0 comments/ 9052 views/ 2 favorites Sassy and Smart Micki By: EgmontGrigor2011 CHAPTER 1 The heat of a Blenheim hot and dry summer heated Micki (Michelle) Collins as apple orchardist Selwyn Peters spewed semen over her belly and breasts, grunting to end his toil in near-explosive feeling over the sweaty body of a female twenty-four years his junior. "Thanks." "For what?" Micki said sarcastically, her eye following the arc of the condom he'd ripped off seconds before he ejaculated and now tossed it away to land under a tree laden with apples. She thought he was mean enough to want to wash it for re-use. Selwyn stood and looking at the streaks of white mess on her olive skin said, "Clean yourself up and get back to work." He was such a charmer. Micki used her panties to clean up and joined him after pulling on her shirt and overalls and footwear. They were thinning apples prior to fruit picking due to start in two months. When they returned to the packing sheds Mrs Peters was waiting for them. She ignored her husband and said grumpily to Micki, "Please follow me." They entered the small room used as an office and for storage and Mrs Peters handed Micki an envelope. "There's your money, now get off my land." "Why I'm not due to leave until four weeks?" "Because you had sex with my husband, that's why. I saw you threshing about and screaming like a stuck pig." "Well you know how big he is." "Shut your mouth you slut." They glared at one another and Micki reached out and took the envelope off the desk. Mrs Peters said, "You're a lovely young woman but you have just been involved in adultery and in my book that makes you an utterly despicable woman. This happens most years so don't think you are unique. " "It's only fucking, Mrs Peters. It's not Armageddon." "Leave and leave now or else I'll set our dog on to you." Not looking back, Micki hit the road, angry with herself. She'd felt like sex and had succumbed but the outcome was she was fired, out of work a month ahead of schedule. She was lost in her thoughts but stepped aside for a vehicle coming up behind her. The vehicle stopped and a woman called, "Would you like a ride dear?" Micki looked at the woman aged about thirty and said yes. "I can take you as far as the crossroads as I'm not going into town. You'll easily get a ride because it's the main road." "Thanks, much appreciated. I've just been fired." "What by Mrs Peters?" Micki sucked in breath but then thought what the heck and said yes. The driver, who'd introduced herself as Meg, laughed and said. "Was that because Mr Peters got a piece of you?" Her passenger sighed and said yes. Meg laughed and said, "That bastard got me some ten years ago. I was working alone with him when he pulled it out and said, 'Do you want to suck this?' I went weak at the knees and thought I must fuck him, that I'd never had a dick that big. It wasn't lust because I wasn't running hot. I regarded it as part of my education. What was it with you?" "Loneliness. I graduated with my degree in animal husbandry and had to find work for a couple of months before I'm due to start in my job in Aussie and this place got me out of Christchurch so here I am." "I can offer you work cleaning motel rooms. The pay will be a bit higher than the rate for thinning apples." "But I really want work connect with agriculture or horticulture before I return home to America." "California?" "Yes." "I guessed that. I worked a summer in CA. Well you can work with my husband on our grapes." "Are you mad, letting my work with your husband after what you know about me?" "Well if he got to lay you I'd think he was lucky. But he adores me so is unlikely to try for a piece of you, although one never knows." "I can't believe I'm hearing this." "I was looked after with great hospitality in California Micki. I'm only doing the reciprocal thing. I'm also surrounded by older females including David's mother who bullies me. Having you around will be like a breath of fresh air." "No I can't." "Micki, be a good girl and do what you are told. You are coming home with me and don't worry. David and I have both been married before and our wedding was only six weeks ago." "Then you see having sexy me around will taunt your mother." "Oooh you are very intelligent Micki." They laughed and Meg said, "Climb in and kiss me Micki but careful how you go because I might try for a piece of you." Micki froze when half-way into the SUV. "Come on Micki," Meg laughed. "You should be used to Kiwi humor by now." A month later, Meg drove Micki to Christchurch airport almost four hours away just to see her off to Australia. They had become such great friends. Two days earlier Meg had confirmation she was pregnant and was hugely excited. "When I'm on my way back to America in a year's time, I'll pop over here to spend a few days with you." "Oh yes, please do that. I'm so unhappy that you are leaving us. God you even talk like a Kiwi now." * * * The O'Toole's lived in Northern Victoria on a 'mixed farm'. They had three sons who'd attended the same agricultural university where Micki had graduated and the family offered a year's scholarship at the university to extend a top graduate's practical farming knowledge working on the family's highly intensively farmed property. Kitty O'Toole, a wiry woman with short-cropped hair and facial skin cut into premature wrinkles by years of over-exposure to the relentless sun and wind, met Micki with the greeting, "Oh Jesus." Huh? "You're not only a great looker but you have a stunning body." "Mrs O'Toole, please understand I am coming to you to work and learn, not to flaunt myself." "You won't have to do a thing dear. Out where we are, eyes will do the talking." Huh? "We are fairly isolated in our district where young men think of the high living life in the cities they are missing and their two main thoughts are rain and beautiful bodies of city women." "Rain?" "We have a bit of a drought on at the moment dear." "But the floods...." "Two years ago and it could be another century because we get another motherfucker like that one." Motherfucker? God and Mrs O'Toole had appeared to be quite ladylike. Well, apart from her skin. "Oh and while we are at this induction, you can stop calling me Mrs O'Toole. I'm Kitty to man and beast." What? "Um yes Kitty. Kitty is Irish isn't it?" "Oh stuff the crows, we are getting an educated America rather than one who asks if O'Toole is a Welsh name." "It's an English name isn't it?" "Oh spare me Lord." Micki smiled and said, "That was just a joke Kitty." "Ah we thought those Admin people at Lincoln were having a joke when the top graduate had accepted the scholarship and was female." "I apologize for being successful." Kitty smiled wryly. "Was that more evidence of your peculiar brand of humor?" "Only you can be the judge of that Kitty." Kitty and muttered something that sounded like a frustrated 'Fuck me.' Micki thought she should stop being so clever by half. Now didn't that sound Irish? "Um you have three sons, all in their twenties I believe." "Yes and they all will be eager to start having sex with you, probably lining up to take turns, but then again...." "Kitty stop!" Micki shrieked as they waited to collect her bags. People near them moved away. "Well I was only attempting to describe how it will be like Micki." "Or are you attempting to get me to board the next plane out of here?" Kitty sighed. "And here was I thinking you were only clever by half. Yes take the return flight out of her. Digger and I were appalled to find the scholarship went to a female this year. Up till now females haven't been within a bull's roar of taking our scholarship." "The world is changing and so is the performance of women and world attitude's about women." