5 comments/ 24939 views/ 5 favorites Very Momentous By: Egmont Grigor CHAPTER 1 It was summer and the city sweltered. Pete had arrived the previous afternoon and after a good night's sleep felt horny. A couple of maids with dark eyes and cocoa skin came in, giggling, to do his room. They were from a Third World country and were probably used to being asked for it. "Good morning ladies," he leered. They took two paces back and looked at him fearfully. "Do you speak English?" The taller one nodded and said a little. "I want a woman... in bed." "We are married. We don't mess around. I get a bellboy. They sell phone numbers of sluts." "Um, I wasn't interested in sluts. I want a woman who makes beds." "You must not talk like this to us. We are good women; married women. Please leave us to do our work." "Certainly ma'am. Your work is important to help feed your husband eh? She bowed at him and spoke to her companion in a foreign language and the younger woman visibly relaxed. Pete put four bottles of beer, a towel and swimsuit in a carry bag and gathered his floppy sunhat and shades. "I'm off to the rooftop pool," he said grandly. "No sluts up there," the taller one said pointedly. "I'm really a very nice guy." The woman's expression indicated she knew a liar when she saw one. There were a dozen people poolside, mostly in pairs. A woman alone with dark shades stared at him, or at least in his direction. He took the sun loafer beside her and said, "Hello, I'm Pete" and was ignored. Either that or she was profoundly deaf. Pete had accepted voluntary redundancy from the car assembly plant as a supervisor, one of the affects of downsizing. The oafs at head office had ignored market trends and left the plant spewing out gas-hungry pickups that fewer people wanted. Because he'd work there for eight years he'd received a fat severance check and had come to New York to spend some of it on women and booze. The broads weren't lining up for him but the supply of booze was endless. He opened a bottle of beer, ignoring the signs that stated no glass containers, and heard the tight-ass next to him mutter, for his benefit, "Good god, beer and it's only 9:15." Well ma'am, Pete felt like saying, it may only be 9:15 but already its fucking hot and beer goes down well under these sticky conditions. Unless you drink the heat will suck the moisture out of you and your tits will flop on you like a hag's. Grrrr, he thought and grinned. If he said that it would get her motor running! Pete looked at her... about his age in her early forties. The face appeared to be well-kept, fancy nails, not much of a belly, thighs were a little heavy but she looked as if she could grind back at a guy for a good hour at least. She got up out of her loafer and he sucked in breath. Her tits were good 'uns, very shapely. The temptation to touch his dick was resisted. She struggled with the sun umbrella but nothing happened. "Sir, would you please assist me?" Pete jumped to his feet and said, "Yeah, what part of you needs assistance?" The fading blonde looked at him sharply until she caught the grin. "Oh funny boy. I would like the umbrella to shade me completely." "There's quite a lot of you to shade," Pete said, staring at her tits so she didn't think he was alleging she was fat. You can call a woman a fat cunt and perhaps get away with it but simply call her fat and you risk decapitation. A quick check and Pete declared, "This mechanism is seized." "Darn, I'll have to shift." "No, stay here... I'm enjoying your company." She looked at him, raising an eyebrow. Pete seized the two bent bars bedded into the concrete base for handles and frog-marched the umbrella up against the wall behind them. He then carried the umbrella from the vacant sun loafer on the other side of her and placed where the other umbrella had been. "You're strong." "I work out quite a bit. I wish to retain my youth as long as possible." "Me too." "Is there a bra built into that swimsuit?" "No." Pete grinned and said she was doing a pretty decent job at keeping a girlish figure. She positively beamed at him. Guys on the assembly line who fancied themselves as great with the ladies talked about situations like this. If you get the woman a little left of center fake an apology. "Look that remark was far too personal. Slap me, I won't mind." "Oh don't be silly. That comment has made my day, truly. I suppose you think my thighs are too heavy." "Yeah, but if you wear your dress length down to six inches above your knee whoever would know about your thighs? You probably do that anyway. From what I can see of the back of your lower legs if you were in heels I'd find it compulsory to take a second look." "Are you flirting with me?" Pete frowned and pushed her right of center. "I thought we were having a serious discussion." "Oh I apologize. So we were. It's just that I wasn't confident you were." "Now we have cleared that up jump onto your bed and I'll adjust the umbrella to fully protect you from the sun." She eyed him at work and then said, "Oh that's perfect." "Good, ready for a beer? Beer is only fortified water that is fermented. It should be compulsory drinking in humid weather like this." "I understood only nonalcoholic drinks should be consumed when it' excessively hot; it's expected to reach 93 degrees today and be steamy." "Ma'am, coffee is bad for us but we drink it. I say from experience beer is okay but I sure wouldn't guzzle a half dozen stiff martinis when the weather is boiling." Apparently that topic hit a dead end because she was on to another. "My name is Cassandra Phelps. I'm here to celebrate my divorce." "Oh, technically I had one of these two years ago. My wife became pregnant to one of our neighbors and ran off with him and our two kids." "Oh, how dreadful." "Yeah, for the kids. They liked me better than her. I did nothing to chase after Sharon and the kids and don't know where they are. I'm Peter Somers, but am called Pete. I've come here to have a bit of a fling after becoming redundant as an assembly line supervisor. That's why I came over here when I saw you, guessed you were about my age and looking lovely. " "Are you talking about having sex with me?" "Yeah. So now do you run or stay and call security?" "If you don't mind I'm happy to stay here talking with you. I find you a little rough at the edges, but really quite interesting." "Interesting enough to have sex with me?" "Well Mr Somers, we'll have to wait and see, won't we? So keep talking but not about that." Pete asked what had her husband done to earn a divorce. "Cheated on me and acted like a louse." "Which was worse?" "Excuse me?" "Was it more difficult to accept being treated like a louse or him fucking other women?" "Mr Somers, you need smoother edges. The F-word should be reserved for the bedroom." "I thought I wasn't permitted to discuss sex with you in the meantime, whatever the meantime is?" "It's probably the time after nightfall. He was stealing my father and brothers and me blind; the ranch is in a family trust. He was selling off steers five at a time privately and here was I reporting rustlers had hit us. I suspect he was the rustler but could never catch him at it. While keeping close taps on him I found out about these other women I'd see with their legs up in the air wriggling and he firmly between those legs, connected if you get what I mean? Then he began accusing me of being bitchy and calling him coarse and being at him for being too lazy to shave and farting in my presence." Pete said he had the picture. The guy obviously had downgraded himself and so the time had come to jettison him. "You are so understanding." "Don't you believe it; if I'm to get into your pants I'm obliged to act couth and grab anything I can take, sexually I mean." "Goodbye Mr Somers," she said, picking up her book and pulling her sunhat down low. Pete sighed. He was always doing this to women. Over the years he'd missed out on fucks for the taking because he's spoken honestly to women, knowing it was not the thing to do but it wasn't his fault. His mom had brought him up emphasizing he must never lie to women. She hadn't cared about how he treated men. Pete changed into his swimsuit and swum four lengths of the pool strongly, noting Cassandra couldn't keep her eyes off him. Buoyed, he kept his pace steady instead of attempting to replicate an Olympian in a final. There was something Mrs Big Tits wanted from him. He stood facing her as he dried, hoping his bulge looked great. Each time he pulled the towel off his hair and down below his eyes she looked away. He turned to finish drying to give her a look at his clean back and strong thighs to allow her to imagine him holding her high for a stand-up fuck. Well, if she thought that way. He packed up, picking up her empty beer bottle as well, and looked at her, hat down and buried to her nose in her book. How she could read that close he had no idea. Women find it necessary to act the victim. "I'm off Cassandra. You may join me for dinner. Meet me in the bar at 7:00." "Seven-thirty." He walked off grinning. Pete didn't turn but was willing to bet big money she'd be idly stroking her left breast. Singing in the shower Pete thought he ought to hit Cassandra between the thighs by buying her a present. Something small like... like... um. Flowers would die in this heat and she probably had a large crate of dildos like most women