Everyone shouted their agreement and then started drinking. Lilly looked around for Sam but didn't see her. Brad made his way over to her with an ornery look on his face.
“Anything you want to talk about since we're all being so reflective this party, instead of just getting super wasted and shooting off rockets? I miss the rockets already, I must admit,” Brad said. “I mean, I know that being new and all can be tough. And tougher still when you don't have anyone you can talk to. I just want you to know that you can talk to me, even if it's about something that you think you can't talk to me about. If that makes sense.”
Lilly was a bit taken aback by Brad's talkativeness.
“Have you been drinking, Brad? Not that I care at all, just wondering,” Lilly said. “And I guess the answer to your questions is that I'm still not so sure who I can trust around here. No offense or anything. It's just that I'm a woman, and often times when a woman says she's feeling things that every man does all the men around her jump down her throat and call her weak for it. I'm just not trying to have that happen is all. I hope you understand. Maybe in the future, we can chat about my innermost thoughts, and whatever else is going on inside my head.”
Brad nodded, and then took a long drink from his cup of beer.
“I completely get it,” Brad said. “I mean, if I were you, I'd be wary as well. There is just a lot that can go on in the ranching business that is political in nature, even though everyone here would curse and say they'd never be involved in anything like that. But we were all involved in it earlier today when we worked with that larger outfit. That was politics. That doesn't mean it was bad or wrong. I guess what I should have said, and then stopped talking, is that I understand what you're saying is all.”
As Brad talked, the sun set. The light it cast up into the sky was the same hue of rust and blood mixed together. It was a beautiful sight, and they both turned to watch. Lilly couldn't hep but feel closer to nature, and a little closer to Brad. Not that she suddenly trusted him by any means, but it was good to hear him say that he was there to listen to any problems she might be having. No one else had said anything like that to her during her time here, no one except for Sam.
“Hey, Lilly, could you come help me in the house?”
It was Sam. She'd walked up behind them while Brad had been finishing talking.
“Holy shit,” Sam said. “Look at that sunset! Isn't that something. I was hoping we'd get a decent one today. Yesterday's evening was decent, but nothing like that. It means that the seasons are changing! No more super hot days. Or, at least, fewer hot days.”
“What do you need help with?” Brad asked. “Whatever it is, I can help as well.”
Both Lilly and Sam could tell that Brad wasn't trying to be intrusive, but genuinely helpful.
“It's all right, Brad,” Sam said. “I think Lilly can help me. It's just a few chairs to drag out so that some of the bigger ranch hands don't have to tire themselves standing all night.”
Brad grunted and nodded, moving back towards one of the kegs. The rest of the ranch hands seemed equally as focused on the booze, and Sam took Lilly by the hand and led her to the manager's cabin. When they made it through the door, it was like two teenagers left alone while their parents made a run to town for food and supplies. Neither Sam nor Lilly could keep their hands off the other, and each one loved it. Before long Lilly found herself on her knees while Sam lay on the couch, drinking deeply from the spring of Sam's sexual energy. They both loved running their hands through each other's hair, and it wasn't long until Lilly brought Sam over the precipice of climax. Sam moaned and made a face like she was seeing a new sun for the first time. It made Lilly feel good to know that she was capable of making Sam feel this way.
When it was over, they both held each other close for a few seconds, panting.
“I'll take care of you tonight,” Sam said. “But right now, we need to go tell the rest of the Rocking U Ranch about us. I know that it's a scary idea, but people are catching on. I heard a little bit of what Brad was saying to you, and although I don't think he knows right now, I do think that it's only a matter of time before he finds out. And then he might not like it so much that I kept a secret from him. Me and Brad have been working together a long time, Lilly, and he deserves to know. Just like the rest of the hands deserve to know. It's not like I'm showing you any kind of special treatment or anything like that.”
Lilly nodded. She knew exactly what Sam was saying. They both got dressed quickly and left the cabin holding hands. It was a beautiful night, and Lilly was excited to stop hiding her relationship with Sam.