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah." "Well stuff the crows. I've met a young woman who's not scared of me. When I growl at my best most of them crap themselves." "Well if you ever get to meet my father you'll know why I'm tough. On our ranch north of San Francisco are dad, my two brothers and me. Mom ran off soon after weaning me." "Oh you poor darling. Let me hug you. I could kill that mother of yours." Enduring the hug, Micki said dryly, "Thanks but that abandonment happened twenty-three years ago and dad should have made a better choice. Mom was a city girl." "Well here come some bags on the conveyer. Then we head out Horsham way, our main town in the Wimmera region." "Yes 190 miles from here plus the extra miles to the farm. You are old; do you wish me to drive?" "Each minute that goes by I find myself liking you more and more young lady. Perhaps you'll turn out to be a cracker. Yeah you can drive for a while. That will allow me to see how you cope driving on the wrong side of the road compared with Americans." "I have been driving in New Zealand." "Oh I'd forgotten about that. You'll be partly acclimatized." "But I'll miss its wonderful scenery." Kitty scowled and asked was Micki attempting to antagonize her. "And how is it you are called Micki?" Micki said her dad adored her and Micki was an affectionate shortening of her given name which was Michelle. "Pardon me for asking but is Kitty short for Kitty Hawk?" "Tread carefully darling," Kitty said not smiling. "The driver sits in the right-hand seat." Micki already adored her boss's wife. Obviously Kitty was the product of a male-dominated society and would have learned to scratch her way forward in order to have a say in anything. "Now the ignition key..." "Thanks but just giving me road directions will suffice." Micki drove all the way and Kitty slept for almost an hour. "Omigod where are we?" "Almost to the farm." "How did you know which road to take out of Horsham?" "You stated in a letter you were off this highway. I remembered that detail." "We are three miles from the turnoff. I can't believe you continued on driving into the Victorian heartland with me asleep and you not panicking when you've only been in Australia five minutes." Micki turned and winked and Kitty grinned and said yes, Micki was a tough-ass bitch. They turned in and passed under the high metal arch over the gates holding a sign, 'Tikitiki Farm'. "Tiki is a New Zealand Maori word." "Yes." "Omigod you are a former New Zealander and probably from Canterbury and that would explain why you had your sons receive their higher education there and why that scholarship is awarded." "Micki will you shut up." "Why? Omigod it took you years to erode local hostility that you were a Kiwi bride." "Yes you smart-ass. Now just forget it. There's no need to stir sleeping dogs with long memories." "Kitty is a Kiwi, Kitty is a Kiwi." Kitty said evenly, "Do you want you pretty face scratched? You are making me very angry." "Kitty is an Aussie, Kitty is an Aussie." "Thank you darling. We are driving through wheat land that is presently been rested growing grass that is being grazed by our Merino sheep. My son Andrew manages the sheep, Joe manages the Angus cattle and Charlie and his father look after the crops." "And that leaves you running the house." "No you fool. I manage the men and run the farm cooperatively because the men have had an agricultural education. But I know livestock better than any of them and I know how to run a business so over time I came to be accepted as the boss. Any questions?" "Um no, boss." A plump and jolly Italian woman named Maria (what else?) ran the house and her Aussie husband with the cute name of Snake was a trained mechanic and welder. He kept the vehicles and machinery and the irrigation systems running. Maria would later tell the American her husband was the most valued person on the 9400-acre property. Kitty had called Digger and he and the boys were lined up waiting for Micki. Er waiting to greet Micki. "This is my husband Digger. Call him by his real name of Digby and he might punch out your lights." "Hi Micki. I guess with a name like that you didn't like your given name either. It's great you are here and thanks for being such a good-looker and we hope you'll enjoy yourself and you manage to last out the year." "Thanks Digger." "Oh one thing Micki. Me and the boys have accepted the fact that this year's scholarship winner is a piece of skirt." "Why thank you guys. Acceptance means I don't have to regard you as spent dickheads." The guys looked bewildered and hearing a noise behind her Micki turned and saw Kitty and Maria holding on to each other and attempting to smother their laughter. "I'm Charlie." "Ah hi Charlie. You graduated from Lincoln last year and will have emailed tutors you know to find out what I was like as a person and what were my strengths and weaknesses." "Um yes. Who told you? I'll murder the big-mouth." "No one said anything. It seemed logical to me your mother would have asked you to do that." "Jesus." "Does your mother allow you to use language like that in front of women?" "Um you ought to hear mom when she lets rip. We don't see any Roos (Kangaroos) or galahs (Australian pink cockatoos) around here for days after that." "Just a simple yes or no would have been sufficient. I wasn't inviting you to incriminate your mother." A heavily built guy stepped forward and identified himself as the oldest son Joe. "Do I kiss you?" "You may but no tonguing." He looked nonplussed and held out a hand to be shaken, glaring at the two older women laughing again. "And you must be Andrew, who plays a guitar and is an accomplished singer and rides motor-cycles and owns three of them." "Did mom tell you that?" "No I read the Tikitiki Farm pages posted on the Web and I also enquired about you three guys with my tutors and learned about the three of you, some of it quite disgusting information in fact about dormitory panty raids and even worse." The guys shuffled their feet. "God mom is going to like you," Joe said. "On behalf of my brothers I welcome you to Tikitiki. Are we invited to sleep with you?" "Oh have you a bed that big?" When the laughing stopped Micki said, "Sex with me could be possible, but by invitation only. If you decided to take what you want irrespective of the consequences, I suggest you think of the consequence I have in mind and that would be to visit the sleeping culprit when least expected and with a skinning knife in my hand." None of the brothers was smiling. "Well you have met Micki," Kitty said, breaking the strained silence. "She's quite a character isn't she? After her mother ran off after weaning her, Micki grew up with her father and two brothers and the guys working on their ranch. I suggest she has a special brand of toughness that should not be under-estimated. Now get back to work. Thank you for coming in to greet Micki. Pleased be showered in time to join us women for drinks at 7:00." "Do you play the guitar and ride motorcycles Micki?" "Yes I do Andrew." "I thought you would." His two brothers eyed Andrew as if thinking he'd have the inside running and Andrew probably felt that way too. When the guys had left, Kitty took the new hired hand through the house and then invited her to choose one of the bedrooms to become hers. "Will it get much hotter than this?" "Yeah I reckon. We usually have a few days in January of 40-plus degrees." "Omigod, around 104 Fahrenheit?" "Around there. We had 106F for three days once but not in my time." "Then I choose the room in the glassed-in back porch." "Um that is the coolest place during a heat wave but is not very secure." "Do you have anything approaching a watchdog?" "Yes Yeller who is next to useless as a stock dog but is a German Shepherd cross." "What with?" "Dunno. Her mother went missing and she came back three months later with only one pup. We reckon she may have mated with a Dingo. Her temperament is okay and we keep her because she's dynamite on rabbits and rats." "Can it try her and if she gets on with me may I have her as my dog until I leave here?" "Sure." "And she's allowed to sleep on the porch in my room?" "Ah good thinking. Yes of course." The guys assembled at 7:00 under the awning that extended out over the pool for some distance. They were showered, wearing good clothes and had combed their hair. "Are these our three sons?" Kitty asked Digger who also was just as tidy. The guys looked embarrassed and Kitty turned when noticing them stiffen as they looked at the doorway behind her. She turned and sighed. The American was wearing cut-off shorts and a top tied under her breasts, displaying an expanse of bare skin, and was wearing no bra judging by the breast bounce. The tanned legs were gloriously long. At the same time the guys noticed the sexy babe had Yeller on a short leash. "No dogs inside, an absolute rule," Joe said. "I felt Micki would benefit from having a guard dog," Kitty said, emphasizing 'guard'. "We have no idea that guys will come sniffing around when they know she's here. "You excluded us," Andrew said, as if they'd been singled out unfairly. "Oh Andrew I know my sons know how to behave and they have the advantage of knowing what a powerful jaw Yeller has. We can imagine how she'll behave is she believes Micki is threatened. Where Micki goes within reason Yeller will go and that means she has the run of the house." "Let me test this stupid theory," Joe said. He strode toward Micki and Yeller all but ignored him. Joe reached out a hand as if preparing to shake hands. Yeller's ears pricked forward. Joe pretended to cuff Micki's ear and shot backwards as Yeller barked a warning, setting off other dogs in their line of raised kennels over by the farm machinery shed (barn). "Down," Micki commanded but Yeller ignored her and continued to eye Joe. "Sorry it could take a while before I have Yeller perfectly trained." Andrew said, "May I pour you a sherry or a wine or make a simple cocktail for