do. He thought of an adult DVD but all the covers these days featured ass fucking. Perhaps that might no be acceptable on a first date. Later Pete entered a la-de-dah women's store. He stood midstore looking uncertain, knowing it always worked. Two assistants rushed to eliminate his dilemma. The older one got to him first, knocking the filly off stride with a hip jolt. "Are you enjoying the coolness of our store sir?" "Huh?" "Oh, never mind. We have a new line of very attractive French underwear." "It's a first date." "Oh, then perhaps one of these scarves?" "I was thinking of an athletic thong." "Oh, you have something in mind? Good boy. What size." "Do they come in sizes?" She attempted to smother her giggle so Pete assumed they did. The assistant led him to the stand holding thongs and asked what size approximately was the recipient. Pete was about to say some women refused to be the recipient on a first date when he figured she probably meant what size was Cassandra across the hips. "Dunno." "You must have some idea unless it's a blind date?" "Turn around and lift up the back of your dress." The woman obliged and sent Pete's dick into misbehaving mode. Two white ass cheeks separated by a black thong and straps of a garter belt greeted him. "Holy crap." She came out of her pose with a question. "Excuse me sir?" "I said lovely to smack." "Oooh. I don't think so sir. I'd be fired if I allowed that. We do have security cameras." "A couple of inches wider than your impressive posterior." "Oooh. Thank you. If this date doesn't work out perhaps you'd like to call here again?" "Thank you." "In this brand that will be size LL sir. They are packed in threes. What color is her hair?" "Faded blonde." "She'd be at the hairdressers today sir so you can count on it being perfect blonde this evening. Darkish blonde?" "Yes." "Then I'd suggest this pack, yellow, cream and ivory. If ma'am is not used to wearing thongs perhaps you should alert her to the possibility of yeast infection." Pete, turning a light shade of green shook his head and said, "Thank Christ this ordeal is over. Wrap it please. Thanks for your expertise." "I didn't find it an ordeal sir. Rarely am I so brilliantly entertained." "You have lovely tits." "Thank you so; good bras do a good job." Clinging to a shopping bag, Pete left the woman licking her top lip and went into a bar for a beer to get his pulse rate down. That damn women had been coming on to him! He later went off for a hair cut, finding the two men's barbers busy so he went into a women's outfit and the fifty-something said, "Oh dear darling, when did you last have your mane styled?" "Grandma used to give me basin cuts until I was twelve." She signed. Pete remembered Cassandra had said something about being on ranch. "Could you cut me western style?" "What's that?" "Er, cowboy style." "Oh, you want me to leave it unwashed and unruly?" "Er, shortish down the back, layered, straight across the bottom and top layered." "Dead easy. I'd do that for forty-five bucks including a wash and a dry." "Go to it cowgirl." Pete asked the woman as she was merrily clipping away, "Had any good sex lately?" "Gawd, you're fresh. What do you have in mind? I did hear you mention cowgirl." Pete changed the subject. "Perhaps I should have said been to any good movies lately?" "You mean sex movies?" "No, documentaries -- you know like that one about the penguins"? "No." They remained silent after that. He emerged with a haircut he liked and went into a men's store and purchased silk boxers, brown shoes, fawn socks, cream pleated trousers and a fitted light gray and white shirt. * * * Cassandra rubbed a hand over her left breast watching Pete go. She wondered if she'd see him again. He looked more like thirty rather than perhaps just over forty -- no sign of baldness or a pot belly. He looked if he could go all night, not that any woman would want that, as least none that she knew. After showering she went out for a light lunch and returned to her room for a nap. Perhaps she would see him tonight. He'd sounded interested and appeared to admire her breasts, and her lower legs he'd said. He could go off hoping to snare a 30-year old but might have to pay for it; why bother when he could have it back at his hotel free? Oh god, she was going to give it to him tonight wasn't she? Cassandra blushed as if the whole country was looking at her, judging her. Well fuck them, she'd not, been to bed with a male for six weeks and that was a huge time to be left unattended. It rather scared her. She was too young to be hung out to dry. Cassandra had a leisurely bath and then combed her hair. No use paying through the nose to have it done if there was a chance of a no-show. Cassandra put on her gray dress but thought the high neckline was far too virginal. She changed to her stunning red dress but thought if Pete kissed her and looked down between her breasts he'd see her shoes and could be disgusted at her frivolity. She lay on the bed and worried. She simply had nothing to wear. So she went out and purchased a little black dress, not bothering to try it on and thinking she should have brought one with her. Well she wasn't perfect, was she? Checking the time Cassandra saw she was ten minutes late. She left and then returned to take off her panties and put them away in the drawer. Pete looked the kind of guy who might appreciate such thoughtfulness. She walked into the bar but he wasn't there. Perhaps he'd returned to his room to remove his underpants? Cassandra looked into the bar mirror behind the liquor bottles and saw him approaching and turned and smiled. "Ohmigod!" she called, involuntarily. She saw him panic slightly and check his zip. His eyes were asking her what? "You look like a modern-day cowboy going to a wedding where there is a ban on jeans." "Oh really," he beamed. "And you look swell in that sweet black dress. Great tits." She blushed. Gawd, she'd bend him over the bar if he went on like that. She ordered a Margarita and he had a Whisky Collins. He raised his glass and said, "Here's to good fucking." Oh no, he hadn't said that had he? Not with these other people listening. He damn well had. "Should you be talking to me like that?" "Yes of course. You haven't had one, probably for weeks, and you'd be a fool to turn this opportunity down. You certainly don't look like a fool to me." Cassandra blushed terribly. How on earth could she deny him after that spiel? He was right, she would be a fool to turn him down." But she tried. "I don't do it on first dates." "Stop your fantasizing. You stopped dating so long ago you can't recall procedures." God he was good. He must be desperate for it. They chatted for an hour and went to dinner. The maitre d' asked did they have a reservation. Pete said no. The guy apologized and said they were full. Pete pulled out his keycard and the guy said hotel guest or not reservations were necessary. "Listen pal, we've come all the Midwest on our honeymoon -- it's second time round for both of us. You are not about to disappoint us are you? Here's fifty to say you won't." "Follow me sir." Cassandra took Pete's hand and squeezed it. "Oooh, this is a premium table," she burbled. "And here was I thinking we'd be tossed out on our ear." "The guy was attracted by my smile," Pete grinned. He grinned again when their waitress arrived with a bottle of French champagne and said it was with the compliments of the maitre d'. Cassandra was on the tenth floor. They'd decided to go to her room because it had a good view whereas Pete looked across the street into another building. In the elevator they kissed and he found Cassandra was not wearing pants. "We're under security camera surveillance," she said, although spreading her legs. Pete pulled his fingers out and attempted to push them into her mouth. "Oh no, how revolting. When I'm warmed up perhaps." "Do it for me darling." Perhaps the word darling did or it was the alcohol or perhaps Cassandra thought it necessary to end initial resistance but her head darted forward and she took the dripping fingers into her mouth, almost sucking off Pete's fingernails. "Now dribble that juice into my mouth," Pete said, aiming to catch her before she'd swallowed. She'd swallowed but she dribbled saliva into his mouth just as the elevator door opened, so there was no comment. Pete swallowed and followed. As soon as Cassandra closed the door Pete pulled her on to the carpet. She found he'd been considerate and had unzipped and pulled it out for her. As she fell he spun her around for a sixty-nine and she murmured he was so strong. She threw her handbag aside and reached for him. He wasn't particularly long but it seemed almost as wide as her wrist. She cooed in delight. After the preliminaries they came together and banged away for a couple of hours. Good stuff. They fell to sleep, exhausted. Cassandra awoke in the morning with a strange man in her bed. She sucked in air, unsure how to cope. It had been a long time since she'd had been, er, sexually free. She hoped when he turned over she'd recognized him and know his name. Cassandra was exploring her thighs -- the damn things seemed glued together when she remembered 'he' was Peter... no Pete "Oh Pete darling." Pete turned over and drilled her, reducing her to a mass of quivering jelly. She released her sex everywhere and was coated by more repeats of his outflow. Then she