Chapter 9

"Don't you just love this outfit, daddy."

"It's perfectly darling."

Franklin Barker watched his daughter as she modeled her new dress in front of him in the living room.

It was hard to believe that she was the same introverted girl she had been just a few months before.

After Lightning's death she had totally changed. He had expected her to be terribly grief stricken about the horse.

She had begun to take a healthy interest in the way she dressed and her manner was much more polite.

She embraced you with her smile. She had hardly ever smiled after her mother's death three years ago.

"What time is Carter calling on you?"

"What time is it now?"

She was checking herself in the hall mirror, making sure that everything was just right for when her boyfriend called upon her.

"A few minutes to eight."

"He should be here any minute."

She was a ravishing spectacle. Barker loved when she wore her hair up on her head like it that.

She looked so much like Nora when she arranged her hair on top of her head like that. It brought out her classic beauty.

Her high cheekbones were clearly visible and their effect was not destroyed by long hair framing her face.

Her beautiful features were given full play to shine off her face. And tonight she was radiant. Her eyes twinkled.

She and Carter had been dating a lot lately. Franklin was glad to see her finally enjoying herself after the years of mourning for her mother.

Her odd fascination with her beautiful steed was over, thank God. She hadn't been on a horse since Lightning's death.

Mistler had explained to him what had happened on that fateful night when he had to shoot the steed from mauling Melanie.

How she had ever found the strange contraption he did not know. But she had and luckily Mistler had heard her frantic screams.

But the spirit that had doomed her mother to an awful fate and threatened to consume Melanie had died with the handsome steed.

Mullady told him that the instant the shot was fired and the horse fell dead off the pedestal, the smell of horse sweat faded away.

For the first time in years there was no odor of the beast permeating the musty, ramshackle old shed.

With the death of the horse had come a new Melanie. A Melanie that should have always been like the way she was now.

She sat patiently on the couch next to Barker waiting with bated breath for the doorbell to ring.

When it did she would joyfully hop to her feet brimming with the knowledge that Carter was just outside her door.

Barker had not pressed her about the incident. As long as she didn't bring it up he never broached the subject.

He could imagine what she must have gone through when the horse thrust into her with all its weight atop the contraption.

Somehow the event had brought her to her senses. It had knocked her out of her dream world and brought her back down to earth.

The doorbell rang and the music of the chimes bounced off the high ceilings and reverberated around the room.

Melanie was grinning from ear to ear. Her dress ruffled as she walked with graceful anticipation across the room.

"Melanie, you're beautiful."

"Thank you, Carter, you're so kind."

"I brought you a corsage."

"Why, it's gorgeous."

She took it out of the box, her fingers shaking with excitement, and removed the corsage from the cardboard box.

She held it to her heart and modeled it for her father and her boyfriend and then pinned it in place.

"What time is the dance," asked the smiling Franklin Barker.

"We'd better hurry or we'll be late, Melanie. In fact we're late already."

"All right, there's no need to rush," said Barker, "take your time and enjoy yourselves."

He watched them leave the house and walk on to the porch. Just as they were about to step down Melanie turned to her father.

She was smiling from ear to ear and said:

"Don't worry, we won't be late. And if anything happens we'll call."

"Fine, honey, now have a good time." Carter held her arm and helped her down the steps of the porch and ushered her into the car that was waiting for them.

Carter's parents were well-to-do. Like Barker they owned one of the richest spreads in the county.

It was just like Marington to send his son out on a date with a chauffeured limousine, just to impress the girl.

Well, why the hell not. After what Melanie had been through she deserved nothing but the best.

A girl shouldn't have to go through such pain. He watched the chauffeur close the door and then hop into the front seat.

The car started up and then made its way out of the ranch. Barker kept his loving eyes upon it until it faded from view.

"We're not really late, are we, Carter?"

"No, we should make it on time. But in any event, drive faster please."

Carter was always so considerate. He was the perfect gentleman at all times. And he wore beautiful clothes.

Most of the boys couldn't afford to dress like Carter. His family was rich like hers. They made the perfect couple.

They arrived at the dance that was being held at the town hall. The place was mobbed with teenagers.

They danced every dance together. Even when Flossy McArdle tried to horn in on them Carter told her to bug off.

That made Melanie very happy. She was glad that Carter wanted nothing to do with her. Flossy was so mad.

When Melanie asked him how he felt about her right before they started dating he said that she was a cheap tramp.

Melanie knew that Carter did not think of her like that. He told her that she had a lot of class. He said that few girls were worthy of his station besides her. She had the kind of background that he admired.

Flossy was just a cheap floozy who tried to buy men's hearts with her body. She had no class at all.

Melanie loved when Carter talked like that. It made her feel important and special in his eyes.

She told him that she was very sorry about the way she had acted towards him at her sweet-sixteen party. She had been feeling very depressed and was not herself. She found the gift he had brought her and thought it was wonderful.

It was a gold locket, which opened up and inside it was a diamond. On the back it said, "All my love, Carter."

He said to her that he was sorry about what happened to her horse, the one that he knew she loved so much.

He had heard that it went crazy and had to be shot. She blushed when he talked about it and told him to forget it, the horse didn't mean that much to her.

