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Within You

By: pyrowriter



The cold clung to her as she entered her warm apartment; one last reach from the frigid air fogged her breath as she turned to close the door. She took the lock to her door in her leather gloved hands; the cold from the metal didn't seep through the tightly formed gloves. She turned immediately in the dark, shrugged off her long coat. She peeled the leather gloves from her fingertips. For a moment, she stood solemnly looking to the reddened finger tips.

She passed through her kitchen walking across the wooden floors clicking her leather heels. She walked to her to her dark bathroom, and immediately filled the room with the cold fluorescent glow. She closed the door behind her and for a moment leaned against the dark wood she gained her balance and stalked toward the bathtub. Her fingers grasped the silver faucet, turned the heat all the way to instantly steam her face. She inhaled the sweet warm air closed her eyes and sat on the edge of the bathtub. Her fingers teasingly played with the instant warmth of the tub.

She reached for her leather boots, and pushed the zippers to the ends, she peeled them from her icy skin. She stood as she kicked the boots away from her; she reached behind her, and pulled the zipper to her dress down her back. She slipped her arms through and dropped the dress to the floor. She looked for a moment into the mirror becoming trapped in the steam. Her eyes tired, but still so bright blue, her hair fell in waves of curls down her chest and down her back. Her fingers teased at her thighs were they unhooked her stockings from her garter. She slipped them off slowly, her fingers still teasingly cold dancing as her back. Her fingers unhooked her garter belt and then moved to her bra, where the cold from her fingers make her body tingle. She wiggled out of her bra dropped it to the floor, her fingers continued to tease and torture her as they made their way to her panties. Her index fingers hooked the sides and pulled them from her warmth. She shivered again.

Something took a hold of her, something sensual. Her cold fingers roamed against her chest, where they played with her perfectly round breasts for a moment, but just enough to send a shiver down her spine. Her nipples hardened at the tough of her cold fingers. But her fingers were not done playing their game with her. She breathed deep as her fingers fell from her chest, to her hips, down her thin thighs, and then as if they could feel her warmth, they moved to the inside of her thighs, were they teased and played with her body. She felt the shivers surface as her cold fingers move into her. The warmth of her body made her fingers tease and taunt more; she felt the heat return to her face. Her eyes closed, and breath quickened, inhaling the steam from the tub. She felt her world begin to shake as she felt the wave of pleasure rush over her chest, and into her lungs. Her knees became weak, and brought her to the side of the tub where she continued to feel the pressure building inside her. She began to feel her heart beat faster. Tiny moans building her throat from her own pleasure, and soon a wave of warmth flooded her fingers, she moaned louder, and pushed her head back, arching her back craving her own climax. Heat took her, and curled itself around her chest, she felt the pressure release and flood her body. She saw white.

She opened her eyes to see the steaming room, her body warm now, but still craving the heat from the water. She teased eh surface of the water with her fingers, then with her toes. She stepped in the warmth with her weakened knees. She knelt down to feel the water take her whole body in warmth. She lay in the warmth of her afterglow, but her fingers teased her skin once more, this time under the warmth of the water. Her fingers traced her hips, she found herself craving more pleasure, and she wanted to see white again. Her fingers wondered down to her inner thigh where they felt her slippery core, breathing for more.

One finger teased at her entry, she felt the pure intensity grow with every second. Her fingers slipped inside her warmth with ease, she felt shivers at her neck, as if someone was breathing down her neck. She continued to torture herself so sweetly as her heart began to pound against her chest, her breath quickened as her pleasure started to surface. She closed her eyes and sunk further into the warmth of the water, she felt heat rush across her face, and move downward to her fingertips and inside her entry. She began to felt her orgasm intensify as her vision went completely white. She began to pant, trying to catch her breath. 

She moved her fingers to her hips, but for a moment, it felt as if her finger tips lingered inside her. A sensation so strange, her eyes flicked open. As she looked to the steaming room, her eyes met the shape of a man forming from the heat of the water. The form hovered just above her hips, looking to her hips as if desiring her. She blinked, trying to gain consciousness on this strange figure, but when she opened her eyes once more, he was there again, looking to her, becoming more and more human looking, though she could see right through him. 

Fear hit her instantly she splashed in the water, and splashed upward swinging her arms into the form. She jumped from the bath, and ran to the door, but as she turned to run from the room, the bath was empty. She stood confused, water dripping from her naked body to the tiled floor. Had she really seen a man inside the water? 

She turned away from the bath to grab the door handle in her hands. As she did warm hands embraced her hands, and pulled them away from the door and pinned them against the wooden door. She felt breathing down her neck, a sensation that drove her wild. Her heart thudded in her chest, and began to pound in her throat. She felt his wet lips at her neck, torturing so perfectly up and down the back of her neck, her arms grew weak with his kiss. Her body began to beg for more, she could feel her pleasure building, soaking her entry. His arms retreated from pinning her against the door, to tracing along her arms, and down her back. She began so shiver at his touch, though she could feel the warm trail of water where he touched her. She felt him push against her, his erection begging and pushing against her entrance. She breathed out in surprise as she felt him at her entry. 

He grabbed her by the hips and turned her to face him. She met the face of a beautiful man, his whole body dripping with water. Her fingers teased along his fit chest and down to his hips. He kissed her lips so wetly, sliding his tongue into her mouth gently. He pushed into her, pushing her into the door, while kissing her passionately. The motion of being pushed against the door made her body tremble against him, and made her moan. Her moan rippled in his ears, a noise to make him want her more.

He grabbed her by the butt and pulled her upward; she wrapped her legs around his waist, while kissing his slick lips. She drove her fingers through his wet hair. As she did he pushed her against the door once more, she moaned again and began to kiss him harder, begging him to kiss her more deeply. His fingers reached for the door handle, and flung the door open with ease. He continued to kiss her as his body slowly stalked into the bed room. 

He rested her on the bed gently, and reclaimed her mouth from her kiss. He moved downward, kiss her chest, taking her breasts in his slippery hands. He kissed her chest, and then began to lick, and suck on her breasts. His tongue teased and taunted her, begging for her moan again. Her breath quickened, and as his tongue slipped across her nipple she wiggled and moaned from his sweet torture. 

His tongue teased and tortured her, but soon moved from her hard nipples to her ribs, to her perfectly curved hips. His kiss made her body weak; she could feel her pleasure coming in waves with each kiss he placed on her body. 

He kissed her hips to lightly, and moved downward to the inside of her thighs, teasing her just enough quicken her breaths. His kiss teased the inside of her thighs enough for her to squirm against his kiss. 

And as she closed her eyes from his torture, she felt his tongue at her lips, teasing once more. She moaned as she felt his tongue again against her warmth. Teasing, licking, tasting her juices, feeling her every moan, her every pleasure. His tongue slid into her, she moaned as she felt his warmth inside her. His tongue moved across her clit, begging for more of her sweet taste. She moaned, and began to shake beneath him, as he continued to eat her. A wave of pleasure hit her instantly, her body bucked beneath her; she began to scream as her orgasm rushed across her body. 

Before her orgasm faded, she felt him pull her by her legs to meet his throbbing erection. And before she could catch her breath he pushed inside her. She felt a wave of pain as he entered her tight pussy. He slid inside her, pushing at her walls, throbbing with pleasure. Before she could react to the pain of him inside her, a second orgasm washed over her. She began moaning, louder as she felt it coming, and her moans grew louder as her warmth flooded over him. 

He felt her buckle beneath her, her tight pussy torturing at his erection; he felt her orgasm clinch him. He moved faster as her moans grew louder. Soon she was screaming for more, he pushed into her harder and harder until he moved at her pounding heartbeat. He felt his pleasure surfacing. 

He took her in his arms, weak but still begging for more. He brought her to his lips. He turned her in his arms, and pushed her back down on the bed with her back now toward him. He moved into her quickly, not allowing her to breath for moment. AS he entered her from behind, he moved his fingers to her entry. Her body began to shake, pushing against him. Her moans grew louder as her third orgasm washed over her in pure heat. Her insides clinched him so perfectly, he could no longer hold back. His body seized beneath him, his orgasm came over him, pushing him deeper inside her. 

She collapsed into the bed, tired, she lay basking in her after glow. He curled into her, she looked to the man who gave her the best sex, and ran her fingers through his wet hair. as she moved kiss him again, he disappeared beneath her kiss in a puff of steam.

Within You, Without You



At first, I thought my trip was a disaster. I had driven three and a half hours for a series of meetings in Center City, Philadelphia. I had a room booked and was planning on spending three days in conference and two nights in the hotel. The first meeting was Monday morning. When I came back from lunch, I learned that my schedule had been cleared.

It seemed the manufacturing complex of Sterling Enterprises was on fire. Not knowing how much damage they would suffer, or even if they would be in business after the blaze, Sterling representatives cancelled any further discussions. I was suddenly freed from any obligations. Once I got over the disappointment of driving so far for nothing, I decided to make the best of it.

Mys had a beautiful cabin in the Poconos on a remote lake an hour from my home. It was, more or less, on my way home, so I decided to stop in, stay overnight, and spend Tuesday fishing. My wife and I had a standing invitation to use the cabin like it was our own. To that end, I determined it would be simpler to neglect to inform my work, or my wife, that my meetings had gone up in flames. It would give me a quiet day on the lake, and I really felt I could use it.

I had been working for Simpson Tools for 25 years. I had started out at the very bottom after I had graduated from high school and had worked my way to a good paying sales position. I had been given that position four years ago. To my consternation, I had stagnated there. Newer, younger employees had passed me on the climb up the corporate ladder. I knew the reasons. The first one was because I was very good at my job, so management was reluctant to move me. They had never had a salesman able to secure so many large orders before I took the position.

The second thing against me was that I wasn't an engineer, or even a BA. The company obviously felt that college degrees were necessary for advancement. Since I had started with Simpson right out of high school, I never went to college. It wasn't that I was stupid or anything, though sometimes I wondered. I just hadn't been interested in any further schooling back then. Two years after leaving high school, I married Olivia. Within three years of marriage, we had two children and I knew I had to keep my nose to the grindstone. In my family, and in my area, a man supported his family the best way he could. So I did my best.

Now, 25 years later, I had one kid out of college and one in her last year. They were doing well. When the kids first left for college, my wife, Olivia, found employment in the office of a new car dealership. Our income was now enough that we were able to put some money away for our retirement and enjoy an occasional vacation. On the surface, it would seem that things were going well. 

The problem was that I was not happy with my position at work. That seemed to make everything else in my life less enjoyable. I wasn't sure if I was simply burned out, or if being passed over for promotions was the root of my discontent. Possibly it was a combination of the two. A day floating on the lake would help relieve the stress.

By the time I repacked my bag and checked out of the hotel, it was after two. Then I was stuck behind an accident on the Schuylkill (Sure-kill) Expressway for a couple hours. I stopped in Allentown to eat a light dinner. By the time I drove up the wooded private lane to thes' cabin, the sun was setting.

Long before I reached the cabin, I saw a new SUV sitting in the parking area. I swung my car into an old logging road that I had walked many times in the past. I followed it to a thick stand of blue spruce, effectively concealing my car from the cabin and the driveway to it. I had decided to quietly approach the cabin to determine if my wife's family had given friends permission to use it, or if someone was trespassing. They had suffered a couple break-ins over the years, so I was cautious.

I walked to the cabin from the north side. There was only one window on that side and it was in a small bedroom. It was unlikely anyone would be looking out into the darkening forest, so I was reasonably certain I could approach the building unnoticed. I kept close to the wall and worked my way around to the west side. There were several windows at eye level on that end of the cabin. One opened to the master bedroom and the other two windows were meant to bathe the large family room and stone fireplace with afternoon sun. Although it was a warm evening and the windows were opened halfway, I immediately noticed a small fire had been started in the fireplace.

Sitting in front of the fire were two naked people. I recognized the man as Bill Hesser. His father was the owner of the dealership at which my wife was employed. Next to him on the big throw rug was my loving wife, Olivia. She was sipping wine and stirring the fire to life with a poker. Her left breast was in Hesser's grasp. He held one of my father's imported beers in his other hand.

Olivia's father really got pissed when anyone used his private stock! I couldn't remember how many times he told me and my brothers to drink the damn Budweiser and leave his beer alone. None of us had dared drink one of his beers in the last five years. He was that anal about sharing it.

Then there was the matter of me sharing my wife. I never indicated I was into the kind of shit. Olivia and Hesser were not going to gain any points with Olivia's father, or with me! 