“Hey, everyone, gather round,” Sam said. “I have something to tell you.”
The ranch hands slowly turned from their conversations to face Sam.
“Me and Lilly have a thing,” Sam said. “Although maybe that's not the right word right now. We're trying to have a thing, you know what I mean?”
All of the hands laughed and nodded, some of them burying their faces in their drink in embarrassment.
“I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it or anything like that,” Sam said. “But I just wanted to level with everyone, because all of you are important to me. There isn't a single one of you I'd leave behind, or just let go because my bottom line was hurting. The Rocking U Ranch isn't like that other ranch we were at today. I'm sure you all saw how not a single one of them knew how to throw a lasso. And you all damn well know that if you didn't know how to do that you'd either figure it out quick, or you'd be headed out on the dusty trail looking for a new job.”
The hands raised their glasses, hooting, and hollering.
“So the reason I'm telling all of you about Lilly and me is that you deserve to know,” Sam said. “And I want you to know. We aren't going to hide it anymore, and the only reason we did was that Lilly and myself were a little bit worried that maybe you folks would treat her differently. Well, if that's the case, we'll deal with that when we get there. I'm not saying I can't be called out for favoring someone, but I am saying that if I get called out for something I'm not actually doing, there is going to be a tongue lashing that you'll never forget. And not the good kind!”
The ranch hands all laughed at this, and Lilly blushed, becoming suddenly aware that most of them knew that she and Sam had gone into the cabin to fool around.
“I'd like to make a toast,” Brad said. “To one of the greatest people I've ever known, and have had the pleasure of working with!”
“Hear, hear!” the rest of the ranch hands shouted.
“The person I'm toasting, of course, is Sam,” Brad said. “Who has been good to all of us, even when we might not deserve it. Because I know all of us, have at one time or another, done something stupid, made some kind of mistake, that would have had our pay docked at another ranch. But things aren't like that here. Here, things are different. Sam really cares about us and ranching, really wants things to go well. And I think they're going to. The bigger ranches, they might be bigger, but they don't know shit about ranching. Eventually, their cattle are going to run into problems because none of the little things are being done right. Let's continue to do things right here, so that in the end, we come out on top! To surviving, and to Sam and Lilly!”
All of the ranch hands raised their cups in the air. Lilly couldn't help but wipe a tear from her eye, and she noticed that Sam was doing the same thing. It was an emotional moment. Lilly had been worried that outing her feelings for Sam to the group might bring on negative consequences, but now it seemed like things were going to be all right. That there wasn't going to be any sort of blowback to speak of.
The party went on, and the ranch hands drank more and more. It wasn't long until Sam took Lilly's hand in hers and led her back to the cabin.
“I think it went well,” Sam said. “No one said anything about how it might not be fair or anything like that.”
“You sound like you were a little less confident than you let on,” Lilly said. “Because when we walked
out there it was like you had no doubt in your mind how things were going to work out.”
“I was a little worried,” Sam said, leading Lilly up to the bedroom. “But I also knew that we were going to have to tell them sometime. I mean, how long we're we going to try to sneak away from campfires to fool around?”
Lilly didn't have an answer and flopped down on the bed by Sam. They both lay by each other cuddling, something that Lilly found to be just as exciting as some of the other things they'd done together recently.
“I just want you to know that I have the best intentions,” Sam said. “This isn't one of those things where I'm just saying what you want to hear. I'm saying what I really mean. I think that we have something special between us, and we should try to foster it. Not that we won't be doing work while it happens, though. The ranch is doing well, but that could change quickly considering what is going on up north. So we have to stay focused on work during the daytime hours.”
Lilly nibbled on Sam's ear while she talked. It was good to feel Sam's body vibrate on the bed beside her while she talked. The way that Sam's voice was a little deeper than normal was something that Lilly found so sexy, and even sexier when she held her ear to Sam's chest to listen.
“What are you doing?” Sam asked. “Listening to me talk?”