fell asleep and when she awoke he'd gone. Cassandra couldn't believe it. He'd been taken her to the edge of the earth and when she awoke he was gone. Fuck him. She went back to sleep and when we awoke, got dressed and went shopping. To hell with him. The next evening when she began thinking about sex he appeared behind a door knock. "Hello Cassandra." "Hello stranger." "Sorry, I devoted my time to look for work." "Any luck?" "Promises, promises. But nothing laid out in front of me." "Oh, my poor darling." "Huh." "Fuck me Pete." Pete obliged, doing what he knew he was good at, and Cassandra acted as if he was the most perfect lover on earth. In fact she complimented him on his expertise. Very Momentous "I work at it Cassandra. I'm telling you, It's a real grind but someone has to do it. He tossed her the present. "Forgot to give you this last night, thinking I probably wouldn't get a fuck unless I brought you a present. But it's a bind to take them back, so keep them." Cassandra looked more miffed that pleased but when she opened the package all that changed. "Oh Pete, you are so thoughtful. It's a long time since a strange man bought me a present. Pete grinned, thinking the description 'strange' suited him. He'd never wanted to be a run-of-the-road guy. "Oh they are gorgeous darling and you have guessed my size brilliantly. My conservative husband wouldn't allow me to wear anything smaller than the kind of panties his mom wore. I ask you. That alone was ground for divorce. I had thought of going in for v-strings as soon as I arrived here but I was so busy looking at the shops I couldn't concentrate on buying anything. Get your cock up darling, I'm ready." Pete couldn't believe how readily she'd slipped into calling him darling. Obvious securing a good fuck meant more to her than adhering to protocol so he must not think unkindly They slept and then went out to dinner. "What are you trained at Pete, if anything?" "I trained and became a master technician in automotive technology as a maintenance technician and worked my way through the field and ended up as a supervisor in motor vehicle assembly." "So you know how to fix trucks?" "Yeah. Particularly Ford trucks, petrol and diesel." "Ohmigod." "What, are your ready for another fuck or does your truck need fixing?" "I think you better come home with me." * * * Pete returned to the hotel after 4:00, spending a long, hot day in New Jersey looking for work, driving around in a car he'd rented by the hour over there. Cassandra pressed him to borrow her vehicle but he argued he didn't want to drive through Manhattan to find his way to the locality he wanted. Being a Kentucky boy he wasn't used too really big cities. He'd found nothing to suit him but had been offered three positions - two as mechanics and one as a spray painter. He looked at the premises and decided he wasn't interested. Cassandra has said she'd be up at the pool from mid afternoon cooling down so at the pool bar he purchased a six-pack of cans of beer and joined her. Cassandra, talking to two women, waved and Pete managed to pull his belly in and straighten his back before the babes in their early thirties turned to look at them. He heard one say something he couldn't hear and then heard throaty laughs so guessed what they was about. "Hello darling," Cassandra greeted, kissing him possessively. "This is Carole and her blonde companion is Milly." "His girls. Nice figures. Sit down and drink a beer with us." "Beer?" Carole asked. "I thought the same but Pete has convinced me in this sticky weather it leaves a soda for dead, and he's right." Pete passed around the cans and the younger women reacted as if they were taking a hand-grenade. Milly said she and Carole would share and handed hers back. Without just thinking it Pete asked, "What else do you two share?" They took off, leaving the can unopened, Milly complaining, "What a creep." "When I take you home I won't have any friends left unless you submit to urgent training. Pete you just cannot talk to women like that, even if you smile your acceptance of their sexuality." "Why not?" "Because they think it's none of your fucking business." "Are you angry with me?" "Yes." "Well I'm off into the pool to drown." "Wait I'll come with you. Just don't be such a dickhead." In the pool after swimming four lengths and feeling cooled off Pete apologized. "Connect with them again. They'll talk to you if I'm not around." "I expect they will." "Cassandra, I think I should explain. We are products of our environment. Since my family left me two years ago I have worked and played in an almost exclusive male environment -- the guys at work and my buddies during down time. After my divorce their wives snubbed me but they didn't." "I think I understand that. Conversations centered on putting women down." "Well I couldn't admit to except to say males were rarely the butt of our jokes and snide remarks. I guess you know most guys behave more humanlike when women are around?" "No I didn't know that. God I'd hate to hear them become that low." "Well surprisingly we do talk about interesting things such as sport, politics and even radiation deep in space and speculate on whether shops would be known to man if women never ventured out of the house." "Out of the cave you mean." "Ouch." "This conversation is becoming desperate. May I tell you something?" "Yes, of course. Er may I call you darling even when I'm not slobbering over you?" "Of course; I'd really like that. I called my dad and he said to bring you home and he'd look you over." "I see." Cassandra moved away slightly and her voice tightened. "Don't you want me to help you find work? Is my only use to you something for you to fuck?" "Aw come on Cassandra. Give a guy a break. There hasn't been much time for anything else -- either thinking about it or doing it. You know how it goes. Apart from your cunt I know little about you." "God Pete, you really do require training. I don't even know where to start." "Tell me about your father and that will tell me a lot about you." Cassandra's mouth dropped open. Pete looked puzzled. "What?" "That comment of yours was rather an acute observation." "Well here's something else baby. You are showing some rough edges yourself that probably were not there before you began suspecting your ex was cheating on you and your father by flicking off cattle for his personal gain and found he was fucking other women. You should have erased the creep." "I almost poked him with a knife one evening smelling some other woman's sex on him. I saw red and took the butcher's knife from the kitchen and was going into the dining room where he was sitting, half asleep, waiting for late dinner. At the kitchen doorway I realized what I was doing and dropped the knife and only my working cowgirl boot saved my foot from being sliced through to the bone." "Men can be such cunts can't they baby?" Cassandra frowned and then said she'd accept that as sympathetic support. "Keep going like this and I might even think you are good for me. Will you come to the ranch?" "Yeah, why not. It might be interesting checking out your dad when he watches me fucking you to aware points for style, movement, power of thrusting, depth of penetration, satisfaction on your face, amount of... " "Shut up Pete. I'm now too fearful to take you home with me." CHAPTER 2 They left the hotel in Cassandra's F-150 pickup at 4:00, after their final cooling swim, on a journey of over 1500 miles they'd decided to do it non-stop apart from gas/meal breaks, taking turns to drive and arriving at the ranch in time for dinner next day. "Why stop overnight somewhere to be kept awake half the night by you wanting to fuck and with the remainder of the night punctuated by loud road noises?" Cassandra had to admit he had a point. She had driven to New York before so after turning from the Lincoln Tunnel and on to the New Jersey Turnpike began telling Pete about the ranch set-up in detail as they headed to I-280 W. "When our maternal grandmother died there was enough money to buy the neighboring ranch for my two brothers and she left me granddad's share in our family ranch she'd inherited from granddad. Dad was happy for me to farm with him but after a year it was decided to merge the two properties to operate on economy of scale." "Good thinking," Pete said, placing a hand on her thigh. "You were raised on a beef and grain farm so will be aware of what I'm talking about. We now have a ranch of almost 72,000 acres that covers just over 110 square miles and carries 6400 mother cows and all support cattle plus a 1600-head feedlot for weaning and holding the best of weaned stock through to they gain weight to sell-on at optimum prices. As you probably know our state has very high summer temperatures and they plummet in winter. Calving begins around March 12 and we are really into winter feeding by late January to early February for usually around 100 days." "Yeah, people and beasts don't always have it easy." "Dad and I work one half of the farm with the help of two ranch hands who live in a bunkhouse. My elder brother Bruce and brother Nick have their own houses and work the other farm also with two permanent ranch hands. Seasonal labor is brought in as required. Bruce is married to Paula and they have two kids with another on the way and Nick and Sierra have one with another on the way. We work the farms as one