Chapter 72

“Rondo, I was so excited about ordering new farm equipment and telling you about doubling the size of our farming operation, I forgot to tell you about the cattle deal I’m trying to set up - as soon as I can meet with the people.”

“Josey, tell me all about it. We’ve talked about that before, and you told me you’d have forty miles of levee leases, with that ten miles you’re adding next to Sheriff Glass’ ranch.”

“Sheila told me that her Mom has a half-brother - who’s married to a woman a few years younger than him, and his wife has three sisters. The women are from Texas originally, and from what I gather, they inherited a fortune. They love cattle and they love horses. They’re already dabbling in the cattle business down in Stewart County, but they want to expand.”

“Damn, Josey - with your money combined with their money - if they want to get into the cattle business big-time - you could furnish all the grazing land, half the cattle - and still have time to farm most of the Mississippi Delta.”

We were sitting in my office after supper, going over everything again when I told him about the cattle business Sheila had told me about.

The phone rang, and before I could answer, someone answered in the kitchen.

“Josey, you’re wanted on the phone, he said his last name is Phillips,” Lougenia came to my door and told me.

I looked at Rondo and he shook his head. I was trying to think of anyone with the last name of Phillips, that I may have met - when I picked up the receiver.

“Josey Ruiz here.”

“Josey, my name is Rick Phillips and I just got a phone call from my niece, Sheila Grassley. She gave me your number and told me that you and I need to meet.”

“Rick, I didn’t know your name, but I was just sitting here talking with my farm manager, about you, your wife and her sisters being in the cattle business. I hope that’s what you called about.”

“That’s exactly why I called - well, I have to be honest, that wasn’t the only reason I called. My wife, Reina, is sitting here on the couch beside me, and when Sheila called and told us about you, Reina asked her if you were the same Deputy Sheriff who captured all those gang members single-handed. When Sheila told her you were the man, both of us knew we wanted to meet you.”

“Rick - Sheila knew I didn’t capture those men single-handed, she’s just pulling that crap on me, knowing I’ll get a good laugh out of it. Anyway, I hope you and Reina also called to talk cattle.”

“That’s the main thing we wanted to meet with you about. Tell me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you just purchase the old Montague Farm?”

“I did. Are you familiar with that farm?”

“Not so much the farm, but our levee lease joins the levee lease on that farm, and we’ve been trying to get our hands on that ten miles of levee starting at the Stewart County Line.”

“Well, not only do I have that ten mile levee lease now - I have the next thirty miles north of there - consecutive.”

“DAMN! Do you really? Man, you have some of the best grazing in the State of Mississippi.”

“I realize that, and that’s the reason I was interested in your operation. I was questioning Sheila about you and your partners when she told me y’all were thinking about expanding.”

“Josey, Reina and I are sitting here bouncing our butts up and down on this couch. When and where can we meet? There’ll be five of us.”

“There’ll be two of us - to begin with - is there any way y’all could drive over to the airport in Collins County?”

“When and what time? We’ll fly in. Reina’s sister, Belle owns a plane and we fly back and forth to Texas all the time.”

“Since you have your own plane, do you happen to know where that big island in the Mississippi is, almost due west of the Montague Farm? The one with the long grass airstrip?”

“We do. We have flown over it many times and wondered who owns it.”

“I do.”

“YOU OWN IT? MAN ALIVE! Is there anyway we can meet you there? We would love to look the place over and visit you and your folks there.”

“Why don’t you, Reina, Cassie, Belle and ... who is the other sister?”

“Allin - spelled with an I instead of an E.”

“Could you fly in about 3:00 tomorrow afternoon? I’ll get my whole gang together and we’ll meet you there for some steaks. If you’re not pushed for time, you can ask Reina and her sisters if they would like to stay the night at our lodge.”

“Josey, how old are you? Reina can hear everything you say and she’s a huge fan of yours. She, Cassie, Belle, and Allin have even asked the television studios for film clips of all the times you were on the air.”

“I’m eighteen.”

I glanced at Rondo and he gave me a quick thumb’s up.

“Why did they want to know that?”

“If I answer that, Reina will slap me. Here, she can tell you.”

“Hello – Josey?”

“Hey Reina.”

“I just wanted to tell you, Rick and I will be there with my sisters. I swear, I can hardly wait to call and tell them about this meeting we’re planning.”

“Okay, but why did you want to know how old I am?”

“I told my sisters that you look twenty - or over - and Belle told us she hoped you were at least legal age, because she wanted to take you home with her.”

“Heck, I thought it was something serious. How old is Belle?”

“She’s thirty. She’s the oldest of us four.”

“Thirty’s not old. Who’s the youngest?”

“Allin. She’s your age. Just wait until I tell her we talked and we’re invited to spend the night on your island.”

“Well, I hope you’re not disappointed. I’m just a plain old Mississippi hick, country boy.”

“I refuse to respond to that remark. Here’s Rick, he’s laughing at me now that I’m flustered.”

“Josey?”

“Yeah Rick?”

“We’ll see you on the island around 3:00 tomorrow. Medium Rare, all the way around the table here.”

“See you then. I’ll bring my whole clan - around thirty in all and we’ll have a good time. Y’all have a good night.”

“Rondo I hope you know how to cook a steak. I don’t know shit about grilling.”

“I’m not that good either, but there’s a man on the other end of that mike cord who can cook a steak that’ll melt in your mouth.”

“Josey Base - to Josey Island - Billy Wayne?”

“Yeah, Josey. Got you good and clear. What’s up?”

