Chapter 12: Flashback And Respite

The morning after Barry Schultz died, Jesse awoke to the howling wind. The small ranch house seemed to shudder and quake after each heavy gust. Another snowstorm had started up during the night. The violence and fury of the gale raging down from the north made the ranch house feel as if it werealone and isolated from the rest of the world.

He rolled over and hugged Marie tight against him. She snuggled back and whispered, "You going to wake me like this every morning?" She rolled over in bed and nuzzled his chest.

He smiled in the darkness and kissed her softly on her sleep-swollen lips. "Time to get up, Babe. No time for love making in the morning, unless you want to start the day at three thirty." He laughed and kissed her forehead. "Up and at 'em."

Jesse threw back the covers and caught his breath as he stared down at her silhouette in soft contrast to the white sheets. In the darkened room Marie heard him slowly exhale and whisper, "Oh yes." She rolled over on her back. She smiled a secretive smile to herself and stretched for his benefit. Jesse stared at her shadowy outline in wonder. "You just window shopping or are you going to buy?"

He had difficulty with his voice as he answered her, "We have to get the chores done. Then if there is time we'll continue to discuss my shopping habits. Right now I am in the market, and then some. Come shower with me." He hurried into the bathroom for his morning pee.

She followed him in and sat unselfconsciously on the toilet as soon as he finished and turned toward the shower. The act itself was intimate as she felt his closeness. She giggled to herself, surprised she found peeing in a man's presence could be considered intimate, even sexy, yet it was. It amazed her the way, in such a short time they had become so close.

Except for her little girl crush on her seventh grade teacher, Mister Darius, Marie had never considered the possibility she might fall in love. The few boy friends in high school and college quickly lost interest in her because she seemed unable to grow close to anyone. The few sexual experiences in college left her disappointed. She wondered if she was destined to be single and alone forever.

Then, Jesse Morgan, her exact opposite in everything, came into her life and her whole world had changed overnight. My god, here I am sitting on the pot, contemplating the deepest aspects of my life, Marie thought to herself. Jesse would think I'm nuts if he could read my mind.

If you're through thinking all those deep thoughts, I'll let you join me," he told her, as he smiled tenderly at her. This new aspect of his life surprised him. She giggled at his erection that seemed to point the way he was going.

Jesse started the shower and stepped in to be hit by the icy spray. He moved to one side to make room for Marie. "Oh god!" she shrieked as she entered behind him. She jumped back out and glared at him as he laughed at her.

"It isn't funny, that is cold," she griped at him. "Don't play any more tricks on me like that. That macho stuff is childish."

He tried his best not to smile and failed. Her look of outraged surprise was funny. "I'm sorry, I didn't think; I start with a cold shower like this every morning to wake up." He laughed again. "I wish I had a picture of your expression right then."

She gave him a rueful smile. "I guess it was kind of funny," she admitted. She looked down at his hard penis and laughed, "I heard cold showers softened those hard things." She gritted her teeth and joined him under the frigid water.

"I thought so too until you crawled in bed with me that other time." He turned the water to a warmer setting and soaped and rinsed. "I'll start the coffee and go roust out Billy. You better put some clothes on before you come out to the kitchen. They will be over for breakfast.

Jesse stepped out of the shower, dried off and got dressed. While still in his stocking feet he went to the kitchen and started the coffee. Just then he heard a knock on the front door. He took no chances as he stepped to one side of the door and pulled the curtains back. Billy, Annie and Laurel waited to enter. He opened the door, "I was just on my way over to call you to breakfast. Come in."

Annie unwrapped little Laurel from the heavy blanket that kept her warm as they came over from the bunkhouse. Billy shucked out of his sheepskin coat and hung it on a peg by the door. He took the sleepy child from Annie so she could remove her heavy down filled parka. She gave them a shy smile and said, "If you tell me where things are I can start the breakfast. Just tell me what you want."

Jesse thanked her and added, "I can do it easier myself than give directions. Billy and I can have a little coffee and then get the milking out of the way while you and Marie enjoy a cup of coffee.