generally but labor is switched according to what's going on at each half of the farm because my brothers managed their half of the land differently to dad and me as they have their own ideas. They are entitled to do that but get no credit for it because the company pays for everything and the income is divided into four. If either half of the property over-spends or under-spends on budget that difference is built into next year's budget for fairness and that allows my brothers to spend more chasing results and of course if they achieve better results dad and my practices change the next year. Naturally it's vital that one half of the property doesn't have all new vehicles and machinery while the other half operates frugally. There has to be checks and balances to fine-tune economic management. Close liaison between the four of us is the key. The idea is to ensure no one is disadvantaged." "Sounds difficult to manage but I guess it works because you are family. Did you and your husband have to live on one-quarter share of next profit after all outgoings?" "Yes, but that made us just the same as dad and mom and my two brothers and their wives. My plan is to share my income with you with you working on our joint property." "I see. What as?" "Well not rustling cattle, that's for sure. My ex worked as a handyman but I have bigger plans for you to help us boost profits. Let's talk about it." Pete had found that very interesting. "I figure you want me to be responsible for maintenance and repair of all vehicles and other machinery." "Oh, bright boy. What we spend on getting crews out from town is horrendous but of course with the balers and some of the other heavy machinery we might still have to do that." "Probably but we'll see. Have you any idea of the vehicles involved." "Everyone including the ranch hands and wives have a pickup. "So that's a dozen, plus one for me." "Yes, and a spare one for emergencies. Then we have six tractors, the balers as I mentioned, four farm bikes, a drain digger, a forklift, a heavy truck for bringing in the hay, seeders... and so it goes on." "I'd need a fully trained mechanic as an assistant, someone that could come in each day." "What, so you could sit on your butt?" "Okay, let's start with the pickups. How old are they?" "Ah, six months to twelve years I think. Say nothing more. I can see where this is heading as the big truck is twenty-seven years old and two of the tractors were pushing twenty years." "You are rather bright for a woman." "Thank you darling. Talk to my mother like that and you'll have a broom handle poked all the way through one ear and out the other. Mom is the chairman of Phelps Family Farms and chews tractor tires for breakfast." "Oh fuck. Honey, please turn and head back to New York." Cassandra giggled. "If you like what you see and decide to stay I'm going to like you hanging around me. You're funny." * * * A man and woman came from the house, greeting Cassandra warmly, both eyeing Pete. "If this him?" "Do I need to answer that dad?" The mother muttered, "God, aren't men thick." Cassandra had told Pete her mom had her when she was eighteen, eldest in the family of three, so that would make the mom fifty-nine or sixty and Cliff was three years older. Dad and mom, I'd like to introduce Pete Somers, formerly of Kentucky. He's run out of work as a motor vehicle assembly supervisors because of the shift away from pickups but as I hold you on the phone dad he is fully trained under the Ford-sponsored motor scheme as a master technician in automotive technology. "Do you have your papers with you son?" "Yes sir." "Then I won't need to see them will I? Call me Cliff and this here is Cassandra's mom Lilly." "I'm pleased to meet you ma'am. Please call me Pete." "Well you appear to have lovely manners Pete for first impressions are usually the best aren't they?" "You could say that ma'am or you could say in time a saddle proves itself." A glance at Lilly told Pete he'd scored and a glance as Cassandra informed him she was looking at him admiringly. "Are you sleeping with our daughter? "Huh?" "I asked you..." "I heard you Mrs Phelps. You took me by surprise. It's something you should ask your daughter in private." "Don't be impertinent. Answer the question." "No, I definitely will not." "Oh Lilly, this one ain't going to be pushed around. You best get used to it." "Yes mom, he does, and we have sex at least twice a day." "Cassandra!" "Yes I know mom. But then I always was impertinent which is why you had to take it out on the men." "I really don't know what you two are talking about. Come in and freshen up. I'm expecting you to stay the night so bring in your bags. I was bold enough to make up only the double bed." "Oh mother, how lovely and adult of you." "Your kindness will be repaid Mrs Phelps." Lilly tapped her teeth with her thumbnail. "Something tells me Pete that I'll need more time than usual to make my mind up about you." "These two things will speed you along mom. Pete is used to all-male company and he enjoys teasing." "Nothing irritates me more than being teased. I only found that out after marrying your father." "Men have too much respect for women otherwise they'd tease them Mrs Phelps." Lilly swung around to deal with Pete but met a poker face. Her husband was grinning though. "Get their bags Cliff. Stand around all day grinning like that and you'll grow chipmunk cheeks. Lilly, wearing a cowgirl shirt, jeans and boots sprang up the steps and disappeared inside. "Well son, that's round one to you," Cliff said. "She doesn't want you here. She says Cassandra has made her mistake and should have the sense to settle down and live out her life like a widow. I'm afraid Lilly will be inside plotting. She was rather taken aback with the strength of your defense." "What defense" Who's fighting whom? She just has rather a sharp tongue, that's all." Father and daughter exchanged glances and sighed. Over dinner Lilly said, "I'd like to take you over the pick of the ranch tomorrow Pete. "I'm not sure we need to go; you can just wait until the other two are out of the room to warn me off your daughter and offer me $50,000 to take off and never to be seen again. "My offer would have been $500 had I been thinking that. No I just want to ride out and allow you to view the ranch how it should be seen -- on horseback. Oh, I'm sorry. Can you ride?" "I last rode three weeks ago. Next to... er... doing things with a woman my favorite past time is horse-riding. I grew up on a farm and had my first pony when I was four." "Oh." "Can you ride Mrs Phelps?" She replied acidly that she got by. "Mom also got a pony on her fourth birthday and competed in rodeo in her late teens." "Oh, how impressive." "And you are going to tell me you rode rodeo I suppose?" "No Mrs Phelps. That seemed far too dangerous for me. I chose stockcar racing instead." "You have to be kidding?" "No, I'd tease you but not lie to you Mrs Phelps. Just local region stuff, not big time. I did take an All-State title for rookies though. After dinner the women went off and the men went to sleep in front of TV. An hour later Cassandra woke them and they went to bed. She said, "I was in bed with mom. I told her everything I know about you and have learned about you, missing out any stuff that would have irritated her, and I think when we go off riding with her tomorrow you'll find her a little different." * * * Pete was up at dawn and walked the quarter mile to the barn and found eight horses in the adjoining pasture. He caught one that came up to him and knew it would be Lilly's horse and went out on her to bring the others into the corral. He picked out two and roped them and let the others go. Lilly saw him riding in. "That's not my horse you're leading and neither is it my second preference." "Well if you are stroppy enough to try to race me I wouldn't want you saying I won because I was on a bigger horse. Mine is slightly larger to allow for our difference in weight." Lilly sighed and said as he wished. He would have to pick the best horse for himself. They did race and she eased off to call it a draw. She also talked intently to Pete about his farming experience, supervising staff, keeping records and accounts, experience at being part of the management team, experience with dispute resolution and his mechanical ability in dealing with non-Ford vehicles and assorted machinery. "Will the ramrod put me through this grill?" "No she will be satisfied with my report." "She?" "Yes with degrees in agriculture and farm management, Cassandra is by far the most qualified person to run this outfit and does that very well." "Cassandra?" "God Pete, you are so sharp most of the time and then you become dense like this. Yes, Cassandra. Didn't she tell you? Oh, judging by the complex frown I guess not." Pete grinned weakly. "I assume she didn't she almost went to jail for whipping her husband with a rifle butt? No, obvious not. She caught him with Arthur Orchard's wife Lisa gagged and tied to the ground with four pegs and was just ripping Lisa's clothes off when Cassandra drove up and launched her attack. The Orchard family and our lot have been our family friends for almost ninety years. The foul pig received treatment for neck and shoulder fractures and a broken nose. The testicle that almost had to be removed was hit by Cassandra's boot before she gun-whipped him." "Christ." "Exactly. We