you Micki. Mum will have a white wine." "To demonstrate I'm not up myself, a tinny would be great." The guys watched as Andrew tossed the can of cold beer and she caught it one-handed and said thanks, while Yeller had her gaze on Andrew and growled softly. "Micki you are so impressive, even with males," Kitty said as she was handed her wine. "Yeah well I know I'm not bulletproof and know to earn respect one has to win respect." Joe said, "Can you ride?" "Providing the bike is not too heavy, yes." "I mean ride a horse. It has been agreed you come out with me tomorrow and learn about our cattle operation. We have 280 Angus cows with calves plus yearling, plus replacement heifers, plus steers plus bulls." "So we have around 780 head of cattle and it's nearing the time to get the steers away before the sun dries out the grass." "We have 760 head actually. How the hell get that close?" "You told me." "When?" "When you told me how many cows you had. It was easy to work out once I guessed you'd be hanging on to the steers for as long as possible." "Ah yes, well I'd overlooked you are a Lincoln-trained graduate in livestock management and farm systems. Um well done." "Thanks Joe. I had wondered if you had the guts to give a girl credit when thinking intelligently." He grinned and grinned even more when his mother said, "Only you could have gotten away with that one Micki." After breakfast, Kitty drove Micki the short distance over to the stables in a battered and rather ancient Holden Rodeo pick-up with Yeller without a leash riding on the tray. Maria came over in her car and handed Micki an Acubra (Stetson). "This should fit you. Never, never go anywhere out here without a hat. Are you wearing facial cream incorporating a descent sunscreen rating?" Sassy and Smart Micki "Yes and I have gloves and as you can see a long-sleeved shirt buttoned up high." "Good girl." Maria went back to her car and leaned on to it, making no effort to drive away. Micki noticed how Andrew, Charlie and Digger were hovering, appearing to look busy. "Oh god I'm being set up." "Probably but not with a bucking horse. Joe wouldn't want to see you hurt," Kitty said. "It will be something else, well that's my guess. Be sure to check the cinch." Joe rode out leading a horse even taller than his. Micki whispered, "Omigod, it's about 13.5 hands (6ft high measured to the withers, or the ridge above the shoulder blades)." "Use your brain. I can't say any more and spoil their fun." "This is my second-string horse Trojan. I promise you he'd quiet." "I guess this is a joke?" smiled the 5ft 6in blue-eyed blonde. "What makes you think that?" "I could ask you to be a gentleman and dismount and help me up but first let me try." Micki was well short on her first effort to swing over the saddle but much closer on the second attempt. "Jesus is Trojan a fucking horse or a mountain?" Joe almost fell off his horse he was laughing so much and others who'd come in close were also laughing. Micki lost her Acubra in her third attempt to mount and hung awkwardly with a leg just over the saddle. "Would some kind person..." Maria darted in and gave Micki's butt the small push-up she needed and she was on, red-faced and sweating and people clapped. Maria dusted the hat and handed it to Micki who blew Maria a kiss and then dug her heels into Trojan who leaped forward in surprise and was taken through a tight figure of eight and then stopped and called, "Are you ready to go Joe?" Trojan wasn't the only one who knew this American babe knew how to ride well. Micki yelled "Yeller" and she leaped off the pickup and took up position on the side of Trojan away from Joe on his horse. "Thanks for showing you are willing to be the butt of some fun." "That's fine providing you'll be there when I need you Joe." "Jesus yes Micki. We kinda like having you here. You must know that?" "How was I to know that?" "Um we discussed it when you'd left the breakfast table to go off and get ready." "Well that's really nice to know Joe and don't repeat this but I think you guys are a swell family and I include Maria in that too." "She thinks you are amazing. I heard her tell mum that." "Now then, don't let too many family secrets out of the bag. Tell me about the cattle and how far have you gone with weighing programs, supplementary feeding and progeny performance and testing." After dinner than evening, Andrew brought out his guitar and his old one for Micki and Kitty called Maria and Snake and invited them over. They had a great evening and the only person to not have suspected Maria would have a great voice was Micki. Of course Snake would have known. As everyone said goodnight, Micki kissed Andrew and congratulated him on his guitar-playing loudly and then whispered he should bring a condom when they went to tour his sheep management operation. They left after breakfast on farm bikes (motor-cross type motorcycles). Andrew had brought lunch and they had that seated on a bench outside the big shearing shed almost four miles from the house on the far side of cropping land. It had four raised shearing stands and there was space in the shed and the outdoor pens covered by just a roof, to hold up to 1300 sheep, equivalent to a 6th of the flock. That meant sufficient sheep could be kept dry for two days of shearing should it rain. They rode out to inspect the rams and then Andrew said, "We are about as far away from the house, the neighbors and my nosey brothers as we can get." "You mean for sex?" "Um yeah unless you have changed your mind." "No my body is interested and so is my mind." "Right let's go over by the lake. The dogs might watch us but they'll also spot any snake and Bruno will be in for the kill." "Oh god." "Don't even think about it. Andrew was too eager to be in for his chop to dwell too much on sweet kissing and petting, but he managed to work up Micki by patting her pussy over her jeans while he'd freed a breast and went after it like a hungry dog, saying, "God you have great tits." Micki sighed, "Oh Mr Romantic, where are you?" but obviously Andrew wasn't listening. She sighed again and unbuckled her belt and suddenly his patting hand diverted to help her wriggle out of her jeans. "No you get out of your jeans," she said. "I'm hot and want it." "But Micki, what about foreplay, don't you want a working over?" She doubted she'd get any more than thirty seconds and said not to bother. The 26-year old had nothing to brag about but used it well and had staying power and even more importantly they'd remembered to roll the condom on him. Micki was perspiring hugely, as was he, and was about to enquire was he about done when he yelled, "Can I blast over your tits?" "Yes." He pulled out and splattered her chest lightly. "God you are good," he said, obviously believing it. "You had me pressed so tightly I thought for a while I'd blow off the end of the condom." "You are one of the best I've ever had." "Oh really?" His look told her he was willing to believe her. Later when they were stopped for Andrew to open a gate she called, "Andrew that was a one-off. Don't expect a repeat." "Aw." "And I suggest you don't even give a hint to your brothers we did it. That will only risk discord when they find they are not getting it." "Gee I'm honored Micki and I promise not to give even a hint. But what if you feel like getting off?" "We are going out tomorrow night for Friday drinks and a meal aren't we?" "Yeah we thought we should go to Horsham to a bar and grill rather than a pub because they can get rather rough at times and you're pretty good looking." "Oh thanks for being so considerate. Your mother thinks I'm beautiful." "Oh but you are. Um pretty good looking was just a laidback way of saying the same thing." The three brothers took Micki to Capone's. It was crowded, modernly fitted out, noisy with life music and they waited twenty minutes for a table but that was fine. They'd had a couple of drinks and at the table switched to white and red wine. Midway through a meal a guy about thirty came to the table and slapped Joe on the back and greeted him warmly. The guy then saw Micki and his mouth fell open. He recovered and said hi to Charlie and Andrew, using their names. "This is our post-graduate scholarship winner for this year," Andrew said proudly. Micki Collins was recently graduated at Lincoln University in New Zealand but she's from California. She has dual passports because she was born in New Zealand. Her mum went home to have her in Auckland, her hometown." "Hi Micki or must I call you Michelle?" "No Micki is fine." "I'm Cooper Hatfield. Joe and I were best mates all through high school. He went to university in New Zealand while I went to Scotland to study animal breeding and the care and welfare of farm livestock, principally cattle, because my family farms Angus cattle and also runs an Angus stud." "Oooh that sounds impressive. What