I suddenly felt exhausted and lonely. I had to consider how I should react to this betrayal by my wife. The game had changed instantly. The rules I had lived and played by were no longer in effect. What was real, what was fact, and who could I trust? Was I a laughing stock, a joke, to everyone at my wife's work, to her family? Who knew I was a cuckold? Was my marriage over? Had it been over for some time and I just didn't realize it? Did Olivia love the guy? Would she divorce me for him? Would that be such a bad thing?

I had to fight to keep my dinner down as I listened to the conversation between the two lovers. Their words seemed to sear into my brain.

"I can't wait to fuck you on that big bed, Olivia. I should be able to last a long time after that wonderful blow job you just gave me. I love the thought of waking up in the morning with you lying next to me. I'd like it to happen every morning," he added with a seductive smile.

"Bill, you know that isn't possible," corrected Olivia. "We're both married to wonderful people. We both have children and family we love. This is just a little adventure. Neither of us wants to hurt our spouses. They deserve better than that."

"To tell the truth, Olivia, my wife deserves better than me sneaking up here to spend the night in bed with you, yet it didn't stop me, or you," added Hesser. "You may be right that we don't want divorces, but we're certainly taking a chance on hurting them. Very few men are pleased to have their wife lie to them, or to fuck other men. Do you think Jack would just accept it?" 

"Not "other men", Bill. You're the only man I have ever slept with, other than Jack. Don't make me out to be worse than I am," protested Olivia. "Would Jack accept it? I know he wouldn't actually accept it, but I think he could forgive me. We've been together forever. He loves me unconditionally. I'm sure of that."

"Olivia, is there really that much difference between cheating with one person and cheating with several?" asked Hesser. "If my wife told me she only had slept with one other guy since marrying me, I doubt I would feel relief that it wasn't more. Splitting hairs about the degree or extent of your infidelity isn't an argument I would recommend."

"Jack is in Philadelphia for a couple days, so this is a moot discussion. He will not know that I have a lover. He will never find out. This affair will run out of steam shortly and I'll never do it again," promised Olivia. 

"I promised myself the same thing when I first strayed. That was five years and three lovers ago," revealed Hesser. "The truth is that every time I got away with it, I felt more and more invincible. You may drop me in a few months, but you'll be looking for the next hard cock to play with on the side. This is addictive, Olivia."

"Maybe for you, Bill, but not for me," countered my wife. "While this has been exciting the past several weeks, it's also been extremely nerve racking. I have felt guilty whenever I'm with Jack, or even when I speak to my kids. That bad feeling is beginning to outweigh the excitement I enjoy when I'm with you."

"Then I'd better get you into that king size bed and screw your brains out before you change your mind!" laughed Hesser as he scooped up my wife and carried her into the master bedroom.

I decided I had seen and heard enough. I felt no desire to go to the next window and watch my wife make love, or more accurately, fuck Bill Hesser. I felt depression sweep over me. How had I come to such a low point? Why did my wife have so little respect for me? Did I even want to continue my life? It was all fucked up and I saw little chance of transforming it into something even tolerable.

I turned to go back to my car. Then I got mad. Why had it taken so long for me to get angry? Had I become a man devoid of emotions? If I had troubled getting angry when I found a man fucking my wife, there was something wrong with me. I decided to explore my emotional state when I had the opportunity. At the moment, I had more pressing concerns.

I walked to the left side of the deck and reached under the apron. I found a nail and slid the key off that was suspended on it. Then I went up on the porch and opened the front door. The cabin was fairly large and I knew from experience that people sleeping, or fucking, in the master bedroom would never hear anyone enter the structure. 

After the last break-in, Olivia's father, Hank, had installed a security system. Olivia had obviously turned it off. Her dad had spent more than a few minutes explaining it's workings to me. He could have gotten one that made all sorts of noises in an attempt to scare the intruders off. He opted for a silent alarm that went directly to the local township police department.

"This is in the middle of nowhere," he had proclaimed. "What kind of chicken shit would worry about a recording telling them to leave immediately? Besides, I want to catch their asses, not scare them away. This will alert the local cops and they'll respond within 15 minutes, as well as call me and Sam. We'll be here right behind the cops and we'll be fucking loaded for bear!"

'Wow, I guess I'd better not come here without you," I worried. "You'll have me arrested or shoot my ass before I know what's happening."

"Don't worry about that, Jack," laughed Hank. "They will call the cabin first and see if you answer the phone and use the code. All you have to do is say "the fish aren't biting" and identify yourself and you'll be okay."

I thought about that conversation as I tip-toed into the family room and disconnected the phone. Then I did the same with the kitchen phone. There were no other phones in the cabin. Next, I set the alarm.

For some reason, I forgot to close the door when I left. I returned the key to its hiding place. Then I hustled back to my car and sped down the lane to the paved road. I was a mile away from the lane when I met a police cruiser headed in the other direction. I pulled between a couple cars in the parking lot of a bar and watched the highway.

About three minutes later, I recognized Hank's Explorer speeding up the road. I couldn't tell if anyone was in the vehicle with him. I knew that Olivia's brother, Sam, lived in the other direction, so it was unlikely I would meet him on the road. I pulled out of the parking lot and began the hour drive to a place I had once considered my home. As I drove, I wondered if it would remain my home very much longer.

I was awakened by sounds in the kitchen and realized that Olivia must have come home. A glance at the alarm clock told me it was just after three AM. It must have been an interesting few hours for her. I chuckled without mirth at the thought. Then I fell back asleep as I wondered if I would ever know exactly how events unfolded in the cabin after I left. 

I woke up early and looked over at Olivia. She was asleep. Was it my imagination or were her cheeks streaked with dried tears? I shrugged and quietly dressed and left the house. It was still early, so I stopped at a small diner and had a good breakfast. Feeling as ready as I ever would, I drove to work.

Ralph Simpson didn't look very happy when his secretary ushered me into his office. By contrast, I felt quite relaxed.

"What's this shit about you retiring, Jack?" demanded Ralph before I could even take my seat. "If you want a goddamn raise, why don't you just ask? I don't appreciate being threatened by my employees!"

Where the hell was this coming from? How could my retirement be construed as a threat of any kind? I was now curious.

"Ralph, your own father retired a few years ago. You didn't give him holy hell for it, did you?" I asked. "What the fuck is the problem with me wanting to spend my old age someplace besides that shit hole you have me stuck in?"

I could see the surprise in Simpson's eyes as I spoke. I had always been the model employee. He had expected me to cower and stutter in his presence. Instead, I had out cursed and out-bitched him. This was something new and he was watching me closely.

"My father was 75 years-old, Jack! You're what? Almost 44? You won't be able to collect a pension for years. You can't retire at your age!" he almost shouted back at me.

"That isn't your decision, Ralph. I have just over 25 years in here and I qualify for a pension when I hit 55. I have two weeks vacation stored up. I'm giving you my two week notice and using my vacation time to cover it. It's done all the time around here. As I recall, your dad drew for six months after he left here. I don't think there's much else to discuss," I finished.

"Is it the office, Jack?" asked Ralph. "I've been thinking about moving Benson to the third floor and giving you his corner office, along with a nice raise."

I knew he had planned no such move and was pulling the idea out of his ass. I suddenly realized Ralph Simpson appreciated my work more than he had ever indicated, particularly in my pay check. It's funny how easy it is to negotiate when you just don't give a shit about the outcome. Once you have no fear of losing, it's amazingly simple.

"I'll tell you what, Ralph. I'm taking two weeks vacation starting this afternoon. I'll come back at the end of that time to listen to any offers you may want to make. I'm not promising that I'll accept, but I'll listen and consider what you have to offer me. I won't counter or negotiate. I'll either accept your offer, or retire from this company. That's fair, isn't it?" I asked.

"I feel like I'm being blackmailed, Jack. I'd prefer to settle this right now. You know that the company considers you one of our most experienced people," schmoozed Simpson. "We don't want to lose you."

"Keep that in mind when you formulate the offer, Ralph," I suggested with a smile as I stood and walked out the door.

I stopped at the bank next and spent half an hour moving some money around. I wasn't sure where things were headed, but I didn't want to be stupid about everything and wind up with nothing. Next I went home and backed my bag. I wrote a brief note and placed it on the kitchen table. Then I took my cell phone and placed it on top of the note. That would make it obvious to Olivia that she wouldn't be able to call me.

I once again found myself at the cabin on the lake. This time, however, it was unoccupied. I carried my bag in and put it in the guest bedroom. Then I went back out and carried in my supplies, which consisted of three cases of beer. I stuffed as many as I could in the refrigerator, filled up a cooler, climbed into the aluminum rowboat, and went fishing.

I was surprised at how well I was doing. I had to return to the cabin in a couple hours for more beer. It looked like I was finally going to reach my limit! I had yet to catch a fish, however. Around dusk, the gnats started bothering me, and I was having difficulty casting, so I headed for shore. My somewhat fuzzy thinking brought me to the wrong side of the lake. I realized I was more fucked up than was safe on the water.

I pulled along side a dock and crawled out of my boat. There were several cabins on this side of the lake, along with docks. I managed to secure my boat. Then I covered my face with my jacket to keep the bugs away. I stretched out on the dock and fell asleep. 

"You're trespassing on private property!" droned a voice. "You can't stay here. I'll call the police if you don't move!"

That was all I needed! I slowly sat up, pulled the jacket off my face, and looked around. It was now dark. I had picked a pretty nice place to pass out. The dock extended in various levels all the way to the cabin and became part of the deck. There were lights glowing all along the way to what I realized could not be considered a cabin by any stretch of the imagination. It must have been over three thousand square feet and the front was almost all glass. The inside was lit up and looked rustic, yet modern, if that makes sense. A blonde woman was standing near me, as I struggled into a sitting position. She looked vaguely familiar.

"No need to get your panties bunched up," I replied with only a slight slur. "I had a beer or two more than my limit and I thought I'd relax here until my head cleared. I'll get in my boat and leave right now."

"No!" the blonde almost yelled. "I'm sorry if I raised my voice, but I will not let you get in your boat in your present state. I've seen you around the lake. You're related to Olivia Reynolds, aren't you?"

"I guess I am, at least for the moment," I replied slowly as I mulled over the fact that she called Olivia by her maiden name. "You don't have to worry about me. I can make it across the lake. It looks like I have just enough beer left, if I row fast."

As I spoke I nodded toward the six cans of beer sitting in my open cooler. Then I noticed all the empties scattered around the boat. I would make a fortune recycling!

The blonde woman chuckled a little as she took me by the arm and led me up to her mini mansion. In a little while I was sitting in her kitchen, drinking coffee and eating a delicious steak. I began to feel better immediately.

When the blonde told me her name, I recognized it from the stories my wife ands had about the various people on the lake. Janet Hone had gone to school with Olivia and was now a widow in her early forties. Her husband had been very successful on Wall Street, but the stress had taken its toll and he died of a massive heart attack in his sleep at the age of 45.

Janet had moved to the family vacation home for good. She sold their brownstone and had settled into the lakefront home a few years prior. I had seen her a few times over the years while I was fishing. She cruised past me in her rather large motor boat a few times over the years.

I never realized what an attractive woman she was. She had her hair in a pony tail and she wore a light shirt, unbuttoned almost all the way down with a low cut, frilly looking thing under it. I could see the swell of her breasts and they looked perfect. She seemed like a regular, if exceptionally good looking, woman and not some rich bitch.

"I can't thank you enough, Janet. You have been far too good to me, especially under the circumstances. I will repay this kindness first chance I get," I promised as I slowly stood. "I'll be on my way now."

I took a somewhat unsteady step as I spoke. That was all it took. Janet was quickly at my side, supporting me with her hands.




Within You, Without You



"Jack, let me drive you around the lake to your place. Its pitch black outside. And it's quite late. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

I was sober enough to realize that it wouldn't be a good idea to try to navigate across the lake under the circumstances, so I took Janet up on her offer.

It was after eleven when Janet helped me through the door of the cabin and guided me toward the sofa in front of the large fireplace. I was pretty well able to make it on my own, but she seemed to feel better leading me around and getting me settled. As I approached the sofa, I turned to thank Janet. This brought me very close to her. Our faces were only inches apart as I tried to articulate my appreciation. For some reason, I couldn't find any words. We stood like that in what the novels would describe as a pregnant pause.

That was when we heard someone clearing their throat. We both swung our heads as one to see a woman standing just inside the bathroom doorway. It was Olivia! Janet stepped back a little and gasped.

"Olivia! Jack told me he was here alone," Janet explained, perhaps a tad too quickly. "I just gave him a ride home."

