry left to find another poor unfortunate to hire. I turned to Jim and said, "It's amazing, Henry doesn't even know how big an asshole he is. I thought you were going to lite into him for a minute." Jim shook his head as he laughed. "Not this time but it may come to that if he stays around very long. Come on, help me stack those boxes at the store and then I'll buy the beer at the dance tomorrow night." Every Friday the VFW post in Wappapello held a fish fry and dance at their hall. In a town this size, the dance was the height of the night life. This was the first one that Jim and I had a chance to attend. Jim and I were standing near the bar at the dance and I overheard a young woman talking about the guide fee she was earning this weekend. Her back was turned to me and I couldn't see her face. She was telling another girl that Henry Pratt was paying more than top dollar. I turned to look at Jim; he had a big grin on his face. I have never been shy around woman and she looked nice from the back. She had long auburn hair and was tall at about 5 feet 9. So I leaned over and spoke into her ear. "You're welcome." When she turned to faced me, her green eyes bore through me like a laser. I think I had upset her a little. I knew she upset me. Now, as I said I have never been shy around woman and had a fairly active romantic career while in college. There was no one special, just a number of nice girls that I squired around. I hadn't connected beyond the physical with any of them. One look at this young woman and her green eyes and I connected with her. I knew what I wanted and I think I was done drifting. "What do you mean, you're welcome?" She was a little perturbed I think. "I turned down that job. You were his second choice I guess. So I accept your thanks and you're welcome." I smiled at her. "You can repay me by dancing with me." She was trying not to smile when she said, "Maybe Henry decided to give a poor unfortunate a chance before he came to hire his first choice. And I don't dance with men I don't know." "Well we can fix that, I'm John Riley. Now, how about that dance?" My friend, my buddy, my benefactor Jim stepped in right there. "Ally this is John Riley, he's a classmate and a friend. He's harmless and house broken so it's safe to dance with him. John this is Alexis Connelly. She and I went to high school together." "Please to meet you Alexis, now can we get to the dancing." Carpe diem (seize the day) I thought. Finally Alexis gave me a small smile. She nodded her head and we walked to the dance floor. The gods were on my side as we got there because the band began a slow song. I have nothing against fast dancing but it's a lot harder to get to know someone gyrating around than it is holding them close during a slow dance. And I definitely wanted to hold Alexis close to me. Alexis was a tall girl and she fit right in with my 6 foot 3 frame very nicely thanks. "He was right you know?" I told her. "Who was right and about what?" Alexis asked a little puzzled as she looked up at me. "Henry was right to hire you instead of me. If I had a choice between spending the day in a boat with someone like me or with someone that looks like you, I would pick you every time." I was trying to be as charming as possible. "Thank you, I think. Was that a compliment John?" Finally I got a full smile from her. I couldn't answer her at once. The combination of her smile and her sparkling green eyes was shaking my usual self confidence. "Yes ma'am, it was." Old mister smooth was smitten and didn't know how to handle it. "Do you know a lot about the lake? Is that why Henry wanted to hire you as a guide?" "I know that it's about three miles northwest of town and that it's wet," I admitted. "You mean you don't know anything about the lake? How were you going to guide him to the fish?" "Henry's such an idiot, he wouldn't know the difference. Anyway, it was Jim that Henry wanted as a guide. I just used the "you're welcome bit" to get to talk to you," I confessed with a big smile. She stopped dancing and stared at me. Then she started to laugh, shaking her head. I guess she was impressed with my little ploy to meet her. Alexis and I danced most of the slow numbers and a few of the fast ones that night. The rest of the evening we sat, talked, and got to know each other better. I learned that she had gone to school to be a large animal vet. I told about my teaching degree and admitted I wasn't sure what I was going to do yet. Before the night was over I was totally in like. I knew I had to tread lightly with her; the stuff I used in college would just push her away. "I have my truck, can I give you a lift home Alexis?" "Thanks, no. I came with a couple of girlfriends; I'll go home with them. Maybe I'll see you at the next dance." The next day I questioned Jim like an FBI agent for information on Alexis. I continued to pester him until he told me to shut up and he gave me all the information he knew about her. Jim started by telling me that Alexis and her father Bill owned and operated a working cattle slash dude ranch on the edge of town. Alexis' mother had left her and Bill several years ago. Apparently she didn't liking living in such a small town and just took off. The last they heard from her was Bill receiving the divorce papers dissolving the marriage. Bill said good riddance and continued to build his property into a good cattle ranch. Two years ago Alexis came up with the idea of letting people who wanted to live like cowboys come to the ranch. They herded cattle, helped with the branding, and generally pretended to be ranch hands. The idea took off like a shot and they now had a waiting list for spots at the ranch. I got Jim and me fresh cups of coffee and he continued with his tale. Alexis went to school at the University of Missouri in Columbia for veterinary medicine so she could help take care of the stock on the ranch. Bill was going to erect a building for a clinic at the ranch so she could treat other animals in the area. The profit from the ranch and her vet practice would provide them with a very nice income. "If you're thinking of getting close to Alexis you have a long road ahead of you. She has never dated the same guy for more than a few weeks and I don't think she has any plans to change in the near future," Jim