8 comments/ 84670 views/ 16 favorites Irish Eyes By: Colleen Thomas The big Jag pulled into an empty parking place at the top of the cliff. The Irish sea roiled under storm clouds beyond the guard rail. A woman emerged from the powerful car and walked hesitantly to the rail, tall and graceful in high heels. She was old now, nearing her fifty-first birthday, but still striking, body lush and curvy, the legs still well toned in their black stockings. Her white silk blouse did little to hide a bust that had been called the highest peaks in county Mayo when she was young. Her face was lined now, but the small wrinkles gave her an air of dignity and elegance, as did the silver crown of hair. Her green eyes were beautiful and vibrant, although today they had a far away quality. She glanced back at the small park behind her. When she'd left Ireland, the park had been a wood, wild and untamed. Now there were several tourists in loud clothes with cameras strung to their necks. An elderly couple sat on a bench and a young woman with dark hair sat on a blanket on the ground. The young woman seemed to be staring at Katherine, but Katherine decided that the girl was probably staring at the sea. What did you expect? Katherine asked herself. It was thirty years ago, a promise made by silly young lovers in the heat of passion. Marianne would probably be laughing if she knew you had traveled all the way here to keep that date. Marianne. The image of the small dark girl flashed before her eyes, Marianne dressed in the same dress she had worn that warm summer's eve. Romantic old fool, she thought and turned back to the sea. Her thoughts came one after the other in a jumble, almost spoken aloud: She should go now. She'd wasted a great deal of her time on this trip and her company would go downhill fast if she didn't look after it. She'd been foolish to come, and she would skip the rest of her stay and fly back tonight; she should just be able to get to Shannon and catch the flight to Heathrow. She would never come back; this was her last time to touch her native soil. Too bad it ended on a sad note, but at least she had a chance to visit her mother's grave and say goodbye. "Excuse me," a heavily accented voice said, interrupting her thoughts. "Yes?" Katherine said, turning to find herself staring into Marianne's eyes. Deep green pools, with the distinctive circle of hazel coloring around the pupil. Only these eyes were young and belonged to the dark haired girl who'd been sitting on the blanket. "Would you be Katherine O'Leary?" "Barrington. It's Katherine Barrington now. But yes, I was Katherine O'leary once, long ago." "My name's Heather. Heather Fitzhugh," The name meant nothing to Katherine. She had known a few Fitzhughs in her day, but none she had been close to, and certainly none knew she was coming to Ireland. She tried to think, but she could not tear her gaze away from those eyes. She said: "I'm sorry, but I don't know you." "No, but you knew my mother, Marianne McQuire," the girl said with a smile. Katherine was shocked. But she could see it now. The resemblance was uncanny, save for the girl's light complexion. "She asked me to give you this," the girl continued, handing Katherine a yellowed envelope. Katherine's hands were shaking as she carefully tore it open. The paper inside had been lilac-colored once, but it too was beginning to show the discoloration of the envelope. Dearest Katherine, I regret I'll be unable to keep our date. I've never forgotten our date, never forgotten you or those nights of passion on the cliff. I have cancer and the doctors give me only another month to live. I'm entrusting this letter to my youngest daughter. She's devoted and a good child, the only one of my five I can trust, and I hope she finds you on the cliff. I still love you... Marrianne The letter was dated almost ten years ago. Katherine felt the tears well in her eyes. The world faded into the background as her sorrow rose. Thirty years had not diminished the feelings at all. Mixed with grief was elation that she had not been forgotten. "Are you all right?" the girl said. "Yes, child. Thank you," Katherine replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to compose herself. The young woman spoke in a soft voice: "I've guarded that letter for over half my life, and at times the temptation to open it was almost more than I could bear. At other times I wanted to throw it into the sea. My mother spent three days writing it, and she passed away the day after it was done. I felt so cheated that that letter was more important to her than I was. I know you owe me nothing, but if you would let me read it, I'd be eternally grateful." Katherine hesitated, then handed the letter to the girl. Although she wanted to conceal her affair with the girl's mother, she could not resist that soft pleading voice. The girl read the letter and then looked at Katherine with an unreadable expression. "You were lovers?" Katherine nodded. "Yes." "And you made a date over thirty years ago?" "Yes." "And you kept it, and my mother would have if she could have. I never knew." "I'm sorry, child." "Please, call me Heather. And don't be sorry, I appreciate this glimpse into my mother more than you can know. I was only nine when she passed away, and afterwards no one would tell me about her. Father remarried immediately and my stepmother was extremely jealous of memories of my mother. No one was allowed to say her name in my stepmother's presence." "Your mother was a very special woman." "Would you tell me about her?" ======= The small pub in the nearby village was almost empty now. Katherine had spent almost the whole day telling Heather of her mother. It had been a nostalgic, sometimes bitter tale, but the girl seemed grateful for the story. "I don't understand," the girl said. "If you loved each other so much, why did you leave Ireland?" "Times were different then. She was to marry on her twentieth birthday and I was betrothed to a man who made his fortune in the new world. It isn't like today, neither of us were prepared to defy convention. Women who love each other have many more options now than we did back then." "Not really." "Yes really. I married well, raised a family, outlived my husband, own my own company, and have many female lovers. Thirty years ago, owning my own company would have been reason enough to ostracize me," Katherine said. "Did you plan to make love to my mother today?" The question left Katherine speechless for a moment. How does one answer such a question? The girl's closeness was disconcerting. She looked too much like her mother. Katherine suspected the girl was a lesbian too. The young woman had been giving off all the nonvocal signals, but still Katherine hesitated. "It was a date made thirty years ago. I didn't know what to expect," Katherine said, trying to be as tactful as she could. The girl seemed deflated by the answer, and Katherine suddenly realized the girl had been receiving such delicate, tactful, evasive answers all her life. "But I did get a room at the inn," Katherine said, "in the hope we would go there." "Can I see it? I'd like very much to see the room." ======= The room was small, with the queen bed taking up most of it. A room in a quaint little seaside cottage. Katherine was not sure why the girl had asked to come here, or why she had brought her. She had never been able to refuse anything to the girl's mother, and she felt exactly like that with this girl. The girl said: "This is where you planned to bring my mother? To have sex with her?" "Yes." "Will you take me instead?" Katherine was stunned. She looked at the young woman, but the girl's face was serious and betrayed only a trace of apprehension. Katherine suddenly wanted her, wanted to make love to this girl as strongly as she had hungered after the girl's mother. But she hesitated. "Please?" the girl said. "You don't know what you're asking." A flush came to the girl's face. "I'm not a novice. I know exactly what I'm asking. I'm asking you to make love to me, as you planned on making love to my mother. Please? I'm begging you." "Why?" "I'm not sure. You're the only person who has ever told me anything about her. I know she loved you. She would have been here if she could. Maybe I want to be her replacement so she can rest well. Maybe I just find you attractive. Maybe I hope to learn something of who she was, by who she loved." Katherine said nothing. When the silence became unbearable she asked: "You said you were no novice. Have you been to bed with another woman before?" The girl nodded. "Yes, I've had a few lovers. I never knew my mother... If only I had I could have talked to her." Katherine enfolded the young woman in her arms and held her tightly. The girl hugged back with surprising strength, as if trying to capture some part of Katherine's essence. Heather was looking up at her now, those large eyes drawing her in like her mother's had. Katherine gently bent her head and placed her lips on Heather's. It was a soft kiss, merely a pressing of their lips together. Katherine was not sure how far this would go, and she expected the young woman to back out at any moment. When she felt no hesitation at all, she pressed her tongue against the girl's soft yielding lips. Those lips parted easily and her tongue penetrated into the warm wet cavern of the girl's mouth. She tasted like cinnamon, sweet and delicate. As Katherine's tongue explored the girl's mouth, the girl's tongue began to respond, gently caressing Katherine's. The kiss endured, timeless and breathless, and then finally it broke. A heat was upon them both, and Heather seemed to be consumed with a fire that Katherine had never seen in her lovers before. The girl's fingers plucked at the buttons of Katherine's blouse, trembling so violently she seemed incapable of undoing them. Katherine quickly helped, removing her blouse as the girl watched. The girl's whole body seemed to be trembling now, her eyes glued to Katherine's lacy purple bra. Katherine gently maneuvered the girl to the bed and sat her down on the edge of it. She caught up the hem of the girl's shirt and tugged it over her head, causing the girl's dark hair to spill back over her shoulders. Heather's bra was a simple white affair. Her breasts were small, almost dainty, and the white satin cups seemed molded to them. Katherine turned and undid her skirt, dropped it to the floor and then stepped out of it. She wore lace-trimmed knickers, a suspender belt and stockings. The same type of underwear she'd worn with Marianne so long ago. She smiled when she noticed Heather's eyes drinking in the sight of her in her old fashioned underwear. Heather's eyes were glued to her, following her every movement. The girl may have had lovers before, but Katherine realized that if the girl was telling the truth, then her lovers had been the aggressors. Unlike her mother, she seemed very shy. Katherine had had many lovers, and in her time she had been quite the butch. As she had grown older and more sure of herself, she had realized she was neither fully butch nor femme. She enjoyed dressing and acting like a lady and she found women who did so attractive. She also found butches exciting. She had long ago dropped the labels and simply enjoyed whatever she was in the mood for at the time. This girl was so like Marianne in beauty, but so unlike her in temperament. She felt a maternal feeling for the girl, but an undeniable hunger as well. It had been over a year since she had taken a younger lover. She was reaching the point where she enjoyed the slower, more relaxed approach of older women. Katherine unhooked her bra and let it fall to the floor too. Her bountiful breasts spilled out. They were no longer able to support themselves, but were still an impressive pair. She stood before Heather and watched as the girl tentatively reached out to stroke one of the breasts. The contact felt as soft as a feather, and sent a thrill directly to Katherine's aching sex. Katherine controlled her lust and let the girl gently stroke and explore, not rushing her. Eventually the girl leaned forward and took Katherine's left nipple in her warm mouth. From simply holding it there, she rapidly progressed to suckling like a child, pulling hungrily at the hardened nipple. Katherine loved having her nipples sucked and resisted the temptation to do anything. She merely let the girl do what the girl seemed inclined to do, and before long Katherine felt the beginnings of an orgasm building. She gently removed her breast from the girl's mouth and smiled. "Lets get you naked," Katherine whispered as her hands slid down Heather's shoulders and unhooked her bra. The small breasts literally bounced when the bra came off. Delicate pink nipples were revealed in the evening light. Heather seemed to need no more encouragement. The girl unbuttoned her jeans, and Katherine caught the legs and tugged them off. The girl's legs were well shaped and long for her size. After that, they both removed the cotton panties, revealing Heather's sex. Katherine dropped to her knees and placed her hands on Heather's thighs. "Lie back," Katherine commanded. Heather complied, lying back as Katherine examined her sex up close. The lips were thin and a deep red, gaping slightly to show the bright pink inner folds. A single drop of the girl's natural lubricant decorated the small opening. Katherine kissed the girl's inner thigh and felt a shiver run through her body. She toyed with the dark pubic triangle with her fingers as her tongue glided to the sensitive crease where thigh joined torso. Heather moaned softly and Katherine moved closer to her center. Then Katherine stopped. Reluctantly, she abandoned the girl's pussy and stood back up. There was plenty of time, and she wanted to take it slowly with this girl. She was not too concerned with her own pleasure right now, she had long ago passed the stage of needing it so badly she couldn't think of anything else. Sex to her was a diversion to be savored, each thrill to be enjoyed for all it was worth. She still became overheated, still went crazy sometimes, but tonight her prime concern was to make this young woman feel wonderful from head to toe. She gently lowered the French knickers and stepped out of them, aware of Heather's hungry eyes on her every movement. Katherine saw the smoldering lust in the girl's eyes as she stared at her fleshy sex. Katherine's pubic hair was still reddish, although it too was slowly turning silvery white. Her lips were thick and red and she knew the girl could see them peeking out from the cleft between her legs. Knowing the girl was staring sent