Chapter 5 - Heart of a Champion

Audry's boobs hurt.

She loved our son, Zack, and enjoyed breast-feeding him-she almost got off just from his sucking. The feeling of contentment and the sheer sensuousness of the whole thing was incredible.

But taking a horse over the jumps made those same milk machines bounce-even in her special 'nursing sports bra'.

That hurt.

The whole thing was a confusing mess of trade-offs. Audry wanted children. Actually, she wanted a bunch of children. She also wanted to go to the equestrian nationals this year. And she wanted another baby before the next Olympics.

She was determined to defend her gold medal in the show jumping competition. And she wanted one in dressage, too.

Problem was, she couldn't train properly with her boobs hurting so much. A baby took her out of the saddle for much of a year, anyway. So, if she had another, she'd be out of competition two out of the three non-Olympic years, and hurting with floppy boobs when the games came again.

Mom tried to comfort her.

"Audry, you can practice dressage, without that problem. You can even do it pregnant." Mom grinned. "I've done it."

"I know you're right. But Shannon needs work on the jumps, too. He's as rusty as I am..."

"Well, your best option is to wean Zack. He's old enough to start drinking from a baby cup, anyway."

"Oh, he does. I just enjoy breast feeding too much," Audry admitted with a grin.

"Me too. But I think you need to do it, if you want to compete in both events at Nationals."

That night, I got 'seconds' from her breasts after Zack was asleep in his crib. Then I got my chimes rung, when Audry did to my prick what I'd done to her nipples. She licked around it, and swirled her tongue around its head while her lips contained it.

When she felt she had my full attention, she slithered up my body-brushing her enlarged breasts against me as she went-until she could claim the passionate kiss she deserved.

THEN she mounted me, slowly sliding her hot, wet sleeve over my eager cock. I had to calculate the value of seven squared and eight squared a couple of times to keep from blowing my load on the spot.

Fortunately, Audry was on a short fuse, too. She just lay on me for a bit. But soon after she started moving up and down, she started to get frantic. Offering me a breast to suck, she began bucking. Once I had a hand on the offering, to keep it in my mouth so I could do justice to her tasty nipple, she went ballistic. Her pussy vibrated. Then the muscles in her stomach convulsed. Her body arched and she shuddered.

This was more than enough to set me off and I was spraying her cervix throughout.

Audry collapsed on me, my rapidly-wilting cock still snug in her.

Languidly caressing her back and flanks, I murmured how much I loved her-and how she'd once again blown my mind with her incredible lovemaking.

She kissed me with love and passion.

After a bit, she moved off me, clinging to my side, with a knee over my thigh, her head on my shoulder.

She explained her problem; the pain of jumping with the milk-filled boobs, and the bras that were available.

We discussed having more children.

"Audry, we can wait. We can wait until you're done competing, then have all you want."

"But Rob, I can compete for years. And I don't want to wait that long for kids. It wouldn't be fair to Zack, if his next oldest brother or sister is five or six years younger."

"I dunno, love. You can't jump if you're pregnant anyway."

"Yes I can, if I'm not too far along. I was jumping most of the way through the second trimester with Zack..."

"That's right. I forgot."

"Anyway, Rob, can't you get one of your engineer friends from OSU to design a bra that would contain these monsters and support them when I jump?"

"I suppose I could call Frank. Write down your sizes and dimensions for me. I'll call him in the morning."

That earned me a kiss that started out gratitude and rapidly turned to passion. Before I knew it, I was sunk deeply into Audry again, moving in time with her and enjoying the marvelous feelings my wife's body gives me.

My orgasm took me by surprise and I was barely able to hang on long enough to get Audry off, too.

"Sorry, love. That one surprised me."

"It's OK, darling. I'm glad that loose old thing still excites you that much."

"It isn't loose. And it excites me a lot. And so does the rest of you... If it weren't that I know it's uncomfortable, I'd say, keep your boobs that size. I love them!"

"Chauvinist pig!" she said, as she shoved a nipple in my mouth for a little attention.