advised me. That final statement from him made me reconsider the way I was going to approach Alexis. "Oh ye of little faith," I responded. But I was worried. I had definitely fallen in serious like with Alexis and hoped to develop a stronger relationship with her. All of my feelings were based on a few hours at a dance. Maybe I was nuts but I wanted to get to know her better. Friday night rolled around and the usual VFW dance and fish fry was scheduled again. Jim was in a hurry to get there; there was a certain young lady that he wanted to get to know better. I told him I was going to wait for about an hour after the dance started before I drove to the VFW hall. "Why are you waiting so long, John?" Jim didn't understand my plan. "If I show up as the dance begins and start looking for Alexis, she will think I came just to see her," I explained. "But you are going just to see her, aren't you?" "Yeah, but she doesn't have to know that. This way I won't appear too eager." Jim just shook his head at my logic. "I think you are playing games when you don't' have to," he advised me. "It may come back to bite you in the ass." I got to the dance about an hour and a half after it started and spotted Alexis as I walked into the hall. I got quite a shock, Henry was standing next to Alexis and she was laughing at something he had said. So much for my brilliant plan. You know sometimes I'm just too smart for my own good. I wandered over to the bar to get a beer and plan my next move. I had planned to casually notice Alexis and strike up a conversation, and then share a few dances with her, and hopefully a walk around the town. Now I thought a more direct approach might be a better idea. After getting a beer I started toward Alexis. As I got closer, Henry must have seen me coming and led Alexis onto the dance floor which left me with nowhere to go. Instead of folding, I continued across the dance floor to the girl that Alexis had been talking to the first night I met her. When I got to the young lady, I introduced myself and ask her to dance. Nancy introduced herself and agreed to dance with me, smiling the whole time. As we moved around the floor she kept looking to see where Alexis was. I thought she might be concerned that Alexis would be upset that we were dancing. Then Nancy burst my bubble, "Aren't you going to get closer to her so you can hear what's going on?" "What? Get closer to whom?" "Come on John. You spent the whole evening with Alexis last week and now you want me to believe that you are attracted to me?" Nancy was a very smart young lady. "To tell the truth, I was hoping to spend some time with Alexis tonight, but she seems to have found a new guy. And I would rather dance with a pretty lady than lean against the wall." The song ended and I walked Nancy back to her table, thanked her for the dance and went back to the bar. As I turned after getting another beer, Alexis and Henry were standing in front of me. I nodded at them and stepped aside so they could get to the bar and walked away. Alexis smiled and started to say something but I just kept walking. A little later I was outside sitting on a hay bale and she walked over to me. "Hi John, weren't you going to a least say hello to me?" "You were busy and I didn't want to break in on your date. And I don't care for the company your keeping." "You mean Henry? And he's not my date." "Yeah, I mean Henry. I didn't care for him at school and I like him even less now." "Why is that? Henry is a nice boy and very charming." "I wouldn't know about him being charming or nice. He spent four years at school lording it over us 'peons' and bragging about his family's money. I've had about all of Henry that I care to. If you're as smart as I think, you'll shine him on." "And who are you to tell me what to do?" Her indignation washed over me like a tidal wave. "I'm old enough to pick my own friends without any help from you, Mister. I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself." Now I was the one that was mad. "You're right, I'm a nobody. I was just trying to warn a friend." I couldn't help myself and went on. "Once Henry has hooked you, he'll go back to being the ass that he really is." Before she could respond I stood up, nodded at Alexis and walked to my truck. So much for my plans for a nice evening with a pretty girl. City Boy & Country Girl I may have had way too much to drink that night, because the next morning I was still in bed at 10:00. What's more I was fully dressed except for my boots. My head was pounding and my mouth tasted like old sneakers or something. Jim came into the room we were sharing with coffee to help me get my motor running. He's a good friend but it's not nice to laugh at us poor suffering unfortunates and he was braying like a jack ass. "What got into you last night? I've never seen you drink that much, not even at the frat parties at school. I had to leave the dance early and drive you home." Jim preached to me. "And what did you say to Ally? According to Nancy, Ally is hot enough to boil water. What's going on?" "We had a discussion about her choice of playmates. She informed me that I wasn't her conscience and to keep my opinions to myself. I don't know why she should be mad now; she made her position very clear." I was feeling sorry for myself. "I guess I blew it." Jim looked at me, shook his head and said, "I've never seen you react this way over a girl. Anyway I don't think you blew it. Nancy says the reason that Ally is so mad is because you ignored her all night and when Ally tried to talk to you, you sort of blew her off. That's why she's upset. I think you made quite an impression on our girl last night." I finally was able to get out of bed and start my day. Alexis was on my mind all morning and I thought about going to the ranch and apologizing. I realized that wouldn't work because she was still upset about last night. Maybe I should give her a day or two to cool down. Of course I didn't think I had anything to be sorry about, but logic doesn't work when dealing with women. At lunch Jim asked, "What are you going to do about Ally? Are you just going to give up?" "Right now I barely know town I'm in. Man, that's it for the booze, no more for me. To answer your question, I don't know what to do or if anything can