The Ranch

by Jane Majic

  "Well I asked them to come for dinner tonight, so they will be arriving around seven..What do you say about joining us Nina?"

  "Sounds great to me, actually took the day off today so I'm free."

  "Well why don't you stick around today and we can putt around the ranch maybe get a few things done?"

  Nina wanted to go home ,pick up a few things, change her clothes and told Emma she would be back in a couple of hours. After Nina left, Emma did the breakfast dishes and jumped in the shower. Thoughts of Nina drifted through her mind. Seeing her in the shower this morning naked, that body, her personality, her smile she could not stop thinking about her. Slipping on her shorts and t-shirt, Emma was ready to do work on the ranch. As she walked down the stairs, she heard the truck coming up the drive...Emma's heart started to race, she felt a little foolish ,all these feelings, she felt like she was back in high school. She opened the door and there was Nina getting out of the truck, shorts t-shirt, bandana in her hair..God she was sexy. "How can I possibly work with this woman all day without touching her" thought Emma.

  Nina got back to Emma's in record time, bringing a change of clothes for dinner. She got out of the truck and saw Emma heading towards her in a T-shirt and shorts. She looked so sexy, even in the non-descript clothes, she wondered how she was possibly going to get this job done without getting involved with her... "Hey, where do you want to start?" asked Nina as Emma approached her.

  "Why don't we work on the back deck?" Emma replied.

  Nina got her tools and they started to the back of the house. Emma helped her measure and Nina made some calculations for the lumber and other things she would need."Do you want to come along to the builder's supply so you can pick out the kind of wood you would like?"

  "Sure, it will give me a good excuse to stop and get a few things I need for dinner tonight" said Emma.

  They jumped into Nina's truck and headed to the city. The trip passed quickly with the easy conversation between them. They stopped at the builders supply and they got the things they needed and went to the store. Nina offered to go in with Emma and she accepted. Nina steered the cart while Emma picked out the things she needed...this brought back bittersweet memories for Nina...she and Laura did this every week....Emma, meanwhile, was thinking how very natural this seemed with Nina pushing the cart and she, doing the shopping....

  With the groceries bought they headed to the truck. Now there was only one problem...the truck bed was filled with lumber so the groceries had to go in the cab with them. They put them in on the passenger side and Emma was forced to get in on the drivers side. Nina piled in beside her and it was close quarters, as Emma sat close to her. Nina started the drive back to the house. Each time she needed to shift gears she brushed Emma's leg which caused that flip-flop feeling again...she so wanted to just run her hand up the length of her leg, so smooth and so soft, to just rest it on her thigh.....

  Emma was really starting to feel warm...being this close to Nina, feeling the warmth of her seeping into her own skin, the subtle smell of musk, and the feel of her hand as it brushed her leg...she found herself shifting just slightly, so she and Nina were touching. The sexual tension in the truck was almost a palpable thing and neither of them wanted to break the spell.....All to soon they arrived back at the house, and the moment was gone.

  Reluctantly Nina got out of the truck and helped Emma out, her hand lingering for just a few seconds on her back, their hands clasped together..for a moment Emma thought she was going to kiss her, but then Nina seemed to snap to the present and let her go, mumbling about helping her into the house with the groceries....

  While Emma put the groceries away, Nina unloaded the truck and placed the lumber in easy reach for the job. She slung her tool belt around her hips and began tearing up the old deck. She worked quickly, efficiently, and Emma was surprised at the pace Nina set. Emma decided to work on the yard and surrounding flower beds so she could be outside and close to Nina...and because she liked watching Nina working, her muscles flexing, a fine sheen of sweat covering her tanned limbs, the look of concentration on her face....

  Nina was glad that Emma had decided to work outside. She watched as she worked on the flower beds, on her hands and knees, that nice tight ass against her shorts, her shapely legs, her hair blowing softly in the wind...."damn, it's hot out here" and it isn't just the sun she added to herself....

  Emma got up and stretched, pushing her chest tight against her T-shirt as she needed tired neck muscles. She heard a stream of curse words and looked to see Nina shaking a hand in the air..."What's wrong?" she asked as she quickly walked onto the deck.