degree did you obtain?" "None but I gained three diplomas including one on animal genetics in my chosen areas of study while living on my uncle's Angus stud and attending field days with him whenever I could. During study breaks I worked with him doing everything from mucking-out the winter housing facilities to assisting with embryo transfer." "And you transferred that knowledge back here?" "Yes by in large. You have good understanding." Charlie and Andrew produced a teasing oooh and Cooper moved back, looking slightly embarrassed and excused himself and returned to his table, thumping Joe on the shoulder as he passed him. Joe said, "Do you want him Micki? I can arrange it because he's not going steady at the moment." She nodded. He made her embarrassed by calling from the other end of the table, "Was that a yes or no." "Yes," she bleated and from that moment the brothers lost their simmering interest in her but didn't ignore her as a team member. When their food arrived Joe said, "You come out with Charlie and me tomorrow and then you go will work as directed by mum each morning when she announces duties over breakfast." "That's fine and I look forward to learning what you guys can teach me and just plain helping out such as counting grain or cattle pats or chasing lambs to put daisy chains around their necks." The guys grinned. CHAPTER 2 After dinner almost a week later, Kitty came from the kitchen and said over the noise of the commentary of a rugby league football match, "A call for you darling." The guys knew it wasn't for them. Micki almost panicked thinking something bad had happened on the farm back home but then thought the call would have come to her phone. She picked up the house phone and said, "Micki Collins speaking." "Hi you might not remember me, Cooper Hatfield. We met briefly..." "Oh I remember... tall, handsome and sexy with intense gray/blue eyes." The caller hesitated and then, "Is that you Joe?" "No it is Micki," she said, now speaking without a nervous quaver. "Are you calling for a date?" "Um yes, in a manner of speaking. My mom invites you to come to Sunday lunch. I told her about meeting you at dinner tonight, um I tend to think about you each day, and um she told me to call you and invite you to lunch Sunday." "Why?" Micki asked not really intending to make the guy sweat on this. "What? Do you mean why I think about you or mum or do you mean the invitation." "Well I know why you think about me you sexy man. I mean the invitation." "Mom is American, from near Charlottesville, Virginia. Dad met her over there when he and granddad were part of a cattlemen's tour of eastern USA from Florida up to Massachusetts." "Oh how interesting and it would be lovely meeting her but I'll really come for the opportunity of seeing you again." "You mean you are interested me?" "Yes from the moment I first saw you, without knowing who you were. But please think of that as being a rare knockdown for me." "Knockdown?" "God this is embarrassing. It's a ten-pin bowling term dad uses." "There's 10-pin at Lanes and Games in Horsham, a dozen lanes. Do you play?" "A bit." "If you're interested I'll arrange a male and female group for a compo." "Does that mean a competition?" "Yeah but just a friendly one with some side bets but you don't have to bet." "That sounds lovely and it would be good to meet some younger women around here." "My sister will be home Sunday. She's twenty-four; I'm twenty-eight." They talked on and Cooper said he would call for her at 10:00 on Sunday to allow them to tour the farm before lunch "but only if you're interested." He sounded pleased when she said she was more than interested because she'd come to Australia to learn. Micki returned to the TV room and Digger switched off the sound and they all looked at her. She colored. Kitty said, As if she didn't know, "Was that Cooper Hatfield?" "Yes, his mother is American and has invited me to lunch." The boys looked at their mom. "Then why didn't Caroline call you herself?" "I have no idea." "You didn't ask? "No, to me that would appear rude." Digger turned the sound back on and the guys focused on the TV screen. "Is there something wrong with my sons?" The sound was switched off again. The guys stared at Micki who said was that a fair question. "Then don't answer it." Micki said, "Help me out here Joe." He scratched his belly, holding his mother in emotional suspense. "I think this is what Micki means. I saw her look up and saw an expression on her face I'd not seen before but I know what it is. It's called instant recognition. I turned to see the guy who'd caught her eye and saw Cooper advancing on us. Mom she had no idea who he was." "Yeah and I saw Cooper and the way he kept on looking at her. It was uncanny," Andrew said. And then equally unexpectedly Charlie added the telling blow to his mum. "Mum we boys were all in with an even better chance than Cooper to impress Micki to begin dating, but guess who generated the best chemistry with her? You know it's part of nature's selection process." Kitty sighed and sank bank on to the sofa and patted the empty place beside her. "Come over here sweetheart and forgive me. I'm just a grouchy old mom defensive about her sons and it was so unfair of me to take you on like that." "I understand Kitty and please understand the person I love here is you." Kitty began bawling and reached out to hug Micki. Digger barked, "Jesus Christ, could we have less noise around here. Everyone returned to watching football. Almost thirty seconds later Digger sheepishly turned the sound back. Late afternoon next day, Digger was in the bath and Kitty came in to scrub his back. "And how was Miss Superior out there today?" "Jesus Kit, she gave Charlie boy and me the best day we've had out there for zonks. She was bright and chattered on keeping us interested and only asked questions about things she didn't know or was unsure about. She said nothing boastful. But Kit listen to this, she identified every piece of machinery and every hand-held item of equipment we asked her to identify. I then asked here to take our new John Deere harvester for a bit of a spin and she climbed up and started it without any fuss and drove it into a figure of eight like she rode Trojan and rumbled straight on at us, turning on the lights and blasting the hooter, almost scaring the crap out of Charlie boy and me." "Well I'm glad she impressed you." "Kit, admit it. She's the most impressive female who's ever visited this farm in our time and that includes your mother." "All right, yes. I have to agree with that." "And the most loving." "Oh Christ, finish your own back," Kitty snapped and rushed out weeping. "Jealous bitch. It's one of her sons or else Micki is crap in her eyes." On Thursday Kitty's friend Mabel Hamilton called in a great state. Her 4-year old granddaughter Jessica was missing. Mabel sounded terribly upset and said could Kitty bring her men to help search the riverbanks. Kitty called everyone in off the farm and as they arrived they drove off to the Hamilton's farm fifteen miles away. Kitty and Maria had loaded food and a barbecue to be used to heat an iron pot of water out in the field for tea and coffee. Maria had raced back in as Micki and Joe arrived and Micki helped Maria to load cartons of beer cans on to the back of the old ute. Kitty sat on the tray of the ute with Yeller. "Don't take that dog, he'll only get in the way. "Yeller might find her." "Please yourself," Kitty said, climbing in to her seat and said, "We must find that child alive. She's such an adorable sweetie." They stopped at the deserted house and grabbed cups and more milk. Micki said, "Kitty we should search intensely around the house. How far away is the river?" "Almost half a mile. See the vehicles out there." "Kitty only an emotional mother and grandmother would think of the river. Do you think a 4-year old would walk that far alone without a purpose?" "They have a swimming hole there." "Oh god you go but I'll still search carefully around here. Some of the men would have thought of doing that but they may have rushed it." "Please yourself. I'm not saying it's a bad idea but I need to get over and support Mabel and her daughter. They'll be frantic with worry." Micki began searching the house and in the bedroom found a cloth doll on the floor and gave that to Yeller to sniff. She was disappointed Yeller took little notice of the offering after sniffing at it twice. The house was built on a concrete slab so nothing there to crawl under. The poultry house was securely fastened up high so Micki didn't bother searching inside. She went into the orchard calling the girl's name, and looking carefully in overgrown areas. At the far end of the orchard she found Yeller sniffing at some wood and knew instantly what it was, rotting timber from over an abandoned hand-dug well. It had the appearance