be done to remedy the situation. I'm going to give her a little time to cool off and then I will apologize to her." I went to the store with Jim to help with a few chores and while we were working, I came up with an idea. "What I have to do Jim, is manage to be around Alexis a lot without stalking her. I need for her to get to know me and allow her anger to fade away. I haven't figure out how to do that yet but I will." We finished the work at the store and started back to Jim's house for lunch. Along the way we passed the newspaper office. The Town Crier was a once a week paper for the area. The editors usually displayed parts of the paper in their window. They would post the headlines of the major stories in the news and the classified ads. The ads consisted of announcements such as Molly & Jason Smith announce the birth of their daughter etc or Mrs. Johnson will hold a quilting bee at her house on etc and other upcoming events. In addition the editors posted the ads for things for sale and the help wanted section. Now, I don't believe in fate or everything happens for a reason or any of that mumbo jumbo. However, under the help wanted section was an ad from Bill Connelly wanting a general helper on his ranch. Maybe I was getting a little extra help from somewhere or someone. It was a perfect way to spend time around Alexis without seeming to stalk her. If I could get the job, that is. The next morning I was at the ranch office when Bill Connelly arrived. He was a tall weather beaten man in his late 40s. The years working on the ranch had tanned his face to a deep brown but I could see where Alexis got her auburn hair, green eyes, and height. Mr. Connelly was the male version of Alexis, only bigger. I met him as he got out of his truck, introduced myself and told him I wanted the job he had open. Mr. Connelly motioned me into his office. I noticed that he was about an inch taller than me. He strode purposely on his long legs but with a slight limp toward his desk. "Sit down John. Do you have any experience as a ranch or farm hand?" "No sir, but I will work hard and give you a fair days work," I answered him. "I'm basically a city boy and the only time I've spent in the "country" was vacationing in Van Buren. And all I did there was fish, hunt, and play on Current River. I know very little about horses and all I know about cattle is that's where steaks came from." It probably didn't help my cause, but I wanted to be honest with Mr. Connelly. He seemed lost in thought for a few seconds and asked, "Are you the same John Riley that my daughter has been talking about for the last two weeks?" Mr. Connelly seemed to be hiding a smile. "I did meet you daughter last week at the dance and I saw her again this week. Don't know if I'm the guy she's been talking about though." "Is Alexis the reason you want to work here? You think you can get close to her by being here, is that it?" I thought about denying it but opted for the truth. "Mr. Connelly, I'll be honest with you. I admit that's part of it, but I need a job. Jim Barnes and his family are letting me stay with them this summer, but I would feel better if I could pay my share. I never did like freeloading. So yes if I get the job I hope to see and talk to Alexis a little, after my work is done of course." I had been using some of my trust fund for pocket money and a job would allow me to stop dipping into that account. "Well you gave me an honest answer about your qualifications and didn't try to sidestep it when I asked about Alexis. I like that. Okay John, you can start tomorrow. Show up at the barn over there at 6 and we'll see if we can make a ranch hand out of you." Bright and early I showed up at the barn, just as Mr. Connelly came out of his office. He waved me into the barn. There I learned to muck out the horse stalls, put down new straw for the horses and mules, and how to feed them. There were a multitude of other duties I had to be shown. My second day there, I saw Alexis for the first time. She did her best to ignore and keep away from me, but I cornered her in the barn late in the afternoon. "Hi Alexis. Nice to see you. I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night. I should have minded my own business. Sorry." Okay, I apologized for what, I have no idea. But maybe it would smooth things over between us. "You're right, you should have stayed out of my business," she responded and stomped out of the barn. Well damn, her response wasn't what I expected. I tried but apparently she had already made up her mind about me. Maybe I should go stay with my parents in Van Buren for the rest of the summer I thought. But then I remembered that I had given my word to Mr. Connelly to work for him for the season and I couldn't just bail on him now. Besides, I might get her to change her mind. ******************* I had been at the ranch for a week or so and one of the things I learned how to do was to brush and curry the horses and mules. After the horses and mules had been ridden or used for some time of work, they had to be brushed down and a curry comb used on them. Horses are not too bad to work on most of the time; the thing you have to watch with horses is they might accidentally step on you. Some of the horses weigh 1200 pounds and if they step on your foot you might lose some toes. Mules on the other hand are four legged devils. They will actually try to step on your foot and mules will wait until you turn your back and bite you. I don't mean a little nip, I mean a "let's take a chunk of meat out of this human" type bite. Jericho was the biggest and meanest of the mules and one morning as I was brushing him down he nipped me hard enough to draw blood. It could have been worse but I saw his head move toward me out of the corner of my eye and jerked my arm away. I wrapped a bandanna around my arm and continued the brushing. Jericho must have still been hungry because he tried to bite me again. This time I was ready. I hit Jericho on the nose with my fist; just as hard as I could. Mike Tyson would have been proud of that punch. The mule jerked his head back and when he turned to look at me, I hit him again. As I picked up the brush I saw Mr. Connelly standing behind me and realized he had seen the whole thing. Oh damn, now I'm in trouble I thought. "John