Chapter 6

It was a dream, Millie thought after awakening in the morning. I dreamed the whole thing!

But the vividness of the memory made such a conclusion difficult to accept. Slowly, trembling with dread over what she would find, Millie reached underneath the sheet that covered her and glided her hand down her body, across the ruffled hem of her nightgown and up into the hairy cleft between her thighs.

Her pussy remained slightly puffed, the passage easy to enter. Slipping two slender fingers inside, Millie fearfully felt around. She encountered thick, gooey moisture.

No! she thought. Oh God, no!

Trembling harder, she spooned out a sample of the suspicious substance and brought it up to where she could see it. One look confirmed that it was semen.

She lay back, her brain swirling in sick anguish.

Why did I let him do it? she wondered desperately. You couldn't help yourself, came an answer. He forced you.

But Millie knew this wasn't strictly true. She hadn't gone to Pete, and she would never have done so, but she had let him come to her and take her when she could have screamed or run away. Worse yet, she had enjoyed herself tremendously. This part of her shocking recollection was the most vivid of all.

How can I face Danny? she wondered. He'll probably be able to tell, just to look at me, what I've done. I have no right to stay here, she thought. I should put on my clothes and leave. But how? Someone would have to drive me to town. Then what would I tell Mother? I have no money, so I couldn't go anywhere else. Anyway, I still love Danny. I do! I couldn't bear to lose him!

Millie rolled over, burying her face in the pillow, and began to cry. She sobbed until her pillow was wet and she was weak from the expenditure of emotion. Then she got out of bed, dabbed at her eyes, and put on her robe.

Emotionally deflated, but still sick with shame, she went to the bathroom.

After a long soak in the tub, she felt cleaner physically. Though her guilt hadn't been washed away, she believed she had submerged it sufficiently so that she could face Danny without giving away what she had done.

Danny! she thought. He deserves someone better than me. I'm no good!

As soon as Millie had dressed and fixed her hair and makeup, she went to Danny's room. Her young husband had spent a restless night, and he was so full of complaints about his miserable condition that he hardly looked at her. At first Millie felt relieved. Then she was hurt because he wasn't taking an interest in her.

She felt like saying, I let your brother fuck me last night! But the mere thought sent a new torrent of shame flooding through her, and she turned away to hide her reddening cheeks.

When Millie finally went down to breakfast, she found that the rest of the family had already eaten and gone out. She was glad of that. Rosa brought her food, but she only picked at it.

She kept thinking about what she had done and wondering how she could make up for it. One thing was certain: She would never, never let Pete touch her again! She would claw his eyes out if need be, but she wouldn't give in to him. The same applied to Cal, in case he were to try anything.

Millie felt a little better after having reached this firm resolve. She finished her coffee and returned upstairs to be with Danny.

If only he weren't in that awful cast! she thought, blaming it for all her problems.

At the dinner table that night, Pete kept eyeing Millie. Each time she caught him looking at her, she felt flustered and looked away. Her cheeks were hot, and she knew she was blushing.

She glanced at Gus and found that he was also watching her. His leathery face bore a funny inquisitive look. Millie felt very ill at ease.

Maybe Gus knows what happened, she thought. If he does, will he tell Danny? Oh please, God, don't let him!

Cal was in his usual jovial mood, but he took no special interest in Millie. He ate quickly, then announced that he was going into town.

"On a week night?" Gus inquired with a scowl.

"Why not?" his son answered, grinning. "I won't be out too late."

"You going to see that red-headed writer?" Pete asked casually, his eyes on his plate.

"What's he talking about?" Gus asked Cal.

The husky young man looked uneasy and shuffled his feet. "It ain't nothing, Pop. Pete's just shooting off his mouth. Well, I'll see you later." He turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Gus said. "There's something I want to say while we're all here together. I've already had a talk with Danny."

"What is it?" Cal asked, obviously anxious to be on his way.