of being recently removed. She looked down the well but it was too dark and deep to see anything. She called out Jessica several times and noticed Yeller was looking with some interest down the hole. She called Kitty. "Kitty I'm on to something but it could be a false alarm. Please get four or five men over here fast to the site of the old well at the end of the orchard. Tell them to grab ropes and torches." Micki heard the sound of vehicles rushing towards the house and thought oh god, everyone was coming. If it were a false alarm she would be ridiculed. A guy, presumably the child's father vaulted the fence while other men went up to the gate. "Look," Micki pointed. "That wood looks very recently disturbed." ' The guy said nothing but ripped the other lengths of wood away and called desperately, "Jess, Jess oh god answer me Jess." "I need a rope," he yelled. A guy arrived with a rope and another guy strung out a rope between two trees as part of crowd control. Perhaps thirty people had gathered and two women with Kitty had been allowed through to the wellhead. They watched as four men lowered Jeff, Jessica's father, down the well shaft, head first. He called something and a guy at the wellhead called, "Jeff can see her. Jess is wedged headfirst. He can't see if she'd in water." Micki noticed the mother between Kitty and the other woman was shaking and weeping but was managing to hold back the screams. Micki hurried over and said to the mother, "Jess has been found and that's the first stage. Believe me, in all probability there is no water in that well because it would have been the reason why it was abandoned and remember this district is still in drought. Also it is unlikely the hole she's in is exactly her shape and so air will be circulating. She probably was knocked unconscious and her wee body is keeping her that way to protect, well that's my thinking." "Thank you for finding my baby," the woman sniffed, hugging Micki. "Pat Yeller. She got to the well first." The grandmother and Kitty both hugged Micki, Kitty calling her "My heroine." Micki took Yeller back by the crowd control rope. A TV news team arrived on the heels of a newspaper photographer and two reporters and Micki heard someone say, "That's the young woman who found her, a Yank." "Not so," Micki said. "Her father actually was the person to identify she was down the well. My dog Yeller here was already sniffing around the well when I got there." "But she was the only person to search carefully around the house. We all had raced to search the riverbanks," called someone. Then the child's father was hauled to the surface and cried, "Pull her up gently. I tied the rope around her waist and looped it around her ankles. "Peggy I'm absolutely sure she's breathing. I reached down and cleared dirt away beside her face and I reckon hairs on the back of my hand by her mouth moved in synch with very slow breathing." "Oh God, thank you," Peggy screamed. The crowd cheered and clapped. A later arriving rescue team with a doctor had reached the site and a guy with a stretcher hurried in after them. The news media wanted to interview Micki but she was nowhere to be found and there was no sign of Yeller. They all jumped Kitty who said, "She will have gone to avoid being in the limelight. You will find her and Yeller walking home, fifteen miles away. Go thataway," she smiled, pointing out the direction. Sassy and Smart Micki The media posse set after their quarry and found Jesse and Yeller also half a mile away. She was being interviewed on the roadside when the ambulance carrying Jessica and her mother followed by her happy looking father in his SUV. He gave the thumbs up sign, indicating that Jessica would be okay. The news reports that evening reported Jessica would remain in hospital overnight for observation. She had cuts and bruising but otherwise appeared to be in good shape. "She's a tough kid," said the doctor. "She wanted to go home to see the dog that saved her." There was a large front page photo of Micki and Yeller in next morning's newspaper under the heading, 'My Dog Yeller, Heroine.' But a little way down the story Kitty was quoted as saying, "Our American guest Micki Collins proved to be the most intelligent of all of us thirty-three searchers by opting alone to thoroughly search the house and nearby grounds. She believed that was the primary search area for a 4-year old. Speaking on behalf of little Jessica and her family, I say thank god for alternative thinkers." Micki burst into tears when reading that. To her it signaled the rift between her and Kitty had healed completely, although one could never be absolutely sure with Kitty. * * * Sunday was another appallingly very warm day with blue skies over which sailed fluffy white small clouds. Micki smiled, aware she was now thinking like a farmer hoping for rain. Perhaps it would rain when the sheep were being mustered for shearing or it was time to work ground for a new crop, she sighed. Clearing away after breakfast she said to Kitty, "I wish I'd packed a sundress to impress Mrs Hatfield with my womanly shoulders and near-perfect skin. Mothers look for these things, or so I've been told." "Do they," Kitty said dryly. "Um I meant some mothers. You wait till your boys begin arriving home with girls they are becoming serious about. Then your radar will switch on." "Leave what you're doing and go into my bedroom and pick out the sundress you like best. I'll get the scissors and my machine out, oh and a tape. Don't mind Digger. He sleeps in on Sundays till 10:30 so he can't be yanked off to church." Micki's giggle made Kitty smile. Micki returned with a yellow and blue sundress and that also made Kitty smile. "I thought you would, it's my favorite too." As Micki turned to go back to the bedroom with the dress, Kitty said, "No you don't young lady. That is very noble of you but you are sticking with your first choice." Micki had also brought the only dress she had with her to be used as a pattern. "God I knew I'd lost my youth and gained weight. I'm cutting out enough material to almost make you another dress." "Bullshit but make a sundress out of those bits for wee Jessica and have it ready for when they come for early dinner this evening." "Oh what a great idea. Um invite Cooper to stay for dinner." "No that could antagonize the guys." "They like Cooper and they adore you. How could anything go wrong?" "Kitty I don't think you really know how males can be." "Oh yeah, and how old and how experienced are you young lady? And are you aware, with a few exceptions, that guys are basically scared of women whether or not they bristle." "You win Kitty," Micki laughed and then until she went off to get ready listened to many of Kitty's fascinating experiences with men including being caught with her pants down by mothers. It was hilarious and Kitty, cheeks red with excitement at having such a fascinated listener and obviously enjoying their intimacy. "I sew a bit roughly but his mother will not see the stitching unless she removes your dress." "What?" "Just a figure of speech to say you can't see the stitching." "It looks great. I'm so impressed and am so thankful that you were so keen to have me looking good." "You have no jewelry." "Yes earrings." "Well you are going to wear my silver wedding necklace and that means no ifs or buts young lady." Cooper arrived on the dot of 10:00 in his yellow V8 Holden ute (pick-up). "Where are you boys?" he complained and grinned when Kitty looked at him sourly. But suddenly Kitty broke into a huge smile and she said proudly, "Well here she is," Cooper gaped. The sun frock with its built-in bra was almost skintight and was set off by a heavy silver necklace. Micki was in blue high heel shoes and her hair was in a ponytail, making her look not a day over twenty or probably twenty-two. "Jesus." "Cooper does your mother allow you to use language like that in front of older ladies?" Micki said. She looked at Kitty who then almost split herself holding back laughter when Cooper said, "I apologize Kitty." As they drove off, Cooper said, "Micki I realized you were beautiful but not this beautiful and your knockers..." "You mother might prefer them being referred to as breasts Cooper but then again she might prefer to them not being mentioned at all." "Um sorry." "Go on Cooper, dip a hand in and have a feel under the bra." "Really?" "Yes." "This won't be used to embarrass me later?" "No Cooper and please did it now, the gateway is coming up and I have no wish for you being reported for lewd conduct on a highway." He had a quick dip and squeezed the nipple and Micki eyed him encouragingly. "Jesus." "I'm glad you like me Cooper." He carried the look of a guy who'd just been reeled in and Micki decided that was as far as she should go. It was up to him to call the shots, if he was that way inclined. They drove