if slap them with a flat palm, you won't hurt your hand if you hit them in the teeth instead of on the nose," he told me as he tried to suppress a smile. "I'm sorry Mr. Connelly but that damn mule has tried to bite me every time I curry him and I've had enough. I didn't mean to hurt the animal, but I'm going to teach him not to bite me." "Make that Bill from now on and you can't hurt a mule with your fist. C'mon let's get you some first aid for your arm." Then a tornado descended on my head. It was Alexis and she was mad as hell that I would hit a "defenseless animal" like Jericho. She said I was cruel, she was going to report me to PETA, and she would have me arrested for animal cruelty and so on for about five minutes. Bill tried to defend me by saying, "Ally the last time that animal bit me I took a broom stick to him. He hasn't bothered me since. John was just protecting himself" Alexis didn't want to hear that and said sadly, "Oh Daddy how could you?" She ran into the barn, jumped on a horse, and took off like a shot. ******************** For the next week Alexis was on my case about every little thing I did. She made it a point to always order me to do some chore or task. On Thursday afternoon, I was putting away some bridles, halters, and other tack when Alexis came into the barn to watch me. "You're doing that all wrong," she told me. "That's the way your father showed me so that's the way I'm doing it. If you don't like it, do it yourself" "You can't speak to me like that. I'm your boss. You'll do things the way I want them done or I'll fire you." You could see by the flush on her face that she was upset that I didn't jump to do what she ordered me to. She wasn't going to like my reply any better. "Alexis, I work for your dad, not for you. If he wants me to do it differently, he can tell me or he can fire me." She came over and tried to take the halter I was holding away from me. I don't know if she was going to take it away to show me how she wanted things done or if she did it just to get my attention. Whatever she planned didn't turn out the way she wanted. Alexis was pulling on the halter and I was pulling back like a tug of war, but then I let go. She took about four steps backward and fell on her butt. What was worse she fell in a pile of horse manure. I guess, hell I know, I shouldn't have laughed at her, but the look on her face was really funny. Her face had turned red with embarrassment and she almost screamed at me, "How dare you, stop laughing." Of course this made me laugh even harder. Alexis stood up, stepped close to me, and slapped my face. I was stunned, that was something I never expected. Apparently, it was something she never expected either. She said, "Oh my God." Alexis grabbed a horse jumped up on it bareback and galloped out of the barn. I took a moment to recover from the slap and then I got mad. Why did she slap me? Maybe wasn't nice to laugh at her accident, but I didn't deserve to be slapped. Enough I thought, I've put up with her bossing me around and insulting me all week and it was going to end here. I grabbed another horse but unlike Alexis I had to climb up on it. She had mounted with a graceful leap while I had to sort of lay across the horses back on my stomach and work my way to a sitting position. It was just luck that I took a horse wearing a hackamore. A hackamore is like a bridle but without a bit that's used to control a horse when you ride him. Let me say here that I know how to sit on a horse, but I wouldn't say I know how to actually ride one and I had never tried to ride bareback. I wouldn't call my exit out of the barn a gallop, it was more of a bone jarring trot. At least I was moving and following Alexis. She had stopped under some trees by a small stream and I was able to catch up to her. If she hadn't stopped I would have never gotten in sight of her. She was sitting on a stump staring across the meadow and turned when I rode up. I pulled my horse to a stop and started to talk to Alexis. She yelled, "Shut up," and again leaped on her horse and took off. I hadn't ridden out here just to be ignored and I kicked my horse to follow Alexis. The devil beast I was riding apparently didn't care to be kicked in the flanks and bucked me off. I sailed off his back and landed in a blackberry patch. Blackberry's grew wild in that area and spread out into large patches of thorny plants. As I climbed to my feet Alexis came back and wanted to know if I was hurt. I just shook my head no and began to pick thorns out of my body. There couldn't have been more than a hundred thorns stuck in different parts of my anatomy. Alexis watched for a few seconds, turned her horse, and galloped back toward the barn. She didn't look back to see if I was following her. Unfortunately my horse decided he would return to the barn without me. I was more than two miles from the barn and on foot. On the trek back to the barn, I decided that I was done. I had tried to get to know Alexis better. But if this last week was an indication of her real personality, then I knew all I needed to and didn't care for it. I was limping back to the barn and had a piece of good luck. One of the other ranch hands came by on a four wheeler and picked me up. We made it back to the barn in about five minutes. When I entered the barn, Alexis was brushing the horse she had ridden and she pointedly ignored me as I approached her. Grabbing her arm, I turned her to face me. I had intended to turn her over my knee and spank her, but those green eyes made me change my mind. Instead of spanking her like a brat, I pulled her to me and kissed her. After a few seconds when she started to respond, I pushed her away. "Now have your dad fire me," I said in a loud angry voice. I turned my back on her and it was my turn to stomp out of the barn. I went back to Jim's and got cleaned up and wondered if I should reconsider my decision to quit drinking. Going over the day's events, I decided this might be a good time to visit my parents. Jim came in and I told him what had happened. "I think I really blew this time," I admitted. "I think I'll go visit my parents tomorrow, might be a good time for it." The next morning around 7:00 I was packing my gear. Jim's mother knocked on my door and told me I had a phone call. I went