Pete looked at his father but said nothing.

"Like I told you," Gus continued, "I couldn't get no place with Charley Sturm yesterday. We're stuck with them Sky-high taxes. So while I was in town I, uh, dropped over to see Trevor Reed."

"You didn't tell us that before," Cal said.

"I know." Gus looked down. "I wanted to give it some thinking first. But I figure... well, you boys have got a right to know."

The middle-aged man raised his eyes and looked at both his sons. "Reed upped his offer for the ranch. He's willing to give us another ten thousand. That's above market value and... well, if you boys and Danny decide you want to sell out, I'll go along with it."

Pete squinted. "But, Dad, this place has been your whole life."

"That's just the point. I ain't got a hell of a lot of working years left, and it'd be wrong for me to insist on holding on here if you boys want to take the profit from the sale. Like I've said before, I figure each of you and Danny owns twenty percent of this place, for the work you've done. I can take my forty percent of the sale money and buy me a little spread I can handle by myself for as long as I feel like working, then sell out and move to Florida or some place."

"Aw, Pop!" Cal said. "You're talking crazy!"

"Cal's right," Pete spoke up. "My future's on this ranch. We can pay the taxes somehow. Next year we'll check the appraisal when it first comes out and file a protest while there's still time."

Gus grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that. But remember," he added, his expression turning grave again, "any time you boys decide among you that you want to pull up stakes, I won't stand in your way."

"Sure, Pop," Cal replied. "Well, be seeing you." With a wave of his hand, he took off.

Pete got up from the table. He glanced at Millie, then turned and walked into the living room, taking out his cigarettes.

"Danny's pretty worried about all this," Millie told Gus. "He thinks that Reed fellow might try something else to force you out."

"Long as my boys stand with me, we can face up to whatever Reed does," Gus said. He stood and gave her a smile. "Want to watch some TV?"

"Maybe later," Millie said as she stood. "I want to be with Danny for a while."

As she turned to leave, Gus took hold of her arm. In a soft voice, close to her ear, he asked, "Is everything all right, Millie? I mean, between you and Danny and all?"

Color rose in her cheeks. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

"No special reason." The white-haired man was watching her closely. "You just seemed kind of upset today. Pete or Cal ain't been giving you a bad time, have they?"

"Why, uh, no."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Millie forced a smile.

Gus let go of her arm and watched thoughtfully as she left the room. Then he took out his pipe and walked to the living room to join Pete.

That night Millie placed a chair under the knob of her bedroom door. She lay awake in the darkness, wondering whether Pete would try to get in. Though the chair furnished evidence of her wish not to see him, she nevertheless felt an aroused tingle in her loins.

She kept thinking of the marvelous fucking he had given her on the preceding night--how wicked and wrong, yet how pleasurable it had been. Millie suffered a new onslaught of guilt.

If Pete came around, she didn't hear him during the hour or so that she lay awake. Later she dreamed she was with a man.

In the morning, thinking back over it, she wasn't sure if her dream lover had been Danny or someone else. The man's face had been indistinct, as was his form except for his massively rigid penis which had stood handsomely before her, then had burrowed deep into her belly. The dream had ended before Millie could achieve a release.

After tending to Danny in the morning, the frustrated young bride decided to go for a walk. With fall on the way, the weather had turned cooler, though the sky was clear. It was a perfect day for hiking.

Wearing blue denim jeans and a clinging red and white top, Millie set out walking along the trail which took off from the stable area, cutting across the open rolling rangeland. Pete and Cal were working near the stable. The younger man yelled a greeting while Pete merely looked Millie's way and said nothing. She gave them a wave and went on.

After topping the second rise, Millie felt like taking a short rest. Green grass bordered a meandering little stream which was lined by shade trees. Millie walked over to the inviting spot and sat down on the grass. The water gurgled pleasantly. Birds twittered in the branches above her. The sunlight through the leaves cast a lacy filigree on the ground.