over the farm. At the first gate she said she'd open it. "No you are wearing high heels." "I'll kick the damn things off. Kitty made me wear them." "Women look sexier in high heels." "Oh?" He grinned and went out and opened the gate. "I know the farm looks poorly now because of the drought," she said, as they neared the house. "But I believe I can visualize how it must look in normal times. It's very impressive." "Thanks. We do try hard and you have said our cattle look well-bred. You are a welcome lunch guest." "Kitty invites you to dinner tonight." "Good. I reckon she believes I'm good enough for you." "Pardon me?" "Nothing, here's my sister Annie. With you being in the newspaper and on TV everyone has been talking about you and she's so excited to meet you." "Everyone?" "I reckon." "You reckon what." "Just like I said, everyone in the district is talking about you because of your superior intelligence in rescuing wee Jessica." "Oh god." "Does Kitty approve of you using such language in front of impressionable young men?" Micki thought it best to just sigh heavily. He grinned. Opening the vehicle door for Micki, Annie said, "Oh hi, I'm Annie, Cooper's sister. It's so exciting that you are visiting us." "And aren't you a beauty. Do we kiss?" "Oh god, you even have the body to go with the face." "All parts age and whither Annie, don't get carried away." "Oh god, and humor too." They kissed and Annie held on to Micki's hand and whispered, "Dad's okay but mom appears a little severe at times but that's because she's thinking." "I'll be fine. I can charm the pants off any woman." "Oh god," giggled Annie, using what appeared to be her favorite expression. A neatly dressed couple appeared on the wide verandah that ran around at least two sides of the house from what Micki could see. They came down the steps to meet them and Micki could see the mother looking at her daughter's hand in their guest's hand. Micki swung up their hands and called, you have a very pretty and vivacious daughter Mrs Hatfield." "Welcome Michelle and please call me Jenna. You have lost more of your accent than even I have after all these years. How clever of your to sum up my daughter so quickly." "Well it shines forth Jenna. And hi and what do I call you Mr Hatfield. Tom, Thomas or Tommy?" He laughed and said she was close. She should call him Ted. It was an interesting afternoon for Micki because mother and daughter told her so much about Cooper that she was sure he would never have told her. Ted on the other hand liked telling stories about things that had tripped up Cooper as a teenager through to adulthood. Whenever she attempted to divert Ted he would return to that subject steadfastly. Micki winked at Cooper and that washed away some of his sour look. Finally Jenna took charge and said, "That's enough of those lousy stories Ted. Tell us about yourself Micki, from the start if you wish. Micki welcomed that because she wanted them to know she'd been brought up by her father and older brothers, that her mother had abandoned them. Poor Annie began to weep and came around the table to hug Micki and Micki pulled her on to her knee and continued on grimly, relating for the first time to anyone what she'd thought about the life served to her during all those years. Finally Jenna was unable to resist and reached across and patted Micki on the back of her hand. The guys didn't look all that comfortable as well. "Right that's the rough days done with," she said brightly, "and perhaps it's why some folk call me a hard-nosed bitch. You see I learned to never back off, well to almost never back off. But then my life changed. When it was time to go to college I said daringly to dad that I possessed a New Zealand passport and they were one of the leading nations in farm livestock science and management systems, inventors of electric farm fencing and so forth, that I'd like to go to college there. So after three years I gained my bachelor degree and won the scholarship to gain a year's post-grad experience working on the O'Toole's farm. And you know what, "The domination of my father and brothers has left me with the firm belief I'm now my own woman." "And good for you," Annie said, kissing Micki and getting off her knee and saying to her mother she'd clear and fetch dessert. "Well that's enough about me. Tell me Ted, how did you win the heart of Jenna?" He smiled happily and Jenna wheezed, "Oh god." "We had a night of sex and I knew I wanted to take her back with me to Australia, but there were immigration problems. I was aged twenty on an Angus breeder's tour of the eastern states of the US of A..." Micki caught Jenna's eye and winked and saw Jenna relax. It was a great story. Cooper banged Micki on the way home. They were approaching a pine plantation and he said, "Would you like to stop and have a bit of a grope in that forest?" "Sounds lovely. Do you have a rug?" "No but there's a tarp in the back." "What about condoms?" "Oh I happen to have a couple with me." "Good boy." He parked, hidden from the road, and when Micki got out of the vehicle she said, "Let's do it here, beside the vehicle. Then I can leave my sundress and shoes inside the vehicle." "Yeah good idea." She wiggled out of her dress and saw Cooper's eyes bulge as her tits flopped out but then she could see that wasn't the only thing about him that was bulging. "Come on slow coach," she taunted. "Hiding a small dick huh?" Goaded, he stripped off and eyed her boldly, working his big dick up hard. "That's pretty impressive Cooper. It's more than five inches I guess." He leered and said, "Seven and a half inches of rigid steel." "Oooh. Can it bear to be sucked by a juicy mouth and stroked by a snake-like tongue?" For a moment he looked nervous but then nodded manfully. Micki dropped to her knees. She was glad he claimed only seven and a half inches. Some guys with longer ones appeared all too eager to hear a cry they were pushing in too far and that it was hurting. She finished him off when feeling him tense by scraping up the length of his pole until her teeth hit the helmet, at the same time she squeezed his balls. He cried out something intelligible. She pulled her head to the side and a big shot of semen flew in an arc over her left shoulder, just missing her ear. She allowed the next two shots to land on her breasts and rubbed in the goo, staring at him while he panted and eyed her passionately. "Are you ready to thump my pussy?" He nodded. "Okay but roll on our protection." He fumbled and she assisted. Micki dropped on to her hands and knees and he shuffled in behind her and called a gently teaser, "Which hole." "The big one, you filthy Aussie dingo." He laughed and missed the target on his first attempt. He was plumb-center with the next attempt and took it slowly, giving her nothing but wonderful sensation. When he worked into his rhythm, Cooper reached under her chest to grab a swinging tit and squeezed and Micki groaned into a release but told him to keep going. "You fuck really well," she said and thought she felt him thicken inside her. She called, "Talk dirty to me baby" and that got her off twice more before he climaxed with a loud hoot. She turned her head and smiled, seeing with his head thrown back, mouth wide open and eyes closed tightly. They dressed and he said it was a good idea to have undressed and leave their clothes in the ute. "We don't look as if we've been banging." She asked what about her hair and he said she needed to redo it to look like when they'd set out that morning. The O'Toole boys were on the front veranda drinking beer and watched as Cooper and Micki got out of the vehicle. "We thought you guys would have stopped at Wilson's pine plantation for a bit of a bang," Joe drawled. Micki's heart missed a beat. But Cooper proved he was up to it. "I suggested stopping for a bit but was told to keep my filthy thoughts to myself." The brothers cackled as if they'd just heard the joke of the century. "Hi guys, had a lovely Sunday? You should get regular girlfriends instead of resorting to those pickups who could leave you diseased." They shrank into their seats looking aghast at Micki and she then knew none of them would now have the courage to grab her handbag to pull out her panties she'd used to clean up Cooper and herself. Joe said, "I lost my regular girlfriend a month ago and Charlie was dropped by his two weeks ago. They get sick of us not being on hand in Horsham to take them out when they want to go out with a partner." "Then I suggest you have a close look around in this district and forget what age they need to be and what type they should be and whether you suspect they might be lesbians. By the time you go through too many negatives like that there will be no one left. Oh and another thing, keep talking to females with boyfriends. You never know and these days it's not uncommon for girls