into the kitchen and took the call. It was Bill Connelly. "Had you planned to come to work today John or were you going to sleep all day?" He surprised me with the question. "I didn't think I still had a job after my run in with Alexis yesterday," I replied. "John, I don't have any idea what you're talking about. I don't remember firing you so get your butt to work or I'll doc you pay," Bill ordered. Bill was leaning up against a hitching rail when I drove into the yard. He motioned toward his office and I followed him into the room. "Okay, I guess I better know what's going on between you two. Tell me about it." So I began the story from the night I met Alexis at the dance and continued through our confrontation yesterday. "I still don't understand why Alexis was and is so mad at me. I apologized for butting in but she didn't want to hear it." At first I thought Bill was moaning he had his head down and his hands over his face. Then I realized he was trying to keep from laughing. It made me a little mad that he was laughing at me. I certainly didn't see the humor in all of this. "John, you don't know anymore about women than you do about horses, do you? Look I don't interfere in Alexis' life away from the ranch unless she asks for my help. She is a woman grown, and I trust and respect her decisions about her life. But I think I need to help you because you obviously are in over your head." Bill was almost lecturing me. "Huh, what are you talking about Bill?" "Pay attention, stay with me here. When you are trying to teach a young horse, a colt, fresh off the range to drink from a water trough you have to be patient. The colt wants the water, he needs the water, but he is a little spooked about the trough. He will attack it and shy away from it, but finally the colt will get over being afraid and drink the water." I must have had a puzzled look on my face. I said, "What?" "Alexis is like that colt. She doesn't want to be in love, but she is drawn to you and it spooks her. She's fighting against it but if you're patient she will get over being afraid just like that colt. Give her some time John, it will be worth the wait." Bill finished his lecture. "I hate to sound like I'm in high school, but are you saying Alexis likes me? Maybe more than likes me?" "Yes John," he said with exaggerated patience. "Now I'm done being "Dear Abby" for you two. I suggest you go back to work and let things cool down a bit. She's a woman and if you don't keep chasing her, she will come to you to find out why you stopped." "One last thing Bill. Why are you helping me with Alexis? You don't really know me. And to be honest I don't know if Alexis and I will get beyond being friends." "No I don't know you but Alexis is attracted to you and I want her to be happy. Even if you two don't become more than friends, you are the first young man that she has shown any real interest in. I also talked to Jim and his parents about you. They said that you're a good person and I respect you for your honesty and work ethic. But I warn you, if you treat Alexis as anything but a lady, you and I will have a serious discussion. Get back to work." Alexis came into the barn where I was working around noon. "Alexis, I'm sorry about my actions yesterday. I guess I lost my head for a minute. Anyway, I'm sorry." She gave me a strange little smile and nodded her head, but didn't say anything. I didn't see Alexis again until late that afternoon as she came out of her dad's office. My work day was over and I was heading back to Jim's. I heard her tell her dad that she would be home early from the dance. She glanced at me but made no sign that she had seen me and went back into the house. I finished for the day and as I got to my truck Henry pulled into the yard in his Mustang. Well that's just great, Alexis was going to the dance with that ass, Henry. He walked to the door of the house and Alexis came out to meet him. They came to Henry's car and discovered a flat tire on the Mustang. It must have gone flat just as he pulled into the yard. I had just gotten to my truck and was climbing in to leave as Alexis walked past me into the office. My truck was parked in front of the office and I overheard Alexis and her dad talking. I wasn't eavesdropping you understand, but I was listening carefully. "Daddy, Henry's car has a flat and it's too late to get someone from the gas station here to fix it. I'm going to use your truck to go to the dance with Henry, okay?" "Use your own truck, Alexis. ," Bill answered her. "But Daddy, my truck is in the shop. Let me drive yours please." "I have to go see Charley about that bull he owns. He's leaving first thing in the morning so it has to be tonight. I can give you and that boy a ride to the dance on my way to Charley's and you can call me when you're ready to come home," Bill told her. "Don't be out too late though, I have a couple of fences to work on tomorrow and I want to get finished before the heat of the day." I don't know if he realized what a disruption that would be to the couple's plans for the evening. But Bill was pretty insightful man and I bet he did know how demeaning it would be for Henry to have to beg a ride with his date's father. City Boy & Country Girl Alexis came out of the office rather briskly to talk to Henry. I thing she was a little upset with her father. After Henry ranted and raved for a couple of minutes he saw me in my truck. He apparently didn't like the idea of having to ride with Bill and started to walk toward me. Alexis followed Henry to my truck. "John be a good fellow and change that tire for me will you". I'll pay you and I know someone like you can always use a little extra cash." This was said with Henry's normal "I'm the master" tone in his voice. Apparently it never crossed his feeble mind to change his own tire. Alexis looked at Henry in surprise at his tone and his attitude. That's it Hank, show Alexis the real you, you're proving my point I thought. She started to say something to Henry, but turned to me instead said, "John you don't have to do this. Dad will give us a ride to the dance and come and pick me up." "Don't sweat it Alexis, I'll change the tire. Just keep porky there away from me while I work." I got the keys from Henry and went to the car. I put the spare on the