Chapter 11: Weekend at the Ranch

I had expected that Mitch and Tali would head home sometime late on Saturday night, but when I got up Sunday morning the ‘Ranger Car’ was still in my driveway. They were somewhere in the house, no doubt in one of the bedrooms. I’d get to do my ‘mental health check’ with them face to face.

I started the coffee and turned on some relaxing music on the patio when Mindy and Kent appeared. They were newly showered but still displayed that ‘freshly fucked’ magic glow. Mindy was wearing a bikini bottom and Kent a bathing suit.

Mindy came and hugged me. “Good morning, husband. I love you. I hope you had a nice evening and night. Who were you with?”

“You, too, and I slept with Taylor. I kind of kept her up for a while and then again in the middle of the night.” I shrugged.

Tali strolled into the kitchen area naked and also freshly showered. She also displayed that morning sex glow. Behind her came Blake. They both got coffee and took seats at the counter where they could watch me prepare breakfast. I did some morning teasing with them, but nothing too embarrassing.

I had a chance to get close to Tali while the others were distracted talking. I quickly said, to her, “Everything all right?”

Tali flashed me a huge smile. “I am fine. I have not verified how my husband is doing, but since I suspect he spent a good part of the night with his pecker buried in some other pussy, I think he’s probably also very all right.”

“No regrets?”

“Not a one. Well, maybe one, and this is that you and I didn’t make love until last night. You are very loved by me this morning ... and don’t worry, I’m not throwing my marriage away to stalk you or anything. Just I feel ultra-affectionate towards you and I want us to make love lots from now on.”

I smiled, “I like that idea, but let’s be sure that Mitch is feeling strong about his marriage and you.”

“Good idea. Want me to go and find him?”

“No, I’m sure the aroma of coffee permeating the house will bring all the others down her soon enough.”

Wade appeared with Margo. They’d had morning sex but unlike the others hadn’t showered. My AA and lover had cum running down her leg that I don’t think she felt. Kyle and Tina were right behind them, and immediately headed for the coffee urn. Taylor stumbled in as well.

Mitch and Jessica were the last to appear. They were still panting from whatever activity they’d been involved with prior to rushing to the kitchen. They both blushed, but we were all polite and other than saying good morning didn’t tease them. Mitch caught my eye and nodded with a slight smile.

I cooked up a huge batch of scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage. Mindy laid out various breads, the toaster, bagels, cheeses, granola, yoghurt, and some other breakfast foods. As the buffet started people grazed through and took their pick of the food.

Mindy opened up the walls leading out to the patio and people migrated out to the various tables, benches, and chairs out there to eat. The day was already warming up. The temperatures would be in the eighties at least.

After I was sure there were enough foods, I served myself and wandered outside. There was a space left to sit opposite Mitch, so I took it. Taylor was sitting next to him, and next to my seat was Blake.

As I sat I said, “And how is Mitch this morning?”

He looked surprised, but my serious tone had alerted him that I wanted a deeper answer than ‘Fine’.

Mitch said, “I know what and why you’re asking that. What’d our captain call it, an attitude check? Well, I have a great attitude. I am in love with my wife ... and four new women, however.”

“Are you bothered by anything you did or that Tali did?”

“Not in the least. I figure she fucked most of the other men. I watched her with you, saw her go off with Blake, but then didn’t keep track of her. I knew she was close by and that if she needed me, she could easily find me. I did not feel the need to check up on her once I saw how you and the other men treated her. Actually, it was how you treated all of others.”

I told him, “I’m in love with her, and I know she feels the same way.”

“How do you manage with multiple people that you love? I’m serious.”

I smiled. “They are the same ways that you use with one. First, you have to find out how they like to be loved, and I don’t mean the sex. Do they want you to do things for them, buy them gifts, sit with them and talk, tell them how great they are and how much you love them, and-or extend physical contact to them such as cuddling, yes, sex, or just holding hands?

“I think that the most important one is communications with them – lots and lots. Talk to each of them and ask them what they want.”

Mitch asked, “Three of the women I fell for are married.”

I chuckled, “Same answer, only you should never enter into something like that with the idea that you are going to displace the primary man in her life. You might even include him in your romantic plans for his wife.

“Many men equate love and sex, and it sounds like you do. Thus, you think if I have sex with someone I should love them, and so you do. Don’t get too hung up on that meme. If you love someone, the sex can make it better and more complete, but not the other way around in quite the same way.”

“You’re one of the men whose wife I fell in love with,” Mitch admitted.

“I kind of figured. Mindy and I are still finding our way into this marriage, as you know ... and I’ve never met anyone as horny or who likes to fuck as much as she does. I was uncertain when she proposed our open marriage as part of the deal; now, I can’t see it any other way both from her viewpoint and mine. That said, just remember that we are trying to build a real marriage out of the situation we were put in by my buddies.”

“Of course. We respect each other.”

I thought a second, “Mitch. You should set the tone for how you want Tali to respond to her admirers, including me. How far do you want me to go with Tali, that is if she acts to build some relationship or physical contact?”

