Chapter 7

As the buckboard topped a slight rise, Jase got his first look at the place. He saw buildings in desperate need of repair, dilapidated fences, some rusty equipment, and weeds. No livestock could be seen any where near.
Sue helped Jase put up the horses in the barn. Then they started across the yard to the house.

"Mind the steps," said Sue, "They're loose."

They entered through a doorway in which the door sagged, badly, one hinge completely loose from the frame. Sue put a coffee pot of water on the cook stove to begin boiling.

"Sit," Sue said.

Jason sat. The chair wobbled and the table creaked.

Sue began, "My husband and I started this farm fifteen years ago, as newlyweds. We began raising horses and the crops to feed them. I was just fifteen at the time and my husband was twenty five. Then, the winter before the war started, my husband was trying to break a horse, was thrown and killed. I carried on, selling horses to the Confederacy. But, I was paid in now useless money. My two hands quit and ran off to join the army. The stock is gone, either sold or confiscated by one army or the other. Now, the bank note is due and I have no money to pay it. With no help, the place is getting run down. I don't want the carpetbaggers to get it, but what can I do?"

Sue wept again, obviously at her wit's end.

"When is the bank note due?" asked Jase.

Sue replied, "Tomorrow, at noon. It is the final payment of five hundred dollars and the place is paid for. But it may as well be five thousand or five hundred thousand. I don't have even one dollar."

Jase replied, "Maybe I can help."

Sue looked up and said, "You? How?"

"Well," replied Jase, "I have a small grub stake, enough to make your payment with some left over."

"Oh," replied Sue, "I could never let you do that! You don't even know me."

Jase said, "I don't see that you have a choice. You already said you don't have the money and no chance of coming up with it. Besides, I want to do it for you. Maybe I can even stay a month and help you start to fix up the place. I want to get home, but it can wait a month."

"Oh God, thank you!" sobbed Sue in gratitude. "I don't know how I'll ever repay you!"

Sue stood and, of course then, so did Jase. Sue rushed to Jase and embraced him with a tight hug, sobbing. Jase was embarrassed, but liked feeling her tight against him as his arms went around Sue to hug her back. The embrace lasted for a few moments as Sue collected herself and then they parted.

Sue said, "I'll fix us some supper. It won't be much, there's hardly any food on the place, but it'll be warm."

Jase replied, "I'll go fix my bed in the barn loft in the meantime and look around before the light goes."

Indeed, Jase spent the month of May, working hard from before dawn to after dark. He split rails for fences, shakes for shingles, repaired this and fixed that. Jase's grubstake bought them what little food could be found in the nearest settlement, but Sue had put out a large garden that would provide much. Jase was a good hunter and brought in fresh meat from time to time, though wild animals were also scarce. In fact, since there always seemed something else that needed doing or fixing, Jase found himself still on the job as summer gave way to fall and winter was knocking on the door.

Jase spent the summer months with his bedroom in the barn loft.

But with the first real cold snap of fall, Sue said at supper the next night, "Jase, I want you to move into the house. It's just too much to spend the cold weather in the barn. We can fix you a pallet by the fire."

Jase replied, "So you think I'll be staying the winter?"

Sue answered, "Well, you sure don't plan to travel the roads in winter do you?"

"No, I guess not," replied Jase.

Over the course of the summer and especially into the fall, Jase and Sue had grown steadily closer and more fond of each other. A look exchanged here, a mutual smile there, an accidental touching that lingered a little longer than necessary, all producing the mutual awareness that strong feelings had developed between them. After the question about staying the winter, Sue cleaned up the supper remains and did the dishes at the dry sink in the corner "kitchen." Jase had meanwhile banked the fireplace fire for the night. Sue went up to her loft bedroom and changed into her night shift. Jase had peeled down to his red handlebars and crawled beneath his blankets.

Jase lay awake, thinking. What do I want? where am I going? I should have gone home long ago. Is anyone still alive back home? Did Jesse get home? What does Sue want? Should I stay here come spring?

Jase mused on these thoughts for over an hour and, preoccupied with such thinking, he didn't hear the stealthy descent of Sue from the loft, nor her quiet approach across the cabin. He was unaware of her until he suddenly smelled her presence, her lilac perfume. Jase froze and held his breath.

Sue kneeled beside him, leaned over, and gave him a long, passionate kiss.

As she finally broke the contact, Sue said, "I can't help my feelings, Jase, please don't think of me as a brazen hussy. I love you, I need you. I don't want you to go!"

Jase hesitated for only a moment, but Sue reacted for Jase in that moment by lifting the blanket and crawling in beside him, stretching her firm body along side and tightly to his. The kissing began again, and both began touching and caressing the other. The night clothes quickly became an impediment and it wasn't long before they were helping each other out of those clothes.

Jase slowly caressed Sue's naked flesh, kissing and licking her breasts and using his fingers to roll and pinch her erect nipples. Sue was moaning and undulating in pent up sexual need. She was almost on fire in the strength of her aggressiveness as she kissed Jase on the neck and nibbled her way up his jawbone to his ear. At the same time, stroked his cock, slowly for the first three strokes, but then so fast, her hand was almost a blur.

Jase raised his mouth from her tits and said, "Whoa, there Sue, slow down some or you'll have me shooting before we even get started! We have all night, woman!"