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Everything Happens for a Reason

By: Everything Happens for a Reason



The next thing I knew, I heard a knock on my door, and when I opened my eyes; it was dark. "Hey Tommy, you asleep in there?" said a familiar voice, from the other side of the door.

"No, I'm awake," I answered into the darkness of the room.

"Can I come in, sweetie?" said the voice. 

"Come on in," I replied, as I reached to the bedside table to switch on the lamp that sat atop of it. 

As soon as my eyes adjusted to the softness of the light bulb, I saw a vision standing before me that most men only dream about. It was Laurie, barefooted and in a pair of denim shorts cut just long enough to be considered decent, by whose standards I wonder, showing off her long smooth, tanned legs. In addition, she had on a University of Montana tee shirt that, once again, exposed her beautiful midriff to me. Her dark brown, almost black, hair hung loosely around her shoulders as it gently glided down her back, stopping just above her beautiful butt. I was momentarily stunned until she walked gracefully across the room and sat down beside me on the bed. "I sure didn't mean to sleep so long. What time is it?" I asked, trying to take the edge off of what I was feeling just being near her. 

By this time I was sitting up but was still stretched out across the bed and Laurie reached to me, and gently putting her hand on my lower thigh, said, "It's time for dinner, are you hungry?"

At that moment time my stomach growled, making us both laugh and I replied, "Yeah, I guess so."

She stood, and taking my hand making me rise up out of the bed, said, "Well come on then, handsome. Besides, I made something real special tonight, just for you."

As we walked out the door, I smiled and asked, "Oh yeah? What is it?"

"It's a surprise," she said, as I followed her down the stairs. 

Before I hit the last step, a warm and soothingly familiar aroma hit my nostrils and in less than a nanosecond I uttered, "Lasagna!"

"Your Mom said that it was your favorite thing to eat so thought I'd make it for you on your first night here," said Laurie.

Before I could reply, Mike appeared in front of me grinning, and pointing to the kitchen, said, "Come on in. Hell son, the smell of this stuff being cooked has had me starving for over an hour now." About that time, and almost as if scripted, my stomach chose to growl again right on cue, only this time, it was much louder. Mike howled with laughter, as did Julia and Laurie, and Mike smiled and said, "I guess you're stomach is in agreement whether you are or not, huh?" Then, pointing to the dining room, he added, "Come on in here and let's eat." We all made our way into the dining room and sat down at the table which, by the way, was very nicely set.

The food was waiting on the table the moment I sat down. Mike sat at one end of the table while I was seated on the other. To my left sat Julia and to my right sat Laurie. Once everyone was served, Mike cleared his throat then grinned at me and said, "Dig in son. It ain't gonna jump off the plate and into your mouth." This suddenly stuck me as funny and I began to laugh. 

Laurie looked at me smiling and said, "That's first time I've seen you smile since you've been here. Now, eat before it gets cold." 

I just grinned and said, "Yes ma'am," and dug right in. The second the lasagna hit my palate, I closed my eyes and experienced a culinary delight like never before. I must've been making noises, because once I swallowed and opened my eyes; everybody was staring at me and smiling widely.

Julia looked at me and said, "Tommy, honey, is the food to your liking, sweet boy?" causing Laurie to fall into a fit of giggles.

"Damnit!" snapped Mike, "You two leave that boy alone!" Then while winking at me he announced, "Besides; a man that enjoys his food enjoys life. Ain't that right Tommy?"

"Yes, sir," I replied. Then looking back at Julia, I added, "In answer to your question, yes, ma'am. It's the best I've ever tasted. I went to Italy when I was in the Navy and the lasagna I had there was no where near as good as what I'm eating now." Then I looked at Laurie and said, "I mean it. This is the best I've ever had."

She looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes sparkling brightly and replied, "Thank you, Tommy. That really means a lot to me."

"You're very welcome," I replied, with a wink. I ate until I could hold no more. 

The moment I pushed away from the table, Julia reached over and patted my hand and said, "Don't go anywhere just yet, Tommy. I want you to taste my contribution to this feast." In no time, a coconut crème pie was sitting in the middle of the table. Julia looked at her daughter and said, "Go get some plates and forks, please, baby-girl."

"Okay, Mama!" smiled Laurie, as she rose and then disappeared into the kitchen.

After I'd eaten the pie, I knew that if I didn't get up and walk around, I'd be miserable for the rest of the evening. So, I stood up, and patting my stomach while smiling, said, "As good as everything was, I've got to walk around a little bit because I'm not used to eating like this, at least not all the time anyway."

Laurie stood up and came over to stand beside me and, taking my hand, replied, "That sounds like a good idea. You don't care if I come with you, do you?" 

Before I could reply, Mike rose up from the table and announced, "Oh no you don't, young lady. You're gonna help your mother clean up all this mess in the kitchen. Besides, I'm sure Tommy is getting tired of all the flirting and fawning you've been doing over him ever since he got here."

Her face immediately began to brightly burn with a crimson blush, and looking at her father in near tears; she screeched, "DADDY, HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?" and then she swiftly bolted up the stairs. Moments later I heard the sound of her bedroom door slam.

"Michael Watson! You shouldn't have said that to her. You just embarrassed the life out of that poor girl! What's wrong with you?" scolded Julia, and then she added, "Just for that, you're going to help me clean up this mess, dammit." I was caught standing there not really knowing what to say or do until, with a noticeably gentler tone of voice, Julia looked at me and said, "You'll have to over look him, Tommy. Sometimes he opens his mouth without thinking about what comes out of it," Then peering up the stairs from across the dining room, she added, "Don't worry about Laurie. She'll be okay. You go and take a walk. Everything will be alright, okay sweet boy?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied. Then I went to the front door, opened it and after walking out, closed it behind me. As I stepped off of the front porch, I found myself becoming mesmerized by the view of the night sky above me. I'd never seen anything more spectacular than what I was looking at right then. Sure, I'd seen the night skies in Texas and they were as beautiful as the night skies I'd seen in the Navy while I was at sea. However; when I looked at the full moon as it beamed across the mountainous horizon and all the stars that twinkled brightly around it, I felt something stirring deep within me that I'd never experienced before now. 

You see, when I was in the service, I managed to complete the training it took to become part of the U.S. Navy's SEAL Teams and the work we did was extremely dangerous. During my time there I saw, and was exposed to a number of very terrible things. We did our jobs like were trained to do and had a very high success rate, but some of it had come at a very high price, because as we all know, freedom does not come free. I'd yet to deal with the nightmares that doing that kind of work is known to induce, but because of the fact I'd been so busy since I got home; my mind hadn't really had the chance to think about it......until now. 

Suddenly, I felt all alone on the earth and the souls of the enemies that I'd defeated, as well as those of the friends that I'd lost, all seemed to be coming back to haunt me all at once. As I walked down the long driveway and onto the road, my steps began to quicken to a more brisk pace, and it wasn't too long before I found myself running with tears stinging my eyes and raining down my face. For the first time in many years I was in a bit of a quandary, having never experienced these kinds of emotions before. I showed no emotion at my father's funeral because I wanted to remain strong for my mother. But now, all the emotions that I'd kept bottled up for so long seemed to pour from me like the swift waters of a raging river. I began to run as fast as I could until I couldn't run anymore. I wasn't exhausted by any means. I was just tired. I then sat down in the middle of the deserted road, and holding my head in my hands, wept like I hadn't done since, I can't remember when.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but even though it was summertime, the night air in Montana is still quite chilly and I soon began to feel it. I stood up and brushed myself off and headed back toward the house, wiping my face and eyes as I walked. I looked at my watch and cringed when I realized that I'd been gone for a little over four hours. I knew that everyone would be worried sick so I picked up my pace, and in hardly anytime at all, I found myself walking up the driveway as the house came into view. I walked up the steps and onto the porch and just as I reached for the door, it slowly came open. I found Laurie standing there with a look on her face that I had yet to see.

"I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable," she said meekly. It was right then that I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns.

I took her hand, and after closing the front door, led Laurie into the living room to sit next to me. We sat down on the couch together and as I looked into her eyes; I knew that this was going to be difficult for me but still; I braved through it. Releasing her hand, I said, "Laurie, you've done nothing wrong. It's me who should be apologizing to you."

"You apologize to me, what on earth for?" she asked, bewildered.

"I want to apologize to you for not being more myself and for not being honest with you from the start." I replied, with eyes cast downward, looking at the floor.

Suddenly, her countenance transformed back into the beautiful face I remembered when I'd first arrived at the airport, and putting her soft and gentle palm to my face; she made me look into her eyes and then replied, "I've got something I want to tell you and I'm not really sure how you're going to react to it. But, I want you to be totally honest with me now and tell me what you think once I'm done with what I have to tell you." 

"That sounds fair enough." I said.

It took a moment for her to get her thoughts together, but then she took a deep breath and began, "When I was a little girl and we were living out on your family's ranch when Daddy worked there, I always looked forward to when you would come home from school and play with me. I still remember the horse-back rides that I got to go on and you were always there with me. I remember the picnics we had in your tree house. I also remember all the times I used to sneak up on you and spit water on you, but you never once scolded or rejected me for it. I know that this may seem like a very long time ago to you, but it is as fresh as yesterday in my mind. I guess what I'm trying to tell you Tommy is that, I fell in love with you when I was a little girl and I've never stopped loving you since." When she finished, I saw tears forming in her eyes, threatening to pour down her cheeks and before I could respond she looked at me and added, "Sounds pretty childish, doesn't it?"

I knew that telling me her innermost thoughts and secrets was, more than likely, the hardest thing she'd ever done. Yet she faced it bravely and pushed through it with full force. I don't care who you are, that takes guts. It was at that moment right then that, I not only respected her more than any woman I've ever known, but the spark of an old boyhood flame began to ignite itself within me once again. So, I looked at her and said, "Laurie; there's nothing in what you said that stuck me as being childish, not in the least. You wanted honesty? Well, here it is. You're not alone in your childhood feelings. I felt something back then too, but I was still too young and immature to know what it was. While I'm not sure whether or not it was love, I knew that I really missed you for a long time after you left. When I grew up and as I got older, the girls in my school made me forget about it for the time being. Then I joined the Navy and saw the world and began to find that I had a sort of gift for being able to...uh...I guess the best word to say would be, interact, with women."

"You mean, you knew how to get into their panties, huh," Laurie playfully interrupted.

I laughed and continued, "Yeah, you're right. But then I came out here and saw you. Even though it's been years since we were around each other, I feel like that six year old little boy all over again, and to be totally honest; I'm standing on unfamiliar ground here. And, I'm not talking about just being in Montana for the first time either, I'm talking about how my feelings are when it comes to you." There, I'd said it. Now the ball was in her court.

While I saw a momentary spark of excitement in her eyes, Laurie smiled and gently took my hand, then looked me dead in the eye and replied, "I'll tell you what, Mister Tommy Mason; why don't we take the time to get to know each other again and see what happens, okay?" Then she stood up and said, "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

I agreed and followed her up the stairs until we reached the opposing doorways of our bedrooms. I took her hand again and said, "I'm glad we had this talk." 

She smiled brightly at me and gently patted my hand and said, "Me too, sweetie! Good night, Tommy," and then she went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Chapter Four

The next morning I awoke at 7:00 am to the aroma of something wonderful coming up the stairs. I got up and made my bed. Then after cleaning myself up in the upstairs bathroom where I showered, shaved...etc.; I got dressed and went down stairs. 

The second my foot hit the living room floor I heard Julia say, "Good morning, sweet boy, how are you this morning?"

"I'm fine, thank you," I replied, looking into the dining room to find Mike, Julia and Laurie already sitting down to breakfast.

Julia stood up and said, "Let me get you something to...."

"No, thank you, Ma'am," I interrupted, "If you'll show me where everything is, I can help myself, please."

I saw where Laurie got her bright smile from as Julia leaned up, and with her back to her husband and daughter, hugged me and said, "You sweet, sweet boy." Then she turned around and looked at her family, and while still talking to me, smiled and sternly said, "Maybe your good manners will rub off on a couple of other people I know that live here." This time I couldn't help but laugh...out loud too.