"I came up on a whim, Janet. Jack had no idea I was here, and I had no idea where he was. He left a note telling me he was going fishing, so I guessed he would be here. I was becoming quite worried. His car is parked outside and the boat is gone. I thought he was on the lake and it's pretty late to be fishing. How did he wind up with you?" asked Olivia bluntly.

"It was getting dark and he was fishing by my house, so I invited him in for a late dinner, just to be neighborly," replied Janet with a straight face.

I admired what Janet was trying to do for me. She had made the snap decision that she shouldn't tell Olivia that I was drunk and sleeping on her dock. She glossed over that part of the story. She didn't know that I didn't give a shit what Olivia thought.

"Thanks, Janet. I appreciate that you skipped the more embarrassing part of the story," I told her honestly. "The truth is, Olivia, that I had a few beers too many and Janet found me sleeping on her dock. She could tell I was too wasted to come back in the boat, so she fed me, sobered me up some, and brought me home. I'll pick up the boat tomorrow."

Olivia seemed to mull my story over, watching me for any of the little tips I give when I lie. Apparently my story had the ring of truth.

"Jack, what are you doing drinking so much while you're on the lake?" she demanded. "You probably weren't wearing a lifejacket, either, if I know you. Are you trying to make me a widow?"

I saw Janet jerk at that question. Being a widow, that comment of Olivia's had struck a nerve. Olivia must have noticed it, too.

"I'm sorry, Janet!" she apologized. "That was thoughtless of me. Let me make some coffee and we can visit for awhile. I haven't seen much of you lately. Please tell me you aren't upset by my insensitive remark."

As she spoke, Olivia led Janet toward the kitchen. I heard Janet respond, but had no idea what she said. I saw an opportunity, so I headed for the second bedroom, stripped, and climbed between the sheets.

Sometime later, I felt Olivia slide into bed beside me. I was mildly surprised since she normally would have insisted on using the master bedroom with the bigger bed. That was as far as my thoughts traveled before I fell back asleep. As usual when I drink too much, I slept soundly for a couple hours. After that, I could only manage short intervals of sleep. I was up with the sun, and with a big head. I failed in my first attempt to drown out the cotton mouth I had acquired.

Knowing I would not be able to sleep any more, I left Olivia in bed, dressed and began the trek around the lake in search of my fishing vessel. Even taking shortcuts through the woods, it took me almost an hour to reach Janet's place. Not wanting to bother her, I walked around her house, went down to the dock and climbed into my boat. 

An hour later, I was actually pulling in a few bass. There were six cans of beer left in my cooler, so I decided to have one for breakfast. It went down so well that, like Johnnie Cash, I decided to have another for dessert. By 10:30 that morning, I had six bass and was out of beer, so I headed to shore to replenish my supply.

For some reason, I dropped a can as I was transferring it from the refrigerator to my cooler. It hit the corner of the table on the way down and began spraying foam all over as it circled the kitchen floor. I couldn't help but break out in laughter at the sight.

"Jack! What is wrong with you?" barked Olivia as she swept past me and clamped her hand over the source of the foam. She held the can over the sink and popped the top to drain the remainder in the sink.

I returned back to my chore of refilling my cooler. Olivia was having none of it.

"Damn it, Jack! You've had enough to drink. It's not even noon and you're three sheets to the wind," snarled Olivia. "I'm going to go shopping for some food since all you seemed to have brought with you is beer. While I'm gone, you clean this mess up and stop drinking! Be sure you get everything off the cabinets and floor."

I stepped back from the refrigerator, opened the beer in my hand and took a long pull. Then I scooped up the cooler and headed for the dock and my water chariot. Once Olivia determined my intention, she rushed past me to stand in front of the boat with her arms crossed.

Catching her completely by surprise, I had no problem giving her a little shove into the lake. It was early June, but the water in that mountain lake was still pretty cold. Hell, people had been ice fishing on it a couple months ago!

Olivia sputtered and cursed when her head broke back above the surface. The only thing I can compare it to is Sea World. As I placed my cooler in the boat and then tried to step into it, Olivia seemed to rise way out of the water and grab my shirt. It reminded me for all the world of Orca leaping out of the tank. On her way back down, she managed to drag me with her. That was when I fully understood how cold the water was. My balls bunched up in my abdomen. I sobered up immediately.

My shirt had ripped in Olivia's grasp. Half of it was still in her hand and the other half was draped across my shoulders. I reached over and grabbed a hand full of her blouse and gave it a hard yank. She wasn't as lucky as I had been. The entire garment wound up in my hand. Olivia wasn't wearing a bra and her nipples looked hard as pebbles.

I laughed and turned to climb up the ladder at the end of the dock with the blouse still in my left hand. I was just about to step onto the dock when Olivia managed to gain a grip on the waist of my pants. I felt the button in front give and my pants began traveling south. I thought I would still make it onto the dock, but she was relentless. My pants were bunched around my ankles and I couldn't raise my foot to make the last step. 

I never realized how strong Olivia was. Even as I struggled to get onto the dock, she gave a mighty pull and back I went into the water. I couldn't even swim because my pants had my ankles bound together and she was still holding them. I squirmed like crazy and managed to free myself from them.

When I surfaced, I immediately saw Olivia climbing the ladder with my pants in her hand. She was laughing like a maniac. I lunged for her and grabbed her shorts and pulled her back off the ladder. In a matter of seconds, I had turned the tables on her. She was now the one thrashing to free her self from clothing that had slid down her body to bunch around her feet.

I was once again laughing as she surfaced. I had not only removed her shorts, but her panties as well. I tossed them into my boat and headed for the ladder again. Olivia and I reached the ladder at the same time. I could see that she had cooled off, literally and figuratively. I motioned for her to precede me up the ladder. As she started up, I notice my boxers floating by. She must have pulled them off with my pants.

Once her bare ass cleared the water, I grabbed her waist and began spanking her bare bottom as the top of her torso leaned over the dock. Unable to go ahead and unwilling to return to the cold water, Olivia remained motionless with moans escaping her lips. 

I released her waist and slid my hand up to Olivia's tits. Her nipples felt as hard as they looked. I began pinching them with one hand as I slapped her ass with the other. After about a minute of warming her ass with my palm, I noticed my cock had defied the temperature of the water and was rock hard. I stepped on the rung below Olivia's feet. Now my throbbing cock was even with her quivering ass. With one hand holding the ladder, I used the other to guide my cock into Olivia's steaming pussy.

I couldn't determine which emotion had more control of me at the moment, lust or anger. I was pissed at Olivia like never before, but I couldn't deny the tremendous desire I had to fuck her. Perhaps I was attempting to reassert myself as the alpha male in her life. Maybe it was a good-bye fuck. All I knew for sure was that I had a raging erection and I wanted it inside my naked wife.

I was stunned when Olivia had an orgasm on my first stroke. For a woman almost blue from the cold water, her center was incredibly hot. When my stomach made contact with her ass, I could feel the heat radiating from the spanking I had administered. I only managed a few strokes more before I felt my balls drop back into my scrotum and begin to boil.

As fast as it began, it was over. I fell out of Olivia and she scampered up the ladder and trotted toward the cabin. I admired the jiggle of her ass while I pulled my body onto the dock. Suddenly worried about being seen, I looked around and could see no one, at lease until I looked toward the water. I saw a small boat drifting less than a hundred yards out. It contained a couple with fishing poles in their hands. Had they seen Olivia and me? If so, how much did they witness? As I looked at them, they both waved to me! I could hear their laughter as I quickly turned and walked rapidly to the cabin. 

I heard the shower running, so I opened the door and stepped in. How the hell can women stand in scalding hot water? I reached over and adjusted the temperature slightly. Olivia watched me but remained silent. I began soaping her back and then gently ran the soap over her still pink ass. As I rubbed her ass, I once again reached around her to heft her breasts in my hands. Her nipples had softened but under my ministrations, they soon began to harden again. 

My balls had dropped lower and my cock began to swell again. I wondered when was the last time I went for a second piece so soon after the first even as I slid my hand down to Olivia's stomach. I used the hand I had been petting her ass with to push her upper body forward as I pulled her bottom close to me. Once again, my cock was greeted by a very hot, wet tunnel. It slid in and was fully seated immediately.

Olivia held on to the faucets as I slowly worked my cock in and out of her clenching pussy. I moved my hands around to grab a tit in each hand and began to roll her nipples between my fingers. Soon I felt spasms from deep inside Olivia. I released her tits and grabbed her hips to help steady her as I quickened my thrusting. For the second time in a matter of minutes, I came in my unfaithful wife's incredible pussy.

As I pulled out of her, Olivia swung around and dropped to her knees before me and took my cock into her mouth. This really took me by surprise. I knew I had given her an orgasm both times I had entered her, but her taking me orally demonstrated her acceptance and forgiveness for my actions. As my wife pleased my cock, I wondered what it would take for me to forgive her. 

Then she stood and leaned against me as the water cascaded down on us. It was times like this that make men weak. I had a beautiful naked woman leaning in to me, apparently willing to accept whatever I wanted. I put my arms around her, even as part of me felt repulsed by her. I was unable to sort out my emotions and it made me uncomfortable.

"Let's go out for a lunch," I suggested a little later as we dried ourselves. "All that activity has made me hungry. 

Olivia just smiled her agreement and quickly dressed. I noticed that she once again neglected to wear a bra. It wasn't too obvious with the top she wore, unless she mover quickly. Then her breasts would bounce around just enough to attract attention.

We had ordered our meals at a local diner before Olivia began asking the questions I knew had to be driving her crazy.

"Jack, why is it that you aren't in Philadelphia. You told me that you wouldn't be home until Wednesday night. Is something wrong?"

"I guess there is," I allowed as I took a sip of the soda sitting in front of me. "The company I was going to be dealing with had a fire in their manufacturing plant. They had to cancel everything, so I came home Monday night."

I watched Olivia consider what I had just told her. Monday night was the evening she had her lover at the cabin and, I hoped, all hell had broken loose. She was probably wondering if I was somehow connected with the incident. 

"Did Mr. Simpson give you a few days off, or haven't you told him about the fire yet?" asked Olivia quietly.

"Well actually, I filled out my retirement papers Tuesday morning and handed them in. He knows about the fire. He wasn't too pleased about my retirement, however. He seemed to think it was a ploy to get a raise, or a better office, or both," I added.

"You retired without consulting me, Jack?" asked Olivia with no indication of the anger I would normally expect from an announcement of such magnitude.

"Yes, I guess I did. I wasn't happy in my job. I'm not sure if it's the work, or if it's the lack of recognition and advancement, or a combination of it all," I admitted. "I have not been a very happy man, or very good company, the past few months. I decided to do something about it. Living like that was no longer an option."

"You never told me you were so unhappy with things at your work, Jack. How come you never told me what was bothering you?" questioned Olivia.

"Olivia, you know me better than anyone. Didn't you notice anything lately? Haven't you noticed that you liked being with me less and less, that you created reasons to not be around me whenever possible? Didn't you ask yourself why I was so miserable that you wanted to avoid me?"

"Jack! I never tried to avoid you. I've just been... busy. I was so into me that I never felt your discomfort, or pain. That's a sad commentary on me, isn't it? My husband, my best friend, my partner was suffering and I never noticed! I am so sorry, Jack. I've had my head up my ass, but it's out now," replied an emotional Olivia.

"It may not be so bad, Olivia. At least my retirement may be short lived. Simpson indicated he may make an offer to me to lure me out of retirement. I feel a little like Roger Clemens," I grinned.

"I hope you aren't using HGH, unless of course your enhanced performance this morning was a result of its use. If that's the case, we'll contact Balco and get a lifetime supply," laughed Olivia.

I fought back the tears as I marveled at the woman I had married. I had never known another woman like Olivia. She enjoyed baseball as much as I did and was very knowledgeable about the sport. Her sense of humor had been one of the things that had endeared her to me from the beginning. Baseball humor was the best of both worlds.

"Olivia, I should apologize for the way I treated you in the lake this morning," I began.

"You're going to apologize for giving me the best two orgasms and some of the most intense sex of our marriage?" demanded Olivia. "Maybe you're apologizing for straightening me out for being such a miserable, controlling bitch? For showing me that I am your woman and that you insist on me always remembering that fact? I will not accept your apology, Jack, because I should be the one telling you how very sorry I am!" 

Olivia had tears trickling down her cheeks as she spoke. It occurred to me that she might be prepared to confess her affair to me. Then a shadow was cast over our table and I looked up to see Olivia's father, Hank standing by our table.