He was surprised when he heard that. Everyone knew how much she really loved that horse of hers.

But he sensed her discomfort when he talked about Lightning and in deference to her feelings never brought it up again.

After having a wonderful time at the dance, it was time to go and Carter ushered her into the limousine.

He told the driver to just keep going. They wanted to take a ride along the river and watch the summer moon.

The driver stopped the car near an elevated embankment where they could see the moon and watch the beams sparkle off the running water.

It was a terribly romantic sight and Melanie sank into his arms like putty. Their lips met and they kissed.

He held her in his strong arms and she was a little crushed from his hearty embrace but enjoyed the feeling.

He smelled wonderful as well as being the most handsome boy she had ever seen and she let his tongue probe into her mouth.

She met his tongue with her own. She kissed him back as hard as she could and she felt her nipples rise inside her bra.

She controlled her passion because she remembered what Carter had said about Flossy being a tramp.

He didn't like girls who used their bodies to get what they wanted. It was cheap and bored him.

He let her rub her soft palms on his face. He was getting a little sweaty from their sweet embrace.

He felt his cock start to lurch inside his pants. Melanie's soft touch was making his fire come to the fore.

He pushed her away from him before he lost control of the situation and they both did something they might regret.

Melanie was content just to rest her head on his shoulder and watch the moon as the clouds passed by it.

Carter nibbled at her ear. Her body pulsed with delightful thrills from his sentimental gesture.

She raised her head up and Carter gave her a long and loving kiss and probed his tongue deep in her mouth.

When they broke the embrace they were both breathless. Their young faces were red and their eyes glazed.

Carter said it was time for the both of them to go home because it was getting late and her father would be worried.

The driver sped off into the night and they rode the rest of the way back to her house holding hands.

When they arrived at the house, Carter got out and opened the door for her and instructed the driver to wait.

They walked the few steps to the door and they looked each other in the eyes and hugged one another close.

Then their eyes closed and their lips touched and their bodies met in a loving and fiery embrace.

Her body pressed close against his and their tongues intertwined in their mouths and they kissed lovingly.

She felt Carter's hand brush against her bust and then he grabbed her breast and ran his palm over it.

Melanie was breathing heavy and her face was flushed. As her pelvis pressed against his crotch she could feel his cock surging up.

"Goodnight, Melanie. I had a perfectly wonderful time."

"Oh, Carter, won't you come in for a minute."

"It's getting late. Your father might mind."

"No, he won't."

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't lie about a thing like that."

She smiled into his beaming face. They both knew that they could trust one another implicitly.

"Okay, then, just for a minute."

Carter told the driver that he would be out presently and then he would take him home and his duties would be over for the night.

Melanie opened the door with her key and switched on the light. Carter shut the door and she led him into the living room.

"Would you like a soda or something. Or perhaps a glass of milk?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"Why don't you have a seat."

Carter sat down on the couch and put his hands on his lap. Melanie sat down next to him clasping her hands together.

They sat there motionless staring off into space and deciding on what to do next. Neither one wanted to make the first move.

Slowly, Carter drew his arm up and put it on the back of the couch. As if on cue, Melanie inched closer to him. A strand of hair fell from the bun atop her head. He twiddled it between two fingers while his hand massaged the back of her shapely neck. Unnoticeable to the naked eye, Melanie moved herself closer to him. Each second brought her that much nearer until a minute had passed and her shoulder was nuzzled under his arm.

Carter put his hand on her arm and palmed the creamy skin. Melanie closed her eyes and sighed softly, overcome by the tenderness of the moment.

He lifted his head off hers and saw that her eyes were closed. He drew his other arm around her front and hugged her tight.

Their warm bodies formed together as one. She opened her eyes and looked long and lovingly into his.

Her blue gems twinkled in anxious delight. She rested her head on his shoulder and parted her lips just a fraction.

She squirmed in her seat when Carter brought his lips to hers and kissed her full on the mouth, their tongues touching.

She melted into his embrace. She accepted all of his tongue as it filled her mouth and then kissed him back.

Their kiss held them together in a long embrace until Melanie lost her breath. She took deep gasps of air that made her breasts rise and fall.

She nuzzled her face into his neck and sniffed his manly odor to capture his heavenly scent in her soul.

She was content and happier than at any other time in her life as she rested her head on his chest and reached her arm around his supple waist.

Her mind was ablaze with sweet thoughts. She imagined herself walking down a wedding aisle with Carter on her arm.

He lowered his head and planted sweet and gentle kisses on the lovely nape of her neck that made her gush with excitement.

The feel of his soft lips on her tender flesh stirred up her passion. Her toes twiddled inside her shoes.

As they continued necking she placed her hand inside his jacket and felt his hard chest underneath his white silk shirt.

She undid a button and slipped her hand inside and felt the muscles of his young but manly breast.

His feverish kisses were making her crazy. Her face was flushed and her body was aglow from the sweet caress of his tender necking.

Then he stopped making love to her neck and drew her mouth close to his and kissed her long and hard on the lips.

Their tongues met and swished together inside each other's mouths and their panting became heavier with each passing second. She felt Carter's hand brush gently against her bosom. His merest touch was enough to cause her nipple to rise up inside her bra.