Mike chuckled, and after reaching over and gently patting Julia on her right hip; he stood up and put his arms around her and replied, "I'm sorry, darlin," and then he added, "Here, you sit down and let me show Tommy where everything is, okay?" Julia just winked at him grinning and returned to her seat knowing he would be back to join her momentarily. After I got a cup of coffee and a plate full of food, I sat down at what was now my place at the table and began to eat.

"Your Mom said that you're pretty good with cattle, Tommy," said Mike, matter of factly.

"Yes, sir," I said, having just swallowed the first bite of my breakfast.

Motioning to his daughter, Mike grinned and asked, "Would you mind riding with Laurie out to the north pasture today and bringing home the few stragglers that are still up there?" 

"I wouldn't mind at all," I said, "As soon as I get finished eating we can go if that's alright with you, sir."

"There's no hurry. Eat as much as you want, son," said Mike, with a hearty laugh.

As soon as I finished eating, I took my plate and coffee cup to the sink and rinsed them out then put my dirty dishes into the dishwasher. I looked at Laurie as she came up behind me and said, "Let's go saddle up the horses and I'll show you around the place."

We went out to the stables and as soon as I entered; the sights, sounds and smells reminded me of home and gave me a warm and soothing feeling of comfortable familiarity. Going to one particular stall, Laurie looked at me and said, "I know you can handle it so I'm gonna let you ride Jessi. She's a new broke philly that has a lot of spunk and she's still just a little green. Don't give her too much rein, because she'll try to take off with you."

I walked into the stall and gently caressed the nose of the beautiful creature that stood nobly before me. God truly gave us a gift when he made the horse. Jessi gave me a low whiny and a gentle nod of her head. I walked in closer to her and looked into her eyes, and while still rubbing her muzzle, said, "Easy girl, I'm not gonna hurt you." As Jessi began to relax, I held her head close to my body and gently blew my breath into her nose and softly said, "That's it, pretty girl." All at once Jessi layed her head against me and gently nuzzled me, letting me know that she was content with me. Then I looked at Laurie and said, "I think Jessi and I are gonna be just fine."

She grinned and said, "I think so too." Then she handed me a leading rope from off the wall within the stall and said, "C'mon and get her ready to ride while I saddle up my horse, Gus." After showing me where all the riding tackle was stored, ten minutes later we were both mounted and headed out. 

As we rode into the northern hills, I could see the house and the additional buildings slowly disappearing from sight. And as I began to take the cool and clear mountain air into my lungs, a refreshing feeling began to sweep over my every fiber, making me realize that my mother had been right. The air up here was doing me a world of good. Jessi was responding to my every command and the longer I sat upon her back, the closer to being one we became. I've been riding horses since I was five years old and a lot of people don't realize how aware of its rider's feelings that horses really are. Horses are what I call, gentle giants. God blessed us when he put such a kind soul into such a powerful body. The more comfortable you are on the horse that you're riding, the better ride you'll have. 

Laurie hadn't said anything to me at this point and we'd been riding for almost an hour, but for reasons unknown to me at the time, I wanted to let her be the first one to speak. As we came around a wooded bend, I saw a wide flat, mile-long grassy plain that gently sloped roughly ten to twelve degrees up to the top of a mountain foot hill. Laurie grinned at me and said, "I'll race you to the top!" and then took off. 

I leaned forward in the saddle, and giving Jessi full rein, gently prodded her flanks with the heel of my boots and said, "Fly baby, fly!" She took off like a shot out of a cannon, and in what seemed like seconds, we were half way up the hill, leaving Laurie and Gus about four to five lengths behind us. I could hear Laurie laughing wildly as we rode. We reached the top with Laurie and Gus only a few seconds behind us.

Laurie and Gus came to a halt behind us and as I dismounted Jessi, Laurie looked at her wildly and said, "God, you got her to run a whole lot faster than any of us ever could!" Then she got down off of Gus and walked over to me and Jessi and gently rubbed her neck, patting it tenderly while whispering "Good girl," into Jessi's ear. Taking Jessi's reins from my hand and taking Gus's in the other, Laurie tied the horses off to a small log near a rather large grass pile and then looked at me and said, "C'mon, handsome, I want to show you something!" I followed her to an outcropping that overlooked one the most breathtaking scenes I'd ever born witness to. As far as my eyes could see, lay a vast expansion of mountainous wilderness. It was lush and inviting while at the same time dark and foreboding, but it was truly one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen before. "This is the start of the Oxbow. It's probably one the very few places left on earth that has never had many human footprints on it, and in some places, never!" said Laurie.


Everything Happens for a Reason



"It's awesome!" was all I could to say.

Suddenly I felt Laurie take my hand, and as I turned to look at her; she moved in close to me. She put her arms around me and pressed her body against mine. As I reciprocated her actions, she moved her face within inches of mine and said, "I've dreamed of one day doing this since the first time I ever saw this place," and then began to kiss me softly. I felt something within me begin to burn a little more than just a spark. I held her closer, more intimately and she responded likewise. Soon a gentle kiss turned to something more passionate, almost primal. Our lips pressed harder against one another's and soon our tongues began a dance that was as old as time itself. All too soon the kiss ended, leaving us both breathless and wanting. I looked into her eyes and found something there that I'd never once in my life seen before. It was so tender and so gentle that, for just a few seconds, it startled me. While I looked at Laurie, her eyes burned like blue molten fire and the morning sun was shining on her face enhancing the beauty there while her raven hair fell all around the both of us, binding us together. I couldn't help it when I softly caressed her cheek and said, "Have I ever told you how beautiful I think you are?" 

She kissed me briefly but softly, and smiling, said, "No, but now is as good a time as any to start telling me ya know!" I laughed, as did Laurie, and we just stood together holding one another, enjoying the beauty before us, and for me, the beauty in my arms.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was getting close to noon, and we hadn't even begun to start looking for the lost strays yet. I smiled and said, "I hate to say this but, don't you think we should start looking for the strays that your dad was talking about?" Laurie began to giggle, making me ask, "What?"

She leaned back in my arms, and with a big grin, said, "Daddy's so silly sometimes!"

"What're you talking about?" I asked, puzzled.

She released me from the hug, and nodding to our horses, said, "Mount up and I'll show you something!" I did as she requested, and we hadn't ridden maybe half a mile down the outcropping until Laurie pointed down into a small glen about forty feet below us and said "Look!" As soon as I looked down, I counted fourteen head of cattle down there grazing on the lush grass growing in the glen. "I've never told anyone, but whenever we have any stock that goes astray; they all come here to graze!" Then she giggled and added, "The reason that Daddy always sends me to go after them is because he thinks I'm good at it."

"From what I can tell, it seems that you are," I replied.

Then she smiled and said, "No, I'm not. You just have to know where to look. The guys that work for Dad, and you'll meet them all on Monday, never have been able to find them." I just laughed and shook my head. Laurie looked at me and said, "What?"

I grinned and replied, "Just goes to show!"

"Just goes to show what?" Laurie asked, dubiously.

I laughed and replied, "Just goes to show that there aren't any real cowboys in Montana!"

Laurie grinned and said, "I heard that!" 

It took us hardly any time to round up the few head of stock and right before 1:30 pm; all of the strays were back down in the lower pastures grazing amongst the rest of the main herd. 

When we got back to the house, Julia had a late lunch ready and waiting on the table for us the minute we walked through the door. "Hi babies, did you find all the strays?" asked Julia, smiling.

"Yes Mama," said Laurie, as she walked into the kitchen to wash her hands. I figured that I ought to do the same so I followed her. I had a funny feeling, like I was being watched, so as I headed to the kitchen; I turned briefly to see Julia looking at me and smiling brightly. I smiled and made my way to the sink arriving just as Laurie was drying her hands and began to wash my own.

We sat down at the table and began to eat the steak sandwiches that Julia had made for us and I can't remember when I'd eaten better steak. After Laurie and I had eaten, she looked at me and said, "Would you like to go in to town with me tonight?"

"Sure, that sounds like fun, I'd love to" I replied, looking into her sparkling eyes while seeing Julia out of the corner of my eye grinning proudly. Julia shooed us away to let her clean up the kitchen. I decided that I would take a short nap before it was time to start getting ready to go into Billings later that evening.

Chapter Five

I awoke at 6:00 pm to a soft knock on my bedroom door, followed by the sound of Laurie's voice saying, "Tommy, are you awake, sweetie?"

"Sure, c'mon in," I replied, wiping my eyes as I sat up in the bed.

I had taken off my clothes and put on a pair of shorts without a shirt so as to sleep more comfortably. When Laurie walked in and looked at me, her eyes went as wide as saucers, and stuttering, she said, "I...I...um I was going to ask...you..." and then she trailed off from what she was saying and just stared. Not thinking that anything was wrong, I stood up and went to the dresser and put on a tee shirt then turned and asked, "Are you alright?"

"My God, Tommy, you really have grown up, haven't you?" she said, with her face flushed and breathing a little deeper and heavier. Then she remembered why she had come into my room in the first place, and snapping back to reality, she smiled and said, "I was going to ask you if you wanted to eat a quick bite here or get something a little later when we get into town?"

"I'm not very hungry right now so, if it's okay with you; I'd like to wait until we get into town," I replied, a little unsure.

She winked and said, "Good choice!" Then she motioned toward the bathroom with her head and said, "You take the bathroom first. I want to look beautiful for you before we go out tonight."

"You already are beautiful," I replied, and then teasingly asked, "So I guess this means you're asking me out on a date then, huh?"

With a wide grin across her face, Laurie replied, "Yeah, genius! Now, go get a shower and get ready, ya smart ass," and then she laughed and disappeared, closing the door behind her.

I was ready in a matter of about twenty minutes. I opted to wear a pair of slacks, dress boots and a nice shirt with long sleeves. In the eleven months, almost a year that I'd been out of the Navy, I decided to let my hair grow out and by this time it was beginning to touch my shoulders. Up until now I'd kept it tied in a pony tail. Tonight I had used a blow-dryer on it and it looked like I'd just come from having it styled. The moment I got downstairs, Julia took one look at me, and smiling, said, "My gosh, Tommy, you sure clean up good, sweet boy."

"Thank you," I replied, smiling. 

Julia and Mike had treated me just like I was one of their own since the moment I arrived into their home and I always enjoyed talking with them. "You do know that tonight, Laurie is taking you to meet her two best friends, don't you?" asked Julia, with a conspiratorial smirk on her face.

The sudden and uncomfortable feeling that I was experiencing must've been evident on my face, because Mike laughed and said, "Relax Tommy! It's not that bad. Look at it this way; you're going to be spending the evening with the three prettiest girls in all of Yellowstone County, that's for damn sure."

"Well, I'm sure that makes him feel a whole lot better, honey," teased Julia.

All of a sudden, and coming from the top of the stairs, I heard a familiar voice say, "I'm ready, let's go!" I turned my head to see something that, still to this very day, takes my breath away. Deep blue eye shadow with bright red lipstick, made Laurie's face look like perfection in its purest form. She wore a sleeveless, dark blue form fitting blouse and a black leather mini skirt that only came about a fourth of the way down her thighs and was long enough to be considered tasteful but still short enough to be very sexy. Her hair hung down both sides of her face and flipped across her shoulders to gently flow down her back. At the end of her long and beautiful legs was a pair of black shoes with three-inch heels. To say that she was sexy would've been an understatement. "I can tell by look on your face that you think I look good, Tommy, so, I'm not going to ask," Laurie playfully teased. After the initial shock wore off, and with Laurie still teasing me, which I loved, I was finally ready to go. As opposed to riding in the truck that she had picked me up from the airport in, this time Laurie took a set of keys off of the hooks by the back door, and winking at me, said, "Come on handsome, you're driving."

The only word I could muster was, "Wow," much to the laughter of Mike and Julia.

We went out to the garage and when Laurie turned on the lights, I saw a brand new Corvette Stingray that was my favorite color, midnight-blue, sitting in front of us. Handing me the keys, Laurie looked at me and said, "She's my baby so, if I'm gonna let you drive her; you'll have to promise me one thing!"

"Name it," I said, opening the passenger door and helping her into the car, as well as helping myself to a nice look at her legs as she got in.

"Please be careful Tommy," she said, almost pleadingly.