Mustang, loaded the flat back into the trunk and started back to my truck. "Here you are John," Henry said holding out a fifty dollar bill. I stared at him for a few seconds and turned to leave. "Here, I know you can use the money. I hired you and you deserve your pay," Henry said. "I didn't do it for you or your money, Hank. Put the money away or you might end up having to eat that fifty." I got into and started my truck. Before I could drive away, Alexis came to the window. "Why did you change the tire if not for the money, John?" She spoke with a very soft wondering tone. "I did it for your dad. He would wait until 11:00 or 12:00 to pick you up and still get up at daylight to go to work. I work twelve hours a day but he's already working when I get here and is still at it when I leave. Me changing the tire means he can get a few more hours rest." "That's nice of you John. Why don't you meet us at the dance and I'll buy you a beer?" Alexis smiled at me. I smiled back at her and shook my head no. "No thanks, you have a good time. Good night Alexis." She stepped back from the truck and I drove to Jim's. When I got back to my room I took a shower. You get really nasty working in a barn but that probably doesn't surprise you. By the time I cleaned up and got something to eat it was almost 8:00. I sat out on the front porch with a cup of coffee and the one cigar a day that I allowed myself. As I sat down in one of the rocking chairs, Jim's truck pulled up to the house. I thought it strange that Jim had came home this early. He was chasing after this one young lady and I thought she had run just fast enough for him to catch her. The only thing I could think of was a lover's spat between Jim and his new girl. I looked down as I lit my cigar and heard the truck door open and close. When I heard his footsteps on the porch, I looked up and started to rag on Jim for being home so early. I almost choked on the cigar smoke, it wasn't Jim. Alexis came over and sat down in the chair next to me. "Hi John, got another cup of coffee?" I guess I was in some kind of shock because all I did was go get the coffee for her. It wasn't until I was back on the porch with her coffee that I recovered enough to talk. "What are you doing here? The dance isn't over yet is it? What are you doing with Jim's truck?" I was babbling a little. Giggling at me, Alexis began to answer my questions. "No, the dance isn't over yet and I borrowed Jim's truck to come get you. I want you to come back to the dance with me." Now I was really stunned but recovered more quickly. "I don't think Henry would like this very much. I think I'll pass Alexia." Alexis was still giggling a little and asked, "Don't you want to go to the dance with me?" "I would like nothing better, but if I do Henry will cause trouble. If he gets in my face I will be forced to knock him on his ass. I don't want to cause a problem at the dance, so I'll just stay here thanks." "Henry's not in the equation any longer so do what you want to do." "What'da you mean he's not involved anymore?" Then Alexis gave me a little course in current events. Henry had called some of his entourage from Poplar Bluff and had them join him at the dance. It seems that Henry revealed his true colors that evening. When he and Alexis got to the dance, she saw firsthand his "I am the master" personality and attitude. It started when he wanted the people sitting at the table he chose to move and offered to pay them. There was room at the table for Henry, Alexis and the two couples that had come over from Poplar Bluff, but he wanted the table all for himself and his minions. He told Alexis that he didn't want to sit with "those type of people". The people refused to leave the table and basically told him to get lost. After finding another table, Henry said some unkind things about the people working the bar, something to the extent that they weren't smart enough to get any other type of work. Of course his followers fawned on him and agreed. The "God" act by Henry didn't impress or set well with Alexis and she told Henry she didn't like it. He told her that he may have been wrong about her and maybe she couldn't overthrow her lower class mentality. Big mistake Henry old boy. Alexis did what I had wanted to do to Henry since the first day I met him. She slapped him so hard that she knocked him on his ass. Then she started on a tirade that lasted for five minutes concerning his parentage, his lack of manners, and his lack of intelligence. There were other things, too numerous to count, that she talked about. In the end Alexis suggested that Henry and his entourage go to a very hot place usually reserved for sinners. Some of what happened I got from Alexis that evening sitting on the porch. She sort of down played the entire thing, telling me only that she had told Henry to leave and the sooner the better. The truth about what happened and the rest of the story I got from Jim, some of it at the dance and the rest the next day. Yeah, I caved in and followed Alexis back to the dance in my truck. We had to return Jim's truck didn't we and then she would need a ride home. Around 9:30, Alexis and I took a ride out to Lake Wappapello. We needed a quiet place to talk over the last few weeks and I had never seen the lake at night under the moon. At least that was our excuse. But let me say here, we did nothing that we couldn't have done in front of her father. Maybe later, I thought. "Why the change of heart Alexis?" I mean for the last couple of weeks the best I could hope for was that you wouldn't even notice me." She explained that she had been angry that I presumed to tell her who she should be friends with and that led to her bad behavior toward me. "I'm sorry about how I've been treating you John, please forgive me. You were right about Henry and you have a big "I told you so" coming. Go ahead, I deserve it." I smiled at her and shook my head. "No need. In spite of what Henry said I think you have class enough to learn from your mistakes. Maybe listen to me from now on, before you go off half cocked." We got back to the ranch about midnight. When I stopped the truck, Alexis leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you John, see you Monday." She bounced out of the truck and into her house. I had already told