Chapter 4

I was flabbergasted to realize Coretta was on my mind a lot. I didn't understand it but after thinking about it decided to call her. I don't know what happened during my tribulations with Mia, but for some reason my little sister popped into my mind and wouldn't leave.

In fact, I began to realize I was thinking about her or rather missing her kind of like I missed Debra. The only thing I could think of was; "What the hell?" I was preparing my thesis for my masters and it got so bad; I finally gave up and called her.

Her sweet voice said, "Hello honey! What's on your mind bro?" I asked, "Did mom think it was strange I wanted to talk to you?" She was quiet a heartbeat then said, "Really? No she didn't say anything just that you wanted to talk to me. Didn't you talk to her or dad?"

I thought a couple of minutes while we chatted and finally said, "I don't know how to explain this Coretta, but I have to see you babe. Look! I'm in the middle of finals, could you fly up and visit with me for a while, maybe until I find out I passed?"

She asked, "Are you worried about graduating Wes?" I replied, "No... not at all as a matter of fact, I don't understand it myself but I have an intense desire to see you and spend some time with you."

I heard a sharp intake of breath, "really? Wow Wes... well gosh! Well Uhhhh... lets see, well I guess... I don't know of any reason I couldn't."

She was quiet a minute then said, "Gonna be close to your phone for a while?" I replied, "Yes honey! Gonna call back soon?" She sighed, "Yes I just want to talk to mom and dad first ok?"

Coretta put the phone in the cradle then went to talk to her parents. "Mom... Dad... I think Wes is in trouble... he wants me to come and stay with him until its time for him to come home. Mom did Wes sound ok to you when he called?" She watched her mom say, "Yes... yes he sounded ok, just anxious to talk to you is all."

Coretta blinked, "Anxious? Really?" Mrs. Carpenter arched her brows, "Well yes I think that's right... he didn't make much small talk and asked to talk to you right away."

She turned to look at her dad when he asked, "What did Wes say honey? Was he upset or seem worried?"

Tears sprang to Coretta's eyes, "No daddy, just that he missed me and wanted to spend some time with me."

Mr. Carpenter thought a moment, "Well he's under a lot of intense pressure. Maybe he needs family with him and since you've always loved each other so much he chose you honey."

That was the understatement of the century, Coretta had been in love with her big brother as long as she could remember. She alone knew it, but Wes was one of the reasons she didn't date much. None of the boys she dated came anywhere near to matching Wes.

Wes began to feel better when his dad called and told him Coretta was packing for an extended stay. "You doing ok Partner?" his dad asked. Wes replied, "Sure am dad, just tired from cramming and taking endless tests is all." His dad smiled, "I know son, kind of like round up time isn't it?" Wes laughed, "Round up makes a hell of a lot more sense. This is more like a Chinese fire drill." Wes was thinking 'cluster fuck' but wouldn't dare say it for his dad to hear.

Wes felt better knowing Coretta would soon be boarding her flight but for the life of him, he didn't know why. He loved his 'little' sister but it was wholesome brotherly love and he was slightly troubled he had made the call home to begin with.

On each side of labia minora are small glands called Bartholin's glands. Ordinarily, they are silent and only function when the female is sexually aroused.

Coretta's Bartholin's glands were working overtime as the big aircraft rose up and wove it's way through heavy traffic before finding it's heading for Denver. In three hours she would be in the warm loving arms of her hero and best friend.

I haven't mentioned it, but the Carpenter family of Sweethome Valley Ranch Oklahoma were 'old money'. It is true they had been cowboys and ranchers all their lives but they were also capitalists and on occasion, venture capitalists.

Not too awfully long ago, Wes' dad read about a young start-up company with new ideas about telecommunications had purchased a license agreement from a British company that had found a use for the existing copper wire systems being replaced slowly by optical fiber communications systems.

Mr. Carpenter methodically gathered all the information he could get his hands on then sent his eldest son Orville to England to talk to the inventor. Less than a week later, the start up company discovered they were suddenly flush and proceeded with plans to begin implementing the new copper wire equipment.

The Carpenter family had purchased forty-nine percent of their stock at three dollars thirty-eight cents per share. The last time anyone looked, it was up to twenty-two and an eighth steadily climbing. The new modems they rented to their customers regularly ran at five hundred twelve thousand bps.

They offered ISP service to their customers for six dollars per month unlimited usage. The first one hundred thousand subscribers were promised in writing they would be paying only two dollars per month whenever they passed the one million subscriber mark.

One hundred Twenty-five thousand people were indirectly or directly employed by the company within the first year. Mr. Carpenter added several million more to the Carpenter coffers. It was all because a little old bald-headed and weak-eyed mathematician and a physicist got into an argument over the United Kingdom telephone system in they shared.

Wes didn't find it hard to watch over most of the others' heads to see Coretta. Pretty soon he saw a lovely young woman with a very long Auburn pony tail bouncing as she exited into the terminal from the ramp. He got a mischievous thought and went into stalking mode to come up unseen behind her.

"Hey baby! Looking for anyone in particular?" He hissed into her shell like pink ear.

Coretta was suddenly covered with goosebumps then whimpered, "Just someone I love and have pined for so long I had almost given up ever seeing him again."