“Your voice is so sexy,” Lilly said. “I just can't get enough of it.”
Sam laughed at this and stroked Lilly's hair.
“I'm so glad that everything worked out for the best,” Sam said. “Because I was a little worried for a second. But then the Rocking U Ranch didn't let me down. They never do. This place is a great place, Lilly. You're going to love working here.”
“I already do love working here,” Lilly said. “You know that, Sam.”
They started to kiss passionately, their hands having minds of their own as they explored. Both Sam and Lilly felt exactly the same way they had when they first touched like this. Lilly hoped the feeling never went away. Because what they had was really special, even by modern standards. In ranching, it was rare that lesbian relationships were accepted, and even more rare when they were something that everyone was excited about. The Rocking U Ranch really was a hell of a place in that regard.
Sam kept her promise to Lilly and brought her past the brink as she had done for her earlier. After they both lay stroking each other's hair again. It wasn't long until they drifted off to sleep, a night of sleep well deserved after the long days of riding and herding.
Chapter 7
Lilly had a dream. She knew it was a dream from the start, unlike some dreams where she thought it to be real. In the dream she and Sam were walking down the aisle, holding hands. They were both in white dresses that weren't girly at all, but more sleek and trim than anything else. All of the hands of the Rocking U Ranch were there, and Brad was the one at the end of the aisle getting ready to marry them. Lilly looked over at Sam and saw Sam give her the most loving look Lilly had seen in a very long time.
As they walked, Lilly thought about all the ways that she could have handled her parents' ranch closing, and how those ways would have been all wrong compared to this. As she walked down the aisle she saw her parents, both of them so happy they tears streamed down their faces. Lilly couldn't believe how lucky she was.
When she woke, there was more work to do. And the next day was so busy, mending fences and herding now cattle into the main pen, that it blended in with the next seamlessly. Lilly and Sam started sharing the cabin, and the Rocking U Ranch continued on as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It was a great feeling to work hard and be accepted for who she was. Lilly had never thought she'd find the kind of family that she had at the Rocking U Ranch. Here, unlike nearly every other ranch, Sam and her were able to share time together without having anyone gripe about how it wasn't fair that one hand get more attention from the boss than another.
After the weeks turned into months, winter came, and the temperatures on the ranch dropped to more reasonable levels. There was more time to lounge. Lilly found that most of the hands at the Rocking U Ranch liked to read, and that's what they did in their down time. Brad was a writer, it turned out, and with Sam's and Lilly's permission had started writing all about their romance and how things were coming together for them. Both Sam and Lilly found it flattering.
One night Lilly had a nightmare. She woke up with a yelp, covered in cold sweat.
“What's wrong baby,” Sam said. “Did you have a bad dream because of the season change?”
Sam didn't believe in astrology, but she did think the season's affected people.
“No,” Lilly said. “I had a dream that no of this ever happened.”
“Oh, baby,” Sam said. “That does sound like a nightmare.”
They snuggled together and went back to sleep, Lilly finding comfort in Sam's arms.
*****
THE END
The Chase
~ Bonus Story ~
An Outlaw Western Lesbian Romance
Samantha
I've been hunting a certain outlaw for some time now, but mostly from afar. The bounty is too high for me not to chase her, though. It's a female outlaw, one of the few. She is as cunning as she is dangerous. Recently I saw an advertisement in a paper that caught my eye. It seemed like the run of the mill “have gun, will travel” ads, but I reached out anyway. The person on the other end said that they had information about Emma the outlaw, and I set out to find out what information exactly, and how.
Emma
It's hard being a woman and an outlaw, but I make it work. Recently my bounty has risen to heights that make it hard for people to say no to. I've taken to hiding out in small towns, just little spots of humanity in the middle of nowhere. I know that people are coming for me, though and before I know it I'll have to move again. I briefly joined the Rooster Gang, but that turned out to be a bad idea. They're all a bunch of misogynists who think that men are so much better than women. I just couldn't take it anymore, and when I left the break was far from amicable. Now I'm hunted by the law and by outlaws. Life has never been harder, or more interesting.