"How's it going, Jack?" asked Hank with unusual sincerity. "I'm glad to see you and my daughter here. Have you two been up to the cabin? Feel free to drink my beer, Jack. I can always get more."

We made small talk for a couple minutes before Hank excused himself and left. He offered his imported beer to me? I could only surmise that catching his daughter with another man had shaken him up more than a little. Maybe the prospect of losing me for a son bothered him more than I would have guessed.

Olivia no longer appeared to be in a hurry to confess, so I asked her why she wasn't at work.

"When I saw your car was still here this morning, I knew you must be fishing, so I called into work and took a sick day. I thought I might spend it with you on the lake. Of course, I never dreamed we'd be in the lake, or that you would take me so forcefully on the dock!" whispered Olivia.

I was surprised at how much she seemed to have enjoyed the little interaction we had earlier. I marveled to myself that it took me 25 years to realize that my wife might be a bit submissive and she liked spontaneous sex... and a little spanking! She was my fantasy woman and I had never guessed it?

The afternoon found us drifting on the lake. Olivia wasn't really into the fishing, but she was a lot of company. We probably talked more than we had in the previous six months. She did keep the cooler near her feet, but seemed willing enough to hand me a brew whenever I asked. For my part, I was much more careful about drinking them too quickly.

Olivia had surprised me even more by wearing a halter top and shorts. It was a lot sexier than she would have appeared on the lake in the past. As chatted, Olivia finished off several beers of her own. Perhaps the beer boosted her courage.

"Jack, I have something I have to tell you," confessed Olivia. "Please hear me out before you ask questions or hurt me, okay."

"Olivia, you should know by now that I will never actually do anything to physically harm you, unless you're referring to the spanking I gave you this morning," I replied.

"No, Jack. You'll understand better once I tell you everything," explained my wife. I've been having an affair with Bill Hesser, Jack. It started about three months ago and ended the other night. I slept with him fewer than a dozen times and I truly regret it now!"

I made a few more casts before I asked, "Are you done, Olivia? Can I ask questions now?"

I saw tears running down Olivia's cheeks as she nodded to me. I decided to find out if she were going to answer truthfully or try to bullshit me.

"I have several questions, Olivia. Why did you decide to have an affair? How many men have you slept with since we've been married? Why did it end, if it actually has."

Olivia winced as my questions cut her. She had to be surprised at my calm demeanor, but she had to know I was seething inside.

"I can't give a definite reason why I did it, Jack. It's a combination of all the bullshit you see in the magazines and read on the internet. I was feeling insecure. I missed the kids. You were so busy with your work. Bill flattered me and made me feel desirable. These are what I think led up to it, Jack. Even as I tell them to you, I realize they sound like bullshit, even to me," admitted Olivia.

"Bill is the only man I have ever been with, other than you, Jack. I regret it deeply now," added Olivia. "Bill and I had a rendezvous here at the cabin Monday evening. He said a few things that caused me to rethink everything we were doing. He talked about fucking me in the big bed. I didn't say anything to him, but it made me feel cheap, like a two bit whore. He even mentioned you and wondered if you would accept me having an affair. I told him that you wouldn't accept it, but that you would probably forgive me. I realized that was what I was thinking, Jack! Even if I were caught, you would still keep me. I had convinced myself that you would never find out, but if you did, you would forgive me. How horrible is that?"




Within You, Without You



"It's over, Jack. Of that much, I am certain. I'm not going to be like a person that quits smoking and tells everyone after a few hours that they've kicked the habit. I know that since only a couple days have elapsed since I was with him last, it sounds pathetic. There's a couple more reasons, too," admitted Olivia.

"I was almost physically ill when I saw Janet Hone come into the cabin with you the other night. She's wealthy, beautiful, single, and it was obvious she was attracted to you. I was so afraid that you and she were having an affair of your own. I realized how much it hurt to feel the betrayal and humiliation of having a spouse make love to someone else, and you never even did that! It was only my perception, but it still hurt deeply.

"Lastly, I was sure I had turned the alarm system off and had locked the door, but somehow the door blew open and the silent alarm went to the police station. You know how that works, Jack. The cops not only check out the cabin, but they call my dad. They, the cops, Dad, and Sam barged into the bedroom while I was riding Bill like a cowgirl. I never felt so ashamed in my life! My own father and brother finding out what a horrible person I really was. They didn't call me a slut, but they could have, and should have!" sobbed Olivia.

"Dad rushed over and hit Bill in the face really hard. Then the cops grabbed him before he could do it again. Sam grabbed him by the hair and dragged him outside, threatening him every step of the way. The two cops had their hands full with Dad, so they couldn't stop Sam. I think they realized Sam wasn't going to hurt Bill too badly. The cops let Dad go and he grabbed up Bill's clothes and his overnight bag and threw them in the lake," revealed Olivia. 

That night had gone better than I had hoped! I cursed myself for not having the balls to hang around and watch the entire scene.

The cops made Dad and Sam sit in the kitchen and let Bill wade out and retrieve his stuff. As you know, the water is still pretty cold. Bill was naked and shivering when he dug his keys out of the pocket in his soggy pants, started his car and drove off, still in the buff," recounted my loving wife.

"Then Dad started in on me! He was furious, Jack. He threatened to take his belt to my ass and beat me till I was raw. I cowered under the sheets as he ranted at me for at least ten minutes. That wasn't as bad, though, as what he told me after I had dressed and he and Sam were driving me home," confessed Olivia sadly.

"Dad told me that the only reason he didn't give me the beating I deserved was that I was your woman, not his. He had given me to you at our wedding. It was up to you to decide what to do with a cheating whore like me, not him. He told me that he would always love me because I was his daughter, but it would be a hell of a lot more difficult for my husband to find a way," sobbed Olivia. "He never acted like he was especially happy with you as my choice for a husband when we got married. You know that."

"I'll never forget what he told me that night, Jack. He said that I had a strong, loyal man that gave me two children and worked his ass off to raise them and keep a roof over our heads. I was married to an honest, honorable man and I had disgraced my marriage, my children and my husband. Oh, Jack! He really laid into me," she cried. "I knew he was right. I felt horrible. I still do. Dad didn't say, but I know he expects me to tell you what happened." 

"When I saw him at our table today, I could hardly breathe. I saw how nice he was to you and how he hardly spoke to me. He knew I hadn't told you yet and he's waiting to see how you handle me. He won't blame you if you throw my slutty ass out, and neither will I!" finished Olivia.

I was touched by her sincerity and candor, but weren't most cheaters sorry after they were caught? I felt some pride in that Hank credited me as a good provider, husband, and father. That was high praise coming from him.

"Do you love Bill? If not, how would I know that you wouldn't resume your affair with him, or someone else, Olivia? Especially if I let you get away with it this time? By your own admission, you believed in your heart that I would forgive you. Do you hold me in contempt, Olivia? Do you think of me as your cuckold wimp husband?" I demanded in a slightly raised voice.

"Oh, Jack! No! You aren't a wimp. I know that. I made you a cuckold and I will never forgive myself for that. You are a strong, proud man. It was in my head that you had shown your absolute love for me so often and so well that I could never destroy it. Your strength, your love, was unshakable so I stupidly tested it. Now I fear the results, Jack," admitted Olivia. "I have no real feelings for Bill, which makes this behavior even more abhorrent. I didn't take the day off. I called in and quit yesterday morning. I cannot be around him anymore, regardless of what you decide to do with me."

"How about the sex this morning, Olivia? Were you thinking about Bill's cock when I fucked you? Is he a better lover? Does he have a bigger and better cock? How do I compare, or shouldn't I even ask?"

"Jack! Never think I prefer him, ever! It was exciting because it was so dangerous and so wrong. I doubt there was any real difference in the size of his cock and yours, but I love yours and what you do to me with it. There is no comparison between the two of you and I truly mean that. You are a man, and he is just a player, a pretender. I know that now."

I reached out and tugged Olivia's top off and tossed it away from the boat. She gasped and covered her breasts with her hands.

"What are you doing, Jack? Someone will see me! This is the busiest time of day for people to fish on the lake," worried Olivia.

"I have discovered, Olivia, that seeing you in the nude, or at least topless, relieves stress for me. Right now I am feeling very stressed. I suggest you uncover those tits right now, thus enabling me to maintain control of my emotions!" I warned.

Olivia looked into my face and saw my anger. Slowly she dropped her hands down to her sides and sat motionless. 

"Give me another beer and have one yourself, if you'd like. Then pick up your pole and start fishing," I stated firmly. "You don't want to draw any undo attention by sitting out here on the lake without a pole, do you?"

I don't know if Olivia believed me, but I was serious as a heart attack. In all my years of marriage, I could never be very angry at Olivia when I could see her tits and/or ass. Maybe it was a weakness of mine, but it was a fact I had observed early on in our marriage. If she ever needed to reduce my anger, this was the time. She was flushed a bright pink, but she picked up the pole and started fishing.

I had been dwelling on my response to Olivia's infidelity for a couple days, and far too many beers. What was I going to do with her? I sneaked glances at her as I pondered the problem. Seeing her breasts jiggle as she cast her line made my cock hard. She still affected me like no other woman I had ever known. She had given me two wonderful children. She had been a great mother, and until a few weeks ago, an incredible wife.

This very morning I had learned that she appeared to have a bit of a submissive side and that interested me. I had always fantasized about having a woman like that, but never dreamed that Olivia could be that woman. Would she accept me as the dominate member in our marriage? Was this morning's sex a fluke, or could it become more of the norm? I wanted to find out.

The couple that had seen us having sex on the dock in the morning came floating around a cove in the lake and silently approached our boat. Olivia had her back to them and never realized they were even there until they spoke.

"You two are really making the fishing a lot more enjoyable on this lake" laughed the woman. "My husband, Jeff, seems to be especially enjoying it, although I was a beneficiary of your epic struggle by the dock this morning. I may not walk right for the rest of the week."

The woman speaking was probably in her late thirties, while her husband appeared to be a few years older. They were smiling as they floated closer for a little conversation. 

"We should introduce ourselves. I'm Helen Banks and this is my husband Jeff. If I'm not mistaken, you're....topless!" shrieked the lady I now knew to be Helen Banks.

Olivia had been startled when she first heard Helen speak. She had tried to keep her back toward the voice, but I had dipped an oar in the water and swung our boat around. Before she could turn around on her seat, Olivia was facing the two anglers in the other boat.

"I'm Jack Lancaster and this is my wife Olivia," I replied to Helen. "Olivia enjoys teasing and tempting me, even while we're fishing. It keeps the fires burning, if you know what I mean."

"We sure do! We watched you two almost drown each other this morning. It was the hottest thing either of us has ever seen. Jeff headed right back to our cabin after you went inside. He decided I needed a spanking, as well as everything else you two did on the end of the dock," revealed Helen.

"We're pleased that we inspired you to have such a pleasant morning. You may see some more unusual activity coming from our direction now and then," I continued. "Olivia and I have decided to push the envelope a little, if you know what I mean."

"Hell, yeah! Like fishing in the middle of the lake topless," blurted Helen's husband, Jeff. "You two seem to be full of good ideas that I want to try. What do you think, Helen?

"I think I'll be out fishing with my boobs exposed at this time tomorrow!" blushed Helen. "Jeff knows how to get me cranked up. He thinks Olivia is gorgeous and wants me to be more daring, like her. How long have you been married?" 

"Twenty-five years," responded Olivia, much to my surprise as she slowly raised her arm and expertly cast her line a considerable distance. "I'll do almost anything if it makes Jack happy. And thanks, Jeff, for the compliment."

Jeff looked like he was choking. Watching Olivia's tits as she cast and worked her reel had almost been more than he could stand. He swallowed a couple times as he worked to form a response.

"Jeff's suffering from blood loss to his brain at the moment," observed Helen. "That last cast of yours, Olivia, was a thing of beauty. I bet when Jeff is finally able to talk he'll want to make a bee line for our cabin again! I can see his compass is pointing that way!"

With that, they turned their boat and headed back the way they had come. I turned our boat toward our dock.

"Is that what you want from me, Jack? Do you want to embarrass me as punishment? You saw them coming and made no effort to get away, or at least warn me. Do you think you can make things even by treating me like that?" she asked.

"Don't try to bullshit me, Olivia. If you can honestly tell me that your panties aren't wet right now, I'll apologize," I promised. "If you cannot tell me that, then I'm going to keep experimenting to learn more about your libido. I may have been working too hard and paying too little attention to you, but nothing justifies cheating, and you cheated. I don't have the time or energy to punish you. I'd much rather channel my energies differently."