Except for the first couple of months after she came back from the hospital with Zack, Audry hadn't used any birth control.

We think we lucked out again that night. Anyway, she was pregnant.

Regardless, she was determined to compete in Nationals that year.

I called my friend, Frank, who was a fraternity brother and a top-notch structural engineer, though a very junior member of a big firm. When we'd talked a bit and I convinced him that I was serious about our need, he became enthusiastic about the idea of a 'sports bra' for women with large breasts in proportion to the rest of them-whether they were big from nursing or nature.

Most 'sports bras' just flatten everything against the ribs and hold it there. If a woman was nursing, or had really big breasts, this didn't work, and a lot of flesh would bounce up and down. Skin just isn't made to take that kind of force-it was painful and caused boobs to droop as the skin stretched. Both were undesirable results.

Frank looked at several possibilities that were OK from an engineering standpoint, but not acceptable for women to wear.

He looked into materials and construction methods. And he came up with a hand-made prototype, made to Audry's dimensions.

It was much better than anything she'd tried, but still allowed too much 'flopping'.

The hardest part, for me, was allowing Frank to handle Audry's boobs. I knew he was devoted to his wife and baby daughter, but it was still hard to see another man touch my wife. There was no other way, though, that he could see where he succeeded and what still needed to be improved.

Frank's second try was a great improvement. Audry loved it! She took the full course of jumps in our training ring without a problem. Her horse, Shannon, seemed to get into it as well. It had been over a year since he'd carried such an enthusiastic rider.

To his embarrassment, she gave Frank a big kiss, when she dismounted. Frank's wife just looked on in amusement. She knew Audry was expressing appreciation and not coming on to her husband.

In fact, I was right behind her, pumping Frank's hand and slapping his back.

(With a little help from mom's family, we found a garment maker in New York who bought the patent and paid Frank a substantial royalty besides. Audry got a free lifetime supply of bras, underwear and blouses out of the deal.)

With no pain, Audry entered into her training program with fire and passion. Her horse caught it from his rider and they soon were pushing Samarkand and me hard.

Mom quietly smiled to herself, as she coached us both from her perch on the top rail of the practice rings.

Things on the ranch were peaceful. No rustlers or poachers. No one trying to mess with our entrance documents in competitions. Nothing. We liked it! All of us liked the life we were leading and reveled in our ability to make a good living from the land. That year, we made a very good living. Even mom's family was impressed, when she told them what we'd cleared. (Mom had gotten pissed off at a cousin's continual harping on what her husband made and how hard it must be for poor mom... )

Nationals were in Denver. We'd go in a motorhome and horse trailer, rather than fly.

We took two motorhomes. Audry, Zack, grandma and me in one; our parents in the other. Dad drove the big pickup that pulled the horse trailer with Samarkand and Shannon and all our tack.

Highway 20, to Ontario, Oregon, is a good road and pretty straight. We stopped in Baker to let the horses stretch and to muck out the trailer. And stayed overnight at a ranch just out of Ontario, where the horses had a corral to themselves and could roll and generally cavort, to get over the day's travel. It was the same across Utah, and into Wyoming.

Denver welcomed us at the fairgrounds with good facilities and helpful volunteers to answer all our questions and help with the little problems that always arise. That Audry and I were favorites in the events didn't hurt.

Even mom was impressed. (Dad once told me that mom considered our lifestyle to be close to abject poverty, compared to her childhood. She never complained and was, really, happy with her lot. But it took a lot to impress her.)

By now, Audry was just finishing the first trimester of this pregnancy. Morning sickness was never a problem with her and she'd merely felt a bit 'strange' a few mornings. The main thing, for her, was to win national championships in both arena events-I could have the 3-day...

We worked the horses as soon as we arrived and were set up. They needed to stretch out and to get serious about things. Experienced campaigners, the crowds and bustle didn't bother them much.

To protect them, dad and Uncle Rick slept in their stalls. Rick complained that Shannon was snorting and stomping all night... Seems a mare two stalls down was just coming into season. (Rick said he'd let Shannon cover her-as soon as her owner paid the stud fee.) By morning, the mare's condition was obvious and she was moved to another section of the facility.