to drop a guy to date someone else." "Gee thanks Micki," Charlie said. "You told me stuff I've never thought about. Latching on to a local girl had distinct advantages." "Yes Charlie. Some females will be quite pleased to have sex every night." She walked off and heard Andrew say Micki could be pulling his leg but Joe said on the other hand she could be right, that perhaps they had been rather naïve." "Do you think she could land girlfriends for us?" Charlie asked. Micki thought oh god. Kitty kissed her and asked, "How did it go darling?" "Almost like a dream. Annie was all over me from the start and gradually her mom thawed and I kept making her dad laugh and I liked them too. I'll have a quick shower and change and come and help you." "You said shower? Have you two... surely not, it was scarcely a date." Micki fled before Kitty could see her embarrassment. There was a huge moment for Micki later when Jessica and her parents arrived. Jessica ran straight to Micki and pulled her down to listen and whispered something. "Jessica wants me to take her to visit Yeller. She wants to see the heroine again." Six weeks after Micki 'met the parents', the rain arrived and the mood in the district took a huge uplift and everyone began having parties or barbecues (cook-outs) and each of the O'Toole boys, with some help from their mother who was pushed by Micki, landed up with a girlfriend, the daughter or granddaughter or niece of women Kitty knew. Kitty was very active as a fund-raiser for several community organizations, was an outspoken advocate for rural women and was a major campaigner in the district in support of judicial usage of water for irrigation purposes and easier access to rural medical services. By this time Micki's own romance was bowling along nicely and she spent some weekends at Cooper's home, his mom actually asking them if they wished to sleep together, and at the O'Toole's after initial hostility, Yeller accepted Cooper sleeping with Micki. In June (winter in Australia), Charlie's Sue found herself pregnant and the families hastily arranged an early wedding for the happy couple and two months later Joe's girlfriend Matilda, who at thirty-five, suggested they married because time to have children was running out for her. Three weeks later they married while Andrew and Cathy declared they were happy to keep 'living in sin' in the one bedroom apartment above the vehicles in the garage of Cathy's parents. Finally it was time for Micki to return home, with the termination of her scholarship date looming. "Please stay on living with us," Kitty begged. "No there's no future for me here," she smiled, "but you kind request has warmed my heart. "But we need you here." "No you don't and you know that. I suggest you talk to all three boys about staying and then buy out one of your neighbors to provide sufficient farm income to support you and Digger and the families of your three boys and their families." "My two boys, Andrew says he won't be having children." "Oh yeah, will this is our secret Kitty, Cathy had told me she has other ideas." "Omigod, I really must do more to get to know her better." "Way to go Kitty. I suggest you throttle back a bit with her because she's a little shy and in awe of you." "In awe of me?" "Yes Kitty. Cathy's parents keep largely to themselves and Cathy sees you as such an influential person in the district." "Me? But I'm only doing my bit." "Call that doing a really big chunk Kitty and you'll then be aware of how Cathy sees you." Micki had a similar problem with Cooper and his parents. They wanted her to stay. She made a pact with them. She'd go home and find out how things where and if she was wanted she'd call Cooper over to experience the lifestyle and then they could possibly discuss marriage and where they would settle. "Propose to Micki now, right now Cooper." "No mom. We have discussed it and she feels she has to do this. What she hasn't told you is if she'd not wanted on the home ranch she'll be back here like a flash." "Is that true Micki?" "Yes Jenna but he wasn't supposed to tell you that but you know what men are like." Micki had become very well known in the district, proving to be a huge asset as player-coach to the local women's senior soccer team and being a very effective coach of children under the age of ten at the swimming center. Children who'd not shown any sign of gaining water confidence and setting off without a paddleboard, gained success often within days of coming under the amazing tuition of Miss Collins who would tell them make up stories about how mother fish taught their babies to swim and she would then place each tentative child on her belly and swim a length in gentle backstroke and the child would be amazed to find they'd swum a full length. With the little older set, Miss Collins had set-up classes two late afternoons a week to teach young teenage girls about skin, hair and nail care and then those girls graduated on to make-up classes provided they gained parental consent. Before too long a group of women had come to Micki and she agreed to begin a Saturday morning make-up and hair care class for women. Sassy and Smart Micki Some 150 adults and children turned up for her farewell, a Sunday evening barbecue over at the O'Toole's shearing shed. Old-timers argued when had there been a farewell that large locally, and it was agreed it would have been thirty or more years ago. Families brought salads and vegetables to cook while Kitty and her group opted to look after deserts because the Hatfields and little Jessica's parents opted to provide chicken, beef and pork for the twenty grills. Then a five-piece band from Horsham that Andrew and Micki sometimes played guitar and sang during the band's short breaks at the hotel they played at, arrived unannounced to play all evening and that really was icing on the cake. During the farewell speeches Micki was stunned when she opened a gift paid for by local donations (and the amount secretly doubled by the Hatfield family). It was a fabulous opal and white gold bracelet. After Mrs Mackie, who'd made the presentation on behalf of the community kissed Micki and everyone clapped, Jessica now five come forward with a gift from her family, a pair of earrings that matched the bracelet. Micki burst into tears and Jessica endeared herself to everyone by clasping Micki around the legs and urged her not to cry. Next day the O'Toole family drove Micki to Melbourne to catch her flight to San Francisco. They'd arrived earlier and went into the restaurant and there was a big surprise, Annie was waving them over to a big table where the rest of the Hatfield family was seated and grinning. They had a happy hour until it was time for a few tears to flow. "Thank you, thank you, I'll never forget you guys and you'll all see me again. She wept loudest when hugging Kitty goodbye. CHAPTER 3 The welcome Micki received from her father in San Francisco was not memorable. "I'll ask you again, how long are you planning to stay?" She smiled and said her answer was the same she'd told him twice on the phone, she'd know in due course. He was angry and knowing him well, expected she'd soon learn why. It was a 215-mile drive to the ranch north of the city, near Red Buff, ironically a similar distance from Melbourne to the O'Toole's farm. That had not occurred to Micki until just now. The Jeep was aging and perhaps that meant the ranch was not making so much money. As they moved out of the city, her father Ralph said, "There have been some changes since you left here, changes you know nothing about." "Oh yes." "Your brother Pete has taken off because he and his new stepmother fought like cat and dog." "Stepmother?" "Yes I hired a new cook about six months after you left and, well, she came to my bed and after a few weeks she'd convinced me I should marry her and that's why I did after I got my divorce on grounds of desertion. She became pregnant, being only thirty-six, and that meant hiring another cook. Jimmy wanted more money to stay working on the farm and then he wrote off his car when drunk and was arrested and the insurance company refused to pay up and so your brother squeezed me for money to buy him a good condition pre-owned vehicle. Then we had two bad years for cattle prices and Tammy became pregnant again and I was running out of money and was forced to sell 120 acres of my land to the McKenzie's." "That's a third of the size of the ranch." "Yes but fortunately not the best part of the ranch. Prices are back up again and we are doing all right but as Tammy says we don't have enough slack to provide an income for you off the ranch. She also says she doesn't want you staying longer than a week." Micki was furious. "And what do you say dad?" "Well don't be tough on me baby. But she's a damn good manager, better than I've ever been, and she gets more work out of Jimmy