Olivia looked surprised at my remarks. Then she blushed. As I had hoped, she wasn't going to deny that she had been excited when she was caught on the lake topless.

"You're right, on all counts, Jack. I am wet, and it was totally my fault that I cheated on the best husband I could ever hope to have. Exactly how do you want to channel your energies, Jack, if not in punishing me?" she asked softly.

By this time I had pulled up to the dock and tied the boat. I stepped out and offered Olivia my hand to help her ashore. I wasn't surprised in the least when she tried to suddenly push me into the lake.

Her smirk turned to a look of horror as I picked her up and tossed her off the dock into the cold water. Unfortunately, Olivia once again held on to my shirt and I was dragged with her.

Later on, as we finished making love in the shower, Olivia turned and told me that we would be making another trip into town tomorrow. 

"I've lost two pair of underwear, two sets of shorts, and two tops, all in one day. I'll need more clothes, Jack, if you're going to persist in fucking me twice a day on the dock."



Within Your Crowd



Author's Note:

This is my sixth semi-annual "invitational." The initial one was based on the Statler Brother's song, "This Bed of Rose's." The second used the Marty Robbins El Paso trilogy: "El Paso" "El Paso City " and "Faleena." The third had stories based on the various versions of "Maggie May" or "Maggie Mae." The fourth invitational was based on any Country & Western song and the fifth on songs by Merle Haggard.

The current invitational is based on any song written or performed by Willie Nelson. I've chosen, "Within Your Crowd".

"Do you remember how they warned you once before?They made it clear you weren't to see me anymore. Within your world of riches poor boys aren't allowed, And you must learn to love someone within your crowd."

I've always liked Garth Brook's rendition of "Friends in Low Places" (written by Dewayne Blackwell & Bud Lee). This story also gives a nod to that song:

"Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots, And ruined your black tie affair. The last one to know, the last one to show, I was the last one you thought you'd see there.

And I'll be okay. I'm not big on social graces. Think I'll slip on down to the oasis. Oh, I've got friends in low places" 

*

Chapter One

She was Madison Townsend and I'm Billy Ray Lamar.

She lived in the best part of town. I lived … to hell and gone way west of town – so far out that even bothering to give it an RFD address was optimistic. The town was Austin but to be honest she didn't actually live there. Madison lived in a mansion on Lake Travis a way's west of Austin. Her dad, Bradford, had a number of patents for computer processor chips and the chips put him in the chips … so to speak.

Now let's be clear about this: Bradford was in no way some cultured descendant of antebellum Georgia whose ancestors lived in some white mansions surrounded by moss draped Live oak trees. And maybe those non-existent, cultured southern gentlemen had non-paid workers (think slaves) to keep the cotton coming so the south could have fancy carriages and debutante balls.

Well, to be honest (I could be nothing less!) he did come from a cotton background. However, his antecedents as far back as anyone could tell were sharecroppers making a hand-to-mouth existence in the Pine Barrens of East Texas. Now ole Bradford's dad did one smart thing – he just hated fightin' off those damn boll weevils to get a cotton crop in that could new shoes for the winter. Therefore, when Uncle Sam said he needed some help for a little Police Action in Korea, he joined right up. Somehow he kept his ass from being shot off during the retreat from "Frozen Chosin" and got out to an updated GI Bill that gave him twenty-six dollars of unemployment payment for twenty-six weeks. 

That plus a nice hundred and ten bucks a month for college did him right fine to get a degree at the college nearby in Beaumont that led to a scholarship at University of Texas in Austin where he eventually wound up as a professor in their Electrical Engineering department. As the electronic industry eventually got started Bradford very kindly (for small sums and founder's stock options) helped fledgling companies get started. Now I really do have to Mr. Townsend dad his due, he is one smart SOB. He helped design a processor chip called the 4004 for Texas Instruments which Intel very reluctantly picked up and turned it into the 8008 which led to the x86 processor series and made a whole bunch of people filthy rich. One of those nouveau rich was a sassy kid named Bill Gates, who eventually redefined the term rich.

Bradford's dad invested well, and when he up and left to meet his maker, good ole Bradford inherited a bundle of money he had done absolutely nothing to earn. And that lead him to feel certain that he was one important SOB. It didn't hurt his ego to have married an oil heiress from Dallas with her inherited millions.

Well, you get the idea. When a sharecropper (or his get) becomes rich you would swear that in an alternate universe, he would have been knighted by the queen. Since that didn't happen, he just acts like it and expects his daughter to marry a Prince. The Prince in this case was Thomas Martin Kendall whose lucky father was an early sales manager for Ross Perot's EDS. He was never Tom, or Tommy or even Thomas but always Thomas Martin. Thomas Martin lived in Dallas in his family's mansion. I always thought he was a pretentious jerk (I'm being kind) but then that's just me.

Anyway Madison (always Madison except for me – somehow I got away with Maddie) lived on Lake Travis. My folks lived out a few miles from LBJ's place; fact is my granddad knew him well. We had a good sized ranch on the Perdernales River northeast of Johnson City. Where we were located was on the south side of the river inside a funny loop which looks from the air just like Snoopy in profile, facing left. 

We have about 2200 acres and mostly breed thoroughbred horses and registered Black Angus bulls. Lately, dad has taken about half the northern side of the property and set up a hunting business. I love to hunt but I hate to be around when other people are hunting ... they don't always know what they are doing. Therefore, we worked it for me to take over the ranching part and dad the hunting. I did okay and dad was making tons of money.

So we weren't poor and somewhere back in history lurked Mirabeau Lamar, the third president of the Republic of Texas. He was noted for wanting to keep Texas as an independent country. His vision was to expel all the Native American tribes and expand Texas to the Pacific Ocean. If he had gotten his way maybe I would be a high-muck-a-muck like Bradford Townsend pretended to be.

My problem wasn't that we were poor (we were actually doing quite well, thank you), but that I had no pretensions whatever. It's just that my idea of a good time was a few (well, more than a few) beers with my buddies at the nearest tavern or honky-tonk place. I wore jeans and flannel or tee shirts depending on the season and always wore Justin boots, usually either Justin's work boot or their rancher with an extra pair of their black Westerns for when I wanted to kick my heels up.

I did go to school at the prestigious Texas A&M in College Station … oh, wait, that was West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas a few miles south of Amarillo. I majored in their Equine Industry Program, since I liked working with thoroughbreds more than bulls. It was actually a great major and supplemented nicely the years of hands-on work I had while growing up. After college, I bummed around on the professional rodeo circuit for a couple of years but finally grew out of it.

Chapter Two

I met Maddie when her dad bought four horses from us. He wanted gentle horses for Madison and her friends to ride around his ranchette – he had about twelve acres surrounding his admittedly nice mansion. I'd picked out two mares and two geldings. I was sure the two wannabe stallions had been gelded because when they were about twelve months old I'd personally watched the vet take his emasculator and … well, maybe that's too much information.

Anyway these were horses I'd personally trained and knew they would be great for anyone with even a basic level of experience. The mares were both bays, one almost brown. One of the geldings was gray and the other a glossy black. I delivered the horses myself, taking the side road around the mansion as directed. There was a large barn with stables attached on each side. There were eight stalls in each section of the stable.

Madison was waiting for me; I'd called ahead to let her know when I was down the road a piece. When I pulled up, I have to confess I sat and stared at her for a minute. She looked tall, though just how tall was hard to tell because of the expensive looking western straw hat she had on (I later found out she was a couple of inches under my six foot). Long curls of strawberry blonde hair leaked out of the hat swirling down around her shoulders (some months after that I found out she wasn't dying her hair – I mean she was naturally a strawberry blonde … in other words, oh, hell, you know what I mean).

She had a sleeveless white blouse knotted under her … well, somewhere around her navel – with a pair of very short raggedy jean shorts (in this case, there was no question why they call them shorts). This was all topped off – bottomed off? – with what looked like a pair Dan Post Genuine Deer cowgirl boots. Taken altogether it should have looked tacky, but she looked nothing short of spectacular.

I sorta fell out of the truck and almost on my face but saved my pride with a gracious introduction, "Hi. I'm Billy Ray here with the horses." Damn, that sounded like the punch line for a very lame joke.

She smiled and answered, "Yeah, I figured that horse trailer might have some horses in it. Let's put them in this corral." She was standing in front of an open gate in the corral to the side of the stables. 

I backed the trailer up and led the horses into the corral. I saw her looking at the logo on the horse trailer, "Lamar Ranch" with my folks' names underneath, "Dell & Angie Lamar". Looking at me with a funny expression on her face, she asked, "Is that your mom, Angie Lamar?"

That was about the last thing I expected her to ask. "Yeah, do you know her?"

She didn't really answer, just a short, "Mmmm." She put out her hand, and added, "I'm Madison, by the way."

I took her hand, holding it in mine for a couple of hours. Well, maybe a few seconds. I was surprised to feel the calluses on her palms. Now that I was closer I could see that she had emerald green eyes that seemed to suck the life right out of me. On the other hand, maybe I just needed a beer. "Great," I said as I walked back to open up the trailer. "Can I call you Maddie?"

Those bright green eyes turned to that pale icy green sometimes seen in glaciers, and I debated crawling under a large pile of the odoriferous stuff shoveled out of the stalls. Just in time her face lit up with a smirk, and her almond shaped eyes widened a little. "No one calls me anything but Madison, not even my parents. Why should I let you?"

Then, answering her own question, she murmured with a soft, lazy drawl, "It does have a nice ring to it. Go ahead and call me Maddie until I decide whether I like you or not. I probably won't, but we'll see."

From the look she gave me, I wasn't sure whether she was going to kiss me or kill me. I wondered whether I should press my luck and ask her to show me her hay loft … maybe not. We got the horses out of the trailer and into the corral where they romped around, loosening up after the drive. I spent a good half hour telling her about each of the horses. I carried a bitless bridle that I liked to use in training horses. One at a time I put it on one of the horses – these were all around two years old – and led them around the corral, so she could look at them. 

When I finished, I said, "They are all really first rate riding horses." Out of curiosity, I added, "Which one do you like?"

She looked them over again, and answered, "The lighter colored mare is really pretty." She looked at it judiciously for a moment, adding, "Yeah, she's real pretty."

I was a bit disappointed, since I know the black gelding was in all ways a much better horse. I was still madly in love with Maddie/Madison … I'd known that as soon as I'd seen her green eyes. But I guess I loved her a bit less since it was clear that a horse was just another toy for a RB (rich bitch!). However, I had to ask.

"So she's the one you will use as your personal horse?"

"Oh no, she's really pretty, but I'll keep the black for my use. He's gotta be one of the best geldings I've seen."

I'd just been infatuated before; now I was in love.

She added, "I want to ride him for a while, maybe twenty minutes or so. Just to see if I have any questions." She saddled the black and mounted. "We're having a barbeque tonight, around five or so. I'd like for you to come. Wait for me and I'll show you around."

She took off, easing him into a canter. I closed the back of the trailer and walked over to the corral, sitting on the top rail while I waited. I looked around and was impressed how well organized and maintained the place was. I could see a large patio/pool area behind the house. A man walked out of the house down towards the stable area. He stopped in front of me and pushed his hat up from his eyes.

He looked to be somewhere around the middle years of the forties, well built with broad shoulders, tall, and just a hint of mid-life spread bulging over his wide leather belt. The sun was behind him, shading his pale blue eyes, but I didn't think that was what made them look so uninviting. He watched Maddie cantering away then turned to me. After a long minute of trying to stare me down, he asked, "You belong to that truck and horse trailer?"

I didn't think he was expecting a long speech from me, so I gave him a spare nod.

"If you're finished up you can go ahead and hit the road."

"Well, Maddie is taking a ride on one of them, and I want to make sure everything is okay."

His mouth scrunched up a bit like he found a pit in the prune he must have been chewing. His face flushed an angry red, and he said in a tight, quiet voice, "Mister, you do my daughter disrespect by being so familiar with her. To you, she is Miss Townsend, and you will never call her anything but that. Now you get off this ranch just as damn as soon as you finish your business."

He turned and started to walk away, and I foolishly said, "Uh, Mad … uh, Miss Townsend asked me to stay for a barbeque."

"Son, that get-together is for friends and family. You are not family and you damn sure ain't a friend. You leave now or I'll have you escorted off the place. If there's anything wrong with the horse, I'll take care of it. Now git!"

I didn't need this kind of grief, and I didn't know her well enough to go through the hassle involved. Yeah, she was cute as hell, but I was clearly wrong when I thought I loved her.