shivers through Katherine's body. Katherine returned to the bed and lay down next to the girl. They kissed again, Katherine holding Heather's face in her hands as their tongues danced in the girl's mouth. Heather seemed unsure of what to do with her own hands, and her hands fluttered here and there, never resting. Katherine broke the kiss and rolled onto her back. "Go ahead," she said quietly. "Go ahead and what?" Heather asked, her voice tremulous and hesitant. "Explore dear, do what you wish." The girl reached out to tentatively caress Katherine's breasts again. At first the caresses were soft and restrained, but soon they grew bolder. Heather's hands were like silk, and Katherine sighed in pleasure as the girl began to knead her breasts. Soon Heather's hand trailed down Katherine's belly to stop at the very top of her mound. "Yes," Katherine hissed, drawing out the sibilant sound at the end of the word as the girl's fingers moved lower. Heather's fingers became bolder and began to explore Katherine's sex. In no time, Katherine found herself bucking against the small hands. She had not intended to orgasm, but the young woman seemed to want her too, and she was unable to resist. The girl's fingers found Katherine's clitoris and she began to rub it in short circular motions. Katherine wondered again about the girl's experience as she came. Delicious tremors ran through her body, originating in her sex and rippling outward like water in a pond when a stone is tossed into it. She came down slowly, the girl's fingers still gently caressing her. Katherine pulled the girl's body onto hers in reverse, the girl's legs straddling her head in a classic sixty-nine position. Katherine applied her tongue to the girl's inner thigh, working upwards. Heather's sighs and whimper's told her the girl was enjoying it. Katherine nearly lost her mind when she felt Heather gently kiss the top of her mound. Heather's mother had been voracious, licking and sucking with wild abandon. The daughter seemed to be a gentle and reserved soul, but that only made it sweeter to Katherine. She traced her tongue along the small lips of Heather's sex, taking her time, teasing the girl until her bottom was humping up and down. Only when she could see the thick juices covering the young woman's delicate flower did she push her tongue between the satiny lips. The taste was wonderful, sweet as fresh honey. Unable to contain herself any longer, Katherine pried the girl's lips apart and dove into the pussy. Using long slow strokes of her tongue, she caressed the inner folds, flattening her tongue when near the entrance to the girl's vagina. Heather seemed to be taking her cues from Katherine, and it felt strange to the older woman to feel each of her tongue's actions mimicked on her own sex. Almost like pleasuring myself, she thought. Heather bucked against Katherine now, obviously in the grip of strong passion as Katherine's questing tongue found the entrance and probed it. The opening was hot, slick, and incredibly tight, flavored with Heather's nectar. The younger woman's tongue fell behind, losing contact with Katherine's sex again and again as moans and sighs escaped from her lips. Katherine reluctantly abandoned this area to move downwards to the now visible bud of Heather's clitoris. She used the tip of her tongue, sawing it from side to side between her lips to give Heather's clitoris velvety soft caresses. She gently forced a finger into the girl's tight vagina, feeling the silky soft passage and thrilling to the inner muscles as they gripped the finger. She took the little pebble between her lips then and sucked hard while still lashing it with her tongue. Heather groaned and came, her orgasm rocking her small frame, her mouth ceasing its work on Katherine's sex. Katherine now began an assault on the girl's senses. She used her tongue like a tiny cock to fuck into and out of the tunnel. She used it like a rapier, just the tip, to feather the girl's erect clitoris, and she used it like a rag to soak up the copious juices now issuing from the girl. Like a virtuoso violinist, pulling a sonata from a fine violin, Katherine wrung orgasm after orgasm from the girl's body. Eventually, Heather screamed out in the throes of an intense climax, and Katherine's face was quickly coated with Heather's sticky cream. ======= Darkness, the cool darkness of evening. A fresh breeze off the sea brought with it the smells of the ocean. Heather lay in Katherine's arms, gently nursing. She had been like this for over an hour. Shaking occasionally as an aftershock tore through her. Finally, the girl released Katherine's aching nipple. "Thank you," Heather said. "It was my pleasure. Did you find what you were looking for?" "Yes." "And?" "And I feel closer to my mother. I know now what kind of woman she gave her heart to." "I'll miss her," Katherine said. "Once we talked of running away to America together." "I've never been to America." "It's a strange and wonderful place, but not as beautiful as Ireland." Heather raised her head and looked deeply into Katherine's eyes. The older woman felt her will slip away. Like her mother's eyes, Heather's eyes were like an opiate to Katherine, draining away her will to do anything but please their owner. Irish Eyes I flipped off the television when she showed up. My housemate Kyle, aside from fucking me and our other housemate Ryan, was also fucking his girlfriend on a regular basis. I guess she was hot, with tight jeans cupping her ass and a shirt could burst while trying to contain her heavy breasts. It was fitting that a guy as hot as Kyle could get a girl like her. But I wasn't going to hang around and listen to Kyle's moans—the same moans he uttered to me every other night she wasn't around. I stood up and grabbed my coat, barely acknowledging the girlfriend's presence. Ryan was away for the weekend, so I decided to find some fun of my own. I walked toward downtown, just a few blocks away from our house. My favorite bar was open, a crooked brick archway beaconing me to enter and order my favorite scotch and soda. It was an Irish bar, with old photos of Irish poets and musicians plastering the brick walls. The tables were old sewing stands with wrought iron footrests. The bar itself was a long wooden slab smeared with decades of alcohol and chipped from knife games and clumsy heads that hit hard on their way down. It was busy tonight, but not packed. I glanced around at the faces laughing and wincing from the strong drinks the bartenders notoriously served here. I saw a few faces I recognized from my college classes, but none of them interested me until I saw his. I thought I knew him from one of my science classes, but I wasn't sure. His short, curly red hair was what caught my eye first. I then moved down to his bright blue eyes glistening above his smooth, freckled cheeks and full, red lips. His white t-shirt stretched over his slim frame, the fabric dipping in between his chest muscles and pulling taut over his shoulder blades. His blue jeans seemed part of his body, hugging his hips and crotch so tight was sure his cock was suffocating. He was alone, resting an elbow on the table and tightening one hand around a glass soaked in condensation. I saw him turn toward the bar, giving that lustful look to someone he must have had an eye on. I glanced in that same direction, but I couldn't tell whether he was staring at the bubbly brunette girl jabbering mindlessly or at the cute bartender who had parted his hair into a fake mohawk. I decided I might still have a chance with him. I walked over to where he sat and pulled up an empty stool. "Hey, I know you," I said. "Aren't you in my biology class?" He turned back to me and smiled. His bright teeth reflected in the dim light hanging above the table. "Yeah, I think so," he said. "I'm Sean," I said, holding out my hand. He shook it. "I'm Will," he told me. He turned again to look back toward the bar. "Are you looking at that girl with the big boobs," I asked, "or that hot bartender?" He turned back to look at me. "What if I said 'both'?" I laughed. "What are you waiting for, then?" I said. "Well, the bartender is married, and the girl is attached to that guy in the leather jacket," Will told me. "But it doesn't matter much. I can get pretty much anyone I want in this bar." I didn't doubt him. His smooth, boyish face could make me cum in my pants by itself if I didn't have the small amount of self control keeping me from loosing it. "Let's make a bet, then," I said. I looked at my watch. "Last call is in forty-five minutes. How about if you don't find someone within that time, you just take me?" He smiled again, his red lips stretching to again show me his perfect teeth. "Deal," he said, shaking my hand again. He got to work, and as I sat at the table nursing my scotch and soda, I saw him move from one girl to another. I couldn't hear anything he said to them, but each girl seemed more devastated than the last as he made around the bar. With each one, he would strike up a conversation and then shake his head, leaving the girl lonely and pouting. Finally, the bartender rang the bell for last call, and Will arrived back at my table. "None of them wanted you?" I asked. "Not when I tell them I would only fuck them if they had a dick," he said, smiling again. "How cruel," I said. "Try not to look so disappointed that you get to come home with me." He finished his drink in one clean swig. I finished mine and we stood up to walk to his place. Will's apartment was only two blocks from the bar, the walk seemed torturously long. As soon as we stepped out from under the crooked brick arch of the bar's entrance, his left hand snaked its way around my back and slithered into my back pocket. My dick began to harden has his fingers teased my ass cheeks. I could feel the pre-cum oozing out of the tip and smearing around the inside of my boxers. I reached my arm around Will's shoulder and let my fingertips come to rest on his nipple. I pinched and squeezed the hard knob, soft gasps escaping from his lips. Finally, he jerked open the door to his apartment and entered, slamming it shut behind us. Will grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me to his bed room, where he threw me down on his soft, white sheets. He practically jumped on top of me, his legs straddling my hips and his mouth planting firmly on mine. I tasted his red lips and velvety tongue as his hands moved from one button of my shirt to the next, getting closer to where my cock strained against my jeans. He smiled at me. My blue eyes were as wide as his, and my clean-shaven face was probably quivering with anticipation as he folded my shirt open to reveal my smooth chest. He bent down to give me another kiss, his hands running through my short, sandy hair, before he took off his own shirt. His torso was much more defined than mine, a freckled landscape of lean muscle topped with pointed, red nipples. A trail of auburn hair trickled down from his navel to underneath his belt. I reached up and undid the buckle and the fly. Will stood and pulled off his jeans so he was covered only with a pair of white boxer shorts tenting with his hard erection. He reached forward and pulled off my own jeans, letting my cock stand straight up within my navy blue shorts. He lay down next to me and we made out some more. I let my fingers twirl his curly red hair and he let his hands tickle my chest and nipples. We slid closer together and let our clothed dicks crush together. We both moaned as we began to grind. I felt Will's cock poke at my balls and prod my thigh. Finally, we broke our kiss. "I want to suck you," I said. "I want to suck you so bad." He smiled. "Then do it," he told me. I moved down the bed to where my face hovered over his erect cock. I bent down and grabbed the elastic band of his boxers with my teeth. I pulled them down, allowing his hard dick to spring free and reach for the ceiling. I used my hands to completely remove his shorts and marveled at the curly patch of red hair that danced around the base of his cock. I leaned forward again and sucked the head of his dick into my mouth. He moaned as my tongue lapped up his salty pre-cum. I engulfed his entire cock and let my chin tag his balls and my nose bury itself in his auburn curls. "Suck my cock, Sean," Will gasped. I bobbed my head on his six-inch shaft, the head's underside sliding along my tongue and greasing itself with pre-cum. With one hand, I removed my own boxers and began jerking my own six-inch dick. My other hand tugged at his smooth balls, rolling them between my fingers. Will's breathing began to get harder and his hand reached down grasp my hair. "Keep doing that," he said. "I'm gonna cum." Suddenly, I stopped and released his cock from my mouth. "Not yet," I said. "Do you want me to fuck you?" Will smiled. "Only if I get to fuck you at the same time," he said. "What do you mean?" He reached over to the bedside table and pulled a dildo and a tube of lubricant from the drawer. I smiled back at him and nodded. "What are we waiting for?" I asked. I lay on my back, my head propped up on a pillow so I could watch what Will was doing. He reached back into the drawer and pulled out a condom, which he slipped over my cock. He then smeared the lube all over his ass and the dildo before turning to me. He greased up the condom and then shoved a few well-lubed fingers into my asshole. "Damn, Sean," he said. "You're really tight." I moaned until he pulled his fingers out and straddled my hips again, facing away from me. He lowered his lubed ass down on my cock, and I watched as the head was sucked in, followed by the rest of my shaft. "You feel so good in me, Sean," Will groaned. "Your ass is so hot," I said. Then I felt the dildo pressing against my own asshole. He slowly eased it in and I moaned when I felt it hit my prostate gland. Will began to pump my cock with his ass, raising and lowering on my shaft. He moved the dildo at the same speed, tagging my prostate with each thrust. I watched beads of sweat form on Will's smooth, freckled back as he worked by my cock and my ass. He threw his head back and moaned. My hands gripped his hips and helped him ride my cock. "Fuck me Sean," he groaned. "Fuck me hard." He kept working the dildo in and out of my ass and I knew I wouldn't last much longer. "I'm gonna cum," I warned. Will slowed down and dismounted me. "Wait, I want you to cum in my mouth," he said. "Let's 69." He pulled the dildo from my ass and lay down. I rolled over and got on top of him, my knees next to his ears and my hot breath hissing on his cock. I dipped my own cock down and let