After a day to find our way around and practice, the dressage event started. Sam had taken the trip well and was as strong as ever, so I entered him in the arena events, besides the 3-day.

To her delight, and my chagrin-Samarkand just would not get his head into it!-Audry won and I placed second. The following day, she and Shannon did the same thing to us in the jumping event.

I'd given Sam a talking-to about paying attention. The damn horse is so big and so strong, he sort of 'rubber-necks' like a tourist just when I need him to be paying attention. This makes him a big hit with the crowd, but causes the judges take off those tenths of points that cost us victories.

At least Audry is spectacular in bed after she wins.

Most horses can't do the 3-day after doing the individual events, so I had a whole new set of opponents there.

The first day is dressage. Sam and I won it handily, with more points ahead than I'd expected. The second day is the killer-speed and endurance. My big horse gobbled up the course, though he hadn't had the work at that altitude we'd have liked. Still, the nearest horse was almost 20 seconds behind and hadn't been close to us in dressage.

Firmly in command, we entered the jumping day. Sam was pleased with himself, almost prancing into the arena when we were announced-while other horses were pretty droopy after yesterday's test.

As we had often before, we sailed over the jumps, making two clean rounds and running away from the competition.

Afterwards, Audry and I had to pose in our 'pinks' for news and magazine pictures, and then, in our motorhome, submit to a Sports Illustrated interview. The last was a pleasure, though it was, we found, hard work. Our sport needed all the publicity it could get. Ideally, we'd start gaining large, paying crowds at our events. Audry and I were happy to do our part.

Finding that Audry was pregnant, the interviewer asked if she thought she'd be able to defend her titles next year.

"Unless something awful happens, I fully intend to!" she declared.

Her pregnancy and intent to defend next year anyway made the rounds of the horse world overnight.

~~ ****~~

Just as spring was thinking about rescuing us from winter's cold, teasing us with warm breezes on an occasional afternoon, Audry delivered our daughter, Moira.

It had been a strenuous delivery, Audry's hips being a bit narrow. But both came through the process like champions. Moira demonstrated that she shared her great-grandmother's lust for life, and her mother's determination. From me, she got size and, later, fairly broad shoulders for a girl.

Three days later, Audry was practicing dressage with Shannon, and after another four days, they took a few low jumps.

Audry discovered that her butt was fine. And the new bras kept the boobs from flying around-she could do this! She confided this to mom and me, while a huge grin threatened to split her face permanently.

The night she took the jumps, she was so excited, she was horny. Still uncomfortable with vaginal intercourse, she insisted I get in the back door. We'd done that a few times, just for the novelty.

Greasing up the pole with a little KY, I shoved it in, with a steady push. She was tighter and hotter than anything I'd experienced!

Reaching around her, I caressed a breast with one hand and her vaginal mound with the other.

"OH, ROBBY!" she screamed. "Right THERE!"

Then her body convulsed and I sprayed my load into her. I just can't take it when she comes.

She collapsed with me on top of her.

In moments, she tried to roll out from under me, so I moved off of her. Audry rolled just far enough to take me in her arms and kiss me thoroughly.

"Thanks, darling. I needed that." A gamin grin. "And I suspect you did too. It's been too long."

I smiled back at her beloved face and gently traced the outline of her lips with a finger. "Honey, you're worth the wait," I said, softly, just before kissing the corner of her mouth.

Audry smiled. "I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

"Only to the ones I make love with."

Audry had had her wild years. But I'd never had another woman. And she knew it.

She just held me tight, until I fell asleep.

When I awoke, she was still holding me; one arm under my back, the other across my chest, with a leg atop mine. Her head was on my chest and those marvelous breasts were pressed against my chest and side.

This one was all woman, in a really incredible package.

Determined to compete this year, Audry spent a couple of hours every day on Shannon. Mostly they worked dressage, but there was a half-hour of jumps daily. Mom kept a close eye on things, both to keep them from getting into bad habits, and to make sure Audry didn't overdo it.