thank God Cassandra was lucky enough to come before a female judge and four of the jurors were female. The jury returned a not guilty decision, finding that Cassandra the defendant had been provoked into subduing her husband in midst of committing a ghastly attack on Mrs Orchard and she had carefully avoided inflicting severe injuries in the desperate need to disable the attacker." "And the divorce proceeded while the nasty swine was in jail?" "Yes and he's been deported back to his homeland where she found him when touring Europe." "Why wouldn't Cassandra have told me both of those things? They are very significant." "She went to New York to celebrate her freedom, not to dwell on her immediate past or to talk about the ranch." "Well that's true. She only began talking about the ranch on the way here. I suppose she told you I'm married and my wife has run away with her lover, taking our two children with her and that was two years ago?" "No she hasn't mentioned it. She would leave you to discuss that with me or both Cliff and me when you were ready, if you ever were. With you willing to leave New York to come way out here I guessed there was something not right in your backyard. Is the runaway family the only thing?" "Yes and the shock of my career ending. I was at that plant a long time." "Are you going to look for you wife?" Very Momentous "No." "Then you best tidy that up and begin divorce proceedings." "No, I'll wait until she seeks divorce. I want a court judge to examine if the kids are in a good environment and they are happy to be there. Until I get that assurance I'm continuing to be their legal father and remain available to accept all responsibilities for their welfare." "Please excuse me for attempting to interfere Pete. You appear to be a very nice man." "Thank you Mrs Phelps. I appreciate you saying that." "Just call me Lilly from now on Pete." That morning out riding appeared to be a leap forward for Pete. He certainly saw it that way, but in fact it was the last day before a period of unsettling times seized him. Cassandra was delighted to see her mother and Pete walking back from the barn almost touching and they were chatting and laughing as if friends from way back. She was so happy about it and had coffee and cookies for them and heard about their time in the saddle. "He rides okay for a city boy," her mother teased. "I'll pay with aching joints tomorrow having to work so strenuously to ride him down. The mutt almost beat me." "Oooh," Cassandra said, and watched the other two grin at each other. "My mother almost liking a male I've brought home, I do declare. This is a first since I turned fifteen." "You're all right Pete. Just ignore my daughter will you. She expects me to share her tastes and never gives up trying. I'm off to bath." Mid afternoon Cassandra whispered, fluttering her eyelashes as she pushed Pete off to the bedroom, "Because Sunday is our rest day Sunday and because you're made headway with mom I'm giving you a wee treat." She jumped on to the bed and reaching into the bedside drawer brought out a new tube of lube. "Huh?" Cassandra grinned. "Oh dear, something else I hadn't told you about me?" A little while later, sweating and her face beginning to relax, and having been groaning that Pete shouldn't have such a fat cock, Cassandra gurgled to the guy over her back, "Right, ride me cowboy." Pete pulled right out, sloshed around more lube and went to work, wearing a huge grin because it was now easier for him as well. She'd now find what a fat dick really could do to send a woman over the top if she joined in instead of waiting for the next opportunity to complain. As it happened, Cassandra bucked and almost detached his cock from his balls, and later after he rolled her on to her back and put her right leg over his shoulder she gurgled as him, pocking her tongue out lasciviously and then hit around her clit until she was convulsing and carried him along with her until he thought he was going blind. "Jesus," he said, rolling off and removing the condom. But there was no reply. Cassandra already was purring into sleep. * * * Over breakfast, with Lilly complaining about her aching hips and back but the youngsters unable to complain about their sore parts as they would give themselves away although Pete was aware the horse had something to do with his slight bandy feeling and tenderness about his ass, he thought of other things. "So where's my workshop?" The three of them looked blankly at him. "The place where my assistant and I will work with space for three vehicles, storage of various oils and other liquids and storage with ready access of the parts inventory." "Workshop?" Cliff asked vaguely. "What the fuck do you mean by a parts inventory, we expect you to service and tinker with the vehicles, not rebuild them," Cassandra said, chewing toast and sounding like a boss. "The poor guy is asking where will he work," Lilly said, reaching over and patting Pete's hand. Cliff and his daughter looked as if they'd just witnessed sexual violation. Cliff said cautiously the barns were full with leftover hay and new season's hay only recently brought in. "We won't want the vehicles parked outside to make room for a workshop," Cassandra said, "At least not when the weather begins to turn." "Well where do I locate?" Cliff shrugged and Cassandra muttered something about having to bring in a ready-to-assemble new barn. Pete looked at Cassandra. "You and your father haven't discussed logistics, have you?" Cassandra colored and moved away from him slightly. Lilly leaned over from the head of the table and took Pete's hand and whispered, "Careful" while Cliff unintentionally caused a laugh when he said, "Logistics -- what has that got to do with this situation?" "It means detailed management of the operation," Cassandra giggled, moving back slightly towards Pete. Lilly withdrew her protective hand. "Mr Phelps..." "You're calling my wife Lilly; what have you got against me?" "Cliff, logistics can be explained this way," Pete said, warming to his work because he'd been a student of logistics to earn promotion on the assembly line. "At the end of your operation you want yearling cattle at optimum weight. But to get that calf, working back you need a mother cow, a bull or artificial insemination, fences in good repair, supplementary feed for winter, labor units, pasture maintenance and management, a pickup, dogs, uninterrupted water supply, access to a vet, someone cooking in the kitchen, off-farm supplies coming in..." "I get the picture -- all that what we call ranching is what you call logistics." "Exactly." "Well tell me bright boy how does logistics get you your sheltered working space?" "It doesn't. It is provided by the owners as the hub of my operation and from that point I take over and establish the logistics chain and pick up my workload." "Cassandra, why haven't you established Pete's hub?" "Because Pete distracted me, doing things to me..." "Darling, we are eating breakfast," Lilly smiled. "Jesus, why can't I ease back into my work instead of having it dumped on me," Cassandra snorted. "I'm sorry Cassandra. It's not you it's your dad." "But the hub is totally my fault," Cassandra snorted and he mother changed her stance and said, "Yes you are quite right. Fucking men!" Lilly believing she was succeeding in defusing Cassandra said quietly, "Just think of those poor guys in the two bunkhouses, scratching their balls and saying, "The fucking Miss Perfect is back today wanting the skin off our backs." "And fuck you mother," Cassandra said, sending her chair crashing back. "Get off your ass dad. It's last Monday of the month and Bruce will be expecting you to record growth weights." "Oh thanks dear, I was so engrossed in our interesting visitor. I'm off. Bye everyone. "Invite them all over here for dinner tonight. We need them to meet Pete informally." "Well, that's me consigned to the kitchen," Lilly said. "I was thinking of going to town shopping." "Go shopping mom and fetch back pizzas." "No, we need a big family dinner. We haven't had one for a while." "Here's Mrs Apple now to do the housework mom. Put her on to peeling potatoes while you attack that side of beef in the chiller." "Thank you dear but I do considered myself competent in my domain." "Of course you do. Sorry. And sorry for yelling. Dad, I'm sorry for yelling." "What's that?" came the call. Cassandra went out to hug him. She returned and looked hard at Pete. "This is not your fault. Do you understand?" "Yes ma'am." "Oh Pete," Cassandra cried, running around the table to hug him. "Guilt at not working out how you'd be incorporated into the company operations has made me over-react, like a typical woman knowing she'd let her standards slip." "Oh, I thought you must be pregnant." The two women stared at Pete and then Cassandra giggled. "At forty-one I don't think so lover." "You never know and that vile ex of yours could have been sterile." "Mom!" "Off your horse Cassandra. Both statements could be correct." "Mom," Cassandra whimpered, running to her mother. "I'm a week late." "That could be due to stress in coming back home to where that vile man would bring back memories. On the other hand would you like a baby?" Cassandra sniffed and said yes, her mother knew that. "Well it's unlikely but then again not impossible. If you want my opinion, and I believe you do, it takes