his lips suck me into his mouth. I reached down and deep-throated his dick, making his mouth vibrate over my cock as he moaned. I felt him re-insert the dildo into my ass, thrusting it even harder than he did before. I let out muffled squeals as his cock fucked my mouth and the dildo fucked my ass. Finally, I let my balls retract, and I pumped wave after wave of cum into Will's mouth. He swallowed it all and slowly pulled the dildo out of my ass. "I'm cumming, too," he said. I felt his hot jizz paint the roof of my mouth. It soared down my throat, but I couldn't swallow fast enough. I let off his cock and pumped the last few sprays out with my hand, his cum splattering all over my chin and cheeks. I licked his cock clean before turning around and laying next to him. Will's tongue reached out and licked off some of his cum from my face. "I think I'll like biology class a lot more now," I said. Irish Eyes The settings in this story are incidental. The story is about the people, not where they live. Please read it that way. * I had thought that this day couldn't get any worse. Boy was I wrong. The whole week at work had been bad and to cap it off my boss, the president of the company, had called me into his office and chewed on my ass for for a mistake made by someone else. Now I get home and find my driveway blocked by my sisters car. I couldn't even park in front of my own house. The neighbors teenage son must have had friends over. There were cars lining the curb on either side of their house. I had to park three doors down. I wasn't even sure why I was going to go into the house. My wife's sister Susan and I had never got along since the first day we met. I never understood why, but she seemed to hate me on sight. And I didn't think I was going to get lucky that night anyway. I hadn't had sex with my wife Janice in almost a month. Not for the lack of trying on my part. As I got to my driveway I spotted the empty garbage can by the curb and drug it around the side of the house and through the side gate. I set the can next to the back door and stepped inside to the kitchen. I could hear music playing in the living room and the buzz of my wife and her sister talking. I reached into the refrigerator and took out a beer. Popping the top, I took a long swig of the cold brew before heading for the living room. Just as I got to the door I heard a sentence that stopped me cold in my tracks. "God, he fucked me three times today." That wasn't my sisters voice but my loving wife's. "Ever since Brandon came back last month I just can't get enough of his cock." I had never met Brandon but I knew that was the name of my wife's ex-boyfriend who had dumped her and moved away. "So what are you going to do now?" my wife's sister asked. "Brandon wants me to move in with him so I'll get a lawyer and file for divorce," Janice replied. "This is a community property state so I'll get half of everything." I had heard enough. Numbly I walked to the back door and retraced my steps to my car. I opened the door and sat behind the wheel. I now realized why I hadn't been getting an pussy. My wife was giving it to someone else. Now she wanted half of everything. The worst part is the state would give it her. Janice and I had married just three years ago. She had quit her job right after we said "I do." When she was home she never lifted a finger. I paid for a maid to come in three times a week to clean the house and do the laundry. She even cooked dinner for us on those days. The rest of the time either I cooked or she ordered out. Okay, I know what you're thinking, but I was in love and was wearing blinders. Sue me. She had kept me happy by providing good sex. That is up until a month ago. My mother had died when I was thirteen. Both my father and I were crushed. She had been the center of our lives. It was hard at first but in time we managed to deal with our loss and go on with life. Dad did his best to raise me up right and I think he did a good job. We were very close and it came as a big blow when I lost him to the recklessness of a drunk driver. This happened when I was twenty three, a year before I met Janice. Dad left everything to me. I inherited close to two and half million. A sizable sum but not all that great in this day and age of dot com millionaires. I had never touched the money, preferring to keep it invested. With the advice of a good broker I was able to make my nest egg grow, even in the current economy. I made enough I didn't have to spend it. And despite Janice trying to spend every dime I made, I had another hundred thousand in savings. I was in love with Janice and we didn't have a prenuptial agreement. Like many men I was naive enough to think that my marriage would last forever. That mistake meant she stood to take me for almost a million and a half. And for what. For spreading her legs and letting me fuck her. And the state would give it to her. Talk about supporting legalized prostitution. She had said she was going to get a lawyer which meant she wasn't yet ready to have me served. I still had time to act. I was starting to formulate a plan as I sat in my car. While I was thinking I kept my eyes on the rear view mirror and waited until I saw my sisters car back out and drive off. I started my car and did a u-turn and pulled back into my driveway. When I walked into the house Janice was no where in sight so I went into the kitchen for another beer. I popped the top and took another long pull on the brew. "Oh, there you are, honey," Janice said coming into the kitchen. "I didn't hear you come in." "Hello, dear. Just got home. Been a long day," I replied with a loving smile on my face. I would show her I could be just as good an actor as she was. "I didn't have time to order anything for dinner," she said with a little pout. What I wanted to say was, 'That's because you spent your day fucking your boyfriend and telling your sister all about it.' What I did say is, "That's okay, sweetie. I'll just heat up some of the left overs from last night." Janice gave me a sweet smile and came over and kissed my cheek. "I'm going to go up and soak in a hot bath," she said. I smiled and nodded. 'Yeah, got to wash all that cum out of your nasty cunt.' When she left I pulled out a box of fried rice and ate it cold as I sucked down two more beers. I tossed the empty container into the trash and went into the den to sit in my recliner. After surfing through thirty channels I settled on an old John Wayne western. Half an hour later Janice came back down and sat on the couch until the movie was over. She stood up and said she was tired and going to bed. 'Yeah, sure, tired from being a fucking cheating whore'. I told her sweetly that I was going to watch the news and then I would be up. I hadn't really watched the movie. My mind had been occupied mulling over what I was going to do. I knew there was nothing I could do until Monday morning so I just had to get through the next few days. Saturday I worked in the yard and Sunday I played golf with a couple good buddies that I was going to miss. On Monday I called my broker who handled my inheritance portfolio and had him liquidate everything. One good thing about being in upper management was that I could cash in my 401K quickly. Fuck the penalty. By Thursday I was ready to make my move. I went home to my loving wife and told her that there was an emergency situation and I would be flying out tomorrow on company business and I might be gone for a week. I packed two suitcases. That was all I was going to take. When we had moved into this house I had put everything that was important to me into storage. It wouldn't fit with 'her' decor so there wasn't anything else that I wanted. She had picked out the furnishings and I didn't give a shit about them. The one good thing is that we were renting the house so I had no money tied up in it. I had recently sold my condo and we were looking for the "right" house to buy. When I say "right", I mean "right" according to her. So far the houses we had looked at "Just wasn't right." So Friday morning I kissed my wife on the cheek one last time and carried my suitcases out the door. I loaded them into my Lexus and drove away without a single glance backwards. My first stop was to an old buddy of mine, Jake, who I trusted implicitly. He was flabbergasted when I told him I wanted to trade titles for his older model but rebuilt four wheel drive. I told him in confidence what I was doing and an hour later I was headed west. I doubted anyone would connect me to this vehicle and Jake said he would keep the car I traded him in the garage, out of sight for awhile. For the next four days I paid cash as I went. I had canceled all our credit cards and I wasn't leaving a paper trail. The biggest portion of my money was now safely tucked away in an offshore account with the help of my broker. I had a system set up with my him to arrange a transfer of funds when necessary. I had enough cash, which I hid in the SUV, to last for awhile. The nights alone in the motels were the worst. For the last week I had been too busy putting my plan into action to really give much thought about what had happened to me personally. I had loved Janice. I wouldn't have married her if I hadn't. I played the what if scenarios through my mind, but in the end I decided that there wasn't much I could have done different. Even if I had known her old boyfriend had returned I don't think I could have kept them apart. I reached two conclusions. The first is that I don't think she really ever loved me. I was just a meal ticket. The second one was that it was my fault for being stupid enough to marry her. It was my fifth day away from home and I was sitting in a mom and pop diner in a small town in Montana. I was thinking about what my loving wife was doing, as surely by now she had found out that all her credit cards were canceled and our bank account had no money in it. My thoughts were interrupted by an older couple sitting at the next table over. Even though they were talking quietly I could overhear their words. The man was telling the woman, who was obviously his wife, that he sure wished he could take on another hand. The problem was that until the current calves were ready for market they couldn't afford to hire anyone. Even then there wasn't anyone willing to work for what they could pay. I gauged the man to be in his late fifties. Though mostly gray now, you could tell that he was born with dark hair. His wife was a striking red haired woman with crystal blue eyes. I finished the last bite of my meal and stood up and approached their table. "I'm apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation but maybe I can help you out," I said. The older man looked me over sizing me up. "I don't see how you could do that. If you heard what we were talking about you know that I can't pay you anything." "How about if I just need a place to bunk out in trade for my labor?" I asked. His eyes narrowed. "Colleen, excuse us for a moment while I speak to this young man outside." He stood up and waited for me to follow him. Once we were out in the parking lot where no one could hear us he spun around. I gauged him to be about my height of six foot. His shoulders were broad and it didn't look to be an ounce of fat on him. His face was what women would think of as ruggedly handsome and showed the lines from years of working outdoors in the sun. His eyes were dark brown and almost piercing as they bore into me. "Who the hell are you. Are you part of that Wilson bunch," he spat out. I held up my hands defensively. "Hold on there mister. I don't know anything about any Wilsons. Four days ago I was living in Texas and I just arrived here this morning. I just thought maybe we could help each other out." "If what you say is true then why would you want to help us out? I can't afford to pay you. What's in it for you? If you're on the run from the law we don't need that kind of trouble." "I am probably on the run, as you put, it but not like you may think," I said. I then told him my story about my slut whore of a wife who wanted to take me to the cleaners and how I could use a place to stay for awhile. "So I haven't robbed or killed anybody. I'm just trying to keep what's rightfully mine. I just thought if you had a place I could bunk down I would repay you with my labor. I'll pay my own way and if I you don't think I'm any help then tell me and I'll be on my way with no hard feelings." He stood and searched my face with his eyes. "Son, if what you are telling me is the truth I think I would be a fool to at least not give you a shot. I have to tell you up front though, that the Wilson's are trying to get me to sell my land to them. They haven't done anything underhanded yet but I wouldn't put it past them. You might be biting off more than you can chew." I told him that was a risk I was willing to take. He asked me if I had any experience working on a ranch. I was honest and told him that I had spent a few summers on my uncles place in Texas, but I wasn't a cowboy. He put his hand out and we shook on our agreement. He told me to call him Bill and I introduced myself. We walked back into the diner where his wife sat waiting. "Colleen, this is Carson Jones. He's going to be working for us, if he can handle it," Bill said. Colleen rose from her chair and held her hand out. I took it in mine. "It's very nice to meet you, Carson," she said. Her voice was clear with perhaps a lingering hint of an Irish accent. Like her husband she was trim and fit. She was a very pretty woman. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs...." I realized Bill hadn't told me his last name. "Buckman. The last name is Buckman. But you just call me Colleen. Don't really have much use for formality in this part of the country." I instantly liked this lovely lady. Bill told me that I could follow them back to the ranch. Before leaving town he pulled up to a general store and got out and I joined him. "I thought you might want to pick up some clothes suitable for ranch work," he said. "Yeah, your right. I don't think what I brought with me would last long," I replied grateful that he had the forethought to think of this. I followed him in where he was warmly greeted by the store owner. It was obvious that Bill was a regular customer. Forty minutes later I had enough jeans and work shirts for a week as well as a coat and a pair of western style riding boots. It was enough to get by for now. From the general store it was close to a twenty five mile drive to the main gate which was arched over with the name Rocking B Ranch on it. That was his brand, a rocking B. It was another mile of private road to the main house. Their two story house stood on a rise. It was well maintained and looked to be freshly painted. Behind the house I could see a barn and several out buildings. The pickup they drove was partly filled with sacks of groceries and I reckoned this was probably their weekly trip into town for supplies. I pulled up behind them and filled my arms with the bags and followed the Buckmans into the kitchen. Two trips and we had the truck unloaded. Bill told me to drive around back and he would would show me where I could bunk down. I pulled around and saw him standing in front of a small cabin. When I got out he said I could use this cabin and he pointed to a similar one a few yards away and told me that one was used by Sam. He said Sam was out making the rounds and I would meet him later. Bill waited while I unloaded my bags. The cabin had one large room that had a bed along one wall and a table with two chairs. In one corner was a pot belly wood stove. There was also a bathroom with a single stall shower. It wasn't fancy but it was clean. It would do for now as a suitable place to stay and hopefully avoid being found by Janice. When I went back outside Bill was sitting in his pickup and told me to hop in. He took me for a ride around the ranch. He had almost six thousand acres of which five thousand were pretty flat and made for good grazing. There was a couple hundred acres sectioned off that he grew winter feed on. The back section of the ranch was hilly and covered by forest. Farther on I could see mountains from which a stream flowed cutting through the property. He said this area was only traversable on horseback. I learned that he used to have three full time hands but times had been rough and Sam was the only one left. He had been working on the ranch for going on thirty years. During round up when they selected stock to take to market he did hire extra help. It was five o'clock when he dropped me off at the little cabin. "Oh, by the way. I noticed you carry in a lap top. I've got a satellite connection with a router so you can access the internet wirelessly. Supper is in the main house and we normally eat at six," he said before pulling away. It took me less than thirty minutes to have my stuff put away. That left me time to boot up my computer. Just as Bill had said, I was able to make a wireless connection. I checked my e-mail real quick. I had set up a new account and there was one e-mail from Jake. He had said if he had any news about Janice he would let me know. Apparently she had reported me missing to the police and they were investigating my disappearance. That gave something to think about. Jake was the only one that I had actually told I was leaving and even he didn't know where I was going as at the time I didn't either. I had mailed my resignation to my former employer but hadn't actually told them in person that I was leaving. Just before six I walked over to the main house and knocked on the kitchen door. Bill called out for me to come on in. I stepped inside and saw Colleen putting the food on the table. Bill was standing to one side talking to a man that I assumed was Sam. Bill motioned me over. "Sam, this is Carson, the new hand I was telling you about. At least for today. We'll see how he feels about it tomorrow after a days work," Bill said with a broad grin. "Carson, this here's Sam." Sam gave me a beaming smile and stuck out his hand. He was a big man. At least six foot three and like Bill, looked like he had worked hard all his life. He appeared to be about the same age as Bill. One other thing, he was African American. I shook his hand and could feel the strength in his grip. "Well, young man, lets hope you like it here. I could use the help," he said. I guess at twenty eight I was about half his age so he considered me to be young. "I plan to give it my best shot," I replied. Just then Colleen told us to sit down as supper was ready. Bill and his wife sat at opposite ends of the table which left Sam and I to sit between them across from each other. On the table was a large platter of pork chops, a big bowl of mashed potatoes and another with fresh green beans. There was also a plate stacked with obviously home made biscuits. "We don't eat fancy here, Carson," Colleen said. "But there's plenty and it's filling." My mouth was watering. "It looks great," I replied. The food was passed around and our plates were filled. It looked delicious and was. Colleen was a good cook. As we ate I asked Bill if he had been here all his life. "Yep. My grandfather started this ranch and passed it on to my father. Now it belongs to me and Colleen." Bill paused as if in thought. "Although when I was younger I wasn't so sure she was going to be a part of it. I had to fight off every man in three counties to get her." Bill looked at his wife and I could see the depths of his love for her in his eyes. "Now, Bill. You know you're the only man I ever had eyes for. I just had to make sure that you wanted me enough," Colleen said. "My wife has been responsible for the three happiest days of my life. The day she agreed to marry me, the day she did marry me and the day she gave birth to our daughter Caitlin," Bill said. I hadn't seen any sign of a daughter and Colleen must have read my look of curiosity. "Our daughter is away right now. Caitlin is finishing her doctorates degree in Veterinary Sciences at South Dakota State. She has only been able to get home for the holidays and we are anxiously waiting for her to come back home with her degree. She's supposed to be home in a couple of months," Colleen said. "It'll be nice to have a vet in the family. Should could down on some of the expenses," Bill added with a grin. After dinner I tried to help clear the dishes but Colleen told me that that was her job and shooed me away. Bill told me that breakfast was at five thirty and we started to work at six. As Sam and I were leaving I noticed a copy of today's New York Times on the counter. Bill must have picked it up when he was in town. I asked him if I could borrow the front page and he said sure. Once we were out of the house I asked Sam if he could step into my cabin for a minute. We went inside and I took out my digital camera and showed him how use it. I had him take a close up of me holding front page of the news paper up. I could tell he was curious about why I wanted this picture but he didn't ask. He did ask if I had an alarm clock and I assured him I did. He told me he would see me in the morning and left. Irish Eyes I downloaded the picture to my computer and then pasted it to an e-mail with a note to the police of my former hometown stating that I was alive and well and had left town of my own free will. If I had used a local paper it would have given a clue as to where I was. This way I could be anywhere. I sent the e-mail to Jake and told him to go to one of the local coffee shops that offered free internet access. I figured my work e-mail would still be active and gave him my password. That way he could forward my original e-mail and picture to the police and it wouldn't leave any tracks to trace me or him. This way I hoped the police wouldn't list me on some F.B.I. list or national list as a missing person. I didn't think they would spend to many resources looking for a runaway husband. I slept soundly that night. I was up at five the next morning and showered and dressed in time to walk with Sam to the main house. Breakfast was eggs, sausage, hash browns and toast. And there was plenty for all. After we had eaten Bill told Sam to take me and put me to work replacing fence posts in the hilly section. I followed Sam out to the barn and he pointed out a horse and saddle I would need. Sam kept a close eye on me as I put the saddle on the big brown mare. My days of being on my uncle's ranch paid off as Sam seemed satisfied with the job I did. We then took two mules and put on saddle packs that we could load fence posts and a post hole digger on. Bill came out to the barn carrying a Winchester model 94 in a saddle scabbard. He told me that this was mainly in case we ran across a cow that had to be put down. It didn't happen often but it was best to be prepared. Sam and I mounted up and leading a mule each we headed out. We followed the creek up into the hills. As we rode Sam and I talked and got to know one another. I told him about how I came to be in Montana. I really didn't think he was going to rat me out. He told me about his own experience. He had married right out of high school and caught his ex-wife in bed with another man. In a fit of rage had nearly beat the guy to death. He had served five years in prison and when he got out Bill was the only one who would hire him. That was how he had come to be here for the last thirty years. He went on to tell me that he thought the world of Bill and Colleen. They were the salt of the earth. In the rising morning sun the mountains in the background were breathtaking. It was the beginning of April and the snow had melted away in the lower elevations but there was still some on the peaks. Once we hit the tree line the trail began to rise. It took another half hour until we came to the fence that marked the property boundaries. Sam pointed out that not all the posts had to be replaced, just those that had rotted or were close to it. That was about every third one. He stayed with me while I got the first two in to make sure I was doing it right. Sam said if I worked until about four I should get back in time to take care of the horse and mules and make it to dinner at six. His final words were to tell me to follow the stream back down and I wouldn't get lost. Sam headed back and I was left alone with my work. There something calming and soothing about being in this beautiful hilly forested country. I worked my way down the line pulling out old posts and putting in new ones. I took a break at noon and pulled the pork chop sandwiches that Colleen had handed me this morning from my saddle bag. The were left over from last nights meal and were just as delicious today. As I quietly ate I watched as a blue jay passed through the trees. A woodpecker made a brief stop and hammered at a tree in search of a meal. Then a white tail deer came into the opening on the other side of the fence. She edged forward until she caught my scent. She snorted and bounded back in the trees waving her tail in the air like a flag. I finished my sandwiches and went back to work. I had set the alarm on my watch and it beeped at four that afternoon. I saw that I had set all but a couple of the posts the mules had carried up. Leading the mules I headed back along the fence line until I found the stream and headed downhill. A short ways before I would leave the trees was a natural pool that the stream flowed into and out of. I stopped and took in the view. The upper stream dropped over a ten foot high ledge to waterfall into the clear waters below. I knew this had to be most beautiful and serene spot on the ranch. I arrived back at the barn in time to unsaddle the animals and get them fed. Sam came in to bed down his horse while I was in there and when I told him I set all but two of the posts he seemed to be surprised and impressed. We had just enough time to wash up and change to make supper on time. We ate steaks that night. Bill was visibly impressed when Sam told him of the progress I had made that day. I was bushed and made little contribution to the conversation at the table. As soon as dinner was over I excused myself and went directly to bed. I slept hard. Fuck, was I sore when I woke up. My hands hurt from working the post hole digger. So did my arms, shoulders and legs. I had thought I was in pretty good shape as I worked out four or five times a week but there is a big difference from a two hour workout and a full day of setting fence posts. When I limped into the kitchen and winced as I sat down I got a couple chuckles from Bill and Sam. Even Colleen tried to hide her grin. I was starving, though, and put away the food. "Ready, for another day of fencing," Bill asked as we rose from the table. I groaned. "Yes sir," I said hoping I sounded more optimistic than I felt. Bill laughed at me again. "I think you can give it a rest today. I'd like you to ride the rounds with Sam." I nodded appreciatively. The first job of the day was to muck out the stalls and put in fresh hay. We put the horses and mules into the pasture and filled their feeder. Only then did we load up in the pick up and ride the range. Basically we were checking to make sure that there were no cows down or calves who had become separated from their mothers. The tour Sam took me on was much more extensive than the one I had gone on with Bill on my first day on the ranch. Sam seemed to know instinctively where the cattle would be and roughly how many would be there. I guess after thirty years it came naturally. We got to the far end of the ranch and Sam stopped the truck and looked around. Something up on one of the hills seemed to catch his attention and he pulled out his binoculars. He handed them to me and pointed to where I should look. It took a minute but finally I picked out two calves and they appeared to be alone. "Where are their mother's," I asked. Sam pointed over at two cows near the tree line. "That's them there. Their calves must have wandered up into the trees and got lost and kept going. We're going to have to bring them down." "We gonna hike up there?" I asked. "Nah, it's too far. We'll go back and load up a couple horses." The pickups were equipped with two way radios and Sam called Bill and told him what we had seen and that we were on our way to get the horses. When we got back to the barn Bill had already saddled two horses and loaded them into a trailer. All we had to do was hook up and go. Sam got us pretty close to the tree line below where the calves were and we unloaded the horses and rode up into the hills. Sam's thirty years here showed itself again. He knew this country like the back of his hand. Half an hour later we were easing up behind the calves and slowly began to push them back down the hills. I had to laugh when we cleared the trees and the wayward juveniles spotted their mothers. They ran bawling to their moms and immediately sought out a teat to nurse on. The larger cows stood patiently and let their young feed. I couldn't help but think that if it was me that had run off from my mom I would have gotten an ass chewing instead of a tit to suckle on when I got back. We had fried chicken, corn on the cob and mashed potatoes for supper that night. The platter