* * *
Texas, 1969
I'd been looking for Emma for over three months now in the Texas flatlands. It was grueling, going from small town to small town, chasing a man who seemed to be a ghost. Now I was headed to a little spit of humanity in the middle of nowhere to talk to a man named Emmanuel about bringing him on the journey as a guide, of sorts. I'd seen an advertisement in one of the papers—gun for hire. This perked my curiosity, and I'd sent out a telegram. At first, I hadn't really expected a response, but I received on in short order. This Emmanuel fellow seemed to know quite a bit about Emma. I wasn't sure how, maybe because the bounty on Emma's head was pretty high at this point, but I knew that it was a lead I needed to track down. I was running low on funds, and Emma would be the paycheck I needed to get back on my feet financially.
The sun hung high in the desert's sky, beating down on my hat with the steady energy of a campfire that never flickered or faltered. The plane that stretched out ahead of me was spotted with cacti and small shrubs. The only real feature of the landscape was the dirt road I followed. I didn't think there was much chance that I'd run into Indians out here on the plane, but I couldn't afford not to keep a wary eye out for them. I'd heard of other bounty hunters who had been lulled into a false sense of security by the desert's plains, and they didn't end well for the bounty hunter. The local Indian tribes, as sparse as they were, took great joy in showing the newcomers to their land who actually ruled the wastes. I had no doubt, and didn't need them to prove a point to me.
Up ahead a mesa rose from the desert floor. The dirt road ran right by it; the mesa's sizable shadow crossed it, offering some relief from the sun. At first, I was happy that there would be a respite from the heat that kept bearing down on me, but then I remembered one of the stories I'd heard around the campfire just last week. I'd been at a ranch trying to gather information about Emma, and
ended up staying the night. I traded stories with the rest of the Cowboys, and eventually the circle around the campfire grew quite.
“You know,” one of the old-timers said. “There are ways that the Indians can sneak up on you out on the plane. They hide in dips in the terrain, and keep their horses quiet until the last moment, when they descend on you with war whoops that make blood run cold.”
Everyone had nodded. It seemed like this was something the old-timer brought up a lot, but I'd never heard it before and was glad to listen.
“Another thing they do,” he continued, “Is hide behind mesas and wait for the unsuspecting to ride by.”
His words echoed through my head. My red hair would be something the Indians valued greatly, and even more so because of my trade. There was no way I wanted to run into any of the tribes that frequented the planes, so I pulled my horse's reins so that it pulled to the right. I'd take the long way around the place where the mesa's shadow crossed the road, venturing out into the desert a little ways where it would be much harder for any interlopers to ride out from behind the mesa and surprise me. I had my rifle with me, along with my pistols. The pistols were more for city work—close in stuff. But my rifle, hell, there wasn't any chance that a few bandits were going to get me if I had enough time to get off my horse and use it as a brace for my rifle. I could shoot the pit out of a plum at near three hundred yards, and wasn't much worse further out. I hoped it wouldn't come to that, though.
As my horse trotted off the path and carefully made its way across the desert, picking places without rock or other debris which would trip it up, I thought about Emma. She was proving to be one hell of an outlaw. Wanted for everything from cattle rustling to kidnapping, there wasn't much that Emma hadn't done. The law, of course, was furious. Even more, so that Emma seemed to have no problem evading them. Part of the problem, I knew, was that the Marshals just didn't have the manpower to go after petty criminals, even criminals who had quite the history of flaunting society and its rules. Now that Emma had headed out onto the planes, there was no way that lawmen were going to come looking for her—it was a needle in a haystack. If the authorities really wanted to catch Emma they'd need to send out troops, Calvary most likely. But even then, Emma hadn't had a problem evading them in the past. Some said she'd done so by using her womanly charms against the sergeant who had captured her, while others said that she could slip out of handcuffs like some kind of magician.
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