This time it was me who surprised her when I leaned down and softly kissed her lips and said, "I'll treat her like she's my own." Laurie smiled and reached above the visor and touched a box that raised the garage door. I got in and started the car up and before long; we were off. 

With Laurie doing the navigating, hardly any time had passed before we were pulling up in front of a tavern called Buffalo Bill's, on old Historic Montana Avenue. I got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side and helped Laurie out, and again I was treated to the sight of those luscious legs of hers. As we stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the tavern, I took Laurie's hand, and gently squeezing it, said, "In case I forget to tell you later, I had a great time tonight."

She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and then said, "My mom is right about you, ya know."

"What's that?" I asked.

Rubbing the lipstick off of my face and then gently caressing my cheek, Laurie leaned over, and into my ear, breathed, "You really are a sweet boy." I just smiled and kept walking down the sidewalk, thrilled by the beauty that was walking next to me.

The moment we walked through the front doors of the tavern, I heard female squeals emanating from the bar. I looked over and saw two very beautiful women making their way toward us. One was a brunette with reddish, brown hair and the other, a blonde. While both were extremely attractive women, neither could hold a candle to Laurie, and I was proud that it was me that she chose to be with and introduce to her friends that night. The brunette's name was Emma Tyler and the blonde's name was Deirdre Crouse. They had reserved a table in the back, and after an acknowledgement to the maitre'd; the four us were immediately seated.

I could tell that they all been friends for a very long time because it was Deirdre who started right in and asked, "So Laurie, is this the guy you've been going on about for the past five days?"

"Sure is! Isn't he gorgeous?" replied Laurie, unfazed at her friend's attempt to embarrass her. I felt her put her hand on the inside of my thigh under the table and simply smiled, saying nothing.

"He sure is," replied Deirdre and Emma, almost in unison. 

Then Emma looked at me, and smiling, asked, "So, tell us Tommy, is it true that you were Laurie's boyfriend when you two were little?" 

Before I could answer, Laurie spoke up and said, "No fair picking on him. He's new so the rules don't apply to him." Then she turned to me, and referring to Deirdre and Emma, added, "Ever since I moved here and became friends with these two, every time there's a good looking guy around, which isn't very often, we try to embarrass each other in front of him, but not tonight. Your mine...uh... I mean you're with me." Suddenly Emma and Deirdre began to howl with laughter at what Laurie had just said. However; she took it in stride and simply said, "Bitches!" making all four of us laugh.

 I was really beginning to enjoy myself. The food was excellent and Laurie was beautiful. Her friends were wonderful girls and I could tell from talking to them that they genuinely cared about Laurie and her well being. We were having a blast when suddenly; Emma looked over my shoulder, as I had my back facing the door, and said, "Uh oh, here comes potential trouble!"

"You can say that again!" Deirdre added. I turned around to see three guys dressed in blue jeans, tee-shirts and cowboy boots and each one of them stood at least six feet tall or taller, making their way to where we were sitting.

"Oh shit, let's get out of here," Laurie said to me.

"Why?" I asked, unknowingly.

Before I could get an answer, the three men were at the table and one of them stood very close to Laurie and said, "So, how's it going Laurie, honey?" as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"I told you to leave me alone, Harvey Crutcher, and I'm not your honey," replied Laurie, struggling to remove his hands from her shoulders.

Nothing pisses me off more than some idiot who can't take no for an answer and especially when it comes to them putting their hands on a woman and making unwanted advances. So, I turned and said, "Why don't you take your hands off of her, man?"

He looked at me and sneered, "You're about to bite off more than you can chew so, why don't you mind your own business, hippie boy?"

I stood, glaring at him, and as quietly as I could, I growled, "I'm going to ask you one last time to take your hands off of the lady, NOW!"

About that time, Laurie stood, and being visibly frightened, said, "Now Harvey, we don't want any trouble so, go away, please."

No sooner had Laurie spoken than he pushed her out of the way, knocking her to the floor, and then glaring at me, loudly said, "I heard that there was a new bitch in town. My name is Harvey Crutcher and fixing to show you what that name means, hippie boy!"

I could hear the men that came in with him laughing, and with my body arched into a warrior stance, something I prayed I'd never have to do again once I left the Navy, I stepped back away from the table and said, "If you want to do this, that's fine. But, I'm telling you right now that I'm not gonna play with you, asshole." I suddenly felt both of my arms being grabbed and out of instinct; I looked to see both of Crutcher's friends on each side of me, trying to hold me down. With everything taking place in less than a few seconds, I hopped into the air bringing all my weight down, and with a hard side kick; I caved the man's knee to my right inward, sending him to the ground screaming in pain. About that time, Crutcher threw a punch that momentarily blind-sided me and I retaliated instinctively with a kick to the gut, momentarily stunning him. I could hear Laurie screaming my name, but by this time, I was caught between a stunned Crutcher and the other asshole still standing. The man on my left still had a hold of me so I quickly reached over with a thumb-lock to his hand and dislodged his grip. Then I grabbed his arm with both hands wrenching it free and popping his shoulder out of socket from his rotator-cuff, sending him to the ground screaming as well. Once I was free of his minions, Crutcher had regained his breath and decided he was going to rush me. However, by using a spinning back kick straight to the solar plexus as hard as I could, I stopped him dead in his tracks and sent him to the floor, gasping for air. By this time I'd lost my temper, and as he was lying on the ground trying to regain the wind that I had just knocked out of him and with my foot at his throat; I leaned down so that only he could hear me and hissed, "If you ever come near her again, I'm gonna kill you. Do you understand me, motherfucker?"

Suddenly, a loud blast of gun-fire got my attention, making me turn my head to see, who I found out later was, Sheriff Lance Howard with a sawed-off shotgun in his hands, holding it at waist level, aimed at us. As I stood and backed away from Crutcher, Howard smiled, lowered his weapon, and looking at me, said, "Are you alright, son?" Then taking a look at the three men splayed out in a bloody mess on the floor, he laughed and added, "Yeah, I guess you are, aren't ya?" Laurie, Emma and Deirdre all three, began to tell him what had happened and that none of this was my fault and that Crutcher and the other two idiots had tried to assault me when he interrupted them and said, "Girls, I know what happened. The owner already called me and told me what was going on while I was on the way over here!" Then reaching over and grabbing Crutcher by the hair, Sheriff Howard said, "Well, well, it looks like you've finally met your match, asshole. I told you it was going to happen, didn't I? In the mean time, after the three of you get out of the hospital, you're going to jail!" Then looking at the four deputies who were right behind him, Sheriff Howard pointed to the men on the floor and said, "Get these idiots out of here so the rest of these folks can get back to their meals." He looked at me and asked me if I wanted to press charges, but I declined, telling him that we just wanted to be left alone.

As the Sheriff's deputies were picking him up from off of the ground, Crutcher gave me an evil glare, and with his voice rasping from the kick I'd given him, said, "This ain't over yet, asshole."

Sheriff Howard laughed, and looking at Crutcher and pointing to me, said, "You're even dumber than you look. This man just stomped your ass and you wanna come back for more?" Then he looked at his deputies, and pointing at Crutcher, added, "Take his dumb ass outta here!"

After the three trouble makers were gone, the Sheriff looked at me smiling, and extending his hand, said, "My name is Lance Howard. What's yours?"

"Tom Mason, sir!" I replied, returning the handshake.

"You handled yourself pretty well, son. If you don't mind me asking, where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Lance, with a knowing smile.

"It was just a couple moves I learned when I was in the service." I replied, meekly.

Lance laughed, and then patting me on the shoulder, knowingly replied, "Uh huh, whatever you say kid," followed by a hearty laugh. Then after taking everyone's statement, he left.

I looked over at Laurie, who was visibly shaken and said, "Do you want to get out of here?" She nodded her head as she took my left hand and hid her body beneath my arm. 

I was about to pay for the nice meal that had been so rudely interrupted when the owner quickly walked over to us smiling and said, "Your money's no good here."

"I don't understand," I replied.

He laughed and said, "Harvey Crutcher has been bullying the people in this town ever since he got crowned National Golden Glove Champion. It's about time somebody stomped his ass and knocked him off his high horse." We were grateful and I handed the little girl who was our server a fifty dollar bill which elicited a gracious smile.

Laurie was still quite shaken, and as soon as we all got outside; she leapt into my arms and began to cry. I gently wrapped my arms around her, holding her closely and trying my best to soothe her, with both Emma and Deirdre looking on, concerned for their friend. After a moment she began to relax, and soon she leaned back in my arms and simply looked at me with sadness in those beautiful eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"I am now. Thank you for doing what you did back there, Tommy," she said, beginning to smile again.




Everything Happens for a Reason



To this day, I still don't know, well, actually I do, what possessed me to do what I did next. I wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned in and softly kissed her lips, lingering momentarily then breaking away, leaving Laurie with her eyes still closed and her lips poised in a gentle smile. From behind and to the right of me, I heard Emma say "Ooo, Girl!" followed by the sound of Deirdre's laughter. As I stood back up, I could feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up the back of my neck. I turned around to see two very beautiful women smiling at me with bright shining faces. Emma, followed by Deirdre, walked over to where we were standing, and looking at Laurie, said, "You need to find a way to keep him here. I wished that you could see what I see when I look at you two."

"Why doesn't anything like this ever happen to me?" whined Deirdre.

"Because you're a bitch!" said Laurie and Emma, simultaneously and giggling. 

I couldn't help but laugh, causing Deirdre to reach over and playfully smack my arm and reply, "Don't laugh at them, Tommy. It only makes them worse," and then she began to giggle too.

Laurie seemed back to normal over the fracas that had just occurred, and suddenly she turned to me, and with a combination of suspicion and silly written across her face, said, "So, tell us Tommy?" 

"Tell you what?" I asked, curiously.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Laurie inquired, genuinely. The sudden discomfort I felt from talking about such things must've been evident in my facial expressions because Laurie gently put her palm to my face and said, "Tommy? Are you alright, sweetie?" Before I could say anything, she added, "If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay." Then, totally changing the subject as well as totally catching me off-guard, she turned to Emma and Deirdre and said, "Let's go to that new club that opened up last month. You know which one I'm talking about, so let's go."

This time Laurie drove as I didn't know my way around the city and before long; we were pulling up in front of a neon sign that read: "Barleycorn's" Although I grew up in Texas, I was never a big fan of country music and this was definitely a country music club. However; I remembered Mike's word about 'spending the evening with the three prettiest girls in Yellowstone County' and all my reservations immediately faded. With Laurie clinging closely to my right side; Emma and Deirdre both came up to my left side and shared holding my hand. As we walked into the club, there was a bar to the immediate right and to the left sat several tables with people gathered around all but a few. Straight ahead and just beyond was the dance floor with a five-piece band on a stage at the other end. Emma found us a table next to the dance floor, and soon a waitress was there to take our drink order. We sat and talked for a few moments, but it was mostly Laurie, Emma and Deirdre doing the talking. I sat back and listened to the band. 

As I watched them play, the band as a whole was good but their lead guitar player, who's playing really sucked, seemed to be flirting with every girl that danced by him. It would've been one thing if the guy could play, but in my opinion, he looked like an idiot. I've been playing guitar since right after Laurie and her family moved away from our ranch when we were young, and in the time since, became a very good player. I was told by more than one record producer when I was stationed out in California that I was pro quality. I was even invited to 'sit-it' and play on some studio sessions as well. So, I knew a good guitar player when I heard one. Having the ability to play well and having an attitude is, to a certain extent, tolerated. However, the guy I was watching made me want to laugh openly, but I'm not like that. Laurie didn't know anything about my musical abilities and I felt no need to mention it, until........

The band began to play a favorite song of Laurie's and she immediately stood up and made her way to the dance floor, dragging me by the hand behind her. The moment I took her into my arms, I knew that she was meant to be there. We flowed all over the dance floor, our eyes never once leaving each other's, locked into one another's gaze. I couldn't explain it at the time, but with Laurie in my arms, I felt that everything was as it should be, almost complete somehow and I felt her silently responding to me. All too soon, the song ended and the band took a break and I happily escorted Laurie back to the table. Once we reached the table, I really needed to use the restroom so I excused myself, but not before Laurie quickly but tenderly kissed my lips and said, "Thank you for the dance, handsome." I just smiled and then walked away.