I sashayed over to the truck and fired it up, easing it over to the driveway. Just as I turned onto the drive, Maddie – excuse me, Miss Townsend – reined her new black gelding to a stop in front of me. I looked at her for a minute then decided, what the hell. I stepped out and walked over to her, tipping my hat nice and polite. 

"I thought you were going to stay, did you change your mind?"

Exaggerating my west Texas drawl, I replied, "Wal Miss Townsend, yore pappy done introduced himself and made it plain to me that the barbeque was for friends and family. Since he felt I was clearly neither, he kindly suggested I get the hell off his property."

I opened the door and started to step into the truck but Maddie had other ideas. She jumped off the horse and grabbed my arm. "Wait a damn minute. Did he really say that?"

"Yeah, and I have to say he wasn't very nice about it."

She looked over at the patio where her dad was talking with a woman, most likely her mom. She let go of my arm and took the horse over to the corral and wrapped the reins around a post. Striding back she took my hand and pulled me along at a fast clip. "Let's get this straight right now."

Her parents stopped talking and watched us as we approached.

"Mom, Dad, this is Billy Ray Lamar. His father runs the ranch we bought the horses from. Billy is my friend and I invited him to stay for dinner. If that's not okay, Billy Ray has asked me to dinner at Hudson's on the Bend in town. Do you want me to stay tonight or to go out to eat?"

Her dad started, "Damn it Madison, this is your welcome home party from college. All of your friends will …" then her mom cut in, Billy, I'm Amanda Townsend, and we'd be happy to have you stay." 

Maddie gave her dad a hard look, and said, "Good." Turning to me, she said, "I need to get ready. If you want to freshen up, there is a bathroom just inside the patio door."

Since I started delivering horses for my dad, I'd gotten into the habit of taking along a change of clothes and a leather dopp kit my dad had given me when I turned sixteen. I never knew when something would come up while doing a delivery, and I'd have to stay overnight. I got a rag from the back of the truck, and after I did what I could for my boots, I took my stuff to the designated bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I shaved while taking a shower and then got dressed. What I had with me this trip was a pair of black jeans and a light blue shirt with a modicum of pale yellow flowers on it … looking in the mirror, I looked better than I'd expected. My medium brown hair was a bit shaggy around the ears and neck but not too bad.

I took my dirty clothes back to the truck and when I got to the patio Maddie was standing by a long galvanized horse trough filled with beer and ice. As I got there, she handed me a wet bottle of Rahr's Bucking Bock.

"Is this okay, Billy?"

"That sure is fine, Miss Townsend."

"Damn it, will you quit that 'Miss Townsend' crap. What happened to Maddie, anyway?"

"Well, your dad made it clear that it would never be appropriate for me to call you anything but 'Miss Townsend.' He was quite definite about that."

"Billy Ray Lamar, I decide what I want people to call me. And speaking of that, I do want you to call me. By the way, you clean up real nice."

"Maddie, you looked like a dream before, but now, gosh with that white dress you look ready to walk down the aisle with me." Damn, did I really say that?

She looked at me for a minute, then shaking her head with an exasperated look, she took me over to a table, and we sat down. There were a few people walking around setting things up, but it didn't look like any guests were there yet. After we were seated, she put her hand on mine and said, "I just graduated from Rice and tonight is kind of my formal welcome home. I'll try to spend as much time as I can with you. If it's okay, I'll have my brother Bobby hang out with you. I'll be sure to save you the last dance."

I had this vision of a twelve year old squirt following me around, so I asked, "How old is he?"

She laughed, seeming to read my mind. "He's nineteen, a couple of years younger than me. He went one year to Texas here in town, but he refuses to do more. He wants to do the rodeo full time. He's actually pretty good."

"What events does he do?"

"Oh, he likes best bronc riding, both saddle and bareback. However, he competes in most everything, but he hates the steers. He tried it in high school a couple of times, but he comes right out and says he's afraid of them. More than anything, though, he loves horses, and I gather you do too."

"Yeah, my dad tells everyone I was riding before I was weaned. I did rodeo in high-school and at West Texas A&M. I usually did Tie-Down Roping and Team Roping."

"What did you major in, Billy?"

"I did their Equine Industry Program. Our ranch has over the years been about breeding – split about evenly between thoroughbred horses and registered Black Angus bulls. I was planning on taking over the horses and dad the bulls, but dad got this bug in his head about setting up a hunting operation. I have to admit that it makes more money a lot easier that the breeding program. To be honest I love to hunt, so it's not all bad for me. I'm trying to talk dad into getting someone take over the bulls, and I'll just do the horses and help him with the hunting.

"I gave her a quick glance, "And what did you do at Rice?"

"I was at the Shepherd School of Music. I play the cello more than anything, but I dabble around with the piano and fiddle, sometimes the guitar. I also sing some once in a while."




Within Your Crowd



"I'm impressed. I'd like to hear you play sometime. Apropos of nothing, my mom also went to Rice and is a first rate piano player."

"Yeah, I know. They had an alumni event a couple of years ago, and she played Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue.' It was lovely. Because of something she said, I talked to her later and wound up going out to dinner with her."

I raised my eyebrows at that and gave her a look.

"Everyone, especially my dad, has been pushing for me to perform professionally. I don't really want to – I love music, and I love to play but I don't want to be work. Dad is putting a guilt trip on me for all the money he spent for college but, damn it, I don't care. When I talked to your mom, she told me she went through the same thing: she loves to perform, but for fun. So she just decided to do what she felt was right and that gave me the backbone for myself.

"Dad's mad at me and now he's pushing me to go out with this guy I really don't like. He'll be here tonight and I guess I'll have to dance with him, but I won't enjoy it. I do like your mom; she's both talented and sweet. I never saw her again after that dinner."

Guests started arriving and she took off. I sat by myself over a beer then Maddie came back with a nice looking young couple. The young man was obviously her brother. I assumed the lady was his girlfriend. He was tall, slim, but with a hint of being like a coiled spring: relaxed but ready to explode into movement in an instant. He had short, ash blond hair that curled close to his scalp. The girl was medium height, with a cute face and a look of the pixie in her.

"Billy, this is my brother, Bobby and his friend, Katie. Bob, this is Billy Ray Lamar. He and his folks have a ranch over by Johnson City. Please take care of him, maybe bore him by talking about rodeo, like you do with me all the time," she finished with a twinkle in her eyes and a sassy grin. She flounced away and left me alone with the couple.

Bobby grabbed a couple of cokes and another beer for me, and we sat back down at the table.

I asked him in a teasing voice, "Maddie says you really like riding bulls?"

He grimaced at the thought and then realized what I'd said. "You call her Maddie? She doesn't let anyone call her that. She even makes me call her Madison."

"She said it was okay. I didn't know there was anything wrong with it," I said, laughing to myself remembering what her dad had said.

He looked at me for a minute, trying to figure me out. He shrugged and answered my question. "I guess Madison told you I hate the bastards! I'm not ashamed to say they scare the shit out of me. I can ride the meanest, orneriest bronc and feeling nothing but an affinity for it and the thrill of becoming part of something so wild."

He blushed at this as he looked at Katie. I don't know if was from the mild profanity or from what he had said.

"Well, you can have anything that bucks. Sure, I can ride, but I'm useless without a lasso in my hands."

We talked about rodeo stuff for a while. It turned out that Katie was a serious barrel racer. From what Bobby said, I gathered she also like pole bending: riding between six stakes something like a slalom course.

Maddie came back and sat with us, and we chatted, all of us getting to know each other. Katie was real sweet but painfully shy. A band set up and started playing.

Maddie took my hand, "Come on cowboy, and show me how light on your feet you are."

It was a two step, a dance I actually did well. We went around the floor a couple of times, and then stopped for a minute in front of the band. When the number finished, the band leader looked down at Madison and lifted an eyebrow. Maddie shook her head no, then when he gave her a "come hither" motion with his hand, she looked at me, shrugged, and stepped up on the stage.

With his arm around her, he told the crowd, "We are here tonight to welcome Madison back home after her years of college." He whispered something in her ear, she nodded, and then he continued, "Madison and I are going to do the George Jones, Emmylou Harris duet of "Here We Are." 

The band led off and they started the song:

"Did you say that you've been searching for a place you've never been,

Here it is darlin', here it is.

And when you're down there on the bottom, and you're looking out for friends,

Here I am darlin' here I am."

I was really impressed, not with the band leader, I'd been listening to his vocals, and he was first rate. However, Maddie really surprised me. She sang with a clear, sweet contralto, lower than her speaking voice. They performed well, together. It was clearly something they had done before.

After that, the guy playing the fiddle handed it to her. She tuned it quickly and stood by the mike with the woman that had been playing keyboard. They did Sara Evan's "Coalmine" with the keyboard player doing the vocals and Maddie on the fiddle with the band filling in behind them. She sang well, but she was great with the fiddle.

She stepped down as the band moved on to a waltz. Moving right into my arms we moved slowly around the flow. Her face was flushed with some beads of sweat around her hairline. All in all, she looked ravishing and felt even better. After that number, she led me back to the table.

"I have some things to do," and after giving me a quick kiss on the cheek, she walked towards the house. I chatted with Bobby and Katie for a half-hour or so and then saw Maddie dancing with a guy. I didn't like how close he was holding her – though it did look like she kept trying to push him away. I watched for a couple more minutes, wondering what the hell I was doing here.

Bobby could see I was getting aggravated, and said, "That's Thomas Martin Kendall. He lives in Dallas and has a lot more money than dad does. I think he's a pompous ass, every time he introduces himself, he says Thomas Martin, like anyone cares. Dad wants Madison to marry him, but I don't think she really likes him. It's making all of us kind of pissed off at dad.

I looked out at the dance floor and saw them standing talking instead of dancing. I had enough of this and walked over to where my truck and trailer was parked. I saw two large, beefy guys standing there and two more materialized behind me. Madison's dad stepped out from behind the trailer and stood in front of me.

"You dumb shit, I told you not to stay here tonight. Did you think I was bullshitting you? Madison is going to be engaged later tonight, and you are not going to be there for that. I don't ever want to see you around here ever again." He nodded to one of the men and walked away.

I could see what was going to happen, so I tried to be proactive. I kicked out at the one to my right front and caught him solidly in the knee. I tried to swing at the other one in front when what felt like a sledge hammer landed on my kidney. I fell to the ground and felt boots kicking at me. I tried to cover up but saw a boot coming at my head and couldn't stop it.

Chapter 3

I woke up feeling like shit. I was dizzy and had a hard time reading the clock on the dashboard. The numbers finally swam into focus: 9:07. I'd been out for a couple of hours. I felt nauseous and opened the door, falling out as I did. I was able to get on my hands and knees splatter my dinner and several beers all over what felt like asphalt. Finally, I was able to grab hold of the truck and pull myself up. 

Looking around I could see I was in the parking lot of an office complex. I was under a light pole and could see myself reflected in the window of the truck. There was no way to make light of it – I looked like shit! My shirt was seriously torn, and I had a couple of rips in my almost new black jeans. I always traveled with a large bottle of water and used most of it to drink and clean up as best I could. I hurt all over, with scraped skin over one side of my face, one ear was much larger than normal, some ribs that were giving me much more pain than I liked and places hurt that I knew were going to produce a kaleidoscope of colors on my body.

I was still feeling dopey, and pulled out of the parking lot over to FM 620 Road South towards Bee Cave. I knew there was a hospital on Highway 71, and I had thoughts about stopping there to get checked out. I drove for a couple of minutes getting more and more pissed. I saw an open tavern by the side of the rode, so I pulled in, thinking a beer might perk me up.

It was a slow night; the place was almost empty. I sat on a stool at the dark end of the bar and held a finger up to ask for a beer. I took a long pull from the mug, thinking about what had happened. Yeah, I was really attracted to Madison, but I didn't need this kind of grief. Hell, the reality was that I hardly knew her. I was highly pissed at her dad and the jerk-off that was probably engaged to her by this time. I had another beer then went back out to the truck. I sat there, not really thinking, then took off driving back to the ranchette.

I parked a ways off from the entrance; I was sure they would be watching for me. I cut straight across the grass to the pool area, which was in back of the temporary stage that had been set up. I wound up at the back of the stage which was about three feet off the ground. The equipment and drum set was blocking the way, but I could see dip shit on his knee saying something with a glass of what must be champagne in his hand. Madison was standing there looking embarrassed and her parents were standing next to them.