on average a year for a young couple to conceive, though many do after about five months of trying and, of course, just the one try is enough for some young women. The emphasis is on young. I've read an article about three pregnant women who were forty-four and forty-five. If I were you dear I'd just expect my period any day soon." "Yes mom." "Well, I'm off," said Cassandra, taking down her Stetson off the wall inside the backdoor. I was going to take you with me Pete but could you spend the morning working out logistics and the preferred dimensions of your workshop. Mom give Pete a CB radio and show him how to operate it. I'll be home for lunch around 1:00. We are putting fertilizer on the hay pastures this morning. Pete we keep that late summer growth for emergency forage if winter drags on and we run short of supplementary feed." Well that morning had not ended up a lot of fun, Pete thought as he settled at the dinning room with a pad of paper. Lilly bought him coffee and kissed the top of his head. "She'd over-wrought this morning. Coming back after being away for ten days has brought it all back to her. She'll shout and scream a bit. The guys aren't actually scared of her so it will be fine. Thank you for not saying you knew the details of her ordeal. Tell her and tell her soon that you know but pick a good time." "Thanks for that advice. What is the distance from here to town? We came in from the other direction." "Yes of course. Sixty-eight miles. About an hour twenty unless you want to risk breaking your neck." "What, that much?" "Sweetheart, the boundary of the two combined ranches takes up sixty-five miles of the road to town and we are near the farthest end from town." And that's when the fun out of life with Cassandra took another dip. No way could Pete see justification in holding a strategic supply of spare parts for all the vehicles he and his assistant, if he could attract one, would be expected to maintain and repair. If they were short of sump plug or batteries it would be a 136-mile round trip to pick up parts. One the other hand, the mobile mechanics would carry a full range of spare parts but would specialize in a limited range of vehicles -- for instance, farm bikes, pick-ups or hay baling machines. He threw down his ballpoint pen in frustration and mopped his hair with his hands, elbows on the table. No way did he wish to revert to becoming a ranch hand again, although he'd like to help out when he felt like it. Even working in a service center as a mechanic did not appeal. But being a mobile mechanic did. What? He grinned. Yes, he wouldn't mind working as a mobile mechanic for a couple of years and then moving up into supervision and perhaps being invited into partnership. Yes! That sounded attractive. He went to the kitchen and found Lilly in the chiller. "Christ woman, this is too heavy for you at nearing retirement age." "Fuck off," she grinned but handed him the meat saw. Using the saw and knives he cut off the separated the high, flank, sirloin and loin for Lilly, saying he'd worked as an assistant to a farm-kill butcher in his senior years at high school. "You guys are feeding yourselves short butchering a cull cow like this. Life is short; be big and brave and kill only the choicest steers." "That's what granddad always did but Cliff became a little meaner and with Cassandra she'd pull a rifle on us if we went near them to look for dinner, although we do get the occasional one unlucky enough to break a leg." "Then you want to go out at night and run them over creeks until one falls." "You are a naughty boy Pete Somers but you have done a lovely job here." "Thanks. I need to go to town so may I borrow your pickup?" "There's no need. Harry brought his pickup for you not fifteen minutes ago and rode off on a bike. He's been demoted to the old spare pickup." "Oh, so I'm no friend of Harry's." "He loves the bike. I'd say if you can sizzle it up or whatever you call it Harry would be your good friend." "Yeah, I could do that but best ask the boss. They're detuned for ranch work." CHAPTER 3 Pete pulled up outside the Ford service center in the nondescript small town that like so many small towns had a river running through it with riverside parkland. A balding guy with a pen behind his eye came out, pulling on shades. "I recognize the vehicle but don't recognize you." Pete grinned. "The vehicle is mine." The guy began looking aggressive. "Calm down. Cassandra Phelps brought me home from New York as part of her shopping and Harry handed over this vehicle to me this morning." "So Cassandra's back. How is she?" "Breaking heads this morning I shouldn't wonder. Scary as a heifer facing a bull for the first time. That ex of hers half-screwed her up." "Sure did. Put it here buddy. I'm Lance Jeffs, owner of this outfit." Pete introduced himself and asked, "Can you spend some time with me over coffee?" Pete thought it best not to say to Lance he'd been hoping to take work away from him. "I'm looking for a job." "My wife is our accountant and exercises by sweeping the floors. My two daughters wash and sell vehicles," Lance grinned. "The Phelps have twelve pickups plus the hay truck. I'd like to be your mobile mechanic and service them and others in their district." "I see. When did the F-series first get independent front suspension of 4WDs?" "Ah, interested and checking up on me? Introduction of the 1980 redesign." "Tell me how would you drop the transmission of your vehicle out there?" "Well, the first thing I have in mind is to look at what I'm dealing with and that baby is a 2004 XL 4-wheel driver with a 4.6 liter running through a 4-speed transmission. Once underneath I'd need to check the transmission model to confirm exactly what I'm dealing with and..." "That was very thorough," Lance said when Pete finished. "It ought to be. I trained under the Ford-sponsored scheme as a technician and worked eight years helping to assemble and then supervising the assembly of F-150s in Kentucky. Just a minute I have my papers in my truck." "What's the hurry? I'll need to register you later if you come to work for us. Let's take a walk around here and tell me what you see on these vehicles being worked on." A midday Lance said. Well I could start you in the morning if you wish. We have become overstretched so I can give you what you asked for. But until I get a truck rigged up for you I'd like you to spend a couple days going out and helping out guys. They'll tell me what they think of you. We start at 7:30 in the morning." "Seven-thirty." "Yeah, or does Cassandra have a use for you at that hour?" "No, it's okay. I'll elbow-jolt her an hour earlier," Pete grinned. "I know why it's 7:30 start -- ranchers waiting for us will be tearing their hair out if we are on the job much later than 8:00." "Correct. Grab your papers and come in and we'll talk pay and conditions." Pete pulled up at the house at 1:20 and Lilly came out and greeted him. Then she looked beyond Pete to a dust cloud and said, "Here comes Cassandra now, probably with Cliff aboard. That girl practices efficiency. How did your morning go?" "Great. Got myself a job in town." "Oh Christ." "No, keep calm. Wait for details. You could end up congratulating me." Over lunch everyone including the part-time house-cleaner who everyone called Mrs Apple listened to Pete She was Polish without much English and a very unpronounceable name for the Phelps. "You're a bright boy Pete, Cassandra said. "As I was driving around I let it all run through my head and concluded we were far too ambitious -- it was far too much for one guy and an assistant to cover and keeping a huge inventory of parts -- and it would be huge -- would be like us pinning money to the wall. I was wondering how to break it and here you have the problem solved." "I hope you are as good as a regular mobile man Hans," Cliff said. "It's unlikely I'd be any better but unlikely I'd be any worse." "What sort of answer is that?" "Eat your food; you sound hungry." Cliff grinned and told Pete to watch his month. Lilly told Cliff to cut his snide remarks and to congratulate Pete in forging a workable solution. "I won't be a drain on the household Lilly. I plan staying as long as Cassandra holds out the welcome mat. I'll pay for my keep." "No you won't." "In that case I'll feel obliged to shift out." "Cut the nonsense Pete. "You said you have the weekends off except for emergencies. You work on the company's vehicles on routine overhauls and tuning Saturdays 8:00 to 1.30 and that will more than pay for your keep." "Good one dad." "Yeah, I find that equitable. Thanks Cliff." "We'll drop you off to potter in the barn dad. I'll take Pete with me." After they drove off Cassandra said I told mom so I guess I should tell you. My period has started." "Are you happy about that?" "Yes and no but really I'm too old to start a family." "Then standby to marry me and we'll adopt." The F-150 almost demolished the left-hand fence as Cassandra jerked the wheel. "Do you mean that?" "If it answers your need yes?" "You are either very lovely or very stupid." "You're worth it." "Thank you darling. Just let's see how we go. I made one bad mistake and am obliged to be very sure next time around." "Pull over darling, put the shift into neutral and leave the motor running." Pete fiddled under the hood and then closed it. "I'll look at this girl when we have the testing equipment