When I got back to the table I saw three guys from the band talking to the girls. The lead guitar player was sitting in my chair next to Laurie, openly flirting with her. The minute she saw me, her face lit up, and turning to the guitar player, said, "Would you get up? My boyfriend is back and you're sitting in his chair."

He looked over to me and then back to her, and nonchalantly said, "Aw, come on baby, your boyfriend can wait. Besides, haven't you ever heard that guitar players do it sweeter?" This time I did laugh openly and loud too. He looked at me and said, "What are you laughing at, dude?"

"Is that what you call yourself, a guitar player, I mean?" I smirked, winking at Laurie.

"What do you mean by that, man?" he asked, angered and now standing.

"I've heard pigs fart sweeter notes than what you're playing, dude," I replied, followed by the laughter of not only the girls, but the other two band members as well.

"You think you can do any better then, asshole?" challenged the guitar player, hatefully.

"I'll bet you your guitar that I can!" I answered, arrogantly.

After a moment's thought, he said, "Okay, you're on but, what do I get when I win?"

Before I could respond, Laurie jumped up, and winking at me, stood between us and said, "If you win, you get me!"

"Get ready to have the night of your life when this is over, baby," he said to Laurie, as he summoned the rest of the band members back to the stage. When they were back on the stage, he stepped up to the microphone and announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a challenge tonight. Now, all of you around here know me and have been hearing me play for years. Can I get a Hell Yeah?" The audience responded accordingly and then he continued, "We've got a guitar player here tonight that says he can out-play me. So me and the band are gonna do a song and then we're gonna get him up here and see what he can do, okay?" The audience cheered as the band broke out with their rendition of Chuck Berry's, Johnny Be Good. He was all over the stage playing nothing more than a bunch of power chords enhanced by electronic pedal effects. When the band finished the song, the audience clapped loudly, whistling and cheering. Then looking at me from the stage, he stepped back up to the microphone, and cockily sneered, "Your turn now, ace!" 

I walked onto the stage amidst whispers and murmurs of the audience. When he handed me his guitar, I looked down at his pedal board then back to him and, sarcastically, said, "Turn off all that shit! I'll show you how a real guitar player does it, boy."

"It's your funeral. Besides, this crowd is gonna tear you a new ass and I'm gonna take your bitch home with me tonight," he replied, laughing.

I laughed and said, "We'll see. Now get your no-playing ass of the fucking stage, because it's time to take you to school, you little punk," I replied, then turned back to the band and asked, "Do you guys know Eric Clapton's version of Crossroads?" At the sound of their laughter I asked, "What?" 

The bass guitar player laughed and said, "Damon..." referring to the lead guitar player, "...never would let us play it!"

I laughed and said, "Oh yeah? Well, that's because his dumb ass can't play it so, fuck him! You're playing with me right now and it's time to put this boy out of my misery." I heard the guys in the band agree and away we went. I even sang the verses of the song as I looked out at Laurie who was, by this time, absolutely beside herself and beaming proudly at me. When it was time to play the lead, I gave it everything I had and then some. 

The band was supposed to go to the next verse but the bass player looked me and said, "Keep going, man! You rock your ass off!" We ended up extending the song for an additional two minutes. When we were done, the bass player stepped up to the microphone and said, "Now, can we get a Hell Yeah?"

The cheers and applause were deafening as every single person in the club was on their feet, cheering and yelling at the top of their lungs. Some were even standing in their chairs but none were cheering more loudly than my sweet Laurie. As I looked across the dance floor at our table, I could see her grinning and applauding wildly with tears running down both sides of her face. And with his face cast downward, knowing he'd been beaten, Damon walked onto the stage and stepped up to the microphone. Looking at me as I set his guitar back on its stand, he nodded and then turned back to the audience and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I stand here tonight in awe of what I just heard. In my own arrogance, I bet this man my guitar against his girlfriend that he couldn't out-play me." Then he reached down and disconnected his guitar and sadly handing it to me, said, "You win."

Then I handed Damon back his guitar and then stepped up to the microphone and replied, "You keep it, brother. I'm not about to take a man's guitar away from him," then I giggled, and pointing to Laurie, added, "Besides; I'd much rather have the girl instead."

A look of relief washed across his face as a wave of humility swept into his heart and he looked at me and said, "Thanks, man. I really mean it, brother."

I just smiled and with a wink, said, "I know you do and it's all good." and then turned to walk off the stage,

The audience had witnessed the whole thing, and before anyone could react; Damon stepped back up to the microphone, and harshly shouted, "Wait a minute there, ace!" I turned around ready for God knows what; then I saw Damon's stern look melt into a smile as he added, "Come, honor us by playing with us, please?" Before I could reply, he turned to the audience and said, "What do you think, ladies and gentlemen?" Needless to say, the crowd went nuts, and as Damon strapped on his guitar, he nodded with his head for me come to the stage and stand beside him. Then he reached behind him and pulled out a 1972, Gibson Les Paul, Custom™, electric guitar out of its case and handed it to me grinning. As he got me connected up, Damon leaned in and said, "Here's a real guitar for a real guitar player."

I grinned and said, "In that case, you lead and I'll follow...ace!" We played everything that anyone in the band could remember and even took requests from the crowd, pulling off every single song without a hitch.

I played with them for about an hour or so and then we took a break. As we were coming off the stage, I saw Laurie waiting with Emma and Deirdre at the bottom of the steps. As soon as I was within reach, Laurie leapt into my arms and threw hers tightly around my neck. "Well, hello to you, too." I said, moving us clear of the steps so the rest of the band could get by.

"You never cease to amaze me, cutie, I didn't know you played guitar," said Laurie, leaning back, grinning. 

I laughed, and teasing her, asked, "Then why did you volunteer yourself as part of the wager so quickly?"

Without warning, she dropped the queen mother of all bombs on me when she replied, "I just knew it was going to be okay. I could feel you in my heart, Tommy. You've always been there." When I looked into those damn beautiful blue eyes, I knew then that I would never be able to live without her now and that I loved her with every fiber of my entire being. I dared not speak, lest I break the magical spell Laurie had me under. Instead I chose to hold this beautiful angel as close to me as was humanly possible.

It was Emma's voice I heard next saying, "Uh, Romeo and Juliet, I hate to break this up, but, it's beginning to get really late and I think that maybe we should all head home."

"I agree," laughed Deirdre. 

When we parted the hug, I felt Laurie peering into my soul as she gazed into my eyes. With a loving smile, she kissed me one last time on the lips and said, "I think its time for us to go home, how about you?"

I laughed and said, "Yeah, I think I've had about all the excitement I can take for one night. Let's go home." Laurie took my hand and led me out of the club.

Once we were out in the parking lot, and after we'd said our 'Good Night's' to Emma and Deirdre, Laurie leaned against her car, and pulling me up against her, breathed, "Now, I want a kiss, and I mean a real kiss." How could I refuse an offer like that? I slowly leaned into her, and gently taking her into my arms, I lowered my face to hers until our lips softly touched. As the kiss became more passionate, the world around us no longer existed as we slowly but sensually began to melt into one another. I saw and heard nothing. The only thing that existed for me was Laurie and for her, me. I could actually feel her heart beating against my chest as I held her close. All good things must come to an end as did the kiss. We separated, silently gazing into one another's eyes for a moment, each knowing the eventuality waiting in store for the two us, but still wanting to hold off for the right time in order for it to not only be truly special, but also to be the defining moment in our lives. As I drove us home that night, Laurie layed her head on my shoulder gripping my arm closely to her the whole way home not letting go until I pulled into the driveway. We went inside, locked the doors behind us and together climbed the stairs hand in hand. When we came to our respective bedroom doors, Laurie turned to me and said, "I can't remember when I had a better time than I did tonight." Then, after leaning over and softly kissing my lips, she smiled and dreamily said, "Good night, Tommy. I hope you have sweet dreams, handsome," and then she disappeared behind her bedroom door.

Chapter Six

I awoke from a nightmare to discover it was still dark outside. Turning to look at the clock on the bedside table, I saw it was only 5:00 am. I knew from past experience that I would in no way be able to go back to sleep so, I reached over and turned on the lamp beside me. After getting dressed and making my bed, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and clean up a little bit. Then I went down stairs and into the kitchen, only turning on the light over the sink so as not to wake anyone else up. I opened the refrigerator door and retrieved the orange juice. I poured myself a glass full and returned the juice to the fridge. Then I went out the back door and onto the deck, sitting in one of the chairs around a covered table there. As I drank my juice and my mind began to get fully awake, I cringed remembering the incident in the tavern the previous night, but then was warmed all over at the memory of Laurie in my arms. I no longer had any doubts as to how I felt about her. I knew that she cared deeply about me, but was she ready to take the next step? I'm not sure I was ready either. But either way I was going to remain true to what was now beating strongly in my heart, stirring my very soul. I thought about what the future had in store for us, and I began to grow a little unsure as the reality of the situation hit me. Hell, this is only my third day here. How can I possibly feel the way I do, and so quickly too? Besides; I live and work in Texas and she lives and works here in Montana. There was already an obstacle and we hadn't truly been given a chance yet. Suddenly I was confused and a little upset inside, maybe even afraid. For the first time in my life, I was afraid, afraid of losing Laurie, who wasn't really mine to begin with, and afraid of never again being able to feel all the wonderful sensations I experienced just being near her. "What the hell am I gonna do now?" I said aloud.

"What're you gonna do about what, sweet boy?" rang out from behind me, followed by Julia, dressed in a long robe that reached the ground. 

"Oh, I was just thinking out loud," I replied, unconvincingly.

Taking a seat in the chair closest to me, Julia patted my knee and said, "You wanna talk about it?" and then she let out a light chuckle and added, "Tommy, I might just understand a lot more than you think I do."

I looked at Julia and there was enough light outside now that I could plainly tell that she somehow knew what I was feeling so, I said, "Alright then, this is about......"

"Laurie!" replied Julia, interrupting me and laughing at the look of shock that I knew was on my face. Before I could respond, Julia took my hand and continued, "When the two of you were just babies. Laurie would cry and wouldn't stop until she was near you. And when you would cry, the only person who could make you stop was Laurie. You see sweetie, the two of you have been bound to one another since before you both were born."

"I'm not really sure I understand," I replied, bewildered.

Julia leaned back and, almost as if she was staring into space, began, "When your father was still alive, he and your mother used to go deep into Oaxaca, Mexico to a place that your mother says is enchanted. It's a little strip of beach about fives miles southwest of San Pedro Pochutla, along the Pacific coast. She told me that it was where you were conceived."

"What do you mean?" I replied, now totally confused.

Julia laughed and said, "After your brother was born, the doctor told your parents that your mother would never be able to bear anymore children. Then, nine months before you were born, they went to Mexico on vacation. Amidst the ruins of where the Teotl Indians of ancient Mexico built a temple to Xipe Totec, the goddess of fertility is where you were miraculously conceived and the rest is history."

"So what does that have to do with Laurie?" I asked.

Julia smiled sadly and replied, "As soon as Michael and I got married, we began trying to have children immediately. We tried everything we could think of and still no luck. Finally I went to the doctor and he told me that I was barren and would never be able to have children. We were both devastated but we managed to pick up the pieces and move forward together. Then, a year after Mike went to work for your Dad, something very wonderful happened. You had only been home from the hospital for a week when your mother and I were talking one day. She told me about how your family considered you to be a 'miracle baby' because of your mother's medical condition. I told your mother what the doctor had told my husband and I. She smiled, and taking hold of my hand, told me of the place I just described to you. Mike and I took our vacation that summer and went to that place and when we came back; I was pregnant with Laurie. So you see, sweet boy? The two of you are symbiotically bound to one another. You're destined to be together." I sat there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say but Julia took care of that for me, and standing up, added, "I know it's a lot to think about so I'm gonna go back inside and make some coffee. Besides; Mike and Laurie will be up soon." Then right before she went back into the house, she leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, and hugging me tightly, said, "I've loved you your whole life, just like you were my own. Everything is gonna be alright, sweet boy. Just you wait and see." Then she turned and went inside, leaving me alone to my thoughts and to the morning light as it began to peek over the mountaintops. 