“Rondo told me you could cook a steak that will melt in my mouth. I’m sure you’ve seen those whole beef tenderloins in the cooler, aging. Use the ones with the oldest date. There’ll be about three dozen of us fly in there around 3:00 tomorrow afternoon, so you may need to cut forty steaks. Could you and your girls have those steaks ready to cook when we get there? We’ll be staying the night too.”

“Got you covered. We’ll make it special since you and your bunch will be our first guests.”

“10-4”

“10-4 and out”

“Rondo, I need to make a couple of phone calls. Will you tell Jillian, Josalyn, and Jan I need to see them? I want all our women to go with us. I want Chuck, Lizbeth, and Merci to go too. I’ll call him now.

“Josey Base to Chuck Grassley”

“Hey, Josey. I walked out here to the pickup and listened, when I heard y’all talking. What’s up?”

“I need you, Lizbeth and your sister-in-law, Merci, to be on that plane with us tomorrow.”

“I may have to hog-tie those two, but we’ll be at the airport in plenty of time. I have got to see my bossman tangle with those wild Texas women. The few times we’ve been around them, they were sitting around a pool naked as a bunch of Jaybirds.”

“10-4 sounds interesting - see you tomorrow.”

“10-4”

“Sheila.”

“Yes, Josey. Is there a problem?”

“No, just calling you tonight, so you can make plans for tomorrow. I want you to get Shelly out of school tomorrow, and the next day. We’re planning a short flight in our plane, and we’ll be spending the night at the lodge on our island. I’d like for her to go with us, since we brought her up to stay with you. Can you handle that?”

“We can handle that. I’ll call Mom and ask her to call the principal. Once she tells that young principal we’re flying with Josey Ruiz - she’ll excuse Shelly. Mom told me that young woman is a big fan of yours, by the way. You may want to check that stuff out. What time will we leave?”

“2:00 tomorrow afternoon.”

“We’ll be there.”

“Night Baby - Love you, and Shelly.”

“We love you too, Josey.”

...”Jillian, come in and have a seat. I hope our plane is ready to make a short flight.”

“OH YES - Rondo was just telling us you have a surprise flight for us. Josh and Jan will be here in a minute, they were in the shower.”

“Damn, I hate I missed that.”

“You don’t need to miss any more of those opportunities. I’m ready for you, and so is Josh. Jan wants you too, but we know you’re busy, so we’ll wait our turn.”

“I’m ready for you too. Now that I think back, I wish we’d had more time, the day we met in your motel room.”

“I’ve thought about that day a hundred times, and how close we came. If we could have gotten your cock in my pussy when we first tried, we would have still been fucking when Kay and Aunt Denny came in the room.”

“I own that motel now - but I would rather we go someplace more special when we reenact that day.”

“Would you really reenact that day with me? I would love to go back and finish what we started - but reenacting it from start - to where we were interrupted - then fuck like both of us wanted to that day, would be special too.”

“Let’s plan that as soon as we can. You have me horny for your sexy ass now, and you’re supposed to be recovering.”

“I’m ready - already. Clara examined me and she told me to go for it. She even offered to be there for me.”

“Damn, now that would be so hot. Uh oh, here comes Josh and Jan. Let’s take this up later. You are so beautiful, Jillian, and you have me wanting you even more than the day we met.

“Josh - Jan, come on in. I just wanted to bring all my pilots in and tell you we have a flight planned for tomorrow. This won’t be a really long flight, but it’s shaping up to be a really fun trip.

“To begin with, I’ve talked to some folks south of here who’re in the cattle business and they’re ready expand in a big way. I’ve been flirting with the idea of getting in the cattle business in a big way myself, and now, I’ve invited Rick Phillips, his wife Reina, and her three sisters – Belle, Cassie, and Allin, spelled with an I - to meet us at the island. They have their own plane and they’ll fly in around 3:00. I’d like to be there at least thirty minutes early if we can.

“I’ve called Billy Wayne and told him to take enough beef tenderloins out of the cooler for supper. I’ve asked Chuck Grassley, his wife, and her sister, Merci - to fly with us, since Chuck’s step-uncle is one of the family members we’ll meet tomorrow.

“I’ve called Sheila and asked her to bring her younger sister, Shelly.

“I had already planned to make our trip to the island, a regular outing and I especially want all of us to be together on this first trip. We could be working in the fields within two weeks, depending on the weather.

“Though we’ll be talking business with our guests on this trip, I want everyone to have fun and enjoy the Lodge. Rondo and I have a big surprise for all of you. OH - and I want all of you to be just as relaxed and informal over there, as we are here at home. You’ll have to wait for us to spring our surprise - then you’ll know why I want everyone to feel free to dress like you are now.”

Josalyn smiled and said, “Josey, are you sure your guests would feel comfortable around a bunch of half-naked women?”

“From what little I’ve learned about them, they may be more casual and laid-back than we are. Chuck Grassley told me they have a pool and they love to lie in the sun naked and swim naked.”

Josalyn said, “Dang, they sound like our kind of people. I wish we had a pool on your island so we could swim naked with them.”

Jan told her, “I’ve never been in a pool naked in front of a man, but I would, if all of you swim naked with Josey when he gets his pool finished.”

“Jan, the pool will be ours, not just mine. As long as you stay here with us, everything we own will be part yours.”

“Even your cock?”

“That too, once you and I share our bodies. Now, you girls go up and tell the others what we have planned. We’ll load all our vehicles by noon and have everyone at the airport on time tomorrow.”

“Jillian, instead of making a big circle and landing on the island, why don’t you and your co-pilots plan a flight down as far as Vicksburg, then back upriver to land on the island. Can we do that? Or will we have to leave earlier?”