"Marie knows where the hog feed is and you two can take care of the eggs and the pigs while Billy and I take a run to the south pasture. I hope a four-horse team can get through. I want to feed extra heavy if we can get through the snow. If the snow is too deep, I will need to see about either a snow cat replacement or get that one fixed in a hurry. I don't like to work our horses in deep snow too often. It wears them down.

Jesse poured coffee around and handed one to Billy. Marie came out of the bedroom fully dressed. "That coffee smells good," she said and grabbed a cup off the table. She carefully sipped and sat it back down. "Boy, hot too." All business, she sat across the table from Jesse and asked, "What's the plan?"

"You and Annie stay inside and get acquainted while Billy and I get the milking done. Then we eat breakfast. I want us to try to make a run out to the south pasture. You and Annie can get the eggs and feed the hogs while we're gone. You know where everything is from yesterday.

"Billy, let's get the milking done." He put his half full coffee down and headed for the front door. As he threw on his heavy sheepskin jacket he grabbed a rifle off the wall pegs and headed out the door with Billy close behind. The wind had filled the air with the dry powder snow. There was no visibility beyond the front porch. He pointed toward the rope stretched between the house and the barn. Billy nodded. Both men held onto the line as they made their way to the barn.

Just as he opened the side door of the barn the lights went out again. Jesse quickly went through the routine with the lanterns again and told Billy, "Let the cows in. I'll go back to the house and start the generator." Just then the emergency lights went on. Jesse smiled and turned the Coleman lantern off.

They hurried through the milking and returned to the house as soon as the separating was done. "I showed Annie where the generator was and she showed me how to start it," Marie told them, proud she could accomplish that little bit without Jesse's directions. Jesse laughed, kissed her on the lips and headed to the kitchen to begin breakfast.

"Steak and eggs okay with you all? He asked Billy.

"Beats corn flakes all to hell," Billy answered. He refilled his coffee cup and sat back down. "Jesse, I don't think we could get through that snow on horseback, let alone drive a team of horses through it. We must have got two more feet dropped on us last night. It's going to be drifted real deep in the low spots." Jesse nodded agreement.

As soon as the grill was heated, four tee bone steaks were tossed on to cook. He warmed a skillet and stirred up the makings for Swedish pancakes, rich dollar sized pancakes made with a crepe batter. He brought a jar of raspberry preserves out of the pantry and placed it on the table.

"Hell, boss, you stay home and cook and I'll do the ranch chores with the women. I heard a couple of times about how Henri over at Steamboat Springs tried to hire you to work for him. Now I see why." Jesse smiled at the compliment.

Marie felt proud as she looked at her man. Yes, he was her man. She had no doubts on that score, none at all. She knew she would never domesticate this scary person who beat up FBI agents and cooked pancakes with the same competent attitude.

She realized he would never be a "Honey, I'm home," type of guy. That was all right with her. She knew down deep he would never cheat or sneak around. She knew if she asked him if her butt were too big, he would give her an honest answer. She laughed and finished her thought aloud, "All this and he can cook too." Jesse looked over at her and shook his head as he continued to prepare breakfast.

As soon as the table was set and the steaks passed around, Jesse sat next to the stove and kept a steady supply of the small pancakes on the table. Everyone dug in and demolished their food. Annie and Billy fed Laurel off their plates. As soon as breakfast was over, Marie got up and started the dishwasher. Jesse nodded his approval at her willingness to step in and help where she could.

He walked over to the back door and looked out through the windows on the enclosed porch. It had stopped snowing, and the wind died back down. The snow in the front yard was nearly four feet deep. Drifts topped six and eight feet in places. "Billy, you take that Polaris Marie and I bought yesterday and make a run through the south pastures. Come on back as soon as you make a circle through the places where the cattle might be bunched. If you do see an animal down, do not stop. I don't want you to have any problems out there.

"Annie, you might as well take the day off and make the bunkhouse more livable. Marie and I are going to town in her Jeep if we can get through. I doubt we had enough snow to drift the road over too bad to drive on. Usually the wind keeps it blown clear between here and Walden except for a couple of spots we ought to be able to bull our way through. I'm pretty sure her little jeep can make it. It's a good little buggy, even if someone painted it a sissy blue instead of a manly GI brown." He grinned at the expression on Marie's face. "You do want to go into town with me, don't you?" She nodded. "Well, get your chores done and we are on your way."