Everything Happens for a Reason



The sun had now risen, bringing everything to light making me realize I had been sitting there for well over an hour as I thought about all that I'd heard. Suddenly the door opened and Julia appeared with two plates of food in her hand, followed by Laurie who carried two cups of coffee in one hand and two glasses of milk in the other. Her eyes shone like the sun, brilliant and bright and I felt her within me the moment I saw her. Then she smiled and said, "Good morning, Tommy." 

"Good morning to you, too," I replied, with a stupid grin plastered across my face.

As she set the plates of food on the table, I saw Julia laughing and shaking her head at the way I reacted to Laurie, and putting her hand on my shoulder as she leaned over me to put my food in front of me, she said, "My daughter tells me that you two had a rather interesting night last night."

A very uncomfortable feeling began to rise from the pit of my stomach. Laurie must have sensed it, because, before I could reply, she quickly spoke up, and reassuring me somehow, said, "Yeah, I told her what happened at Barleycorn's with that Damon asshole."

"Laurie!" scolded her mother, while I giggled.

I immediately began to relax, and winking at Laurie, replied, "Yeah, well, he turned out to be a pretty decent guy once I got past his bullshit," causing her to giggle.

Julia just sighed exasperatedly, and shaking her head while playfully swatting me on my neck with the small towel she'd used to wipe up any spills, said, "What am I gonna do with you two?" All at once and out of the blue, Julia began to laugh uncontrollably.

Laurie and I looked at one another and I just shrugged my shoulders, then she looked at Julia and asked, "You want to let us in on the joke, Mom?" 

Once she'd regained her composure, Julia looked at the two us, and with a very loving smile said, "I was just remembering back when Tommy's mother and I used to bathe the two of you together." Laurie and I stared at one another, both feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up the backs of our spines only making it worse when Julia looked at me and asked, "You know why Laurie used to spit water at you don't you?"

No ma'am!" I replied. 

Julia grinned at Laurie, and laughing wildly, said, "Because she saw your little thingy while it was peeing and squirting all over the place one day and got mad because she couldn't do it, too." 

Suddenly, my embarrassment turned to laughter as Laurie's face blushed a bright shade of crimson. Instead of getting more embarrassed, she looked at her mother and I doubled over laughing, and then began to laugh herself and said, "That's not funny, you two!"

"Eat your breakfast before it gets cold," Julia scolded, playfully. 

Laurie and I began to eat, and of course, it tasted wonderful. I knew that if I kept eating the way that I had been for the past few days, I was going to need a lot of exercise to keep it from showing. I must say though; Julia is one damn good cook.

I was lost in a culinary explosion of the different tastes going on inside my mouth when, breaking me from my trance, Laurie giggled and asked, "Is it good, Tommy?"

"Yeah! Why?" I asked, opening my eyes to find Julia standing behind her seated daughter with her hands on Laurie's shoulders, smiling.

"You were humming while you were eating with your eyes closed," replied Laurie, grinning from ear-to-ear.

For the second time that morning, I felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up the back of my neck and burning on the tips of my ears and I meekly squeaked, "Sorry!"

Laurie just laughed and said, "Aw sweetie, its okay. Besides, I think it's cute," and then she leaned across the table and took my hand and gently intertwined her fingers with mine. Looking over to Julia with dreamy eyes, she smiled and said, "Do you know that Tommy protected me from Harvey Crutcher last night?"

"He did?" asked Julia, in mock surprise.

"He sure did," replied Laurie, nodding her head while her eyes were locked onto mine. Then she continued, and knowing I should've been uncomfortable talking about this, I felt set free somehow when she said, "He fights like nothing I've ever seen and doesn't like to talk about where he learned it either!"

Walking from behind her daughter and coming around the table to where I sat, Julia leaned down and gently put her arms around me, and looking at her daughter, said, "Guys who are Navy SEALs are like that, baby-girl," making Laurie's eyes go wide. Then Julia leaned in closer to my ear and softly said, "Thank you for protecting Laurie, sweet boy. It shows me how you really feel about her." And then she stood up, and turning to go back inside, winked at Laurie and said, "Didn't I hear you mention something about taking Tommy swimming today?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," replied Laurie, with conspiratorial smiles written across both her's and Julia's faces. Then she let go of my hand and continued, "There's a special place I want to take you this afternoon. It's my special place actually. I just hope you love it as much as I do."

Suddenly, Mike came flying out of the back door with an excited look on his face and said, "Guess what? I just got off the phone with Sonny Jackson, and he told me that last night somebody whipped that bullying son-of-a-bitch, Harvey Crutcher's ass for him. He told me that whoever did it made sure that those two pieces of shit side-kicks, Howie Peel and Butch Ingles, got what was coming to them too. Sonny told me that Rance Keller told him that Peel damn near lost his arm and Ingles won't be walking around for at least six months. Damn! I sure wish I could've been there to see that. I like to find out who did it, because I'd buy the man all the beer he could drink."

Laurie excitedly stood up to speak and said, "Well then, Daddy, Tommy was....."

"Mike, honey, I need you in the kitchen for a minute please," said Julia, quickly interrupting Laurie and giving her a glare that Laurie immediately knew was meant to shut her up. As she and Mike were going back inside the house, Julia continued to glare at her daughter and then turned to me; her glare melting into a smile, then winked and disappeared into the house, closing the door behind her.

After breakfast, Laurie took me out to her office and the small veterinary clinic that had been set up for the live-stock that her family owned. Laurie had a little work to catch up on and I stayed out of way, content to simply watch her while she worked. God, she was beautiful and it was the little things that she did that made her that much more beautiful in my eyes. It was something as simple as watching her flip her hair back onto her shoulders while she sat at her desk, or maybe the way she would wrinkle her forehead while she was intently undertaking what ever it was she was doing, that would leave me overcome with an indescribable warmth, permeating my very core. I'd been watching her for quite sometime when she glanced in my direction to see me smiling at her. She smiled, and lovingly, said, "What is it?"

"I like watching you work," I replied, softly.

She winked at me and said, "I'm glad you do. I like watching you too," and then she turned back to her work. Nothing else was said between us that morning as I watched Laurie, working with a content little smile that sweetly curled the corners of her beautiful mouth. As I watched her, I realized that although I'd traveled to many beautiful places and seen many different and beautiful women, nothing I'd ever seen was anywhere near as beautiful as what I saw not ten feet from me. 

Julia's words, "The two of you were destined to be together," reverberated within me like a tympani drum, giving me pause enough to seriously take stock in them.

That afternoon, around 12:30 pm, Laurie and I saddled up our horses. I rode Jessi again and Laurie rode Gus. We took the same trail we'd taken the day before only this time we went further up into the mountains until we came to a split in the path. To the left it went back down again and to the right led up a little higher. Laurie dismounted Gus, and with me following suit, she smiled and said, "We're gonna have to tie the horses here where they can graze. There's nothing for them to eat where we are going." I took the saddle-bags off of Jessi that Laurie had given me to carry while she grabbed the saddle-bags she'd put on Gus and followed her up the path. We walked maybe a hundred yards till we came upon an escarpment that overlooked the clearest most serene sight I'd ever witnessed in my life. There was a walkway that had clearly been hand cut into the stone that went about fifteen feet down to the bank of a small pool about twenty feet in diameter. It had a waterfall that fed it with a small stream running from the other end, leading off somewhere down the mountain.

"So, what do you think?" asked Laurie, her eyes gleaming from the bright sun reflecting off the water.

"My God, this is beautiful," I gasped. My mother had taken the liberty of packing my bags for the trip to Montana and I had humored her. What I didn't take into consideration was that she had packed my Speedo bathing suit that I wore when I was in the Navy, and that was the only bathing suit she had packed. I was a little agitated when I first discovered it, but then I got to thinking about how Laurie had reacted to seeing me in just a pair of shorts the day before and I smiled. Had my mother been standing there in front of me, I would've hugged her. I knew I was in good, no, make that great shape. The training I'd gone through made sure of that. I had worn my bathing suit beneath my clothes and I was now curious to see how things played out from here.

Laurie had just begun laying out the towels she had packed for us to sit on as I began to get undressed. By the time she was finished, I was standing there in just my Speedo and I heard her quietly gasp and say, "Oh my God!"

"Are you okay?" I asked, smirking.

In an instant, and before I had a chance to say anything else, Laurie took off her clothes to reveal a tiny thong bikini, and looking at me, seductively said, "I am now, you gorgeous hunk of man." Then she turned around to let me see the back of her bikini. I felt my throat closing off and my breathing stop when I saw the most beautiful ass in the history of womanhood. It was tight, succulently round and very firm from the way it moved as Laurie walked away from me giggling as she made her way to the water. Then she looked back over shoulder as she waded into the pool and said, "Are you coming in?"

I took off running and dove, head first, into the water. The minute the icy mountain water hit my skin, my head shot above the surface and I shouted, "HOLY SHIT!!!! THIS WATER IS FREEZING!!!!"

I heard Laurie laughing behind me, and before I had a chance to retreat to the bank, I felt her coming up beside me in the water. She put her arms around me and pressed her semi-nude body tightly against mine and replied, "I guess I'll just have to keep you warm then." I put my arms around her, holding her as closely as she was holding me. Before I knew it, we were locked in the sweetest kiss I'd ever received from a woman.

I ran my hands up and down her body, feeling it's every curve as we kissed. The moment my hand touched her ass, a delightful moan emanated from her, making her press, almost grind her crotch against mine. Nothing else existed for me but her. As the kiss grew deeper and deeper, familiar tingles in my groin began to ripple inside me. And as I felt her already hardened nipples drilling into my chest, I knew that I had come to the end of the line as far as women were concerned. She was 'The One!' When the kiss ended, we looked into one another's eyes knowing that what each of us saw there now, left no doubt to both of us as to how we felt about one another.

I saw a single tear running down her cheek and I said, "Aw, what's wrong?"

She broke away from me and swam to the center of the pool and said, "If I tell you, you'll think I'm acting like some silly little schoolgirl."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" I said, swimming out to meet her.

The she got a devilish look in her eyes, which I've come to absolutely adore, and said, "If you can catch me, I'll tell you!" Then she swiftly broke free of me and disappeared beneath the water's surface.

This was a game I used to play with my friends in "The Teams" when I was in the Navy and I always won. So as opposed to chasing her in the water, I chose to turn the tables on her and dove straight to the bottom of the pond and hid behind some rocks underwater. I looked up and the water was clear enough that I could see her searching for in the pool. Being that I'm a retired SEAL, I can hold my breath for a very long time and I watched as she began looking everywhere. I could even hear her calling my name as she turned her head from side-to-side looking for me. Suddenly, the tone in her voice changed from funny to that of sheer terror, as I could now hear her screaming my name. I decided that enough was enough and I came out of hiding, breaking the water's surface right behind her.

"Looking for me?" I teased.

"YOU ASSHOLE!!!!" she angrily shouted, and began making her way toward the bank.

By the time she got out of the water and began to dry off, I could hear her crying and in no time I was out of the water and standing right beside her. "Are you alright?" I asked. 

Its good thing I have quick reflexes because as she turned around to face me; she took a swing at me, barely missing my head as I ducked just in the nick of time. "You scared the shit out of me," she cried.

"I'm really sorry for sneaking up behind you like that, I was only playing," I said, apologizing.

"That's not what I meant." she cried, this time with the same look I saw on her face the night before when I'd been forced to deal with Crutcher and his friends. Then she continued and broke down crying, saying, "I thought that something had happened to you. I thought I lost you." 

She was crying so hard that she simply collapsed into my arms, and as I sat us down with her body wrapped around mine, I soothed her and replied, "I'm right here and I'm okay, I promise." I have no idea where what I said next came from, but to this day, I'll never regret it. After taking my towel and wiping away her tears, I gently kissed her lips and said, "I'll never leave you again."

Her face had been buried into my chest, and she suddenly looked up at me with tears falling down both cheeks this time and said, "When you took on Crutcher and those other two assholes, I thought they were gong to hurt you really bad. But then, when I saw what you did to them, it scared me too. But, it scared me in a good way."

"I don't understand!" I replied, frowning.