I jumped up on the stage and walked over to them. Madison gasped, "Billy!" and Thomas Martin looked scared. I took the glass from his hand and toasted the presumably soon to be affianced, "Maddie, I hope you have a long and happy future with this piss ant. I thought there was something between us, I guess I was wrong. I'm not big on the social graces, so I'll leave. You're not for me. I'll have a few beers, and I'll be okay."

I took a sip of the sparkling wine. Not bad! I threw the rest in dip shit's face and turned to walk away. Her dad grabbed my arm and yelled something, but I was past giving a shit, way past. I grabbed his offending arm and caught him on the point of his chin with a short uppercut that had my weight behind it. I jumped off the stage leaving ...I didn't know what carnage behind me. I walked directly towards my truck expecting someone to come after me, but no one did.

I was wired now. I'd figured on stopping at the Lakeway Regional Medical Center, but I didn't feel like I had anything seriously wrong. My ribs were hurting but they couldn't be broken, or I'd never have been able to get that punch off. I drove straight home and found that mom and dad had already gone to bed. 

I had a hunch that Mr. Townsend might sic the police on me so it would most likely be best for me to skip out of town for a while. It didn't seem like things were going to be fun for a long time anyway. I grabbed a couple of suit cases and packed whatever. I went to bed, lying awake for a long time. I tried to figure out what had happened, but I didn't seem to be able to put it together. Everything was fuzzy and the shot of Jack I'd taken for the pain hadn't helped.

I knew immediately what I was going to do. I had always liked performing at the rodeos, but I began to feel guilty, that I should be helping dad. Life on the road had starting paling, even if I liked the rodeo itself. Sometimes crappy motels and eateries were all there was. I wasn't the best but I was pretty good. I wouldn't make a lot of money, but I was sure I'd get by. I finally dozed off but woke early when I heard mom downstairs.

I took a quick shower, got dressed and carried the suitcases down the stairs. Mom heard the noise from the kitchen and came into the living room, just as I was setting the suitcases down. She gasped when she saw the marks on my face, walked over, and gave me a tight hug but didn't say anything. I finally pulled back and could see she was crying. I took her hand and led her to the kitchen and asked if she could fix me some breakfast.

I told her what had happened, at least the highlights. "I don't think anything will come of it, but I feel like taking off for a while. I'm going to be on the rodeo circuit in the northwest and Canada. I need to find a partner for the team roping. I know a couple of guys, one that's a good friend that might be able to work with me. So I'll drive up to Sheridan first and talk to him. If nothing else he can work with me while I get my form back.

Dad came in from taking care of the horses, and I gave him a short version of what had happened. I told him what he was going to do. He shook his head, and said, "I'll miss you boy! I learned a long time ago that a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. Do you need anything, money?"

"No, I'm okay. I'll call you every week or so. I'll find a couple of horses up there, but I would like to take the small horse trailer, the blue four stall one, okay?"

"Sure son." He shook my hand then hugged me. Mom didn't want to let go, so finally I picked her up and set her back a step. 

I took the suitcases out to my own truck. It was a Ford 250 with a diesel engine and a club cab. I grabbed a couple of saddles, tack, horse blankets, and all the other stuff I would need, and threw it under the lid in the back of the truck. I jumped in the truck heading over to I-10. I figured I'd take that to I-25 and north to I-90 and on up to Sheridan. I was on the road by seven.

During the day, I was able to keep my mind off Madison – I wasn't thinking of her as Maddie anymore. At night, in the dark loneliness of some anonymous motel room, she was with me almost as a physical presence. I couldn't explain an interest in her that was almost obsessive. The reality was that I'd known her only a very few hours. There was something about her that struck a chord in me. I gave up worrying about her and let my mind slip into nighttime fantasies that left me with vague longings when I woke up each day.

I took my time; stopping frequently and stretched my legs. I felt a little better each day and the bruises and swelling gradually went down. Part of my not being in a hurry was I wanted to look more respectable, not like some down and out cowboy brawler. I arrived in Buffalo on the first of June and went straight to my friend's ranch. The ranch was about halfway between Buffalo and Sheridan and a few miles west at the end of the road. He, along with his folks and a younger brother had a nice horse ranch on 285 acres.

Rick, Rick Klein, was glad to see me – we chatted with his parents for a while – then we went to the Lodore Saloon in Story, a couple of miles west of the interstate. It's a great place with a lot of character. It was the better part of a hundred years old. From the thirties to through the fifties they had all the great bands in: Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lawrence Welk, and many others.

We had a couple of beers in the bar, and I told Rick what my plans were. "Anyway, Rick, do you think you could break free and hit the circuit this summer?"

"Billy, I'd sure like to. But I'm getting married in a little over a month. I'm sure Debra wouldn't want to spend her honeymoon at the Calgary Stampede."

"Damn, that's good news, Rick. Is she from around here?"

"Yeah, her dad owns the ranch just south of us. It's quite a bit larger, and they mostly work cattle. They are real nice folks and Debra is a Western girl all the way. You'll probably meet her tomorrow. She got a mare she's had since she was a kid and wants to put her out to pasture. I've got a couple of mares she wants to ride. It's gonna cost me some money though; I don't think she'd be too happy if I made her pay. How 'bout you? You'll need a couple of horses too. I've got some I've been training, but they need work.

"I'll make you a deal, you help me train horses when you have time, and you can use what you want for the summer. Hell, you train roping horses better than I do anyway." 

"Well, if you're sure. That would work well for me. I've got some money but I'll need to win some by the end of the summer."

"Okay, Billy. I've got another idea. I can't go but talk to my brother, Eddie. He finished high school this year, but he was the state champ at tie-down and second in team roping. He's a big kid with large hands and a big ego. Don't misunderstand, he's a great kid, but he thinks nothing can stop him."

"Sure, I'll talk to him. We can trade off on the team roping, taking turns being the header and heeler so that he gets more experience, and enter individually for the tie-down and help each other with the horses. We'll need two horses for each event and maybe trade one off once in a while."

We went back and I met his brother. We chatted for a bit then got down to business and worked on roping. I wanted to see his skills and attitude. He was an artist with the rope, and I didn't see any problem in working with him. I saw I few things he could work on to shave a little time here and there. The horses needed a lot of work.

The next day we tried some tie-down. I was impressed, that kid was stronger than hell. I was better than him on the horse, but we could work on that. He knew he was good but still had a positive attitude about getting better. He was eighteen and I was twenty eight, but he acted like I was in my thirties. Me, an old man? Again, the horses needed a lot of work.

In the end, we decided on working with four horses for each event. Whenever we were in the area we could come back and swap out horses. I met Debra and liked her a lot. She was very level headed, knew what she wanted out of life and in marrying Rick. She had some ideas of how the two ranches could work together and make more money.

After a couple of weeks of hard work, we felt like we were ready to give a try at real competition. We decided on the one at Belt, Montana, a small town a little way east of Great Falls. I thought I'd feel strange after not having competed for several years, but it was like old home week. Between Eddie and me, we knew enough people to always have someone to talk to.

We got fourth in the Team Roping for a little under two hundred fifty dollars and both of us were just out of the money in the Tie-Down. Basically, that would just cover expenses, but still we were pretty happy. The following week we were at Chinook, Montana. We went directly there; it was too far to drive back to the ranch. Eddie did great with a third in Tie-Down for almost four hundred dollars, but we were out of the money on Team Roping. We had agreed that we would pool the winnings and expenses and split anything left down the middle.

We decided to take a couple of weeks off and work with the horses and then take a shot at the Sheridan Rodeo in mid-July. Rick was glad to see us, and we talked over more than a few beers about how things went. We thought we could pick up time by working with the horses on a few things. We decided to change mounts for the Tie-Down but keep the same two for Team Roping. We also decided I'd stick at header and Eddie would stay at heeler. 

We worked hard on the horses doing everything we could to improve our times. We knew Sheridan was a favorite stop of some of the big name pros, so if we were to wind up in the money, we'd best have everything just right. The horses were looking good, and we slept the sleep of the just each night. We were close to the ranch, so we wouldn't need to spend anything on hotels or restaurants so anything we won would be gravy. We knew there would be tough competition, but we had high hopes.

I called home every four or five days. No one had ever stopped by or called about the "incident" at the Townsends. I was getting more successful at blocking Madison (I refused to think of her as Maddie) out of my active thoughts and to some extent my dreams, but I knew I was kidding myself. I'd really tried to figure out why I was so hung up on her. At the rodeos in Montana, I'd met a couple of girls – drank beer with them and danced – but somehow I couldn't work up the enthusiasm for going any further. 




Within Your Crowd



Eddie, on the other hand, was some kind of chick magnet. It seemed a point of honor for him to bed every woman he met. For some reason, the older ladies seemed to really like him. He reminded me of that old saw, "The worst I ever had was wonderful!" I wasn't exactly jealous of him, but I did feel lonely. It was funny in a way; girls were looking for a man that would commit. I had a girl I was sure I wanted to commit to … but it wasn't in the cards. Maybe I should ride the bulls – shake up my life a little.

Shortly after I finished my first run at the Tie-Down at the first night's events in Sheridan when I heard a voice behind me, "I didn't think they would let a broken down cowboy from Texas enter a real rodeo like this."

I turned around, it was Bobby Townsend. "Damn, Bobby, how are you?"

"I'm good. I'm entered in the saddle and bareback broncs here. I've been doing well this summer. I'm up about twelve grand over expenses." He looked down at the ground, and then looked me in the eyes, "I'm sorry about that BS at home. No one talks much with my father any more, not even my mom. I think they are going to separate."

"I've been looking over my shoulder, but I haven't heard anything."

"Yeah, it was funny. Dad was going crazy, calling the police and lawyers. Then one of the workers that hates the old man told the police about how he had you beaten. So instead of the police looking for you, they wanted to prosecute him. Everyone saw him grab your arm. If they could have found you, you could have filed a complaint. Probably still could, if you wanted."

"No, I don't want anything to do with him." We chatted for a few minutes, both studiously avoiding mention Madison. Seeing him brought her to the forefront of my mind. Later I watched him take a second – he was really quite good. 

Eddie and I did okay, making as much as Sheridan as we had previously made total. I did wrench my knee, nothing serious, but I would have to take a couple of weeks off. Eddie decided to stick around Wyoming. I left him my truck and trailer and drove his Ford 150 down to see my folks. I made arrangements to meet him at the Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo in Pawnee, Oklahoma in early August, then we would work Texas and Oklahoma for a couple of months.

Chapter Four

Mom was happy to see me but dad acted like he was mad at something. Not really mad but not happy either. After a couple of days, I'd had enough and drove him to a small bar in Johnson City, gave him a chance to have a beer, then asked, "Okay, Dad, what's on your mind?"

He looked somewhat abashed, and said, "Hell, I didn't think I was showing anything. Well, I hate to admit it, but the ranch is getting too big for me. If you don't come back pretty soon I'm gonna have to hire a manager. That'll be pretty expensive, but I don't know what else to do."

Damn, that made me feel bad. "I'm trying to work something out. Can you hold on for a few months, say the end of September?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I won't book any new hunts 'til you give me the word. That will ease things up enough, I think."

We drove back after a couple or three beers, and as we walked to the house, I could hear music coming through the open windows of the room where mom kept a piano. I recognized it as something from "The Magic Flute," by Mozart.

Dad chuckled, and told me, "That filly is here again. She and your mom are going to play a duet at the next Alumni meeting at Rice. She's damn good on that cello of hers."

I was pretty sure I knew which "filly" he had been talking about, although I'd thought it was a piano and violin playing. Shows what I know about it. But to make sure, I asked dad, "What girl is that?"

"Oh, that girl we sold the horses to. She came over to tell us how much she liked them. Turned out, she knew your ma, and she wound up staying for lunch. They got to talkin' and decided to put together a performance for their next meeting of people that went to that music school at Rice."

I turned to walk back to the truck, thinking another beer sounded real good about now, but dad grabbed my arm. "Hey, you ain't leavin' me to go in alone, are you?"

Giving up, I walked in with him. Actually, I did want to see Maddie … Madison. We walked up to the porch and into the house. The music was louder now, and was quite nice. We walked over to the doorway of the drawing room, and watched them play. Once again, I was drawn to Madison's beauty.

They stopped, mom having seen us. We walked over, Madison staring at me. Quietly, she asked, "Hello, Billy Ray. Bobby mentioned that he'd seen you at Sheridan. How come you came back home?"

