Chapter 10: Hazel's New Life

Hazel found herself, for the fourth time that morning, staring blankly out the window at the ranch, tears trickling unnoticed down her face. Ad had not been gone all that long, but it was sure that her sense of loss and grief was deep and profound.

So, after washing her face and choking back the sobs that threatened to take her over, she decided she needed a change of scene.

"Hazel," she told herself aloud, "you miss him horribly. That's natural and even commendable. But you've got a lot of life ahead of you and Ad would paddle your butt if he saw you like this... especially over him. You need to get out of here, girl, and find something interesting to do."

She finished making the bed, and packed for an extended trip. 'I need new clothes, too, ' she thought. 'Well, first stop will be Portland-Nordstrom's!'

With that thought, she put back half the clothing she'd planned to take, then put two bags, one empty, into the trunk of her car. A call to the Benson Hotel in Portland, to make a reservation, and she was set to go.

It was a matter of minutes to stroll to the training ring, where Marty and Dory were working.

"Hi, Ma. What's up?" Marty asked.

"I need a change of scene, son," Hazel replied, noting the look of compassion in Adoré's eyes, and her little nod, when their eyes met.

Marty was pretty quick on the uptake himself. "OK, Ma. Where you headed? And for how long?"

"Don't know for sure, son. I'll start with Portland. Figure on a couple weeks, anyway."

"Works for me. But, please let us know how to reach you. And call OFTEN."

Hazel let a small smile cross her face. "I love you too, Marty. Yeah. I'll call. To start, I'll be staying at the Benson. I need to do some shopping-and I'll see about selling some cows, too."

Adoré piped up, "Sell some horses if you can, Hazel. Getting rid of cows is easy."

"Why, you got too many horses, Dory?"

"Not too many. But we have several really good jumpers that are eating way too much here."

Smiling, Hazel quipped, "Yeah. It would be better if they were eating some rich idiot's hay-and the idiot paid us for the privilege."

"You got it, Mom," Marty agreed.

They quickly agreed on contact times and methods, and Hazel walked over to Elin's to say goodbye to the grandchildren, and tell Elin her plans.

Then she was on the road.

Even driving to Portland was hard. Normally, Ad drove-not because Hazel wasn't a good driver, but just because he'd felt that driving was a man's responsibility. Come on girl, she thought to herself. You can't get teary-eyed while you're driving. Isn't safe. Get a grip!

From Sisters, through the pass west to Salem where she turned onto I-5, the road was excellent and she made good time. Portland was only an hour away, once she got to the freeway, and she had no problems until she actually got into town. She didn't know which exit to take and decided on the one that said "City Center". Turned out to be a good choice and she was soon on familiar territory in downtown Portland.

At the hotel, she asked that the car be serviced, when she gave the keys to the doorman, and that her bags be taken to her room. Check-in was a breeze. The hotel recognized the name... she and Ad always stayed there when they visited Portland. Before long, she was installed in her suite, with an appointment with the hotel's hairdresser scheduled for first thing in the morning.

"I'll be at least a week. Maybe two," Hazel told the manager when she checked in.

"No problem, Mrs. Steele. You're welcome here as long as you want to stay-and we'll always find room for you."

"That's very kind. Thank you."

"Not at all. You and your husband have been loyal guests of the house for years. We like to take good care of our repeat customers... And, if I may, we all are very sorry to hear of Mr. Steele's passing. We will miss him a lot."

"Thank you again. I miss him a lot, too."

In the morning, after a haircut and set, Hazel walked the few blocks to Nordstrom's downtown store.

Her morning was profitably spent buying new underwear, and two pair of shoes that fit.

She walked over to Meier & Frank, to have lunch in their 'tea room'. While she was eating her light snack, she scanned the clothing the other women were wearing. It's been too long since I worried about clothes, she thought. I need new everything... Well, it's not as if I couldn't afford it.

Between Meier & Frank and Nordstrom's, she bought new everything-and some presents for the kids and grandkids.

In her suite, she examined her booty, and stowed it in the closets provided. She had a long, hot bath and called the ranch-talking with Rick and Elin, and saying hello to Audry. In a day or two, she'd call Marty. Following an excellent meal in one of the hotel's fine restaurants, she settled in for a night's sleep.

Sleep didn't come as she'd hoped, though.

Instead, her mind tricked her into memories of Ad.

When the tears started again, she got up, drank a glass of water and washed her face.

OK, she thought. If I'm going to think about Ad no matter what, at least let's think about the good things.

Her racing brain traced back to when it all started.