Laurie smiled as she looked up at me, her head now in my lap, and said, "I knew you would be able to protect me from anything and I knew that I was right to feel the way I do about you." Seeing the question mark on my face, Laurie giggled for a moment, and then with a serious tone of voice, said, "What I'm trying to say, without scaring you or chasing you off is that I love you, Tommy. I have ever since we were both little and I've never stopped loving you."

Before I could respond, we both heard an ostensibly female voice shouting from above, "Ooo Girl! Save some of him for us too."

"Those silly bitches always did have the worst timing," laughed Laurie, as I helped her sit up.

Less than thirty seconds later, both Emma and Deirdre appeared in front of us, stripping their clothes off and revealing equally stunning, as well as equally tiny, thong bikinis. Looking at what I was wearing, Emma laughed and said, "Damn boy, stand up so we can all have a look!"

"What the hell?" I said, and grinning at Laurie stood up and walked over to Emma and Deirdre, then gave them both a hug at the same time and added, "Hi girls!" then turned around, walked over beside Laurie and sat back down.

When I was facing them again, Laurie grinned as Emma looked at her smiling and said, "You lucky bitch," then all three of them erupted into peals of girlish laughter.

As Emma and Deirdre layed out their towels, I reached into my saddle bag and retrieved a pair of sunglasses in order to avoid being caught staring at the smorgasbord of female flesh on display. As I was putting the glasses on, Emma looked over at me, and trying to embarrass me, said, "What's the matter handsome, are all of us women just too much for ya?"

Before I had a chance to respond, Laurie, God love her, jumped to my defense and replied, "No, I expect that he's probably being blinded by the sunlight that's reflecting off of your deathly white ass!" I just shook my head laughing while Laurie and Deirdre howled uncontrollably.

Emma, unfazed, simply looked at them, and bending over and sticking her ass out at them, replied, "You both can kiss my deathly white ass."

After everyone had settled down and the laughter abated, Laurie was on my right side, and Emma, with Deirdre beside her, lay on my left side. I was having fun with these girls and it made me realize that there really were some good girls left in the world. I smiled when I thought of the way they liked to antagonize each other, but that's just how these girls were. Although Laurie was in a class of her own, being around these three girls was like taking a breath of fresh air. I suddenly remembered what Laurie had told me right before her two friends showed up. She told me that she loved me and that she always had.

I silently watched her while she talked with her two friends, thankful that God had chosen to bless me in the way he was doing at this very moment.

Breaking me out of my reverie, Deirdre sat up, then leaned across Emma, and said, "So Tommy, tell us how you stay in such good shape."

Once again and before I could respond, Laurie sat up and excitedly replied, "He was a Navy SEAL, girl!"

Now both Emma and Deirdre were sitting up wide eyed, and looking at me, Emma said, "Really?" 

"Yeah!" was all I replied. Then deciding that I was uncomfortable with the way the conversation was headed, I stood up and said, "I'm gonna go for a swim. Please excuse me, ladies,' and then I took a running dive into the clear crisp, cold mountain pool. As I dove down to the bottom of the pool, I felt refreshed and enriched. I also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was sweetly and very deeply in love with Laurie. I decided to cast my fate to the wind and just tell her that I felt the same way about her that she did about me. Looking back now I realize that many, many years ago; I gave my heart to a little girl that had big blue eyes with long dark lashes and long dark hair, tied back with baby blue ribbons. I felt like I was really home now. Suddenly I was distracted by movement in the water. I looked up, and smiling, saw three female asses, each clad in thong bikini bottoms, floating in a circle on the surface directly above me. I maneuvered so that I was directly beneath Laurie and slowly ascended to the surface.

The moment my head broke the water, I felt two soft hands going around my shoulders and a soft body pressing firmly against mine. The moment my face was clear of the water, Laurie leaned in, and kissing me softly upon the lips, said, "Hi handsome! Where have you been?"

Seizing the chance to embarrass all three of them at once, I devilishly laughed and pointing down, replied, "I've been down there watching you three digging those thongs out of your butts, and trust me, I saw everything too," and continued to laugh. Had it been conducive enough, the water around me would've been boiling from the heat of embarrassment that was blatantly written across all three of their faces.




Everything Happens for a Reason



Laurie quickly recovered from it, but not Emma and Deirdre. It was Emma that said, "Oh, you big liar, you did not!"

Turning to Laurie, I quickly winked and then turned back to Emma and calmly said, "I most certainly did, and being cross-trained as a Navy Corpsman; I need to tell you that a good combination of aloe and lanolin makes a good anti-irritant that will get rid of that razor rash, sweetie."

"OH MY GOD!!!!" wailed Emma and Deirdre, simultaneously, paralyzing Laurie with laughter to the point that I had to hold her up in the water to keep her from sinking.

I couldn't keep the charade up any longer and said, "Actually I didn't see a thing but you two just told on yourselves, huh?" causing Laurie to laugh even harder.

Suddenly Deirdre broke into tears, sobbing uncontrollably and began to make her way toward the shore. "Uh oh, now you've done it, Tommy. You've made our friend Deirdre cry and we aren't going to stand for that," said Emma, with Laurie, who had stopped laughing at this point, giving me the same stern glare as Emma.

"Ah, shit!" I replied, as I began to make my way to the shore. I could see Deirdre standing on the shore with her back to us. She had her towel wrapped around her shoulders which were shaking violently from crying. Now I really felt like total hell for making this poor girl cry. As I exited the water and began to approach her, I could hear her sobbing begin to calm to what sounded to me like soft whimpers. I gently reached out and touched her shoulder and said, "Deirdre, I'm really very sorry, and I sure didn't mean to embarrass you or hurt your feelings,"

Catching me totally off-guard, Deirdre turned, and with a bright grin shining on her face, said, "Sucker!" Before I could respond, I suddenly felt three female bodies surrounding me trying to wrestle me to the ground. The sound of girlish laughter and giggles filled the air, followed by screams and squeals when, as best as I could manage; I gathered the three of them into a tight group, then lifted them into my arms and took off running toward the water. We splashed and played for a while and then made our way to the shore. 

After a sufficient rest, Emma and Deirdre made preparations to leave, and once the two of them were dressed; Deirdre hugged my neck and said, "You're a good sport, Tommy."

"Yeah, well, you three are right about each other," I said, grinning, not being able to help myself.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?" said Emma, smiling.

"Bitches," I simply replied, causing all three girls to howl with laughter.

Then Emma and Deirdre leaned over and both kissed me on the cheek as Laurie smiled and said, "That's right, darlin, we sure are," and then giggled delightfully.

Right before they left for their horses Deirdre looked at Laurie, and smiling lovingly, said, "I like him, sis."

We said nothing as we watched the two friends climb the steps and disappear over the escarpment. Once they were gone, I leaned down and kissed Laurie gently and said, "There's something I need to tell you!"

As we sat down she had an alarmed look on her face and asked, "What is it Tommy? What's wrong?"

I simply leaned forward and wrapped my arms tightly around her, holding her as close to me as humanly possible, and softly said, "I love you Laurie Watson, with every fiber of my being and I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"I love you too," she replied, with tears running down both sides of her so very beautiful face. Then our lips met, and as we slowly began to taste one another; I felt her total essence wrapping around and intertwining itself with mine. I knew then that we would be together for all eternity. When the kiss ended, I looked at her and wondered why I hadn't seen it when I was young, the same look she had in her eye, even as a child, was indicative of love in its purest form. Though I desperately loved her, we both knew it wasn't yet time to take our relationship to the next level. So, we spent the rest of the afternoon frolicking in the water stopping only for the occasional hug and/or kiss. 

On the ride home I was quietly enjoying the view, i.e. Laurie and the beautiful scenery surrounding her, not overwhelming her but only enhancing her already staggering beauty when she smiled and said, "What's on your mind, handsome?"

"I was thinking about you and how much I've fallen in love with you in such a short time," I replied, grinning. 

Laurie brought Gus to a stop, and while dismounting, said, "Walk with me. I want to tell you something that you may or may not remember." And while we led the horses by the reins, we walked together, side-by-side and hand-in-hand, while Laurie continued, "I don't know if you remember this, but a long time ago, when I lived on your ranch, I remember that time when those boys that used to come over to see your older brother tried to pick on me, but you wouldn't let them. You stuck up for me and tried to protect me, even though they were a lot bigger than you. I thought you were so brave back then."

I smiled at the long forgotten incident as it came to mind and said, "I remember that, now."

She moved closer, and after her arm went around my waist and her head rested beneath my arm and shoulder; she continued, "Then, last night, when Harvey Crutcher tried to start something, you almost beat those guys to death protecting me. I fell in love with you all over again, Tommy." 

"I love you," I replied

Chapter Six

I woke up at seven o'clock the next morning to the sound of girlish laughter coming from down the stairs. I got up and made my bed, then slipped on a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt and went downstairs. As soon as I reached the foot of the stairs I saw Laurie and Julia sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking. The moment she saw me, Laurie hopped up from the table and ran across the room. The second I was within her reach, she threw her arms around me and quickly but softly kissed my lips and then said, "Good morning, my beautiful love. How did you sleep?"

"I slept great; how about you?" I replied, with a grin plastered across my face. 

"Mmm, I would've slept a lot better if you had been laying next me," she replied, smacking me on the butt.

"Laurie!" I scolded, blushing.

Laurie led me to the table, and as we both sat down, she looked at me and non-chalantly replied, "I told Mom that we were in love but we haven't started sleeping together...yet."

I suddenly felt like finding a hole to crawl into until Julia laughed, and reaching over and patting my hand, said, "It's alright, sweet boy. I knew a long time ago that this was going to happen."

"You did? How?" I asked, amazed not only because of how she was handling what Laurie had apparently told her about us, but at what she, herself had just said.

Laurie sat down in my lap and said, "Tell him what you told me a few weeks ago, Mom!"

Julia laughed, and looking directly at me, said, "Your mother told me that, after we left Texas to come out here; you weren't the same. She said you were like a lost puppy and it took a long time before you were back to your old self again. But before you say anything, I want you to know that it was the same way for Laurie."

Julia's always bright smile became a little cloudy for a second, and with the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes, she reached over and put her palm to the side of my face and said, "You don't know what it's done for my daughter, as well as my husband and I, having you here, sweet boy."

I was sitting down at the table, and as Laurie poured me some coffee, I gently reached across and touched Julia's hand and replied, "I'm very glad to be here, and just so you know, I love Laurie with all my heart, I swear."

"Well, that's a good thing or otherwise all the flirting she'd been doing with you would've all gone to waste, m'boy." said Mike, as he came out of the master bedroom smiling. He made his way to the table, but not before he reached down and patted me on my shoulder, then said, "We are all glad that you came to see us Tommy. I really mean that, son."

"Thank you, sir!" I replied, turning to look him in the face. There was a small part of Mike that reminded me of my father, making me remember the once forgotten days when Laurie and I were young.

I saw Mike looking at Laurie, and with the beginnings of tears in his eyes; he pulled his daughter to him, hugging her, and to Julia, said, "I guess our baby girl is growing up, huh Mom?" Julia simply smiled a silent acknowledgement in a way that only a mother who was proud of her child does. Then, grinning, Mike turned to look back at me and asked, "So when are you two gonna get married and give us some grand babies to spoil?" 

"Jesus, Dad! Leave him alone, why don't ya?" Laurie scolded, while winking at her mother.

"I was just asking. Damn girl, you act just like your mother sometimes, I swear," said Mike, with a sigh.

"And it's a damn good thing that she does, Michael Watson," said Julia, in her daughter's defense. 

Laurie smiled, and as she moved away from her father, she passed behind me while going to her place at the table and gently ran her fingers through my hair, producing a pleasant chill going down the back of my spine that made me slightly shiver in my seat. Then after taking her seat, she smiled at me and said, "You're going to meet the guys that work for us today. I think you'll like them. They're a good group of guys, but I need to warn you about one of them."

"Uh oh, here comes more trouble," I silently said to myself, a bad feeling beginning to rise from the pit of my stomach. 

I was assured that my facial features had betrayed my thoughts when Laurie laughed and said, "It's not as bad as you think, my love."

