Chapter 14: Home Again Home Again

The night was passed with naps and sex. Each more demanding then the last. By the early dawn we were both sore to the touch, raw almost, and still the desire was there, the ability was not. I left his hotel room sneaking down the hall like a thief. I fell into my bed and instead of being sleepy, I was wide awake. I laughed and took a long hot shower and got dressed, my day was starting early.

It was I who woke JC that morning and it was I who encouraged him to hurry down for breakfast. Luck followed me the rest of the day. I managed to get all of the stock I wanted including all of the horses. The day was full of transactions, paper work and fast paced bidding. I saw Kevin, once, he was signing paper work for his own live stock. With an impersonal nod he faded back into the crowd. JC watched it but wisely kept silent.

The trip home was long and hot. Traveling with a trailer full of horses, a curiious cowboy and my own mind full of doubt wasn't an easy thing to do. Thunderstorms seemed to plague us which caused hazardous driving. Gas prices were outrageous and we seemed to burn through it like air. Ah well. At long last we were home again.

"Mom!" Pat was in my arms before my feet hit the ground.

I was given the gift of one hug before the questions started.

"You got horses! What are their names? Boys? Girls? Can I ride em? Why is your face bruised? Can I help you unload?"

I sent a silent prayer up to my mom thanking her for putting up with me.

"Which do you want answered first?" I asked back.

Pat paused clearly listing her questions metally again. "What happened to your face."

"Figures you'd pick that one. I had a very bad run in with a very bad man. But guess what?" I paused for all of half of a second. "Your hero saved me."

"Hero? Kevin??" She clapped.

"And his side kick JC." I said grinning at JC. Which of course caused Pat to notice his eye. I was off the hook and she went scampering after poor JC. I knew I'd be drilled later.

Larry and Billy had made new stalls ready and the horses were bedded down, given time to get used to the sights, smells and sounds of their new home. I went to bed to sleep the sleep of the dead.

No rest for the weary, work started in ernest the very next day. Things were starting to take shape. Billy and Larry had gotten far. A corral was actually taking shape. The large one for the incoming cattle.

Larry caught me up with what had been done, ordered and stocked. Mostly by way of pointing at receipts and dates.

My head still jerked up when I heard a car in the driveway, but I was no longer disappointed when it wasn't Kevin. I believed he'd keep his promise this time. I didn't have long to wait.

I was busy installing a metal gate. Or I should say helping JC to install a metal gate. A gate that was to work as a chute. We'd need it to organize the herd for vaccines and vet visits and...

"And just how many cows did you buy?" A voice said behind me.

I jumped upright! The gate fell crashing down on JC's hand. Who immediately started cursing up a storm.

"Oh Hera's nightgown!" I said instantly trying to lift the gate back up.

Kevin was there the second JC's hand slipped free.

"I ah..." Kevin glanced at JC.

"Yeah yeah." JC said nursing a sore finger. He muttered and walked off to the stable.

"Keep it up and he'll think you don't like him." was all I could come up with.

"I don't." Kevin shot a look towards JC's back.

Ah Kevin looked like a frozen desert. So cool, clean and fresh.

I leaned back on the fence rail. "Jealous are you?"

"Is this the welcome I get?" He asked.

"Depends." I shrugged and pulled off one leather work glove at a time.

"On what?" Kevin was sporting a grin.

"On if you're leaving in the morning."

"And if I said I was?" Kevin asked.

"Well then..." I paused and looked around the ground where we were standing. "I'd say drop those Levi's and lets get started.

Kevin laughed. "And if I'm not?"

"If you're gonna stick around a bit..." I paused and smiled at him wiping the sweat off my brow with the back of my wrist. "I just might manage a shower and a bed."

Laughing was done, we were in an embrace and I thought I heard him say it was done.

"It's done." He repeated. "I am staying around here."

I snorted.

"You just want me to shower first."

As if to prove it he had me against the fence railing and was kissing me until I was sure I'd go up in flames in some fireball of pure sexual lust.

And because fantasy usually is the only that does- the story has to end with:

They lived happily ever after.