than I ever did. She gives us a list of daily chores and I must admit it's pretty efficient. So after a week are you're out of here?" "Oh no that won't be happening. Take me back to the airport right now." "But we are already a quarter of the way home." "Dad take me back to the fucking airport. Just do what you are told. You think you are tough but when push comes to shove from a woman you fold." "Tammy will be angry that I've not brought you home and wasted gas on this aborted mission." "Well fuck Tammy and don't you dare mention her name to me again. God I bet she told you to say nothing to me about the wedding." "How did you know that?" "Oh Jesus. Just shut up and drive me to the airport." Fifteen minutes later he said, "Where will you go? I'm worried about you." "Shut up and concentrate on your driving." Micki got her father to drop her off at an airport hotel. She knew it would be stupid to rush off without a plan. "Okay kiss me goodbye dad. You may not see me again unless you come to Australia. I'll call you every few months to see how you are getting on but if that bitch answers your phone I'll not speak to her." "Micki please..." "Just wish me luck dad and come to the wedding if you receive an invitation. Pay for the flights on bank overdraft and don't you dare bring her and my two brothers won't be invited. They've always behaved stupidly and lazily but neither of them is without brains." "I wish you luck baby." "Thanks dad. Keep that bitch barefoot and pregnant. A number of women have babies when they are 43 or 44." "She's miles better in bed than your mother ever was." "You're an asshole dad. Goodbye." In her room, Micki added to her jet-lag by sitting in a chair watching TV while she drank wine and draining the bottle, fell asleep in the chair. She awoke next morning at 9:47 and felt much better than she'd expected. When it was a reasonable time of day in Victoria, Micki called Jenna Hatfield. "Oh hi darling, how lovely it is to hear from you. When I watched you go through those doors at the airport I knew I should never have let you go, silly me." "Yep I needed my head read coming back here." Jenna listened as Micki related what had happened after her arrival in San Francisco. "Oh darling, that must have been a dreadful experience for you. I hate saying this but the rest of your family sounds near dysfunctional and your stepmother you've never met sounds dreadful. What will you do now?" "My mind has shut down a bit. I guess the shock of hearing dad's misadventures and jet lag and drinking too much mind had put me off balance. My first thought was to call you." "Right young lady, this is the plan. You stay put and I'm coming to get you and bring you home. No one needs to know about this just yet. I'll simply tell Ted I have this big urge to go to visit my ageing parents. He'll understand and knows I sometimes get big urges but usually they are of a sexual nature." That was greeted in silence. "Oh god darling, you didn't laugh. You are in a bad way. I could be with you within 24 hours, or 36 hours at the most." "I can't let you do this." "It's out of your hands Micki, my mind's made up. You contacted me in a cry of help and this is my response. Tell me where you are staying." "Um you did tell me once when I asked you about your life in Virginia that you must take me there one day. Can we do that now?" "Oh that's a great idea. That will give me time to get you sorted before we return here. Kitty will be dismayed that you called me instead of her but we can think around that problem in due course. I have your phone number so will call you when booked and with an arrival time in Frisco." "Would it be easier if I flew down to LA?" "Well it would save some air time. We could stay in LA a couple of days and that will allow me to arrive reasonably fresh from the flight across America because mom will want to talk and talk. Let's discuss that when I call back with my travel details. Yes let's turn this rescue trip into a vacation. Ted can't come because he has bull sales coming up. Oh I'm really looking forward to this adventure." "Me too. You are being such a comfort to me Jenna." "I think that's exactly right. You called me for some motherly comfort, clever girl." The call ended with Micki accepting her life had plummeted into a mess because of her emotional stress and the reality was she only required some mental adjustments and she would become stabilized. * * * Micki peered anxiously at arriving passengers in Terminal B at Los Angeles Airport just before 7 am when a woman in an exaggerated American accent at her left said, "Hello darling, looking for me. You look great." "Jenna," yelled Micki and rushed into the older woman's arms. "Oh pleased to see me are you? Well don't be too embracing on this old girl's ribs. You have a friend beside you now. Let it loose." "Let what loose?" "I want you to shed that demon that upset your usual superb equilibrium." "I'm much better and had a day and a half to adjust since we first spoke and the later excitement of knowing you were on your way acted like a huge tonic. I'm already almost over the shocks of my stupid family. I just wanted them to have great lives, that's all but I thought who am I to interfere?" "That's good thinking, but remember whatever they do they are still family." "You'll be tired after that 14½ hour flight. The double suite we have is very nice. It's a hot bath and off to bed for you." "Perhaps I shall but only if we continue chatting. You are still not your usual relaxed and confident self. Everything is sorted at home. My family agreed if I felt like that about my parents then I should visit them and go immediately. I called on Kitty and told her everything and she pleaded with me to delay for a couple of weeks and she'd come with me. They are in discussions to complete the purchase of an adjoining farm that she said was your idea and a very good one because purchasing land during a drought has a big upside when the sellers are keen to seize the opportunity to get out of their financial mess. But then she agreed you needed me now rather in ten to fourteen days' time. I have a letter for you from her." "Wow that's a big hurdle jumped and I'm glad Kitty and Digger are increasing their landholding if that's what the boys want." "They do and Kitty says they are very excited about it and everyone is busy thinking how to subdivide their house into two with at least the addition of a new kitchen and lounge. There are two houses on the Croft's property that Digger believes they are in the final lap of purchase negotiations." They collected Jenna's bags and two days later were back at the airport to fly to Charlottesville just after midday with an hour's stopover at Chicago to board another flight. Jenna and Micki had a great three weeks and using Jenna's parent's home as their base spent two nights in Washington, two nights in Boston and three nights in New York and then returned from there to Melbourne via LA. The two women had got along well and only two days into their American vacation, at lunch the day before leaving for Virginia, Micki noticed the intent way in which Jenna was studying her. That left Micki absolutely certain that in her mind Jenna had adopted her as her older daughter. She felt giddy in excitement but made no attempt to say anything about it and perhaps Jenna would never discuss it with her or perhaps it would be only a passing phase in Jenna's mind. Whatever it didn't matter. Micki chose to begin thinking that Jenna was her adopted mother. Surely Jenna would recognize that over time? In the flight to LA, Micki said, "You must work out from receipts what you have spent on me so I can reimburse you. It will be a lot of money but I turn twenty-five on January 14 and $50,000, my share of my inheritance from dad's parents, will be released to me. I could replay you earlier instead of using my savings to buy a vehicle." "No way, you are my daughter um I mean my dearest friend. This is my gift to you, whether or not you and Cooper decide to marry. You have been such a delight to me and as you know Annie adores you and your influence has helped to curb her impetuous ways. She has become far more mature and calm since she met you and for that we are deeply appreciative." "I'm glad about that but Jenna you have spent several thousand dollars on my since your arrival in LA including this return flight to Australia." "Poof it's only money and Ted and I are wealthy. Your association with our family has given us things money can't buy. I love you my dear. I mean love like mother." "Oh god," Micki said, blinking back tears. "Splendid, you have your emotions back under control after your upsetting experience at Frisco. Consider yourself restored darling and I'm so happy for you," Jenna said, extending her hand. They held hands for a long time until drinks were served. THE END