Hearing her call me her love made me somehow immediately relax, and with one eyebrow raised, I smiled and replied, "Oh, no?"

Laurie quickly leaned across the table, kissed my lips, and then just as quickly sat back down and said, "No! I was gonna tell you about John Kettle," and as she began to speak more of this man, her face grew more somber as she looked down and continued, "John is not only the best foreman that Daddy's ever had but he's also the last known descendant of Chief Black Kettle, one of the Great Chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Indian tribes. Black Kettle was killed in a massacre when the U.S. Army's Seventh Calvary, led by none other than George Armstrong Custer, attacked the Cheyenne People in the early dawn hours of November the 27th, 1868. The village was well within the boundaries of the reservation on the banks of the Washita River. Black Kettle even had a white flag and a U.S. flag flying above his tipi. But the Army attacked them, killing indiscriminately, men, women and children.....Bastards!"

When Laurie lifted her face and looked back up at me, I saw tears beginning to form in her eyes, and reaching across the table and taking her by the hand, I asked, "Are you okay, sweetheart?"

Laurie smiled, albeit sadly, and said, "Yeah, I'm alright. It just upsets me to think about what happened to those poor people so long ago." Suddenly her mood lightened and she continued, "John is very nice man, but he's very cautious when it comes to strangers so, don't be offended if he gives you the third degree when he meets you." 

After remaining silent while Laurie had been explaining John Kettle's back ground to me, Julia spoke up, smiling, and said, "Oh, I wouldn't worry so much about that, baby-girl."

"What do you mean, Mama?" Laurie asked her mother.

Julia rose from the table and walked around to where I was sitting. Then she leaned down from behind me, put her arms around my neck and shoulders, and after gently kissing me on the cheek, said, "I've got a strange feeling that John is going to get along with Tommy just fine."

At 8:30 that morning, I was standing in the stock house with Laurie and five other men. Laurie introduced me to each one. There were the Grey Brothers, Joe and Jake who both greeted me heartily. Then there was Larry Johnson who had just graduated high school and was preparing to go to Veterinary school and worked with Laurie. He seemed to be a nice kid whom, I later found out was a genius as well. Then there was Ed Williams who managed the stables with his son, Marcus. When they found out that I was from Texas, they immediately began to tease with all the standard jibes....Steers and Queers, blah, blah, blah...etc! I took it all in good fun because that's exactly how it was meant, nothing more. It was safe to say that I liked all these guys immediately, and they me. 

There was still one person missing, but before I could ask; I heard another vehicle pulling into the driveway. A few seconds later, I saw an old beat up, blue Chevy step-side pickup truck, which had to be at least twenty-five years old, making its way around the driveway in a cloud of dust and skidding in the gravel to a halt in front of the huge open stock house doors where we had all gathered. The truck parked and turned off its engine followed by a loud and thunderous backfire that almost made me jump out of my skin. When the cloud of dust had settled, the driver's side door opened and out stepped a man that stood about five feet, seven or eight. I would say he was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of sixty, to sixty-five years old. He wore a pair faded blue jeans, boots and a burnt-red colored, long sleeved shirt with a blue bandana around his neck. His face left no doubt that he was full blooded Cheyenne Indian. He wore his waist length hair in braids on both sides of his head that came down the front of his chest. "Good Morning John!" said Laurie as he approached us.

The closer he drew the more clearly I could see his face and he was smiling at Laurie when he replied, "Good morning, Ka'eskone (Cheyenne word for child)!" Once he was close enough, his facial features displayed a noble blood line dating back to a time long gone. Suddenly he glanced over at me suspiciously, and to Laurie, asked, "Who is this man, Miss Laurie?"

"Do you remember the boy that I told you about when I was a little girl?" Laurie asked him, smiling.

"So, this is Tommy, huh?" asked John, smiling and extending his hand. As we shook hands, he told me, "Because you are a friend to this family, I trust you. But were it not for that, I would become the Ho'nehe (wolf) and tear you to pieces, Ve'ho'e (white man)!" I looked into his eyes and found, not anger, but a quiet understanding, born of an age old wisdom, that for reasons unbeknownst to me at the time; began to take root deep within my being, stirring my very soul. An indescribable feeling began to overtake me, but as opposed to making it known by anything I might say or do; I choose to remain silent, embracing that which I was presently feeling. No one seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary, no one except John, that is. I didn't know that John knew, nor was I supposed to know, but for some reason, I somehow knew that he'd been aware the whole time. 

What John had just told me was not meant as a challenge and I took it was as something I would feel if I were him. So, I simply smiled and replied, "It's nice to meet you, John Kettle."

He looked at Laurie grinning, then at me, then back at Laurie, and with a slight chuckle, said, "You might be right about him after all, Ka'eskone," and then shaking his head while laughing, John tuned around, left the stock house and walked toward the stables, still laughing and shaking his head.

"Well, whadaya know about that?" asked Laurie, smiling at the rest of the guys. They all nodded their heads in agreement and laughed.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused as hell.

Laurie leaned over and put her arm around me, and with a smile, said, "He likes you Tommy, and that's very rare for someone he just met."

After what you told me about him at breakfast then, that's a good thing, right?" I asked her, smiling.

"We'll see. You're going to be working with him for the next three days," said Laurie, worriedly. 

But, before she could continue, Mike Watson came walking around the corner from the back of the stock house, and to me, said, "There's a herd of wild horses that have been wreaking havoc among my brood mares up in the high pastures to the northwest. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like for you and John to ride up there and check it out. The wild herd is being led by a Black Rogue Stallion. Eight people have already been killed by this damn horse so, be careful if you find him. A fairly big reward has been posted by the Montana Cattlemen's Association to anyone that can either capture or kill the evil son of a bitch." 

"I'm good with horses so it doesn't look like it'll be a problem, Mike," I replied, confidently.

Then Mike put his hand on my shoulder, and in a very serious tone of voice, replied, "I know that you're good at what you do and that's why I don't mind you going with John. But I want you to promise me that you'll do exactly as John says, because this particular stallion is unlike any horse you've ever encountered before. There's something evil inside of this animal. This stallion is not a horse, Tommy; he's a killer!" 

The feeling I always had when danger was near began the moment Mike uttered the word 'killer'. I knew that Mike trusted me, so, I promised him that I would do as he asked and follow John's instructions. 

No sooner had I finished speaking when John appeared around the corner with two horses saddled up and ready to ride. One of the horses was a young gelding named Sultan, an American Saddle Bred, and the other horse was Jessi, and handing her me reins, John said, "Here, she told me that you and her made friends a few days ago."

"Yes, we did," I replied, stroking Jessi's neck, making her whinny contentedly. As I looked her over and checked the strength of the saddle strap, I that noticed a rifle holster had been strapped to Jessi's saddle. Opening the top of the holster flap, I pulled out the rifle, which was a Winchester 44-40, and asked, "What's this for?"

"It's for if I miss," replied John, solemnly and with no emotion whatsoever in his voice. The rest of the men had all disappeared to their respective work places by this time, and the only people in the stock house were Laurie, myself, John and Mike. While John and Mike talked as they walked the horses to the pasture gates, Laurie and I were afforded a few moments alone to talk.

"I want you to be careful. Do you hear me?" said Laurie, launching herself against me, landing with her arms around me and her body pressed tightly against mine.

"I love you, Laurie Watson," I softly replied, and then tenderly kissed her soft lips.

"I love you too, Tommy. Just come back home in one piece, okay?" she said, bravely.

"Okay, I promise," I said, and then kissed her one last time before I followed Mike and John, with Laurie closely beside me. 

As I made my way toward the back gates, I heard someone yell, "WAIT A MINUTE, YOU TWO!!!" I turned around to see Julia running toward us carrying a pair of saddlebags in one hand and a knapsack in the other. When she finally reached us, she was a little out of breath, but after recovering momentarily; she handed me the saddle bags and said, "I packed you some dry socks and two more pairs of dry underwear. I had to go through your things. I hope you don't mind, sweet boy."

As I took the saddle bags from her, I leaned down and kissed Julia on the cheek and said, "I don't mind at all.....Mom." She just hugged me tightly and then giggled as I threw the saddlebags across Jessi's back.

Then she handed the knapsack to John and said, "I made you guys some pound cake as well as your favorite corn bread, John!"

"I thank you, Ms. Julia. That was a very thoughtful thing to do," replied John smiling.




Everything Happens for a Reason



Once we were mounted and saddled up, I looked at Laurie one last time to see her silently say the words, "I love you!" I winked and then turned Jessi to follow Sultan with John riding on his back. We rode for a good hour before John smiled and said, "So, tell me about Texas. I've never been there."

"Well, it looks kinda like this in some places, but its hot and dusty in others," I replied.

As he waved his arm across the mountainous horizon, he laughed and said, "There is no place like this, anywhere else on this planet, I assure you, my friend. However, it can be as dangerous as it is beautiful."

"Tell me about this horse that you and Mike were talking about," I cautiously asked.

Instead of answering my question, John pulled Sultan's reins, bringing him to a halt with Jessi following suit. Then, with a solemn look on his face, John took a deep breath and said, "You are about to take a journey, my brother. It is a journey that was taken by many before you. Some came back from it alive, most didn't. But, I feel that you have the heart of a great notaxeo'o (warrior) long gone from this world. He left part of his spirit here and it was poured into you when you took your first breath on the day you were born. I feel it stirring within you now. You have seen many places in this world and fought many terrible battles on the soil of our mother."

Suddenly my mind went back in time and the ghosts of the past began to come back to haunt me. I heard John begin to laugh at what I thought was my obvious distress with what he'd told me. "What are you laughing at?" I asked, irritated and not knowing why.

As John gave Sultan a nudge in the flanks, he began to walk again with Jessi following him. With his back to me, John laughed again and said, "I feel the conflict within you. I'm taking you to a very sacred place, my brother. You will know when the time is right."

"Know what?" I asked.

"You will know," said John, still laughing. I continued to follow where John was leading me. The house and the buildings around it had all disappeared long before the first hour's ride had passed. We were in the mountains by this time, and although there are much higher peaks in the Himalayas; I felt as if I were almost at the top of the world. The air was cool, crisp and clean. I literally felt the life in every breath I took.

Chapter Seven

We'd been in the saddle for three hours now and the view that I was bearing witness to was nothing short of spectacular. Before me lay nothing but green and mountainous landscape as far as the eye could see. I've already stated that there was a reason that Montana was called 'Big Sky Country' but this was a totally awesome sight. While I had been enjoying the scenery, John suddenly turned around atop Sultan and said, "Around this next bend is a very steep incline. We need to dismount and walk the horses down." I could tell that Jessi was apprehensive as we made the slow descent down the steep incline. If I had to guess, I'd say that were talking about a grade of at least fifteen to eighteen percent. Regardless, our trek continued until we slowly made it to the bottom to where a meadow, the perimeter of which was roughly eighteen hundred to two thousand square yards, lay softly before us. Once were there, John suggested we mount up and so, I did. I followed him across the meadow, out to an endless plain and then to a vast tree line that stretched as far as the eye could see on both sides of me. I followed John into the great forest until we came to a small running stream where we dismounted and tied the horses, near the water.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"We're near a very sacred place. It's a place where The Old One (The Devil) is said to live. My father took me there as a boy to see for himself. Two weeks later he was killed by a Grizzly Bear. I knew then that to tempt The Old One meant certain death. But with you I feel something very different. You have a strong spirit and it is the hope of the people that you can defeat The Old One, my brother."

"What're you talking about? What people?" I asked, confused. John reached into his pocket and withdrew what looked like some kind of hand made whistle. Placing it to his lips, he blew twice into it, making two very shrill, high pitched sounds. Within seconds I saw, or thought I saw a large group of Cheyenne Indians suddenly appear out of nowhere dressed in the traditional clothing of their eighteenth and nineteenth century ancestors. Looking at John, I asked, "Who're these guys?"

Pointing toward the men and waving his arm, John smiled and replied, "These are the souls of my ancestors. They have come from the spirit world to help you make the journey across the great plain. There you will fight and defeat The Old One." Then John produced an eagle feather from his saddle bag and I heard a commencement of ancient drums beating somewhere off in the distance. The men began to dance in a circle around us, chanting in Cheyenne. John walked toward me also chanting in Cheyenne. I stood frozen to the ground and the more I tried to struggle; the more solid my footing became. I couldn't move or speak, only breathe. Moments later, John stood before me and touched the tip of the eagle feather to my forehead and the last thing I remember was falling backward over a cliff......