was piled high with breasts, legs and thighs cooked to perfection. I had more energy that night and talked more than the night before. I learned more about Colleen. Her parents had immigrated to the United States from Ireland when she was five years old. Her father had always had a fascination with the tales of the Old West and had come to Montana. That explained the trace of the Irish brogue. She had grown up in America but still had the influence of her parent's in her speech. I was feeling much better the next day and once again after breakfast I headed back to replace fence posts. Sam helped me load up the mules but I headed out on my own. All I had to do was follow the stream to my destination. This day was easier than the first. I had learned a few tricks that made the work less strenuous. Shortly before four o'clock I set the last post and headed back to the barn. I had some extra time so I mucked some of the stalls before cleaning up for dinner. My fourth day I helped Sam make repairs to some of the buildings and the day after set more fence posts. The next two months passed quickly. I now took my turn riding the range checking on the cattle. I was in the best shape of my life. We had a schedule set where Sam took Saturday off, Bill took off Sunday and Monday was my day off. I used my day to do my laundry and run into town if I needed anything. I had grown quite fond of everyone on the ranch. Sam was good-natured and easy going. We would often sit and talk after supper. I had a lot of respect for Bill. He was honest and hardworking and we got along well. Colleen was very sweet to Sam and I but I could see she had some fire to her. She and Bill made a great couple. Colleen and Bill were getting excited now. At breakfast on Friday Colleen told me that her daughter would be coming home in one week. It was my turn that day to take a horse and ride through the wooded section checking for cattle that might have wandered up into the hills. It was a little after four and I had made my way to the stream and turned to follow it down. When I reached the pool below the waterfall I stopped and dismounted. I took off my shirt and knelt down next to the water. I dipped my bandana into the cool water and began to wash the sweat and dust from my face and neck. I heard a whinny from downstream and looked to my right to see a horse and rider approaching. At first I thought it was Colleen but quickly realized that this was a younger version of her. This beautiful woman could only be Caitlin. She had the same crystal blue eyes and red hair as her mother did. She rode up and stopped several feet from me as I stood up and faced her. She looked me over and I saw her eyes stop on my bare chest. The two months of hard work showed in my taut muscles. "Who are you and what are doing on this property," she snapped in a haughty tone. "Names Carson and I work here," I replied. "I don't believe you. My dad said he couldn't afford to pay another hand," she said. Despite how beautiful she was I was getting a little aggravated at her unfriendly tone. "Yeah, I heard that too. I guess that's why I laugh all the way to the bank every payday." Caitlin glared at me and reined her horse around and gave it a kick in the sides. I watched as she cantered out of sight. Chuckling to myself I put my shirt back on and remounted my horse and continued on towards the barn. Later I found out that there had been a miscommunication between Caitlin and her parents. They thought she was coming home next week. Instead, to her parents surprise, she had arrived a couple hours after I had rode out . She had spent the morning and the early part of the afternoon with her parents until she told them she wanted to go for a ride, something she hadn't had time for in school but loved to do. So she saddled up and rode up to her favorite spot, the waterfall and pool of water. I guess after two months I was old news and Bill and Colleen had forgot to mention me. Just as I rounded the barn I saw the back of the red head disappear inside. I got down and proceeded to lead my horse inside. Caitlin must have been looking for her father and finally found him in the barn. I could clearly hear her loud voice. "Who is that man that was up at the waterfall?" she demanded to know. Bill thought for a minute. "That must have been Carson," he answered. "He said he works here. But last time I was here you told me you couldn't afford to pay another hand." "Well, he's right, he does work here. As to what he gets paid, I don't think that's any of your business. I still own this ranch young lady." "Daddy, he says you pay him so much that he laughs all the way to the bank," she sputtered. I had walked into the barn by that point. Caitlin had her back to me and didn't see me. Bill did and gave me a grin. "Is that true, Carson. If you think you're over paid I can rectify that," he said to me. Caitlin spun around and locked me in her glare. I pulled my hat off with one hand and scratched the back of my head with the other. "Well, I would hate to take advantage of you Bill. Just how much are you thinking of cutting my wages?" I asked. At that Bill and I both cracked up laughing. Caitlin now glared at both of us as she failed to see the humor. "Sweetheart, just so you will get that bee out you bonnet, Carson gets to stay in the cabin next to Sam's," Bill said. "And what else," she still demanded to know. "That and he gets to eat you mother's fine cooking." "So you're saying you aren't paying him. Why would he work for nothing?" Caitlin persisted. "He has his reasons and it's not my place to tell you," Bill said. "Working to have a chance to taste your mother's cooking is worth a lot. I don't think she would like to hear you say that it's nothing," I chipped in. Caitlin shot me one more glare and stormed out of the barn. Bill shook his head. "She reminds me so much of her mother when she was young. I didn't think I would ever tame Colleen." At supper that night we were joined by Caitlin. She sat next to Sam on the opposite side of the table from me. She gave me another sharp look when I came into the kitchen. I waited until everyone had filled their plates before speaking. "Your mother tells me that you have finished your doctorate in veterinary medicine," I said in a pleasant voice. "Yeah," was her one word answer given without looking up. "Sam says that there is only one other vet in the area and he's over fifty miles away. I'm sure your going to be a very big asset to the folks in this area." Caitlin did glance up at my compliment and I thought I saw her eyes soften a bit. "Yes, that would be Doc Harrison," Colleen said. "He has more business than he can handle and is often needed in more than one place at the same time. I agree with you Carson, our Caitlin will be able to provide a great service." During the rest of the meal Caitlin talked with her parents and Sam who had been on the ranch since before she was born. She didn't address me directly and I for the most part kept quiet. This was her homecoming and I knew her parents and Sam wanted to hear what had been happening in her life while she was away. As soon as I finished eating I excused myself to turn in. I returned to my cabin and checked my e-mail and saw that I had one from Jake. He reported that he had talked to a friend of his who was on the police force and casually asked if they still considered me to be a missing person. His friend said that everything had been dropped after they received the e-mail with the picture I had sent them. As for Janice, Brandon had apparently dumped her as soon as he learned I had disappeared with all the money and it didn't look like Janice was going to get her hands on any of it soon. Of course she couldn't afford the rent on the house we had been living in and was now living in a seedy apartment working as a waitress. She didn't have the money to hire a lawyer to pursue me. I thought it ironic. She had apparently only married me for my money and her boyfriend had only wanted her for the same thing, my money. I was still working on replacing fence posts. I now only did so about every third or fourth day. I had moved out of the hill country and was down where I could drive the pick up to where I worked. It really was easier to load the posts in the back of the truck rather than on the mules. The morning after Caitlin returned home I loaded the pickup with posts and drove to where I had left off. When it was my normal time to take lunch I started to the truck and realized that I hadn't brought my lunch with me. If any of us were going to be working away from the main house all day, Colleen would make sure we had a lunch and I guess I spaced out picking mine up. I could have driven back to the house but decided that missing one meal wasn't going to kill me. About a half hour later I had just set a pole and was attaching the wire when I heard a vehicle approaching. I looked back and saw it was one of the ranch trucks. The truck came to a stop just as I finished with that post. I turned around and was surprised to see Caitlin get out. She had a small sack in her hand like the ones Colleen put our lunches in. "Mama said you forgot your lunch," she said shoving the bag towards me. I reached out and took it from her. "Thank you, Caitlin. That was very kind of you," I replied. I looked in the bag and saw it contained two sandwiches as usual. I took one out and offered the other to Caitlin but she shook her head no. I shrugged my shoulders and went and sat on the tailgate of the truck to eat. Caitlin walked over to where she was standing about five feet to my side and just stared at me. I just sat and ate, keeping my eyes focused in front of me. "Why are you here?" she asked finally. I turned and looked at her and decided to fuck with her. "You can't tell anybody. I robbed a bank and stashed the money. I'm hiding out here until the heat is off and I can retrieve the cash." At first her eyes grew wide then she glared at me. "You're a real clown," she huffed and turned to leave. I waited until she was half way to her truck. "Caitlin." She heard me say her name and stopped and slowly turned around. "I married a woman who never loved me and only wanted the things I could provide for her. I ended up here because I just wanted to get away from everything I knew for awhile." Caitlin again stared at me and I think she decided I was telling the truth this time. She nodded her head and left without another word. As she drove away I thought about what her dad had said about her mother being like Caitlin when she was that age. He said he had tamed Colleen but I suspected that it was their love for each other that was the secret. It had been less than twenty four hours since I first met Caitlin and I couldn't imagine any man "taming" the fiery redhead. Supper that night was pretty much a repeat of the night before. Caitlin had conversations with her parents and Sam. I didn't really feel slighted, after all, she didn't know me and we had nothing in common really. We were just finishing dinner when there was a knock on the door and Bill went to answer it. He came into the kitchen followed by a man about my age. He was what women would call tall, dark and handsome. Caitlin excitedly called out a name and jumped from her seat and hugged the guy. It was obvious they knew each other. They were gabbing away about how long it had been since they had seen each other. A few minutes later there was another knock on the door and Bill went and answered it and returned with another man. This one was fair haired but also good looking. He received an equally warm greeting from Caitlin. Irish Eyes I recalled Bill's words about having to fend off every male for counties around to win his wife. Caitlin was every bit the prize that her mother was, at least in looks. I excused myself from the table and returned to my cabin. Mentally I wished the two guys luck. I did envy them though. If Caitlin turned out to be the woman her mother was, who ever won her affections would be a lucky man. The next day I took the pick up and rode the range. By the time I had made my rounds something didn't seem to add up. It was early enough that I went back and got Sam and we did a whirlwind tour of the ranch. There were a lot of cattle scattered over the ranch but he agreed that something didn't feel right. It just seemed like we were short a few head. We decided we would saddle up the next day and ride the hilly areas. We discussed it with Bill that night at supper and he agreed to our plan. It rained that night which would make finding tracks more difficult. The next morning we loaded our horses into a trailer and Bill drove us to one end of the property. I rode about a third of the way up into the tree line and Sam rode another third higher. We then headed across the ranch over the hills and through the trees. It took a big part of the day to reach the far side. We counted five stray head. Bill met us as we came out of the hills and we loaded the horses in the trailer and headed back. We discussed the situation and decided the only thing we could do is be more vigilant. At dinner that night Caitlin had another suitor call on her. I heard her mother mutter something about that being the third one that day. The word had gotten out that she was back home and guys were crawling out of the woodwork seeking her attention. The next four days we spent a lot of time keeping an eye on the herd. Everything seemed to be okay except for the suspected original loss. Caitlin's callers continued to visit. She had been home for a week and hadn't said two words to me since the day she brought me my lunch. The fifth day after the perceived disappearance of the cattle I told Bill I wanted to ride the property line through the hills. We had already covered all the fence line along the pasture areas and had seen no evidence that the missing cattle had taken through there. Sam dropped me off on the west side of the ranch. This was where Bill's ranch bordered the Wilson ranch. About half way to the southwest corner I spotted three fresh sets of horse tracks. They crossed from the Wilson side of the fence onto Bill's side. The puzzling thing is that the fence wire was still up. I dismounted and checked the fence posts and saw that the staples had been loosened on five posts and were barely holding the wire up. Remove the staples and lower the wire and you could cross over. Put the wire and staples back and it looked normal. I remounted and and followed the tracks. When I got near the stream, I saw three horses tied to a tree a little ways above the waterfall. I was still about thirty yards away and I quickly