here." "But she's still under warranty." "It doesn't make any difference. Things still happen. A slight computer tweak is probably all that's needed. She's running well but not sweetly, if you get what I mean." "Nope." "Where are we going?" "To the twin pumps at the river to check water flow. We need to ensure the intakes to the two pumps are clear. This is our take-off for pasture tanks only." They removed debris off the screens. "Was that worth doing"" Cassandra said not really but they still have to come out twice a week, even three times after heavy rain. "Why come out unnecessarily?" "Oh I see, toss a coin and half the time I'd be right?" "That's pretty primitive. We install solar-powered water-flow sensors and run the wire to the tree over there where we erect a transmitter rather than building a tower. You then check the readers in the vehicle barn and/or you kitchen and you eliminate fruitless checks." "How much?" "Anywhere from fifteen hundred to two and a half grand." Cassandra winced. "Or if I do it probably under $300," "Are you for real?" "Hello, my old girl is back!" * * * A silver 2008 super cab arrived first and Mark and Annie ran in followed by Bruce and Paula. "Where is he mom?" asked Lilly's daughter. "Oh Pete, Cassandra. We have visitors." The lovers emerged and almost stunned Paula cried, "Ohmigod Cassandra, haven't you done well." "You must be Paula, Hi. Do you kiss or shake hands?" They kissed. "Hi, you must be Bruce. "Do you kiss or shake hands?" The women giggled at Bruce's embarrassment. They shook hands. "Mark and Annie, over here and meet me. Call me Pete. I'm Cassandra's boyfriend." "How do you do sir?" "Oh Annie, hasn't mommy taught you good manners? I am very well thank you and what a pretty dress that is." "Hi Mark." "Hi." "Give me a five." The 10-year-old went to smack his hand against Pete's lowered hand but suddenly it wasn't there. He tried three more times and missed. Very Momentous "Okay buddy. Now try this. Don't listen to anything and just watch my hand and only my hand. When it begins to move you hit it." "Gotchya!" Mark cried excitedly. "Dad, he's very fast." They heard another vehicle and everyone went out to greet the dusty 2004 super cab pickup. Sierra was short, dark and tubby with her second pregnancy. She stepped out of the vehicle with three-year-old Bessie in her arms. Lilly and Cassandra rushed the cute little blonde Bessie who turned away shyly into her mother's armpit. Meanwhile their father Nick was cursing, attempting to close his door. "Hi, I'm Cassandra's plaything Nick, how are you?" "Oh hi. Pete isn't it?" "Yeah. Give me a hand here Nick. Grab under the door right at the end against my hands and lift, strongly but very slowly. That's it." Pete tried the door. "That's better but just a little more. Not too enthusiastically. We are using our hands, arms and backs like a super-sensitive instrument." "Eh?" "Quite Nick. Try your door now." It shut with a satisfying clunk. "There you go. If you're going to lean on your door talking, lean up here closer to the hinges." "Oh yeah. Right. Thanks pal." "Mind if I kiss your wife and say hello?" "No, go right ahead. No tonguing though." Of course every adult heard that and scowled. Pete went up to Sierra and held out her arms. "She won't..." But wrong. Bessie held up her arms and sat on the crook of Pete's and stared at her mom before and after Pete kissed her. All four women saw Bessie take to Pete like a lamb and marveled, but said nothing, "One, two, boo-hoo," said Pete, tapping a finger lightly on Bessie's chest and ended by brushing her lightly under the nose. She giggled and cried "More" and he did it again and then handed Bessie to her mom. He went over to join Bruce and Nick and Bessie's eyes followed him all the way. Cassandra knew she was taking a risk. Once she told her sisters they'd want to mother him, particularly Sierra. "Pete's wife abandoned him two years ago after becoming infatuated with a neighbor. They reared two kids -- Tom is eight and Micki is six. He knows about kids. His wife Sharon just upped and left with the kids and he'd not seen them since." Sierra burst into tears and Cassandra and Paula moved in to comfort her. "Oh that poor man," Paula sniffed. "Life has treated him unkindly." Cassandra said smiling, "He's fine you two, no need to fluff your feathers." "What's he like in bed," Paula asked. "I'm telling you ladies, the best ass fucker I've ever had." Both women slapped a hand over their mouth s and looked at Cassandra wide-eyed. Sierra swallowed. "Cassandra, I don't think that's something you should tell us." "And I agree," Paula said. "What makes him the best?" After dinner, yawning heavily, Bessie walked over to Pete. She was lifted up and was sleep in his arms within two minutes. As soon as Sierra moved off with Bessie to put her down Mark took Bessie's place on Pete's knee and asked him to tell him about the old days." "Like when I used to go fishing instead of being at school?" "No." "Like when I was a kid on my parent's mixed farm?" "No." "Well I can't tell you about my love of women." "No, I don't want that stuff. Tell me about your love for pickups." "Oh, my love affair with vehicles. Well it began when I was eight years old. My father finally dumped the 1948 Ford pickup when the engine seized behind the chicken shed. I named her Meg after a girl I liked in my class and every day I used to run home and sit in her and play, pretending I was a racing car driver." The adults stopped talking and moved in closer. Pete talked for almost an hour, finishing when he recalled the day he termed one of the proudest days of his life, when he was promoted to an assembly line supervisor, beating off twenty-nine other applicants. "The chairman of the selection panel said, "Young man, none of us could once stump you on any question about an F-150 series and your quick eye and attention to detail on the assembly line impressed us no end. You were the clear winner but had it been a tie I feel we would have given you the nod because of that story you told us how when you were fifteen you took that 1948 Ford Pickup F-1 that you had largely rebuilt yourself to your County Fair and won best of show prize. Your love for Ford pickups shows son." Everyone clapped and Pete said thanks but made the point, "There are thousands of enthusiasts out there who love their vehicles who are far more enthusiastic about it than I am. I'm just glad that I found something to really love and that part of my love affair ended when a certain young lady said I had to choose between Meg the F-1 or her. In some ways I don't regret Sharon forcing that choice because it meant Meg moved on to a real enthusiast who has restored her to as close to original factory condition as he can get. Long live Meg." * * * A month later Pete was going well, being twenty-seven days into being sole operator within his own mobile territory although the mechanics were directed into other areas at times to help out reduce any backlog of work or when the regular operator was not available. He liked the work but found he had difficulty getting along with the boss and his wife. They seemed to think because he'd been an assembly line supervisor he was over-qualified for the job. He was in and out of the depot as quickly as he could to avoid Lance picking on him and then Lance began complaining to Pete that he was not socializing with personnel so he better smarten up his attitude. Pete went home and moaned to Cassandra about it. "Well, if you don't like it get out. You can service our fleet of pickups and work during slack times as a ranch hand -- there are miles of fencing that need attention." "That sounds tempting but it offers me no room for advancement. That's why I went to the service center, intending to take out a loan and buy into the business if I found I could work with Lance. But we'd fight like cat and dog." "Do you want me to talk to the family about buying the service center and installing you as general manager?" Pete grinned. "That's mighty fine of you Cassandra, mighty fine indeed. But I think if I took that jump I'd like to be buying into a city dealership with a long term view of gaining control." "As you wish. So you're leaving me?" Pete looked aghast. "Hell no. I'm here until you kick me out. I'll stay where I am in the meantime and try not to allow Lance to pick a fight with me. I think he knows its guilt, that I'm his best technician and he should be paying me a premium." "Have you been there long enough for him to be satisfied you are his best technician?" "Possibly not although he's a shrewd asshole. I reckon he knows." "Darling, I'd like to help if I can but so long as you're playing it as a mind game I'm about as useless as a bogged cow." Pete fluffed up her hair. "That was a shrewd comment." She laughed and told Pete to help her clear away dinner. Two weeks later a life-changing moment occurred for Pete, with spin-off that would affect all of the Phelps. When Pete came home that evening Lilly handed him a letter. "It's a woman's handwriting and she favors perfume of my era." "It's from mom, and you cunning hound you read her name and address on the back of the envelope." "We'll you never talk about your parents so I thought they didn't exist." "Mom divorced dad nine years ago and they've both remarried so it's a little like I don't exist for them." Pete took his drink