my parents that I would spend the weekend with them at the "farm" so I had to leave the next morning. It was good to see my folks and we had a good time. However I couldn't wait to get back to Wappapello and see Alexis. Monday at the ranch, I was in the barn working, again. Bill strolled in and watched me as I mucked out the stalls. He was trying to hide a grin, not very successfully I might add. "Do you know how Ally got home after the dance? I haven't asked her because she would think I was prying. I do know she didn't get home until midnight or so." "Bill I changed that tire so you could get some extra rest. What were you doing up at midnight?" I adroitly dodged his question. "John when you're a parent you never go into a deep sleep until your children are all safe at home. I was catnapping until Alexis got home, then I went to sleep. But I still want to know who brought her home. It wasn't that Mustang that dropped her off, it was a truck." "Okay, I brought her home. She and Henry had a falling out and she needed a ride. Alexis apologized to me for her actions lately and we took a ride out to the lake to talk." When I told him about the trip to the lake, Bill stood a little taller and seemed to puff up. "You took her out to the lake at night "to talk" did you?" "Bill you warned me to treat her like a lady and I did. All we did is talk. When I brought her home, she did kiss me on the cheek and thanked me. That's all Bill." The tension passed and I told him the story that I had gotten from Alexis and Jim. He laughed when I told him about Alexis knocking Henry on his ass. I also told him that I hoped to date Alexis now that we were speaking to each other. His grin finally broke through. "Good luck boy. You're going to need it if you're going to squire Ally around. She will be a hand full." As he left he was chuckling at me. ********************** The next few weeks were very interesting for Alexis and me. We started out as friends but it quickly developed into more. We spent almost every available minute together and our feelings for each other became deeper every day. I took Alexis to meet my parents and they immediately bonded as well. My dad said I had done good. Maybe I was done drifting and had found what I wanted to do. Alexis and I spent some of the weekends exploring Lake Wappapello; I guess you could say she was my guide. I learned that there is a lot more to the lake than just being wet. One day were out in a boat fishing, although I was paying more attention to Alexis in her bikini than I was to my fishing pole and she looked at me with a question on her face and in her eyes. "Yes, what is it Alexis?" I could tell she had something on her mind and hoped it wasn't that she thought we should just be friends. "It's just that, all my friends call me Ally, even my dad calls me Ally but you always call me Alexis. Why?" I heaved a sigh of relief and replied, "Just something I do I guess. I never thought about it much." I wasn't telling the whole story but my reason would embarrass me to say out loud. Alexis was more perceptive than I thought. "What's the real reason John? Don't you feel close enough or comfortable enough with me to use my nickname?" Now I had no choice but to tell her how I felt. "When I saw you the first time at the dance, you were so beautiful that you almost took my breath away. And when Jim introduced us, I thought Yeah, a fitting name for you. Your name is regal and beautiful and unique just like you. I can't call you anything else without feeling like I'm demeaning my feelings for you. So you will always be Alexis to me." I know, melodramatic but that's how I've felt about her since the first time I met her. "You know you could call me sweetheart or honey or sweetie sometimes. I think that would be okay, don't you?" Alexis was smiling that little pixie smile of hers. Summer was coming to the end and Alexis and I were growing closer every day. Were my feelings for Alexis a summer romance type of thing or did I really care for her. I had an important decision to make and as the days passed I began to think of my future, something I hadn't had to do yet. ******************** So now you rejoin me on the bluff high above Lake Wappapello as I'm trying to make the most important decision of my life. I don't know enough about being in love to say that I was in love Alexis. But I know when I'm with her I'm alive and happy and when I'm not with her I feel like part of me is missing. The feelings I have for Alexis will have to do for now because I can't think of my life without her in it. Maybe that's what love is after all. As usual my thinking place on that high bluff had cleared my head and helped me make a decision. I headed back to the ranch. When I got back to the ranch, Bill was sitting in front of his office with his feet propped on the porch rail drinking a beer. As I joined him he tossed me a beer and I sat down. Neither of us said anything for three or four minutes. Bill was the one to break the silence. "Don't you get enough of this place during the week? What are you doing here John?" "Wanted to talk to you Bill and then Alexis. I promised you that I would always treat Alexis like a lady and I've kept my word. Now I would like to treat her as a wife. I'm asking you for your permission to marry your daughter." Bill finished his beer, crushed the can, and pulled out two more, tossing one to me. He hesitated for a minute or so and said, "I wondered when you would get your act together and marry that girl. I've seen it coming ever since you kissed her in the barn and told her she can't fire you. Hell yes you have my permission. Maybe you can tame that wildcat, but I doubt it." After saying that he stood up, pulled me out of my chair and hugged me. "Welcome to the family John. But maybe you better go ask the lady, we might be premature here." Bill laughed at the look on my face. "Go on, Ally's in the barn." Alexis was brushing her horse when I entered the barn. I walked over to her gave her a quick kiss, picked her up and sat on a hay bale with her on my lap. She started laughing as I carried her to our seat on the hay bale. "What's gotten into you, Mister?" "I have something to tell you and I didn't want you jumping on a horse and running away again after I tell you," I said in as