Wes' arms snaked around her and pulled her tight against his chest as he nuzzled and kissed her neck. Coretta turned slowly in his arms giving his hungry lips lots of neck and throat flesh before she was looking into his dark mysterious eyes.

She sighed, "Oh Wesley, it's so good to see you honey! God I've missed you so much darling! " The two briefly touched lips before they hugged each other so long Coretta gasped, "Gotta breathe sweetie!" Wes reluctantly relaxed so she could gulp in a big swig of air.

Wes never gave it a thought when she hugged his left arm and they retrieved her luggage before heading out and for home. His passing days were over now so it wasn't a big deal any longer.

He had traded the Jeep for a new Corvette so there was just barely enough room in the boot to load the luggage. They took off with a throaty sound of reined in power towards Coretta's new home.

Edgemont Colorado was a beautiful place to see anytime of year but spring was best. The mountains were liked thunderheads hanging low on the horizon in the distance as they rode. Coretta finally asked, "What the deal is bro? What's wrong honey?" She asked worriedly.

Wes blanched, "You'll think I'm nuts but the fact is, you just popped into my mind and refused to leave. I've been thinking about you all the time and can't seem to stop."

Coretta's heart leaped into her throat until she trusted herself to speak, "You too huh?" Wes blinked and jerked to look at her. He stared a heartbeat then croaked, "You been suffering the same way Sis?" She nodded, "Yeah! Weird ain't it?"

They arrived at the apartment and went inside where Wes showed her the room his room mate used to have, "this is yours... my room mate is gone now... make yourself at home."

Wes sat her luggage down then turned to go. Coretta turned to look at him then said, "What on earth are we gonna do honey! How will we ever explain this to the others?"

"Coretta I've been in love a couple of times to two very good women. But what I feel for you is ten times stronger and far deeper than anything I can put into words. God help me girl, what on earth can we do?" He asked hoarsely

Coretta fought the tears and cried softly, "Take it one day at a time darling. It's all we can do baby! I don't know what else to say my love."

Coretta moved into his loving arms and for the first time in a long time felt happy and optimistic about the future, it didn't make sense but Wes felt so good to her she couldn't think any other way or feel any other way. It was fate, destiny, all rolled up in the body and mind of two lovers.

After I graduated and received my degree in business administration, I returned home and the saddle again. I was thirty-three before I returned to school to work for my masters degree. I really didn't think I needed a 'Masters' degree but it was something dad had always wanted for me and so I did it to honor him.

Coretta was seventeen then, as pretty as a speckled pup and as refreshing as the desert in springtime. I was sixteen when she was born and more or less discovered that a younger sister could be a blessing or a curse. Cyrus and David were five and seven years respectfully younger than me so they never developed the relationship with Coretta that I did.

When the folks went to town to shop or spend the weekend, I was left in charge in those days and more often than not, found it necessary to protect Coretta from those two hellcats on a continuous basis.

When mom and dad were gone, Coretta and I became like Siamese twins and it appeared we were joined at the hip most days. Don't misunderstand, I love my brothers and sisters a lot, but Coretta etched a special place in my heart I reckon.

She was about eighteen when she rode into 'high' camp to tell me dad was bad sick and I needed to get back to the house. I hurriedly drug my tired aching ass up and saddled my old mare, 'Miss Twitchy'. Twitchy was as steady as a rock but her skin was constantly twitching even when there weren't any black flies or mosquitoes to bite her. I'm almost certain she felt them though.

We took off at a gallop for home and were making good time when Coretta's mount stumbled and fell breaking his foreleg. Coretta took a good fall but except for a bruise or two, was ok. We were too far from home and my damned radio battery was too weak to raise anyone to fly up in our helicopter and put him in a sling to take him home and repair his leg so I had to put him down.

Too many cloudy days had kept my solar charger from keeping the battery up so I put the muzzle of my Winchester.308 to his head after I covered his eyes with my bandana and said a prayer for him.

Coretta was devastated to lose her friend and trail companion of over four years. I gently helped her up into the saddle and mounted behind her. She leaned back against me and soon went to sleep to the gentle rocking gallop of Twitchy.

It was near noon when I reined in and stopped at a stream to let Twitchy rest and graze the sweet grass near the stream. Coretta hadn't said much but while she leaned back against a eucalyptus tree, she said, "Wes I don't mean to embarrass you but you recall the conversation we had about boys and the birds and the bees some time ago?" I nodded, "Yeppers, I shore do Miss Coretta!"

She studied me a minute or two while I waited silently, wondering where she was headed when she said, "I was just wondering, when you get a hard on and it's jamming my butt like that, does it mean you want to do more than just be my brother?"

I felt my face burn and said, "Whoa down now missy... " She cackled, "Oh come on Wes... I excite you don't I?"

I didn't know for sure but decided the best tack was to tell the truth. I swallowed hard and said, "Well you see, I love you a whole lot and well... I... it's... well damn it I love you and you're so soft and sweet you give me a hard on but that's all it is."

She grinned, "Wanna know something?" I gulped, "I don't know... almost afraid to say yes." She laughed real big and chortled, "You make me so wet... Look honey! God I'm drenched."

She had been sitting with her legs in front of her crossed at the ankles. She spread her legs and I saw the crotch of her jeans were truly drenched.