The next thing I knew, I was lying on my back in an open prairie, looking up at the clear blue sky. I stood up to find myself wearing only a loin-cloth with buckskin breeches and moccasins. At my feet lay a bow, a quiver of arrows and a very large knife. Suddenly I heard a woman scream and the sound of something very large heading my way. After picking up the weapons, I ran toward the sound up a small hill and when I reached the top; I was sickened by what I saw below me. United States Calvary soldiers were riding into a peaceful village and slaughtering men, women and children left and right. I saw children the being shot and decapitated, the men being disemboweled and the women being raped and then mutilated. At the top of my lungs and with every ounce of strength I had, I raised my arms to the heavens and shouted, "STOP THIS MADNESS...IN THE NAME OF GOD!!!!!" At the mention of God's name, every soldier stopped and looked at me standing on the hill. That's when the fire began to rise up right in front of me. I saw it burning but felt no heat. I put my hand into the fire and felt nothing. Yet, when I looked down at my hand, it looked as if my flesh was boiling and dripping right off the bone. "This is such Bull Shit!" I said, aloud. And the moment I spoke, I found myself being transported somehow and left standing on the top of the biggest mountain I'd ever seen. I looked out at the horizon and all I could see were clouds. I couldn't tell where the heavens stopped and the earth began. Suddenly, the top of the mountain began to tremble and shake, finally exploding into flames, casting me off it's top and down into a fiery pit below me. I fell for a long time until I landed on my back in the middle of what looked like an arena of some kind. At one end of it sat a huge chair with a red linen canopy mounted on poles, extending high over the top of it. I looked around and thought, "I'll bet John put something in my canteen to make me sleepy and I'm having a dream. Well, if this is my dream then it's going to go my way!" I saw people filing into the arena all dressed in long buffalo skin cloaks, with the buffalo heads still attached and sitting atop their own heads. Then began the drums again only this time they were much louder, so loud in fact, that I could feel every beat all the way down to my bones. Again the fire blazed, temporarily blinding me. However, when the flames receded and my sight was regained, I found myself standing before the largest man I've ever seen before in my life. He stood, what I would say was, at least fifteen to twenty feet tall with eight to ten feet across the breadth of his chest to his shoulders. He was the most hideous creature I'd ever seen as his skin looked as if he'd been burned very badly and his face was the most disturbing sight I'd ever beheld. The fire had left a gnashing terrible countenance that endlessly dripped mucous and blood. He looked like what was left of an old Indian Warrior, long gone but, the only recognizable feature that would determine his Native American heritage was his long braided hair.

"Who are you and what are you doing in my kingdom?" the creature growled.

I wasn't afraid of what I consciously knew was a dream, albeit a very vivid one, but a dream none the less. So I looked at the creature, and laughing, said, "Jeez! You sure are one ugly mother-fucker," and continued laughing. Before I had a chance to say anything else, I felt something huge grab me from behind. As it lifted me off the ground, I could feel the flesh being ripped from my body. The pain was indescribable and it was then I knew that I wasn't dreaming. I didn't know what was happening, but I knew I sure as hell wasn't supposed to be able to feel pain in a dream. The next thing I did was the only thing I knew to do. I grabbed the knife I'd stuck in my belt and began stabbing wherever the creature was holding me. I finally fell back onto the ground and when I caught sight of what I'd been stabbing, I was terrified beyond all control. I was face-to-face with the biggest grizzly bear that I believe ever existed and there was no mistaking the fact that he was pissed off....at me. I could literally see his eyes burning a bright red, like the embers of an evening fire and I knew that if he got his gigantic paws on me, I was a dead man. So, when he lunged at me, I ducked and moved swiftly beneath him, cutting him as deeply with my knife as I could, all the way down the front of his body as I passed under and behind him where he stood. The creature screamed like nothing I've ever heard before, and as he turned around to face me, I saw his body laid open with flaming sulphur and ash flowing out of the wound and onto the ground right before the beast fell dead.

No time had passed before the tall Indian man stood before me in a rage, saying, "Now it is time for you to die, Ve'notaxeo'o (White Warrior)!" All at once, the ground began to shake and red and yellow fireballs began to rain down, striking the ground all around me. The creature reached down and knocked me through the air with just a wave of his arm. I landed against the far wall of the dark arena with the breath knocked out of me. When I came back to my senses, I was being restrained by the shoulders by a skeletal hand. I looked back over my shoulder to find a skeleton wailing in hideous laughter. I grabbed his hand only to have it come off of his body, releasing its grip and freeing me to fight. The beast was upon me before I could move and knocked me across to the other side of the dark arena. I raised my face to the heavens and shouted, "GOD, HELP ME, PLEASE!!!!!"

Suddenly a brilliant bolt of ice blue lightning came thundering down to strike me and I thought that I was going to die. However, as opposed to killing me, the lightning bolt gave me a sudden and endless burst of energy and the drumbeats I heard earlier in the forest were ringing in my ears, mind, soul and body. As soon as the beast made his move, I side stepped him and rolled a good distance away from him. Before he could get near me again, I reached into my quiver, withdrew an arrow and with my bow, let loose the arrow, to seek its dark target. The arrow hit the creature directly in the heart making the world, as I then knew it, explode all around me. All I saw was fire and all I heard were terrible, animalistic screams. I curled myself into a ball and the pain was so intense I passed out and then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes again, I saw John before me smiling and saying, "Welcome back, my brother," while wiping my face with a wet rag.

"Where am I and what happened?" I asked, in a daze.

"You took a dangerous journey and came through the other side alive, my brother," replied John, patting me on the chest. As I looked up and saw the stars on a moonlight canopy, I realized that I had been out for a long time. But before I could say anything else, John added, "Our ancestors told me that you defeated The Old One and sent him and his devils back into the pit of darkness to dwell forever."

I laughed and replied, "Bull Shit! You put some kind of old Indian recipe in my canteen when I wasn't looking, didn't you?"

After rolling me over on my back and running the wet rag roughly across my skin, John rolled me back on my side and showed me the blood soaked rag that he was wiping me with and angrily said, "Now that you've witnessed the spilling of your own blood and the claw marks across your chest, do you believe?"

I raised my head, and with John's help and by the light of a fire that he had apparently started while I was out of it; I saw broad claw marks streaking bloody trails across the front of my entire torso. "Oh shit," I said, and then passed out again.

The next morning, I opened my eyes and as I began to move, I experienced a pain like nothing I've ever felt before in my life. As I groaned loudly, John looked across at me and said, "I have medicine that will heal you, ve'notaxeo'o!"

"I heard that in my dream or....whatever it was I had last night. What does it mean?" I asked John.

He looked at me like he'd seen a ghost and said, "Did the Old One call you that?"

"Well, I dreamed.....or at least I remember this real big son-of-a-bitch. He had to be at least fifteen to twenty feet tall and half as wide in the chest. He called me that and said it was time for me to die and then I shot him in the heart with a bow and arrow!"

"Then my vision was true. You are the ve'notaxeo'o (White Warrior), the chosen one who will come and make things right between the men in Washington and all the people," replied, John, with a lone tear slowly rolling down his right cheek and a gigantic smile across his face. Then he rolled me over onto my stomach, and taking something from a medicine bag that, I can only assume he brought with him; I felt something tickling my back. As I turned my head to look at him, John was sprinkling something across me. Then he stood me up and did the same thing to the wounds upon my chest, followed by wrapping my torso in white linen bandages and taping them closed. Patting me on the shoulder, he smiled and added, "Come, we have a wild stallion to tame, my brother."

As we went to saddle our horses, Jessi was acting differently toward me today. "Aw, what's wrong, girl?" I asked, softly stroking her neck. She leaned her head against me and I know she didn't speak with her mouth, that's impossible, but, I heard her heart tell me that she loved me very much. It was a very touching moment for me and I relished in it. John stood by smiling while he silently watched the exchange between Jessi and me. After Sultan and Jessi were saddled, we began a long and arduous trek into the high pastures of Mike's property. As before, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking and the more I rode, the less I seemed to feel the pain.

Breaking the beautiful silence like the shattering of glass in a church sanctuary, I heard the painful sound of a horse's whiny. Actually it sounded more like the scream of a frightened child to me, but the moment I heard it, John pointed ahead of us and said, Look! There he is."

Standing on his hind legs, three hundred yards ahead of us, was the most beautiful stallion I've ever seen. He was solid black, with a small but, brilliant white star in the center of his beautiful face. Then the stallion came down on all four legs and took off at a dead run, heading directly toward us. "He's gonna try to charge us," said John, as he reached for his rifle. I suddenly felt the stallion's heart. He wasn't evil; he was simply angry and afraid. He was angry because somebody killed his mother when he was young and he was left to fend for himself and now he was afraid and trusted no man. And the men that he'd supposedly killed, had all died either accidentally, or as a result of their own stupidity. I don't know how I knew this but somehow I just knew it. I knew it as certainly as I knew my own name.

As John raised his rifle and aimed it toward the animal and while still keeping my eyes on the charging stallion, I grabbed his arm, causing him to lower his weapon and said, "No, John, please don't," and then I dismounted Jessi and started walking directly into the animal's path with my arms outstretched. I ignored John's pleas for me to get out of his line of sight and kept walking toward the animal. As the stallion drew closer, I could see the fear and anger in his eyes. He came to a halt not five feet in front of me and stood on his hind legs before he slammed down, tearing at the ground with his front hooves. I looked into his eyes and could now feel what he was feeling. I don't know how it happened at the time, but the stallion was able to feel what I  was feeling and in that moment he came to know that I wasn't going to hurt him because he calmed right down, and then slowly walked up close enough to me to nuzzle me with his nose.

I slowly raised my hands and began to gently stroke his head and neck and said, "It's okay now, boy, I'm not going to hurt you." Then I looked back at John, and softly said, "Drop a lead line on the ground in front of you and then take the horses and back slowly away." After what he'd just witnessed, he dropped a line, holstered his weapon, and then grabbed Jessi's reins and slowly backed away with no argument whatsoever. I stood talking to this majestic and misunderstood animal, and the more I talked to him, the more I felt that he trusted me. People say that horses can't understand us, but, they're dead wrong. It was like a movie that was playing in my head, seeing the things that this poor animal had been through in his troubled life as his heart took mine through a journey from his first memory until now. I knew that I simply had to protect this beautiful creature. I was not going to let anyone turn him in for the reward that the Montana Cattlemen's Association put on him. All they wanted was to see him dead. Besides, now that he'd shared his memories with me, it was clear that he was only protecting himself when those men were killed. I walked over to where John had left the lead line and bent over. Right before I could reach the line, I felt the nose of a horse on my behind, knocking me over and gently whinnying as I fell over. Aw, the stallion wanted to play with me so I grabbed the piece of line, and with a laugh, took off running away from the horse. Of course he was on me in no time gently nudging me with his muzzle and knocking me softly to the ground. Once I went down, I got tickled and began to laugh uncontrollably. It wasn't long before the stallion was bowing his head to help me up off the ground and I took his offer gratefully. I slowly took the line out of my pocket and, while softly soothing him, ever-so-gently slipped it around his neck. Once the line was secure around his neck, I knew then that I would forever have this animal's unabated trust as he allowed me to lead him to John and the other horses. I never intended to violate that trust either, even if it meant going to jail or, worst case scenario, giving my life to save this animal; I would do it.

The look on John's face was priceless as I appeared leading the stallion which I had now named 'Mo'. It was short for mo'ehno'ha, the Cheyenne word for horse. Mo sidled right along side Jessi as I hopped on her back and tied him off to the saddle horn. It was sweet, the way that Sultan and Jessi nuzzled and showed affection for Mo and took him right in as one of their own. Unlike humans, horses trust one another implicitly and do that sort of thing. We could sure as hell learn from them; that much is certain. Although we weren't expected back for another day, me and Jessi, and John and Sultan headed back, taking our new friend, Mo, with us.