She leaned back on her elbows and gazed at the blue sky above the horizon. At that moment, the world seemed perfect. All Millie needed was to have Danny beside her at that lovely spot.

I'd let him make love to me right here, the young bride thought daringly: Right out in the open, under the beautiful sky, with the birds to watch us.

The thought set Millie's loins to tingling again, and she decided she had better continue her walk. She rose and brushed at the seat of her snug jeans, causing her taut, plump buttocks to quiver.

As she turned back to the trail, she heard the sound of a horse's hooves approaching. She tensed. Over the rise loomed Pete on horseback. He pulled his trotting horse to a stop and swung off.

"What are you doing here?" Millie demanded, her expression turning cross.

"You heard what Dad said last night," Pete replied with a slight smirk as he moved up to her. "The ranch is twenty percent mine. So I guess I have a right to ride across it."

"That isn't what I mean. I want to know why you followed me."

"Guess," Pete said. He suddenly pulled Millie into his arms.

Her full tits mashed against his manly chest, and he caught her startled, open mouth with his. His tongue jammed between her lips as his lips suctioned. Millie felt an immediate response that shocked and shamed her.

The other night seemed to be happening all over again. But Millie had promised herself that she wouldn't give in to Pete a second time. She began to struggle fiercely, beating at the slender cowboy and writhing in his embrace.

Finally Pete had to let her go. She backed up, breathing excitedly. Her large breasts rose and fell beneath her light blouse.

"Who are you trying to kid?" Pete asked with a sneer.

"I don't want you!" Millie exclaimed. "I'm sick about what happened the other night. Now if you don't ride away from here right now and leave me alone, I'll tell your father."

"He's Danny's father, too."

"I don't care! If Danny finds out, it will be just that much worse for you."

"No, baby. For you." Pete's eyes were hard and evil. "Remember, I've still got those pants I took off you. How will you explain them?"

"Why, I... I'll just say you attacked me... and I couldn't stop you from taking my panties off."

"And you think Danny will believe that? Unh-uh." Pete shook his head. "He'll figure you cooperated. And he'll know I'm telling the truth when I say you took me into your bed the next night."

"You're hateful!" Millie cried. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were about to brim with tears.

"We're all alone out here," Pete said, taking a step toward her. Millie backed up. "If you yell, nobody will hear. I won't have to work too hard to take you, 'cause you remember how good it was the other night."

Millie kept backing up. When Pete made a lunge, she whirled away and began running across the grass. Her heart was pounding in her throat. She knew Pete was determined, and she feared she wouldn't be able to get away from him.

As they dodged among the trees, Pete in close pursuit of her, Millie lost her footing and tumbled to the ground. Pete was on top of her, rolling her over on the soft grass and straddling her middle.

The desperate girl stared at him, her eyes wide with fright. Her body throbbed with shameful desire.

"I don't want to tear your clothes," Pete said, his breath heavy. "Cause after this is over, I know damned well you won't want to tell anybody."

"I will!" she insisted. "I'll tell everyone!"

"Then why didn't you tell 'em about the other night?"

"I should have! I was wrong. I won't make that mistake again."

"Let's see," Pete replied confidently.

He scooted slightly forward so that he could pin her arms to the ground with his legs. She heaved and twisted beneath him, but it was no use. She couldn't throw him off or slide free.

Gazing down at her, his eyes twinkling insolently, the rangy young man proceeded to open the fly of his jeans. He reached inside, grasped his thickened penis, and drew it out. The awful thing curved forward from the gap in his pants.

"See what I've got for you?" Pete said. "I want you to kiss it and make it stiff."

A terrible shock went through Millie. She hadn't imagined he would demand anything like that.

"No!" she exclaimed, her eyes wild with panic.

"You'll like it, baby. It tastes just as good as Danny's."

"But I've never..." She kept eyeing Pete's cock.