Shannon seemed to thrive on the work and attention.

Samarkand, my big horse, loved hard work. The more the better. He was such a brute, he could do the speed and endurance routine two days in a row, if I asked him to. For Sam, fun was a 30-mile trail ride into the high country-half of it at a canter.

We tried that, a couple of weeks after Audry was back in the saddle. I took little Zack, my son, along. He could sit the small mare I'd given him, though he couldn't mount or dismount by himself. A lot of the time, though, he just sat in front of me on 'Big Sam'.

Audry rode along with us for an hour, then turned back. Moira wasn't big enough to go along yet, and Audry was breast-feeding...

Mom and dad were with us, though, making it a small family holiday.

Zack had a great time. He ran around the meadow we camped in on his stubby child's legs, chasing butterflies. He tried to catch minnows in the little stream with his hands. He watched in wonder as dad lit the fire and started cooking our supper.

He wanted to know why the horses had to eat grass. Why couldn't they have fruit loops, and mashed potatoes, and good food, like we had?

When he went to sleep, he slept the deep sleep of the innocent-while his dad and grandparents looked around at the familiar scene with wonder-having seen it anew, through the child's eyes.

~ ****~

As a result of intensive lobbying, the Nationals that year were in Spokane. That was a good drive from the ranch, but not hard to do in a day.

Again, we rented two motorhomes and pulled the horse trailer with the big pickup.

The event organizers in Spokane were very good to us, almost embarrassing us with their hospitality. Of course, Audry and I were favorites again.

And, once again, we did really well. This time I won the jumping-Sam and I had been working harder at it than Audry had been able to. She and Shannon ate our lunch in dressage, as usual.

I had some competition in the 3-day. A few really good horsemen decided that, if they wanted to make the Olympic team, 3-day was the event to do it in. At the end of the dressage stage, Sam and I were in second place. And the horse that had beaten us was, I knew, an exceptional jumper.

We needed to dominate in the speed and endurance stage.

Mom suggested I keep Sam in hand, to keep his head in it. For the first few miles, I did. He didn't spend his energy 'sightseeing', as he likes to do and, when I felt him get into it, I turned him loose. He knew how far he had to go and he wanted to get there! He set a blistering pace, finishing almost five minutes faster than the second place horse-which was not the horse that had beaten us in the first stage.

As always, mom's coaching had been crucial.

In the jumping event, we went around clean. Not in the fastest time, but right in there. With the lead we'd made in the second stage, we were once again the national champions.

I was getting almost embarrassed by our success. Sure, I'm a good rider. In fact, I'm an outstanding rider. But with Sam for a mount, I couldn't miss, as long as I made him pay attention. My only concern was that the oldest of Sam's colts would be coming of age soon.

We'd even bred a few for ourselves. One born this past spring might be Sam's replacement as my mount in a few more years. But neither Sam nor I were anywhere near ready to retire from competition.

Audry was disappointed with her showing in the jumping competition. She finished third, after me and a rider from Georgia. She'd almost been fourth, but the horse from Florida hit a rail and lost a point, giving Audry third.

A couple of weeks after we returned to the ranch, she asked me if I'd mind if she didn't have a baby that year. She wanted to concentrate and prepare for the Olympics.

I had to laugh, even when I knew I shouldn't. She was so serious about it. Like, I would grant her a big favor and not make her have another baby for a couple of years...

"Audry, honey, I'm sorry I laughed. It's just that... it's your body, baby. I love you. And I love our kids. I'm looking forward to having a couple more, when you're ready to have them. But, honey, the timing is entirely up to you."

A thought occurred to me. "You don't HAVE to have more, if you'd rather not..."

Audry just grinned, and slugged me in the shoulder. "Of course I want more. Having your babies is what I'm for. And you make the process so interesting..."

I enveloped her in a huge hug. We were on the same page. We loved.

(For the "Zero Population Growth" crowd, let me point out that we are not city folk living in an apartment, or house in the suburbs. We live on a ranch that has been a family operation over a century now. Audry and I were only children, though essentially raised together. We needed children, if one or two were to keep the ranch in the family after us.