got down and tied my horse to a tree and pulled the rifle from it's scabbard. I crept quietly through the trees, my eyes darting from side to side. When I reached the horses I could see boot prints leading downstream. I crept to the edge of the waterfall and looked over and gasped. There was Caitlin in the pool. She was naked as the day she was born. I was mesmerized by the sight. She was swimming through the water, her nude body clearly on display in the clear water. Damn she had a cute ass. She rolled over onto her back and her firm tits stuck up from the water. I could even see a small strip of red hair above her pussy. A movement in the trees to her right brought me back to my senses. I quickly scanned the area and saw one guy to the right and two more nearing the pond on the left. I raised my rifle and shot. The bullet hit between the feet of the guy on the right. One more quick pull of the trigger and the dirt exploded between the two guys on the left. Caitlin released a blood curdling scream that echoed through the trees. I stood up so everyone could see me. "On your belly's now. I won't miss the next shot," I yelled out. "Caitlin stay where you are." Caitlin hadn't seen the three men. All she saw was me standing above her holding a rifle. "Are you crazy, Carson," she screamed. She was doing her best to cover her tits with one arm and her pussy with the other. One of the men on the left flinched as if he was going to run. The bark on the tree right next to his face exploded as I pulled the trigger again. He was convinced and dropped flat down. Caitlin looked to where I had shot and saw the two men. She shrieked again. "I said on your stomachs. Three two." Before I could say "one" the other two dropped down. "Now put your faces in the dirt and your hands behind your heads." They again did as ordered. "Now get out Caitlin and get dressed." "But Carson," she began to protest. "Goddamn it, Caitlin, just fucking do what I tell you. Get dressed and get the fuck out of here," I snarled at her. Caitlin was clearly scared and I could see her shaking from where I was but she did as I ordered and walked out of the pool. Like Venus rising from the sea she stepped out of the water. Even though she kept her back to me I couldn't take my eyes off of her. The sight of her alabaster skin and the most perfectly rounded butt that I have ever beheld were forever etched into my mind. She only put on her jeans and shirt and swung up onto her horse. One kick and she was gone through the trees. When she was gone I ordered the men one at a time to come up the rise and lay back down. Only when all three lay in front of me did I breathe a sigh of relief. I decided it was time for a bluff. "Now what am I going to do with you three." I paused for effect. "Guess I could just shoot your balls off and watch you bleed to death." The three men began to plead for their lives. I got the distinct aroma of shit as at least one of them filled their pants. "Even if I don't kill you, Caitlin's father will when I tell him how you were going to rape his only daughter. The only thing I can think of is if you have something to confess to the sheriff that was more important. Say something like rustling cattle. It might get you jail time but at least you would be alive." The smallest of the three broke. "Yes, we did it. Wilson said if he could break Buckman he could get his land." One of the others told him to shut up. "Fuck you. I ain't dying over no damn cows," the littler guy spat back. I knew that Caitlin would ride as fast as she could to find her father and he would come to find out what had happened. In the meantime I decided to just wait. Sure enough forty five minutes later both Bill and Sam came riding into view. I waved down at them and they raced up to the top of the waterfall. "What the hell is going on?" Bill demanded to know from his perch on top of the horse. He was looking down at the three men laying face down on their stomachs. "Seems that some of Wilson's hands decided to pay us a visit. I followed their tracks from the fence line to here. Caitlin was taking a swim and these three were trying to sneak up on her." I had walked over to my prisoners and I pushed the barrel of my rifle into the littler guys neck. "I think this one here has something he wants to tell you." I prodded him one more time. "We did it. We took some of your cattle. But it was Wilson that made us do it," he wailed plaintively. Bill cocked his hat back and gave me a big smile. "You know, when my grandfather started this ranch they would just hang horse thieves and cattle rustlers. Seems like that was justice. Shame we have to be civilized now a days." Sam kept watch over the uninvited visitors while Bill and I talked quietly. We decided to march them back down. Bill and I followed them with rifles in hand as they walked in front of us. Sam tethered their horses together and brought up the rear. When we reached the buildings we took the rustlers inside the barn and put them in separate stalls next to each other and had them sit. With the stall doors open we could see them but they couldn't see each other. Bill went into the house and called the sheriff while Sam and I stood guard. Less than half an hour later the sheriff came speeding up the mile long drive. I went out and talked to him with Bill and we told him what had transpired. I suggested we bring the little fellow out first and let sheriff talk to him. He agreed and I quickly had my prisoner standing outside. The smell left no doubt who had shit his pants. It seemed he had second thoughts about his confession and refused to talk at first. "Seems to me Bill, that all we have here is a simple case of trespassing. It really is a waste of my time to have to deal with it. I guess I can just leave them here and forget I ever saw them and you can handle things as you see fit," the sheriff said. The little rustler's eyes widened in fear and he suddenly started talking. The sheriff soon had the truth. He called in backup and before long there was a line of sheriff vehicles streaming onto Wilson's ranch. Wilson's ranch was close to sixteen thousand acres but the sheriffs knew where to look. The rustler had told them what part of the ranch they had been holding the stolen cattle. In all they found almost one hundred head with the Rocking B brand. Before the day was out Wilson and his hands were behind bars. With all the excitement it was after nine before we got to sit down for supper. Caitlin sat at the table but kept her eyes on the plate in front of her. "Just what were you doing up there?" Bill asked her as he hadn't had much of a chance to talk to her. "I was just taking a swim. I didn't think that anyone was going to come spy on me." She gave me an accusing glare as she said that. "First of all, Caitlin," I began. "I was not spying on you. I followed the tracks of their horses to the stream. And second, what do you think what would have happened to you if I hadn't been there. I don't think those three guys were planning on having a picnic with you when they saw you swimming naked in the pool." Caitlin's face turned bright red. "Thank God you got there when you did, Carson," Colleen said. "I hate to think what might have happened." Everyone dropped the subject and we hurriedly and ate. We still had to be up early in the morning. I left the kitchen for my cabin and was halfway there when Caitlin called out to me. I stopped and waited for her. "So, did you enjoy the view today," she snapped rudely at me. I guess it was too much to think she might actually be grateful. "Let's just say that I would be lying if I told you I didn't find it to be breathtaking." Caitlin just let out a "humpff" and turned on her heels to stomp off towards the house. I stood shaking my head. I guessed there was something about me that just pissed her off. The next day Bill had to go into to town to formally press charges against Wilson. It was going to be several days before we could drive the stolen cattle back to where they belonged. The prosecutor was going to have to document everything first. Sam and I spent the day putting a fresh coat of paint on some of the outbuildings. We ate lunch in the kitchen but Caitlin didn't join us which suited me fine. Bill got back in the early afternoon but waited until dinner to tell us what had happened. He told us as this wasn't a capital case that Wilson and his hands would be let out on bail. He didn't really think they would try anything again but for us to stay on our toes. Bill looked over at his daughter and gave her a big grin. "If you're going to go up swimming naked any time soon maybe you better take Carson to watch you. I mean to watch out for you," he said with a chuckle as he teased Caitlin. Caitlin's face again turned bright red and she started sputtering as she stood up kicking her chair backwards and raced from the room. Bill and Sam roared with laughter and even Colleen giggled. I couldn't help chuckling myself. When everyone calmed down again we resumed eating. Bill wasn't through teasing though. "I really want to thank you Carson. Wilson could have ended up really putting this ranch in financial trouble. You're definitely worth every penny I pay you." We all shared another laugh at that. Three days later Bill received the word that he could reclaim his cattle. We loaded three horses in to a trailer and drove around to Wilson's main gate which identified the property as the Flying W Ranch. We were given a sheriff's escort to where the rustled cattle had been isolated. Colleen had come along to drive the truck and trailer back once we had the horses unloaded. Bill, Sam and I began to push the cows back towards his ranch. I felt like I was in a western movie on a cattle drive. When we neared the Rocking B ranch I rode ahead and loosened enough of the fence line so the cattle could cross over. Once all the cattle were back on the right side we put the fencing back in place and rode back to the main house feeling good about the days work. Caitlin had applied for her license to becoming a practicing vet. As that normally took around forty five days to be approved, all she could do was tend to the animals on her father's ranch. I would see her out and about at times and of course at the table at meal time. She still gave me the silent treatment but if I could catch her eye I would give her a big grin and wiggle my eyebrows. This was always enough to cause her to blush. It was two weeks after the incident at the waterfall when we happened to be in the barn at the same time. "Done any swimming lately?" I said wiggling my eyebrows suggestively. Caitlin walked over and stood inches away and glared at me. "Why are you such an asshole?" she snapped at me. I shrugged my shoulders and grinned. "Why are you such a bitch?" I replied. Her right hand began to swing up towards my face but I was quicker and grabbed her wrist before she could slap me. She tried to slap me with her left hand but again I caught her wrist. I pushed both hands behind her back pinning them there. That forced her body up against mine. Slowly I lowered my face down to hers and stopped when my lips were only an inch from hers. Caitlin was watching my face with wide eyes but she wasn't struggling. "If you were my woman I would put you over my knee and spank your cute little butt," I whispered. Caitlin let out a loud gasp. "You wouldn't dare," she said as she tried to pull back. I suddenly released my hold on her and she fell backwards to landing on her cute little butt. "It's not that I wouldn't dare. It's that I just got rid of one woman who doesn't care about me and I'm not about to waste my time on another one." Up to now it had always been Caitlin who had been the one to stomp off. This time it was my turn. I walked out of the barn leaving her sitting on the ground with her mouth hanging open. I didn't see her again until supper time. Of course she didn't speak to me but I did notice her glance at me with a look I couldn't understand. Not that I ever claimed to understand women anyway. I think my marriage to Janice proves that. The next day I was in the barn mucking out the stalls when Bill came in. Being Sunday and the day he took off I knew he wasn't there to work. He must be wanting to talk. I wondered if Caitlin had told him what had happened the day before and he was here to tell me to leave. I stopped what I was doing as he walked over. "I understand you and Caitlin had a little showdown, yesterday," he said. Well, that confirmed that she had told her father. But I did notice a twinkle in Bill's eyes. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. It was probably all my fault," I said. "Maybe, maybe not. I think her problem is she doesn't know what to make of you. At first she thought you had to be here because you wanted something. Then you become the hero who saved her and the ranch. What she can't figure out is why you aren't chasing after her like all the other local young men. Just like her mother was at her age, Caitlin is used to having the boys wrapped around her little finger. She's had a few boyfriends but they've never lasted. I don't think she really had any respect for them. I just hope you don't let her chase you off. In my book you're welcome here for as long as you want." "Thanks Bill, that means a lot to me. As for Caitlin, I'll quit teasing her and hopefully we can live and let live," I said. Bill left the barn and I got on with my work. I had the rest of the day to think about what Bill had said. If Caitlin wanted to figure me out she ought to act civilly and just talk to me. As far as chasing her like the rest of the pack of suitors, wasn't going to happen. Caitlin didn't join us for supper that night, something that no one mentioned and of course I didn't ask. The next day I was up at five as usual, even though it was my one day off. It was easier to stick to the same schedule so I never slept in. I ate breakfast and after Sam and Bill headed off to work, I went and brought my laundry back. Bill had bought a large commercial washer and dryer. I could do all my clothes in one load. The laundry room was next to the kitchen so while my clothes washed I would sit at the kitchen table and drink coffee. Colleen and I were talking at the table when Caitlin came in. She rarely had breakfast with us and ate later. "Got any plans for today?" Colleen asked me. "Actually I was thinking of driving into town. Anything you would like me to pick up for you?" I asked her. "Well, if you wouldn't mind there are a couple of things you could get for me." "I wouldn't mind at all," I said. "Could I ride into town with you?" I heard Caitlin say. I looked up in surprise. "It's just that I was going to go to the general store for a couple of things and it seems like a waste of gas for us to both drive," she said as if she needed to justify her request. "Sure, I'd be happy to give you a lift," I replied still surprised. After yesterday I hadn't expected her to talk to me much less want to ride anywhere with me. "I'll be leaving in about an hour and a half after my laundry is done and put away." "Okay, I'll be ready," Caitlin said. She finished fixing her something to eat and sat at the table but remained quiet while Colleen and I chatted. Caitlin must have been watching for me because she came out the back door as soon as I stepped out of my cabin She looked marvelous wearing a turquoise sundress that complimented her red hair. The straps that held her dress up left her arms and shoulders bare. Her skin was unblemished. Unlike many redheads, neither Caitlin or her mother had freckles. She was the definition of grace as she glided towards me. As she crossed the yard she kept her crystal blue eyes on me. I was positive she was making sure I watched her. I held the passenger side door open for her and watched her slide in. We started driving and for the first half to the trip she sat quietly watching the country side. "I thought you were going to kiss me yesterday," she said out of the blue.'' I glanced over at her but couldn't see her face as she appeared to be looking out the side window. "Well, whereas that may not have been unpleasant to do, I do have a rule about not forcing unwanted affections upon unreceptive females." Out of the corner of my eyes I saw her head spin around and I could tell she was staring at me. Again Caitlin sat quietly but I continued to see her glance over at me. I pulled into the general store and we went inside. I needed to pick up a couple new pair of jeans and shirts. Caitlin had the list of things her mother wanted and an hour later we had everything loaded. I had one more stop to make at the hardware store to pick up a couple of things for Bill but it was lunch time and I was hungry. I suggested that we stop for a bite to eat and Caitlin agreed. I pulled into the same diner that I had first met Bill and Colleen at. We took a table sitting across from each other and ordered our food. We sat in silence again and I began to think that I should have just driven to the hardware store and then straight back to the ranch. Irish Eyes Just then the door opened and three men walked in. I recognized two of them as guys who had come calling on Caitlin. They made a beeline for our table and two of them took the seats on either side of the table while the third stood behind me. They ignored me and started talking to Caitlin. I stood up and told the third one to have a seat. I caught Caitlin's glare as I moved to the next table. I motioned the waitress over when she brought our food and had her put mine in front of me. I ate quickly, ignoring the conversation at Caitlin's table. I tossed some bills on the table to pay for our meals and stood up. Caitlin had hardly had time to eat and her plate was still full. "I'm going to run over to the hardware store. I can stop back by here later and see if you're ready to go," I said butting into the conversation. Caitlin pushed her plate back and stood up. "No, I'll go with you. It was nice seeing you guys again, but we have run," she said. The guys at the table tried to protest. One even offered to give her a ride home. She just told them no and followed me out to my SUV. I drove over to the hardware store and got out. She stayed in the vehicle and appeared to fume. She stayed that way as we drove back to the ranch and turned off the highway onto the mile long driveway. "Why did you do that?" she asked. "Do what?" I replied unsure of what she was referring to. "Get up and go sit at the other table." "Oh, that. Well I figured you would rather spend time with your friends. Besides, I didn't want to be in the middle of their competition for your attention." "You really are an asshole," she snapped. I wisely kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to fight off her slaps while I was driving. I pulled up to the main house and as soon as I opened the rear of the SUV Caitlin grabbed what she could carry. I picked up some more bags and followed her retreating figure into the house. As I walked in the back door she was dumping everything on the kitchen table and without a word to her mother she strode out of the room. Colleen looked questioningly at me. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess I'm an asshole." Colleen giggled and walked over and put a hand on my arm. "I have never seen anyone have the affect on Caitlin that you seem to have," she said in a low voice. "I guess I was born to just piss her off," I replied. "I'm not so sure about that," she replied leaving me confused. I went back to my cabin and put away my new clothes. Not wanting to stay cooped up in the small cabin I went to the barn and saddled a horse. I rode out and ended up at the top of the waterfall. It was a nice day so I tied the horse to a tree and sat at the edge of the falls looking down at the clear pool. I had been sitting there for a half hour, maybe longer, when Caitlin came riding up below me. She got off her horse. Not wanting to be accused of spying on her in case she was going skinny dipping again, I picked up a stone and tossed it down creating a splash in the water. Caitlin looked around seeking the source of the noise and spotted me. I expected her to ride away but instead she mounted her horse and rode up to where I was sitting. She tied her horse next to mine and came walking towards me. I stood up and took several steps away from the edge in case she was planning on pushing me off. "You're an asshole," she said when she stopped inches from me. "And you're still a bitch," I said. This time I didn't wait for her slap. I grabbed her around the waist and kissed her. Just as quickly as I had grabbed her I let her go and tried to move towards my horse. Her hand seized my arm and turned me back around. I was flabbergasted when reached behind my neck and pulled me into another kiss. Our tongues sought each other and were quickly entangled. We were both panting when our lips parted. Caitlin looked at me with glassy eyes. "Asshole," she said. "Bitch," I replied. Again we were locked in a passionate kiss. My hand slid up and I cupped her breast and lightly squeezed. Caitlin moaned her approval into my mouth. As our passion grew our clothes disappeared. Caitlin pulled urgently at me and I was laying over her between her legs. Her hand reached between us and pulled my hard cock to her hot wetness. We both groaned loudly as I sank into her depths. Our coupling was not slow and gentle but the union of two animals in heat. In minutes she screamed out as she came violently. I matched her as I roared out and filled her with my cum. Not wanting to crush her I rolled to the side and pulled her into my arms as we gasped trying to catch our breath. Our bodies were coated in a sheen of sweat. Slowly our breathing returned to normal and we continued to hold on to each other. "Am I really a bitch," she asked timidly. I chuckled at her. "You definitely have your moments." "I'm sorry," she replied demurely. I stared at the fiery redhead and wondered if I had tamed her. I thought of Bill and Colleen and the love they shared. I had fleeting thoughts of having that life with Caitlin. "Let's go for a swim," Caitlin whispered. I nodded and we gathered our clothes and still naked we led out horses down to the pool. I watched her marvelous butt as she led the way into the cool water. We waded in up to our chests and Caitlin moved into my arms. Her legs lifted effortlessly and wrapped around my waist as our lips locked in another passionate kiss. My cock rose again and pressed up against her. She shifted until I found what I was searching for and again we united. This time we moved slowly against each other. The copious flow of her juices prevented the water from washing away her slickness. Our lips remained locked as I pushed into her. For the second time we came together. I held her tightly as she shuddered in my arms. Only the buoyancy of the water kept my legs from collapsing. Caitlin pressed her head against my shoulder and I held her until the chill of the water forced us out. In silence we dressed and mounted our horses and rode back down. We stabled our mounts and Caitlin came to me and wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me again. Without another word she turned and walked to the main house. In a daze I walked back to my cabin and slipped into the shower. I stood in the hot water as it ran over my body and wondered what had happened. I did come to realize one thing. I had much stronger feelings for this beautiful woman than I had admitted to myself before. I had just enough time to dress for supper. When I walked into the kitchen Bill, Colleen and Sam were already there but there was no sign of Caitlin. We had just taken our seats when she walked in. Instead of taking her usual place next to Sam she took the chair next to mine. Bill and Colleen stared at her and Caitlin just smiled sweetly back at them. During dinner Caitlin chattered away. Despite her parents curiosity they didn't ask why their daughter was in such good spirits. After supper Caitlin began to help her mother clean the kitchen as Sam and I returned to our cabins. I had just slipped between the sheets when I heard a soft knock on my door. Wearing only my boxers I opened the door and Caitlin slipped inside and into my arms. We kissed softly and she led me back to my bed where she joined me joined me after shedding her clothes. We made love again before falling asleep in each others arms. Five a.m. came too quickly and I reached over and slapped at the alarm shutting it off. Caitlin was still snuggled up against me and let out a little moan at the intrusion of the sound from my clock. Only with the greatest effort was I able to tear myself from my bed. I turned on the light in the bathroom and dressed for the day. I walked over and placed a tender kiss on Caitlin's head and slipped from the cabin. Over breakfast I couldn't help but notice the looks I received from Bill and Colleen. I wondered if they knew where their daughter had spent the night and still lay. After breakfast I went out and loaded the pickup for another day of setting fence posts. One thing about working alone on a ranch is it gave you a lot of time to think. I thought of my former life and I was astounded that it had only been three months since I left my wife. It seemed to me that a life time had passed. I thought about Bill, Colleen and Sam and how much they had come to mean to me. And then I thought about the beautiful Caitlin and what we had shared the day before. I wondered if it was possible that I could have found the love that her parents shared. At lunch time I realized that once again I had forgot to bring my lunch. As I had that thought I heard a pickup racing towards me. It slid to a stop and Caitlin jumped out and came running to me with a bag in her hand. She launched herself at me and shoved her tongue down my throat. "Mama said you forgot your lunch," she said with a giggle. To hell with lunch. I pulled her back for another of her hot kisses. I didn't get as many fence posts set that day as I normally did but I did set my post in her a couple of times. We did take some time to talk. I told Caitlin all the details of my former life and how my slut wife had used me. Caitlin told me she was afraid I that I was going to leave. "Caitlin, all I can say is that the only way I will leave is if you tell me to go," I told her. Caitlin did finally return home and I finished my day. I went back to my cabin and showered and changed. This evening she was in the kitchen when I came in and once again took the seat next to me. Halfway through our meal there was a knock at the front door and Bill went to answer it. He came back followed by the same guy who had been the first one to call on her. Caitlin remained in her seat and looked at him. "I was wondering if you would like to go for a drive," he said. There wasn't much for people to do in this part of the country so 'go for a drive' is a euphemism for go on a date. "I appreciate the offer," Caitlin said "But, I don't think my boyfriend would like it." She leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. Mister tall, dark and handsome blushed and stuttered then left the house. It was now out in the open. I looked at Bill and Colleen and saw smiles of approval. Even Sam had a big grin on his face. We had become an official couple. Within a few days there were no more of the local men stopping by to call on Caitlin. She made it plain to them that she was not on the market I did find one way to be of assistance to Caitlin. She was trying to get a loan from the bank to buy the necessary equipment to start her veterinarian business. The bank did not want to make her an unsecured loan and the only way she get it was to ask her father put the ranch up as collateral. She didn't want to have him do that. I told her to give me a couple days that I might know of a way for her to get her loan. I contacted my offshore bank and had them set me up an account in the name of a fictitious loan company. I had Caitlin fill out a loan application on my computer and send it electronically. I had it set up so that it actually went to my e-mail. I waited a couple of days and sent her a notice that her loan had been approved and a wire transfer would be made to her account. Caitlin was ecstatic at the news but asked me why the loan only charged a two per cent annual percentage rate. I told her that they were a non-profit philanthropic group that made loans to people they believed would be performing a community service. Now I could have just offered to give her the money but I knew she was too proud to take it. She had worked hard to get her degree and was determined to be a success due to her own efforts. By the time her license was approved she had bought a new van that she had set up as a traveling vet office equipped with then necessary medical instruments. Once word got out that she was licensed she began to get calls for her services from many of the local ranchers. Caitlin would spend many nights with me in my cabin. Of course Bill and Colleen knew about it but apparently had no objections. She was twenty seven and plenty old enough to make her own decisions. It took three months for Wilson and his hands to come to trial. It was pretty much an