“Oh, good question. I think you should follow your own conscience. Mine is fucked up right now. I need to get used to having watched my wife get the fuck of her life from my old friend, and then she went and fucked three or four other men as she discovered how much fun sex could be outside of her marriage. I am glad she’s happy. I am not sure I can handle all that just this second and still make rational decisions about any of it.”

I said, “I can imagine how you feel, especially coming from a background that emphasized a traditional marriage. I had parents that kept telling me to question everything, even the most basic assumptions about life.”

“So, you questioned the one about marriage. You knew Mindy, what an hour before you proposed to her.”

“I was ripe for the bet, let’s say. I’d thought of marriage as requiring deep knowledge of your potential life mate, followed by a long engagement, and then the ultimate commitment. One of my friends reminded me that for many successful marriages the bride and groom have never met until their wedding day. Based on that, I thought ‘Why not?’

As we got into it, and started to involve our friends, I got to thinking about plural marriages – multiple men and-or multiple women in a state of polyamory. The one-to-one situation that we’re all used to is the default case. It’s not the only case. When I danced with Mindy and the few words we said, I knew she was different and that she thought about the world differently. I didn’t realize how much we agreed on some stuff, although I needed to rethink the situation after it struck close to home.”

Mitch said, “So, what would you do if you were married to Talia?”

I chuckled, “I’d do the same thing I’m doing with Mindy – turn her loose on her own recognizance, but armed with my the certainty of my growing love for her. Mindy knows that I will still be trying to love her and be her life partner in the morning.”

“Thank you. You said about what I thought you’d say, and you helped me frame my own mindset on this subject.”

I suggested, “Don’t get too irate about the sex ... or even the feelings of romance and attraction. Be the home base you always were – provide support, love, a sympathetic and empathetic ear, and a partner in all.

“Meanwhile, try to get your head into the ‘sex is fun’ meme, and not fall in love with everybody you fuck. Realize that Tali may have the same meme and help her through that.

A little later, I watched as Mitch and Tali took a walk together down to the stables. They were deep in conversation, and both occasionally gestured with their hands, even pointing back at the house once or twice.

Mindy found me and gave me a big hug and kiss. I kissed back. As she hung on my arm I asked with a smile, “Are we okay? How’re you doing?”

Mindy kissed me again. “WE are doing wonderfully. Let me elaborate. You are so supportive to my new lifestyle. You knew I’d done some groupie kind of stuff before we met, but you’re so tolerant as I’ve turned it into a lifestyle for both of us.

“Moreover, I am very aware of how you interact with me – listen to me, look at me, hold me, and make love to me. I have truly fallen in love with you, and I hope I am the adventure that you sought for the rest of your life, because you are that for me.

“And to answer ‘How am I doing?’ fantastic is the best word. I know I am loved. I have created even stronger friendships with the men and women who are our companions, and as I’ve told you I feel very loving towards all of them. I feel like you are helping me to blossom out into a much better person.” After a pause she said, “How are you doing? I hope you’re all right with what’s been going on.”

“Oh, I am. Mitch talked to me a little while ago about Tali. I guess she fell for me, and he’s fallen for you and a few of the other women.”

Mindy scoffed, “Oh, that’s just the sex talking. I did have fun with him, but that’s all. He’s a hunk and romantic, but I have you. We had fun together, and I look forward to being with him again and again, but you’re the guy I married. I’m sure the fates intervened to make that happen.”

I reached over and slowly kissed Mindy on the lips. She tenderly kissed back. I whispered, “I love you.”

Mindy whispered, “I love you.”

“Let’s have some more fun.”

Mitch and I ran his car back to his ranger station, got two of his ATVs, hooked two others behind them, and rode back to the ranch in more or less a straight line that paralleled the main road through Paicines. Mitch did check the sign-in book for the Pinnacles National Park he oversaw, but didn’t see anything of concern.

Back at the ranch the others had prepared a large picnic lunch under Mindy’s supervision, and gotten towels and blankets ready for a trip up into the hills and to the lake. With six ATVs we had plenty of carrying capacity, plus everyone got to go. The place was alive with laughter as we left.

Fortunately, the trails weren’t too dusty, so no one ended up eating anyone else’s fumes or the dust their machine kicked up. Mitch led the way, and took us through two new trails that I hadn’t been on before.

We pulled up beside the large pond that Mitch called Pinnacles Lake. All around us were unusual rock formations, the root of which were the slow crashing together of two tectonic plates deep underground.

Mitch and Talia stood and started to strip off their clothing. He yelled to everybody else, “Last one in is a rotten egg.” When the two of them were naked they went running down the slope and into the lake water. They both screamed out their joy.

Blake and Jess were standing near me. He said, “I don’t know whether to do that or not. I got arrested yesterday for just what they did.”

I laughed, “They were the ones that arrested you. He was having fun at your expense, I’m afraid.”

Blake added, “I spent a long time last night fucking his wife a couple of times, too.”

I was already peeling off my shorts and t-shirt. “Then I guess you’d better be careful.” I roared with laughter. Everybody else, including Kent and Tina were naked by then and headed for the water.

Blake yelled out, “You’re not going to arrest me again are you?”

Talia responded, “He better not. Come on. I want you to get in here and hold me to your hot body. You can even poke me with that ‘thing’ again.” She giggled.