(But more important, we wanted children. We really love our time with the two we have so far, working and playing with them and molding their attitudes.

(Little Zach is already taking riding seriously and is developing a caring attitude towards his sister, Moira. I think that's because Audry and I both have told him several times that he will have to help her and keep her from harm when she starts walking all over the place. Give kids responsibility and expect them to achieve and be responsible, and they'll grow up with a good work ethic.)

So Audry would take a couple of years to concentrate on the horses and raising the two children we had. That was surely fine with me.

Aunt Elin, Audry's mom, took over the 'day school' part of the child rearing. A gentle lady, she was very good at it. (She'd been our teacher, until the new road was built that allowed Audry and me to attend public school.) Both kids adored her. She taught them to count and the alphabet-and amazing detail about the simple things around us. When he was four, Zach started to read-and never stopped. Moira wasn't far behind him.

Grandma spent as much time with them as she could, usually in the evenings. She taught them songs (not always fit for children so young), and games, and the secrets of her special chocolate chip cookies. Grandma believed the function of grandparents was to spoil grandkids. Great-grandkids got spoiled double!

My parents got their share of time with the precocious little brats, too, teaching them about the horses and how to ride and care for them properly. But they learned in a natural way, as a part of our family heritage. It was something serious, yet fun.

~ ****~

That spring, Moira was still an infant, though weaned. I felt a need to see some city lights, buy my best girl some new party clothes, and take her dancing to show them off. We discussed it and decided that we'd take the kids and grandma (who wanted to get her ashes hauled-and had a gentleman friend in Portland she wanted to see). Mom and dad would come along, too. Rick and Elin would stay behind to make sure everything was OK at home, and supervise Gerry and the other two hands.

At the last minute, Rick decided they'd go, too. Gerry was competent and had been with us for years.

In the past, we'd always rented a motorhome to get to competitions if they were close enough to drive to. This year, dad decided he wanted his own-and that we could afford it. He came home from Eugene with a beautiful 33-foot coach that was elegant and comfortable. So when we all wanted to go to Portland, that's how we traveled. We had reservations in the Red Lion and would rent a couple of cars while we were there. But that coach was sure a plush way to get there.

Audry appreciated the big bed in back, where she could put the kids down for their naps without fuss.

We weren't in any great hurry, so we left mid-morning and took our time crossing the Cascades. It's always pretty country. I enjoy watching the scenery change from 'high desert' to 'valley'. The trees change from pine to fir, and grow much closer together. The underbrush is much more prolific-becoming a temperate climate jungle in places. Out of the mountains, farms and woods of oak and fir surround you. Of course, the valley gets more than three times as much annual rainfall as we do.

It's an easy trip on US 20, then up I-5. It was still light when we reached Portland. We'd promised to take Zach to the zoo. He didn't understand that it would have to be tomorrow...

We had two small suites, side by side. Our parents shared one, and we had the other, with the kids. With the luggage in our rooms, we were ready to see about a fancy restaurant dinner. Grandma called her friend and arranged to meet him the next day. Tonight she would baby-sit-and sleep in the sitting room of our suite.

Dinner was in the 'fancy' restaurant in the hotel. The food was very good and the ambiance of the place nice. Our ladies had dressed up for the occasion, in cocktail dresses, hair up, and makeup. They didn't get the chance to do that very often-nor we to see them that way. I think dad and Uncle Rick really enjoyed the way they looked. I know I did!

Audry is a beautiful woman. Dressed up and made up, she's breathtaking. I'd almost forgotten just how gorgeous she can be.

Western men have a reputation for reticence. Mostly justified. But I made a point of telling her how lucky I felt, being the one she went home with.

Mom and Aunt Elin aren't dogs, either. For that matter, grandma is a foxy lady, with a figure a lot of teens would kill for.

After dinner, grandma took the kids back to our suite, to put them to bed. The rest of us went out on the town.

We found a nightclub we liked and decided we'd stay a while. They couldn't give us a table for six, so Audry and I had a tiny table across the dance floor from our folks.