"Madison," I nodded at her. "I hurt my knee tossing a calf on his side on my last event. It didn't hurt my time – fact is I got a third in the finals. I got it x-rayed and there is nothing serious, but I do have to skip competing for a couple of weeks. By the way, Bobby's got the skills that he can be first-rate if he works at it."

She looked at me for a minute, and then looked at mom, "I think we've got it as good as we can. Let's get together for lunch next week, and plan the trip." Turning back to me, she said, in a 'don't sass me' voice, "Walk me out to my truck." She packed away her cello, and went out the front door, waving a hand at my folks.

I followed, not saying anything. She put the case in the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt over it. She came over and stopped in front of me. "What happened that night at our place?"

"What do you mean?"

"Damn it, don't pussy foot with me."

I thought it over and shrugged. "I saw you dancing a lot with that guy you're getting married to. I didn't see any reason to stay after that, so I walked over to my truck to drive home. Four of your dad's goons grabbed me, and he told me to stay away from you … and not to call you Maddie ever again. After that they kicked the shit out of me and drove me over to the business park and left me there. I decided it wasn't worth the hassle to try to see a girl that's engaged. Then when I woke up, I was pissed enough to come back and let everyone know how I felt."

"I have to say you did a bang up job of that! I'm sorry that happened. I don't think my dad will ever apologize, but I certainly can. Dad wanted to have you arrested but mom said she would leave if he did. I understand there were a couple of witnesses that pretty much said what you did. So will you accept my apology?"

I shrugged, and nodded, not saying anything. She looked at me for a long moment, then leaned forward and kissed me quickly on my lips and then jumped into her truck. I stood there watching as she rolled down the window. "Call me. Your mom has the number."

After she drove off, I stood there for a while trying to figure out how I felt. I still had a lot of resentment, but if I were honest with myself, I was still strongly attracted to her. There wasn't much I could do about it, with her getting married. All in all, I wish I hadn't seen her – the old longings were pulling at me again. I didn't see any reason to give her a call.

A week or so later, about the time that I needed to start thinking about driving up to Pawnee, mom asked me if I had anything planned that night.

"No, just ice my knee a couple of times. It almost feels like normal, but I don't want to take a chance with it."

"Your dad and I have a friend coming over for dinner. Is that okay?"

I really didn't have anything to do, so I couldn't see any reason not to. This was a fairly common occurrence with mom, some friend or neighbor dropping over. "Sure. I'll clean up a little … put my good boots on." She smiled at that and went back to her kitchen.

I puttered around through the afternoon, icing my knee several times under mom's watchful eye. I'd been lounging around the house looking like a bum all week, so I thought I'd look nice for mom. I shaved the three day growth off my face and put on some clothes that I might go dancing in … though at best I might whirl mom around the dining room table once or twice.

I was getting ready to go down the stairs when I heard the front door open. As I turned on the landing for the last couple of steps, I saw mom giving Madison a hug. That was the first inkling that a plot was afoot. Mom saw me and smirked, "Dad and I decided to go out tonight. I didn't want you to go hungry, so I found someone to take you out."

Madison stepped up and kissed my cheek. Taking my hand, she said, "Come on. I have a reservation for Poodie's Hilltop Roadhouse in Spicewood for a half hour from now."

I let myself be pulled along, trying to figure out what was happening. Clearly, I'd been hoodwinked, but I was having trouble getting upset about it. Madison looked quite nice, thank you, in black jeans tucked into what looked like new boots and a white shirt and a black hat. The way those jeans fit around her … well, her derrière, like, they were sprayed on. Quite enchanting.

"You know where this place is, right? It should take about forty minutes to get there." She looked over at me with a smile, "If you would have called me, I wouldn't have had to kidnap you." Her smile slipping a bit, she added uncertainly, "You're not mad, are you?"

I gave her a smile of my own, "No, not really, Madison."

"Madison, what happened to Maddie?"

"Well, I'm a lot of things, and I've done some things I'm not proud of, but one thing I've never done is try to poach some other man's fiancé. I think only Thomas Martin Kendall should be the one to call you Maddie." I looked out the window, trying to get a speck of dirt out of my eye.

"You don't know, do you? Billy Ray, look at me!"

I turned and looked quickly at her, then turned my head forward so she wouldn't see how the dirt had made my eyes watery.

"Billy, after you ran away that night after humiliating Thomas Martin and almost breaking my dad's jaw, you missed seeing me throw my champagne in Tomas' face also. I detest that man and always had. The next morning I ripped into my father and told him to quit trying to run my life." She put her hand on my arm and continued, "Billy, I liked you right away, you're nice looking, a good man, and I love the way you treat horses. Can we start over?"

I stared at her, trying to take it all in. She seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I replied, "yeah, Madison, let's start over."

"Uh, Billy Ray, you weren't listening, I said, let's start over."

I smiled at that, and added, "Sure, Maddie."

We ate a nice dinner, she ate a small filet, and I had a huge t-bone. It was Friday night and fairly crowded as a band started playing. I didn't want to chance any stress on my knee, so we danced the slow numbers and talked a lot. This was the learning about each other we never had a chance to do the day we met. Each number we danced Maddie seemed to hold herself a little closer to me. It was clear that my instincts that I liked her a lot were right. I was falling for her like a ton of bricks.  

When we got in her truck, she looked over at me with a question in her eyes. "Would you like to have breakfast with me?"

She clearly didn't mean what it sounded like and looked horrified when I replied, "Every morning, Maddie, every morning."

Blushing, she replied, "God, I didn't mean that. I'd like to show you something, and then I'll fix you breakfast. Would seven-thirty or so be all right?"

I had no idea what she had in mind, but it sounded good, and I had no other plans. "Sure, what should I wear?"

"Just some work clothes and boots." 

She started the drive back to my folk's place and rested her hand on the seat. I put my hand on hers. She smiled but didn't say anything. Whenever she needed to lift her hand for driving, she put it back when she finished. When we stopped, I leaned over to give her a quick kiss. She put her hands behind my head and pulled me tight. The kiss went on for some time, dueling tongues and all. She finally broke away and said, "I've wanted to do that all night. See you in the morning."

The next morning she was early, and I was ready, so we had a cup of coffee before we took off.

My mom asked, "What you have planned this morning, Madison?"

"I'm going to show him my place."

"I think he will enjoy that."

When we were on the road, I asked, "Your place?"

"Yeah, after that night I didn't want to put up with dad's pushiness anymore. I'd been planning on moving out anyway, but he kept asking me to stay for a while longer. I think his plans were that I'd move in with Thomas Martin instead of going off on my own."

"What kind of place do you have?"

"You'll see. Be patient. Do you know where Onion Creek is, west of Dripping Springs?"

"Yeah, I do. A few years ago my dad delivered some horses there, and I rode along with him."

"Well, I've got a little place just north of Gainor Mountain and south of the creek, right where Mt. Gainor Road loops around Mount Gainor. You'll see."

We turned off 290 onto Holder Lane and took a left onto Creek Road. When Creek merged with Mt. Gainor she waved to the right. "That's my pasture area there."

After a half-mile or so we turned into a dive that led back to a large single story house with the outbuilding and corrals strung along the base of the mountain to the west. I say mountain, but it was about eight hundred feet above the creek level. The house was fairly modern design with a tile roof. It was really quite attractive. We pulled up in front of it and Maddie parked and let out a sigh. "Well, this is it. What do you think?"

"Well, it's obviously quite nice. Uh, why are we here, and what is this place, anyway?"

"Oh, Billy, I'm sorry. I call this place 'Mi Casa' since it's mine, and it's the first time I've been on my own. Dad bought this for me when I turned twenty-one. It came along with a trust fund that will give me enough money to keep the place up and live fairly well. I haven't really decided what to do with it. I mean, I'd like to make it productive. I know a lot about horses, and but I really don't know anything about running a ranch."

We got a couple of horses out of the barn and rode around the place. There was a good sized spring that drained across the pasture to the creek. Someone had ditched it so that it watered all of the pasture area and the hay was a lovely, dark rich green, starting to brown in places. 

"I also have water rights to the creek, and it has water year round. There is more hay than I can ever use."

You don't run all this by yourself, do you?"

Laughing, she said, "No, when dad gave me the place I hired a Mexican couple. They live in the house to the left of the main one. It's small, but they like it. He takes care of everything outside, and she takes care of the house. They have two boys, eleven and thirteen and a girl, ten. The boys are a big help. Benny, that's Benny Garcia, is handy, and he hires out some of the work, like harvesting the hay. We get two crops a year."

After looking at the main parts of the ranch, we took a trail to the top of the mountain. Maddie was riding the black gelding I'd turned over to her. There was a great view from the top. We could see Dripping Springs two or three miles to the east, and several other "mountains" across the south east to the south west. Her ranch was laid out below us. 

We stayed up there longer than we had planned and when she heard my stomach rumbling, she laughed, "Okay, let's head down. Pork chops and eggs okay?"

Breakfast was good, with the additions of some great biscuits and a large pot of coffee. Afterward we sprawled out in her living room, relaxing and talking about this and that. I fell asleep in the big, leather easy chair I was sitting in, and woke up with a start. Maddie was sitting on the sofa with her legs curled up. 

"Well, at least I know you don't snore. That's useful knowledge," she said, laughing.

"God, I'm sorry." I stood up, "I guess you'd better get me back home. I'm heading up to Pawnee tomorrow morning for the Pawnee Bill Memorial Rodeo."

She walked up to me and put her arms around me, her head in my chest. She squeezed me tight and then lifted her head for a kiss. Not disagreeing with that I enthusiastically participated. I could feel her breasts against my chest and felt her nipples harden. Damn, she must not have a bra on. I dropped my hands down to that lovely bottom and pulled her against me. After a few minutes of that she broke free, breathing hard with her face and neck a bright red.

"Unh, I guess I'd better take you home. That was just supposed to be a goodbye kiss."

A half hour later I was home. The feel of her body against me was just a burning memory. That afternoon I packed up and headed up to Ponca City. It was about an eight hour drive, so I stopped overnight at some no name motel in Ardmore. I pulled in to Ponca City and the motel we had reservations with, but Eddie already had a new roommate. After a short discussion, I looked for new lodgings. The only thing I could find was a B&B that had a small three room guest cabin with a private garden in the back of it.

It was really quite nice, but I thought it would be too pricey. The sweet woman that owned the place looked me over, and said, "You look like a nice cowboy. My Harold lived for the rodeo, and he would want me to take care of you. I'll let you have it for half-price."

I argued with her half-heartedly, but she was adamant. The place was well done; it even had a handmade pre-civil war bed carved from walnut. The whole suite was like a display room for antiques. I settled in, and then picked up Eddie to get the entry forms for the events they wanted to enter filled out. This wasn't a big money event but, hopefully, we could cover costs.

Eddie and I had a good time on our team roping, but I aggravated my knee and had to scratch the rest of my events. I ran into Bobby and he asked if I could watch him on the saddle bronc. I had no more than sit down when I felt someone slide into the seat beside me. I turned and saw Madison.

"Hi, Billy. I wanted to watch Bobby. It's okay if I sit with you, isn't it?"

"Sure, Maddie. I banged up my knee again and had to drop out of the rest of my events. I guess I'm going to have to give up on a rodeo career. My dad needs my help … and I don't think I need this anymore."

"You did this 'cause you thought I was engaged to Kendall, didn't you?"

I looked away, embarrassed, then back at her, "Yeah, Maddie, it was pretty awful."

I was saved from further discussion on the topic when Bobby broke out of the chute. He had a great ride and made his time. When he was ready, the three of us went out to dinner. It was fun and we laughed a lot. I took Maddie to a tavern where they had a band playing, and we danced a couple of slow ones as my knee had tightened up and I couldn't do more than that. We had another make-out session when I took her to her room. Damn, I could get used to that. Two days later I was on my way to Wyoming to give the horses back to Rick. Eddie took his own truck and went ahead.

Chapter Five

It was a quick drive to deliver the horses, and I was back home in a week. Dad and I sat down and talked it over. Dad was going to do the hunting stuff, and I would do everything else, the cattle and horse breeding. I hired a kid that had graduated in the spring from Abilene Christian with a degree in Animal Science. I'd still manage the overall effort, but I hoped he could, over time, do most of the work on the Black Angus breeding.

My knee healed quickly, once I quit abusing it. Things quickly settled into a routine. I was seeing Maddie two or three days a week, and we were becoming close. I wanted to spend my life with her, but I wasn't sure how I'd fit into her world. I didn't know any of her friends, her dad hated me, and I'd met her mom only the one time. I finally decided to talk to her. We were at her place after a night of dinner and dancing, shortly after Thanksgiving.