into to where the others were, kissed Cassandra, and began reading the letter. "Jesus Christ!" Cassandra asked fearfully, "What is it?" "Mom says Sharon has commenced proceedings for divorce because she wishes to remarry. She understands our house is rented out so wants me to sell it and hand on half of the net proceeds. Tom wants to live with Gavin and her but Micki is definite she wants to live with me back in Louisville." "Ohmigod," Cassandra shrieked. "You have your wish, or at least half of it. You're getting one of your children back." "It looks that way. But Sharon could contest Micki's decision." Her mother said, "You know what this means don't you Cassandra... if it proceeds smoothly?" "I can't think straight." Lily said softly, "It opens the way for you to a acquire a little girl, going on seven." "But how?" "You go with Pete to Louisville if invited or he attempts to persuade Micki to come here the result is the same." "Is that right Pete?" "Yes." Cassandra rushed over into his arms. Over dinner Cliff said, "What are my options if you move out Cassandra?" She pulled out a piece of gristle and placed it on the edge of her plate. "You tell the boys there are choices. You and I sell out to them to on the open market, with you and mom shift to town to live. Or your and the boys raise a loan and buy me out. Or we carve out a quarter of the combined ranch for sale and I get that money. Or you bring a new partner into the company and he or she buys me out." "I don't think I want to leave the ranch darling," said Lilly. "Now you know that what is our best option?" "In your position mom I'd think I wouldn't want a smaller ranch and you wouldn't want a stranger coming in so I'd vote to raise a loan to buy out your daughter." "That's exactly what I thought. "Me too," said Cliff. "Well, we have to wait and see what eventuates. In the meantime chat to the boys about it dad." Cliff and Lilly left the house soon after dinner with Cliff saying they were going to see a dog about a bone. Lilly kissed Cassandra and Pete and then said, "We are dropping over to see the old Murphy's. Mrs Murphy has been off color recently. You two need to talk." When they left Cassandra danced dual left-footed Pete around the room singing, "I'm so happy, I'm so happy for you' and when the effort of dragging him, half stumbling, became intolerable she stopped. "Gosh, dancing with you takes as much effort as carrying four fence posts at once." Pete claimed he was light on his feet and Cassandra's giggle came with a deep kiss. "Wow, that was sexy," Pete smiled, reaching for a breast, but she darted away calling dinner needed to be cleared away. Mother's little helper followed her. "Thank you, you are being so happy about this." "I'm delirious Pete. You need Micki like a cow needs water. Your children are part of you and I know in years to come when Tom becomes curious he'll renew his interest in you. Sharon's only problem from what you've told me is she wants a guy who'll sweet-talk her day and night." "I did that." "Yeah, when you were after her cunt." Pete looked quite shocked. "It's okay darling. I'm one of those women who likes her man to be both hard and uncaring and soft and romantic and not having you under my feet between bouts of sex. Starting each day being shafted and then being left free to get on with my work is a wonderful." "Are you saying you'd like to be shafted if I can get home for lunch and as soon as I come home each evening?" "It's a thought darling but I'm rather happy with the way things are cruising now. May we return to talking about Micki?" "Yes of course. Um, you might not like this, as it's a bit tough. Even as a tot she was showing an independent streak and when she decided to do something that was it. Very much like you. If she says she wants to return to Louisville she will be very determined about that I reckon; she probably thinks about reconnecting with old friends after thirty months' separation." "That's okay, who can blame her? One of us has to bend and if it means I get the chance to be with her and the chance of Micki one day dropping a 'mommy' on me I'll be more than compensated for moving away from here. It's not such a great place here with fucking snow and fucking drought and unappreciative cattle." Pete grinned and kissed her slowly, not grabbing a tit. He then kissed both eyes. "Christ Pete," Cassandra said sounding shaky and grabbing the sink bench for support. "Are you okay?" "There are some things when the opposite to a guy's concern is what makes a woman happy." Pete looked at Cassandra as if she were talking in a foreign tongue. He was then put through the grill, asked to recall everything he could about Micki and by that she meant everything. Shrugging Pete said okay and began, "I was doing pre-winter maintenance on the furnace when I realized Sharon had returned from the medical center that was open on Saturday mornings. She was leaning against the dusty wall streaked with spider webs, her hands pinned behind her butt and her face was shinning as if struck by the sun. But it was raining, making it dim in the basement with only two light bulbs. Then she uttered words that heralded a change to our lives: I'm pregnant again." Cassandra said, "Ohmigod, I need to sit down. Let's go into the living room." "So that was how I learned about the existence of my second child and whether it would be a boy or girl would not be revealed until the birth. The fact my mother was knitting pink was supposed to be an omen because she went in to buy white wool and when she arrived home she realized she had pink wool." "Ohmigod," Cassandra yelled, a hand partly over her mouth. "What did she say?" "We weren't there. I told you about the later discussion when it was suggested buying pink was an omen." "Yes, yes. I understand that. But what did the would-be parents and grandparents think and feel?" "I dunno." Cassandra sighed. Cliff and Lilly returned home. Lilly was a little miffed because Pete always came out to greet her but when they entered the kitchen she could here his voice droning on. She put down her handbag, took off her jacket and cap and handed Cliff the tea towel. "Are they still at it?" "Yes," Lilly smiled. "He's being pushed to recall every detail about Micki that he can. And my pick he'll finish and look at the tear-stained face of our daughter, smiling with love, and he'll propose. We'll have to sneak by and not disturb them." "I'll have to take in the whisky bottle for him." "Cliff Phelps, just how dense is dense? If you as much..." Lilly had turned and caught the grin. "By God Cliff Phelps, and I've said this many times. You must have been a real pain for your mother." "You say such the sweetest things to me," Cliff said, kissing Lilly and increasing her breathing rate. The whisky bottle came out next morning before breakfast and they all had a nip after Cassandra pulled the sheepish Pete into the kitchen and announced, "Mom, dad. I have something momentous to say. Pete has asked me to marry him as soon as legally possible and I've accepted. It means I'll have a stepdaughter to care for -- sweet Michelle who at this stage still wants to be called Micki. Oh I've over the moon and want to cry." * * * Micki stood at the airport holding on to her father's and grandfather's hand, trembling in excitement and very conscious of her new dress and her hair in a ponytail for the first time. Gran stood out in front of them peering. Gran turned and said, "I can't see her, I do hope she's coming." Grandpa said the woman can't see more than fifty feet and her dad pressed Micki's hand and said, "The aircraft's arrived so she's arrived Micki. Three minutes, no longer." "Can I wait that long?" "Yeah. Listen darling, try to remember this day so you can tell your children the day your new mom came to be with you." "Will I remember?" "Yes, it's what your new mom calls a momentous occasion. We all remember momentous occasions." An ever-increasing flow of arriving passengers flowed out of security. "I don't see her," grandma complained. Pete had squatted down beside Micki and was saying Micki could call Cassandra by her name. Cassandra wouldn't mind. "There she is -- dressed in brown with blonde hair showing under her Stetson. She's the tallest woman there." The voice from that woman boomed through the noisy terminal. "Micki!" Pete pushed Micki forward. "Run to her, she wants you. Don't be shy." Micki ran. "Mommy! Mommy!" Pete's father slapped his back. "It's okay son, let it out. Big boys cry." "Are you sure it's her?" queried his mom, peering. "Micki is so glad you and Cassandra bought out Sharon's share in the house. She loves living back there and her old friends are calling. Now where did I put my glasses?" Her husband said quite kindly, "Hanging around your neck as usual, you old trout." Cassandra and Micki were close enough to hear, both talking loudly. "Oh my, you are so pretty and so tall. Did I hear you calling me mommy? "Yes." "What about your other mommy: Here let my wipe off the lipstick darling." "She can be called my Other Mommy." "Oh that's lovely darling. I know you are seven but I'd like to carry you for a wee while." "You can do that...oh you are very strong. Why are you crying tears?" Pete blew his nose and thought yes, this was a momentous occasion... a girl wanting a mother and a would-be mother developing the union. Yes, very momentous. THE END