I thought I knew everything about her, but Audry surprised me by demanding that I dance with her. We dance, but ballroom stuff. This was disco!

"Come on, Rob. You can do this. Just move with the music."

When Audry asks, what can I do? I tried.

Audry moved with the music, all right. ALL of Audry moved. She was shaking it pretty good. In fact, a lot of guys in the place were watching her more than they were their own partners. For sure, I was watching her.

When the set ended, Audry laughed and collapsed against me. After a big kiss, she took my hand and held me in place.

The next set was slow dancing and Audry wanted to reward me for being such a good sport, by plastering her elegant, curvy shape against me.

I enjoyed it so much, the old cock sprang right up against her belly. Audry thought that was really funny and rubbed against me as much as she could.

Soon we sat back down, for a breather-a chance for me to get myself under control.

Audry barely had time to sample her drink, when a guy stopped to ask if she'd dance with him. He looked OK, so Audry looked at me, a question on her face. I just shrugged. I really didn't want to do another set of the disco dancing right then.

The guy was big, and good looking. He had a rakish look about him, as though he just didn't give a damn.

When the set was over, Audry came back to our table. Obviously, the guy wanted her to dance the slow dances with him, too. Plopping herself into her chair, she thanked him for the dance, then turned to me.

A bit later, after we'd danced again, he came over just as a slow dance set was starting. This time, Audry said, "Thanks, but I'll sit this one out." When he'd returned to the bar, Audry said, "He's coming on too strong for me. A dance is one thing. But he's looking to score-it won't be on me."

We danced with our parents and each other's parents. And I held Audry in my arms a time or two.

Audry's admirer tried again. Audry thought, 'what the hell' and danced with him another set. She also told him she was a very married mother of two children.

About midnight, we left, to return to our hotel. (We're used to rising early. That means bed early, too.)

Shortly after we returned to our suite from breakfast, grandma announced that there was some guy on the phone, asking for Audry.

Audry had a very short conversation, ending with, "Don't ever call me again!"

It was the guy from the nightclub. He'd somehow followed us and found out our suite number.

While Audry and grandma got the kids ready for the expedition to the zoo, I went next door, to tell dad and Uncle Rick what had happened.

Mom asked, "Do you have the guy's name?"

"Yeah. 'James."

"Nothing more?"

"Nope."

"OK. We'll all keep an eye out for him. I think Audry probably took care of it this morning, though."

"Thanks. I hope so."

Portland's zoo is a good one. Moira was too small to really enjoy it. But my day with Zach is one I'll cherish. He and I walked hand in hand. Every new and strange animal he saw fascinated him. When we arrived at the area of the hippopotamus, an animal was just taking a leak. Zach was used to seeing this with the horses, so it wasn't any big deal. Except that the hippo kept on - and on. When he finally finished, Zach, eyes huge, said, "WOW!"

And down a bit, while looking at the zebras-Zach wondering how it would be to ride one-I spotted a giraffe, through a break in the screening foliage. Putting Zach on a bench, so he could see, I pointed it out. Zach was bright enough to understand that the animal was VERY tall. He was enchanted. And I was thrilled to be able to share it with him.

WHAT A DAY! We even rode the zoo train over to the rose gardens, where we looked at the great variety of roses, in their first blooms, and enjoyed the view over the city, with Mt. Hood majestic in the background.

Every dad needs days like that with his sons. It makes having them worthwhile.

Arriving back at the hotel, Audry was accosted in the lobby by her admirer. Rick, dad and I surrounded him and suggested, in the strongest possible way, that his attentions were unwelcome and that continuing them would result in something getting broken-like his legs and arms. Mom summoned hotel security, who got identification information, then hustled him off.

The guy's name was James Richards. He had a Portland address, in a modest apartment complex. The hotel didn't know anything about him. Their security staff did check with the police. He'd had a couple of minor incidents-women claimed he'd harassed them. No arrests or convictions.

Grandma took off to meet her friend. If she missed our departure, she'd make her own way back to the ranch. Don't worry about her.