serious a voice as I could. "You sound ominous John. What is it?" The laughing stopped and a concerned look replaced the smile on her face. "I care about you very much Alexis. It wasn't until I was out at the lake this morning that I realized how much. I was sitting on that bluff above the lake and thought I wish Alexis was here. That's when I realized that I love you. I want us to be together for the foreseeable future, say the next sixty or seventy years. Will you marry me Alexis?" It was the most difficult question to ask that I had ever ask anyone, almost as tough as the one I asked Bill a few minutes earlier. The hours, or so it seemed, until Alexis answered me, it was actually about twenty seconds, was the most stressful time in my life. "I love you too and yes I will marry you. But I would like you to ask my father's permission. It really doesn't make any difference but it would be a nice gesture on your part. Will you do that for me?" "Already done. You dad said good riddance or something like that," I joked. The rest of our conversation is private and of no interest to anyone but Alexis and I. Let me just say that a hayloft in a barn has more uses than just storing food for the animals. ******************* Our wedding day was three months after Alexis agreed to marry me. Jim was my best man and his girlfriend soon to be his fiancée was Alexis' maid of honor. Bill of course walked Alexis down the aisle. There are people who say that all brides are beautiful and they may be right. But Alexis was so far past beautiful that it hurt my eyes to look at her. Her auburn hair set off the ivory color of her dress and her green eyes shining behind her veil were like lasers into my heart. I couldn't believe that this woman was going to be my wife. The first thing my bride said to me after the ceremony as we were walking back up the aisle was, "I guess you're done drifting now, aren't you?" My dad and mom came from Van Buren for the wedding and the reception. They hadn't planned on staying overnight but it was a good party. My dad sure can put away the bourbon; of course he couldn't drive so they stayed at Bill's place until the next morning. Actually I heard later that it was closer to late afternoon before Dad could navigate his way back to his farm. Bill had followed tradition and paid for most of his daughter's wedding even though it put a little strain on the pocket book, but he did let my parents help with some of the expenses. There had been some capital expenditures made on the ranch and things were a little tight right now. No problem, it would just take a while for his income to rebuild the accounts. The vet clinic for Alexis was on hold for another year or so. I knew about the financial situation because Bill had explained what and why he was doing the improvements to the ranch. Alexis was planning for us to live at the ranch house and I didn't have a problem with that, at least for a little while. Our honeymoon wasn't a long one or at an exotic locale, rather we spent four days on a houseboat on Lake Wappapello. We anchored the boat back in a cove at the upper end of the lake and never saw another person for the whole trip. It was the most enjoyable time I had ever spent on the lake and not just because of the scenery. The afternoon that Alexis and I returned to the ranch, I ask Bill and her to come into the office. I told them I had something to talk to both of them about. After we were seated, I sprang my surprise. "Honey, Bill, I know that you have plans for a vet clinic here on the ranch. And I know that because of the cost of the necessary repairs that the clinic has been put on hold. I also appreciate you sharing you home with us Bill." I took the drawing for the clinic building from their place on the shelf. "I have had these plans reworked to include a large home attached to it." I had both Bill and Alexis confused now. If there wasn't any money to build the clinic how could a house and clinic be built? I could see the confusion on their faces. "Bill why don't you unroll the drawings and take a look at the changes?" Still looking a little confused Bill unrolled the drawings and as he did a cashier's check fell out. "That check is for $200,000 dollars guys. Bill if you donate the land, it's enough to build the house and clinic and it's my wedding present to you Alexis. There is still a little in my trust fund that will allow me to help with expenses until my job starts." "What job?" Alexis had no idea what I was getting at. "Before I came to talk to you Bill and propose to you Honey, I stopped and put in an application with the school board here in Wappapello. I start with the spring semester and with school getting out at 3:00 I can still help around the ranch." ********************** Five years have passed since my investment in our future. Things are good. The house and clinic were built the first year. We have almost more business than we can handle at the vet clinic. We hired a Jim's cousin, Jason, to work part time for us, both at the clinic and on the ranch. He is going to Veterinary School in Poplar Bluff which is only seventeen miles away so he commutes daily. When he graduates, he will work full time at our clinic. By that time we will probably hire another hand to work the ranch. With my schedule teaching, I'm still able to put some work in at the ranch. It's always good to know something about animals when your wife is a veterinarian. I can actually ride a horse now rather than just sit on one. But I will never be as good as Alexis. I also run a fishing guide business on Lake Wappapello when the school is on summer break. That job is more of an excuse to go fishing, but it still brings in a few bucks. The house we build is pretty large and it has four bedrooms plus three baths all on one floor. I'm glad I decided on a big house because we may fill it up with kids. Alexis and I have two boys with one four and the other two. The oldest boy is already riding horses. We plan for one more child before we quit. Well anyway that's the plan right now, subject to change. City Boy & Country Girl For a guy that came to town for the summer, just drifting, I have to say that I was very lucky to find my dream. Especially because I didn't know that it was my dream at the time. Quote: Life goes on.