open and shut case. The little guy had turned states evidence and was given two years probation with no prison time. There were five other hands that worked for Wilson who each received five years in prison. As the mastermind behind the rustling, Wilson got the maximum ten years and fifty thousand dollar fine. When Wilson was carted off to prison I started to do some checking on him and his ranch. He was single with no family in the area. With all his hands in prison there was no left to run the ranch. That's when I came up with a new plan but before I could set it in motion I had to finish old business first. I needed to get a divorce. But there was no way that I was going to let Janice have half my money. To do this I turned to my buddy Jake and enlisted his help again. I called him instead of e-mailing. I asked him to talk to Janice and tell her that he had heard from me and I wanted to offer her a settlement in exchange for a divorce. The offer was a flat fifty thousand dollars. If she didn't take the offer she would never hear from me again and would never get any money from me. She tried to play innocent at first and demanded to know why I had left and why I wouldn't come home. That ended when Jake told her that I knew all about her and her boyfriend Brandon and her plan to divorce me. Janice knew that her game was over. She was still working as a waitress and struggling to get by so she accepted my offer. To do this I needed to return to Texas and hire a lawyer to draw up the papers. Caitlin wasn't pleased when I told her I was going. I explained to her that I needed to close that chapter of my life and promised her that I would return. I had planned on driving to the airport and leave my vehicle in long term parking but she insisted on taking me and wanted to be there when I got back. I think the fact that I was leaving my SUV and all my belongings except what I was taking in one suitcase made her feel a little better. I left on Sunday and Jake picked me up at the airport when I arrived. I stayed with him and his wife and two kids. Of course I called Caitlin every night. By Friday I had all the paperwork taken care of. Jake took Janice to my lawyer. It was explained that she would get a check for ten thousand now and the balance of forty thousand in sixty days once the divorce was finalized. He showed her the the check that he would hold until the judge made his ruling. She signed the papers and my lawyer gave her a check for ten thousand. I never had to see Janice. I then thought of the things I had in storage. There were keepsakes and heirlooms from my mother and father as well as yearbooks and other things I wanted to keep. I decided I didn't want to have to come back for them so I rented a moving van and loaded it up. Caitlin just about freaked out when I told her I wasn't flying back. I had to calm her down and when I explained I was bringing back everything that was important to me she got excited about me coming back. It took me three days of hard driving to cover the sixteen hundred miles. It was Tuesday evening when I pulled into the Rocking B Ranch. I received an enthusiastic welcome from everyone. And that night Caitlin continued welcoming back until early morning when we fell asleep exhausted. I was now ready to put the rest of my plan into action. That required me to make several trips to the prison that housed Wilson. I wanted him to sell me his ranch. At first he wouldn't agree but I continued to lay out my case. He would be in there for at least seven years before even with good behavior would he be eligible for parole. He had no one to run his ranch and by the time he got out his house and buildings would probably be in ruins. His cattle would probably perish without anyone to feed them in the winter. And I asked him if he thought he would be welcomed back after his conviction. This was ranching country and the ranchers didn't cotton to rustlers. When he realized that he was facing ruin he accepted my offer. At least that way he would have something to start over with when he was released. The next thing I had to do was find the financing. I moved my money back into the country. I was certain that Janice wasn't going to jeopardize her forty thousand dollars by doing anything stupid. I had got Wilson to accept a price of five million. It was worth quite a bit more so finding financing wasn't hard. I put down a half million and financed the rest. I took a month to get everything finalized. I had kept what I was doing secret from everyone. It was tough to do do but I told Caitlin and Bill that I had personal business relating to my assets that I had to take care of. It really only took one or two days of my time per week. I had myself set up as a corporation and had the land registered under the business name. Summer had ended and fall was setting in. I was able to hire someone to harvest the hay that was growing on the land. I also hired four hands who would live on the property to run the place for now. The most experienced hand was made temporary foreman. I explained to him that for awhile I would be an absentee owner even though I would be very close. He could always contact me by phone and I would come by the ranch frequently. The final thing I set into motion was to have the main house remodeled. It was a two story five bedroom house but it needed to be modernized. Despite the fact that Caitlin was getting frustrated with me because I wouldn't tell her exactly what I was doing when I took off, our relationship still flourished. I knew my love for her grew by the day and I felt she felt the same way about me. As for her, her business as a vet was doing very well. It did require her to be on the road quite a bit but she was happy. Things did almost come to the point that I told her what I was doing. I had just got back from checking on the remodeling and she cornered me. "What the hell is going on Carson? Are you seeing someone else?" she demanded to know. "God, no. I swear that there is no one else. I just have some things that I have to take care of. Please believe me. I promise I will tell you everything soon. I love you Caitlin. I'm asking for you to trust me. Trust in our love." Caitlin studied my face searching for the truth and her eyes softened. "Okay Carson. I do trust you. But you had better tell me what's going on soon or I'm going to kick your ass," she said. I grabbed her and kissed her with all the love I had. It was spring and the beginning of calving season when the renovation of the main house was complete. It was now time to put the last part of my plan into action. I waited until I had Caitlin alone one afternoon. I asked her to go for a drive with me. "Honey, I've been thinking that it's time for me to leave the Rocking B Ranch," I said to her with a serious face. Instantly her eyes began to tear up. "But Carson, you promised you wouldn't leave," she said as her chin quivered. I had timed it so that we were at the entrance to the former Flying W Ranch. Right now there was no sign over the gates. I turned in and started driving down the private road. "Well, I wasn't really planning on going far," I said. Caitlin was looking around confused. I'm not sure she had heard what I said. "Carson, what are we doing on Wilson's land?" I stalled my answer until we pulled up to the main house. "Come on, I want to show you something." I got out of the truck and went around and opened her her door. Taking her hand I led her up to the front door and opened it. "Carson," she hissed. "What the hell are you doing? We could get in trouble for this." Irish Eyes "Relax honey. Wilson doesn't own this ranch anymore. Let's look around. I want to know what you think about the house." Caitlin stared at me and shook her head but let me lead her around the house. I took her upstairs and we walked through the bedrooms and then back downstairs. There was a large living room, a nice paneled den, two rooms set up to be home offices and finally the kitchen. I could tell by her face that she loved the new kitchen. There was only one room with furnishings and that was the one I was going to use for my office. The rest of the house waited for her to decide what she wanted. "What do you think of the house?" I asked her. "It's really nice," she said. "Do you think you could live here?" "Dammit, Carson. What the hell is going on?" I could see she was confused and getting upset. I dropped to one knee and put my hand into my jacket pocket. "Caitlin, Wilson no longer owns this ranch, I do. I am asking if you could live here. Could you live here as my wife?" "You own this?" she asked with wide eyes. I nodded. "Yes." I then took the engagement ring out of my pocket and held it up. "Caitlin, I love you with all my heart. Will you be my wife" Caitlin's face kind of scrunched up and her eyes filled with tears. At first I thought I had made a mistake until she tackled me onto my back and covered my face in kisses. "Yes, Carson. Yes I well marry you," she shrieked. Our next kiss was filled with passion. Caitlin then presented me her finger so I could put the ring on her. Caitlin looked around the house with new eyes. She began to run from room to room again looking at everything. I patiently waited until she came running back into my arms. "The house is beautiful, I love it," she said enthusiastically. I led her across the room to two doors that opened off a hallway. "There are two offices. One for you to run your business from and one for me," I said. That earned me another long kiss. I led her into the office with the desk and pulled out a large piece of paper. It had a drawing of a property gate and over it it said Double C Ranch. Caitlin looked it over and her brows furrowed. "What is the Double C?" she asked. "That stands for the Carson and Caitlin Ranch." I saw the light bulb go on. "Oh my god, that's perfect," she cried. She started pulling at my clothes and I joined in stripping her off. When we were naked I set her on top of the desk and christened the office with our love. In the days to come we made love in every room of our home. Once we had recovered and dressed I told Caitlin it was time to go tell her parents. She was so happy that I think she floated out to the truck. We got back a few minutes after six and Bill, Colleen and Sam were already in the kitchen for supper. We walked in together and Caitlin held up her left hand. "We're getting married," she squealed. Colleen jumped up and ran over to hug her daughter while Bill and Sam came and pumped my hand and pounded me on the back. I then got a big hug from my future mother while Caitlin hugged her father and Sam. When things calmed we all set down to eat. Caitlin waited until everyone was eating. "Of course this means we will be moving," she said as nonchalantly as possible. "What?" cried out Bill, Colleen and Sam in unison. "Tell them, sweetheart," Caitlin said to me. I nodded. "Well, Bill, you know how Wilson wanted to combine his ranch with yours? I was thinking it could be a good thing," I said. Bill stood up looking furious. "There is no way in hell the Flying W is going to get my ranch," he roared. I laughed. "Bill, calm down. It is no longer the Flying W. It's the Double C Ranch and the new owners are sitting at your table right now." "What the hell are you talking about," he shouted, now totally confused. "I bought out Wilson and now the ranch belongs to Caitlin and me," I explained. "Double C. Carson and Caitlin," Colleen said. She got it right away. "Bill, I thought if we combined the two ranches you could run them. We would split the profit fifty fifty," I added. "But the Flying, I mean Double C is over twice the size of my ranch. It brings in a lot more profit," he said. "Bill, you have done this all your life. I need your help. I would like us to be equal partners. You would be in charge of the operations. What you say goes. Besides it is part Caitlin's ranch too. It will be keeping everything in the family," I explained. Bill sat down and looked at Colleen. She nodded her head. Bill stuck his hand across the table to me and we shook on it. "Dammit Carson, this is going to take some getting used to but I accept your offer." "This means we are going to have more hands to oversee and that means Sam will be the head foreman," I said. Then I groaned. "And now I get to pull out all those fence posts I worked so hard to set on that side of the property." Everyone laughed at me. Supper that night was a loud and boisterous celebration. Caitlin spent the night in my cabin and wore me out. We were late for breakfast the next morning but everyone was still in the kitchen when we came in. They were waiting for us to eat so we could all drive over to the Double C and Caitlin could show off her new house. Everyone was impressed and I saw Colleen stare jealously at the refurbished kitchen. It took Caitlin and her mother a month to have the house furnished. It was ready to move into on our wedding night. We were married on the Double C. Bill and his family were respected and well liked and ranchers and their families for miles around came to celebrate the day. As Caitlin's husband and Bill's son and the new owner of the Double C Ranch I was welcomed into their society. It was late that night when we got to bed and we stayed there making love that night and most of the next day. We would still be there but on our third day of marriage I took my bride to Fiji for a tropical honeymoon. Our first roundup that year payed off well and we sent a lot of cattle to market. We made a nice profit. A lot of mine went to pay off the loan but with Caitlin's business we were making a nice living. We even built a nice new house for Sam and he has a girlfriend now that is close to his age who lives in town. We may be having another wedding soon. Another year has gone by and my beautiful wife has just given me the most fantastic news. She's pregnant. We're going to have a baby. We're driving over right now to tell the future grandparents. One final word before I go. I know there are those who will say I should have learned my lesson the first time and had Caitlin sign a prenuptial agreement. If so then you really haven't got to know my Caitlin. She isn't Janice. She works her butt off at her job as well as taking care of our home. She is her mother's daughter and she shares her love with me everyday. With me and only me. Every day that I look into her blue Irish eyes I see that love. Irish Eyes "Will you show America to me?" Katherine smiled. "Whenever your heart desires." Heather looked down on her then, those green eyes sparkling as she took the nipple back into her mouth and returned to nursing.