From the time she was ten and had her first period, Hazel was horny. That she was cute as a cocker spaniel puppy, with the promise of real beauty when she matured, didn't hurt. A child of wealth, she was familiar and comfortable with all its trappings-maids and chauffeurs, new clothes whenever, travel, and exclusive schools. She was also used to being 'hit on' by every male she met.

Since her dad, Nathan Parmentier, felt it was important that his children grow up complete people, not stuck-up rich kids, they spent most of their growing years on the family farm and attended the private school only because that was the only way Nathan felt the bodyguards could protect the children adequately.

Though it was not Nathan's source of income, the farm was a working operation and made a profit. It was not just a rich man's retreat from the city. So the pubescent Hazel knew all about how babies were made, having watched with interest the activities of rabbits, pigs, cows and horses. And her mom was unusually willing to answer specific questions with complete and specific details.

Hazel was also well aware that the process in people was as much for fun as it was for producing babies. Her mother had made it plain that she and her brother Dick, were the only children the family would have... Yet she'd heard and even, a couple times when the door wasn't closed tightly, seen, her parents enjoying the mating process.

So when she started getting 'those feelings... down there', she knew what they were, and what she had to do to relieve the tension that was building in her developing body. She learned masturbation early, then, after a very good session of 'girl-talk' with her mom, learned to get off with the vibrator her mom bought her... "A little 'growing up' present," her mom had said.

With the vibrator, she also quickly confirmed that she had no hymen-or had lost it riding or doing gymnastics or something. And she learned that, good as it was, it still was not a really satisfying experience, getting off alone.

By the time she was twelve, Hazel had a woman's figure, though not as developed as it would become. And her face, though still showing traces of 'little girl' also had progressed beyond cute to lovely.

That year, she determined to find out what real sex was like. Fortunately, she could confide in her mother, who gently discouraged her, but gave her some practical pointers about pleasing a man and herself-without full-blown intercourse. Her mother also stressed to her that, if she was with a man, she should insist that he use condoms-and she bought Hazel a big box of them.

Hazel fooled around with boys-some of them several years older-during her thirteenth year, but managed to keep her technical virginity. She was, she thought smugly, the best at blowjobs in her school. She was good enough that the boys she dated would eat her too, just to repeat the experience. (A lot of them had wives and sweethearts who later blessed Hazel for teaching that skill to their men, even if most of them weren't aware of whom they were blessing.)

Besides her mom, Hazel had another excellent source on information and an ally she could always count on: her brother Dick.

Two years older, Dick was a sandy-haired hunk, with a wry smile and an attitude that always seemed to find the humor in any situation. Dick had some success with the girls, and was always interested in Hazel's opinions about any girl he asked about. Hazel became a big part of the reason for his success with girls. So when Hazel started showing interest in boys, he was more than willing to return the favor.

Before long, the two were comparing detailed notes after their dates, including graphic details of their sexual encounters. This only helped them grow ever closer. It gradually dawned on them that they were each the other's best friend, and the person the other loved most, too.

The night of her fourteenth birthday, Hazel decided it was time. She wanted-no, she needed-full intercourse sex. Who? That was easy. Who but her best friend and confidant, Dick?

In the morning in Portland, she arranged to call on the manager of a large meat processing company that had bought a lot of steers from them in the past. And, in a stroke of inspiration, she asked the concierge to prepare for her a list of the premier hunt club and horse jumping people in the area. She'd compare the list with the one Adoré gave her. Maybe they were missing somebody.

After listening to condolences on Ad's death, Hazel had a productive meeting with the meat packer.

"Hazel, my deal with Ad was that I'd buy any of his Herefords at market, plus five percent. The Angus are marvelous steers, and I always offered ten percent over market for them. At that, I know I only got about forty percent of your animals, because Ad shopped them pretty vigorously, and always got the best prices."

Hazel nodded. That's exactly what Ad did. And Rick was prepared to do the same.

"I'm prepared to sweeten the deal, if I can get more of your beef. I'll give you market plus ten percent for Herefords, and fifteen percent for Angus. In return, I want at least half of your output."

"Well, Jerry, you know that we're starting a new program... ?"

"Ad mentioned something that Rick was doing, but didn't give me any details."

"Basically, we intend to get out of the beef business." Jerry's face fell. "Don't get too worried until you hear what's happening."

"Always good advice, Hazel. OK. What's happening?"

"Thought you'd never ask... Over the next four or five years, we intend to sell off our entire stock of Herefords. Some of them we'll sell at auction-the tested bulls, for example. But most will go for beef, and a few calves to the Deschutes County 4-H kids.