  "I accidently hit my thumb with the hammer"...she didn't tell her it was because she had been watching Emma stretch and had been careless.

  "Let me see it" Emma said as she gently reached for Nina's hand and took it in her own. It was if an electrical shock passed between them, and they both felt it...Emma rubbed Nina's hand, a contrast between her soft one and Nina's slightly rough, work-conditioned one. They stood there, as if transfixed, and slowly Nina brought Emma's hand to her lips and gently kissed the back of her fingers and hand. Emma looked so intently at Nina's lips as they touched her hand, her heart pounding, as she stepped closer narrowing the distance between them.....just then Emma's phone rang, causing them both to jump...and the spell was broken.......

  Emma raced inside to get the phone, her heart still pounding from the moment before. "The damn phone" she thought as she picked it up.

  "Emma, it's Amy, Amber and I are not going to be able to make it this evening. Amber put a new listing on the market and she is getting swamped with calls. Can we make it another night?"

  "Um sure," Emma stuttered ,"that will be fine. Give me a call when your schedule calms down. Tell Amber that Nina and I said hello."

  "Oh Nina is there" Amy responded.

  "Ya I had asked her for dinner also. We are working on the deck this afternoon."

  "Well you two have fun, we will call next week"...

  "Ok, bye Amy talk to you then." Emma hung up the phone, went to the fridge grabbed two beer and headed back outside. Thoughts of what had just happened between her and Nina still lingering in her mind. As she walked to the back yard she heard Nina singing along to the radio, she came around back and stood by the side of the house just watching Nina as she worked on the deck. The sight of her made Emma get butterflies in her stomach. She felt like a school girl. As she got closer to the deck she told Nina about Amber and Amy and why they would not be coming for dinner.

  "That's too bad" Nina said, but in the back of her mind she did not mind the fact that she and Emma would be spending the evening alone. Nina wanted to continue what they had started. Just remembering the feeling she got from touching Emma brought a warm sensation between her legs.

  Emma handed Nina a beer and said it's time for a break. They sat there on the deck looking into the back yard. "It is beautiful out here isn't it?" Emma said.

  Nina did not hear Emma she was thinking about what had happened before the phone rang...Could this be the one? Could it be possible that God would grant her twice the magic of falling in love. She thought she was going to spend the rest of her life alone, after Laura died. She promised herself she would never allow herself to go through something like that again. But Emma was different, the feeling she had deep in her soul the very first time she met her, like she knew Emma, that they had met sometime before, but she knew she hadn't.

  "Nina, did you hear me?"

  "Uh, what..I'm sorry Emma, guess I must have been day dreaming. What did you say?"

  "I said it really is beautiful out here isn't it?"

  "Oh yes it is. Well I better get back to working on the deck." Nina said.

  "I guess I will go get started on the salad" Emma said as she walked towards the front of the house...Emma went straight the bathroom to wash her hands...as she walked to the kitchen to make the salad she smiled to herself...the thought of Nina outside working on the deck, her in t
he kitchen getting dinner ready, it felt nice. It felt perfect.

  Just as Emma was finishing the last of the preparation for dinner Nina walked in saying that she had run out of material to finish the deck. "I thought I had gotten enough wood to finish the deck but I guess I will have to get more, It's really warm out there. Do you mind if I take a shower and get this sweat off of me?"

  " No go ahead, you know where it is"...and with that Nina headed off to the bathroom to take her shower.

  Emma put some music on and poured a glass of wine for herself and made daiquiri for Nina. She just sat down when she heard Nina yell "I left my bag in the hall Emma, could you bring it to me please so I can get dressed."

  Emma walked up to the room with the bag in hand..she knocked and opened the door. Nina was standing there with a towel wrapped around her waist. As Emma set the bag down she could not help but notice Nina, her breasts so perfect, her nipples hard from the breeze coming from the fan. As she turned to leave Nina called her name. "Emma, wait! Can you look at my thumb and see if you think it's gonna need a hole drilled in the nail to release the blood?"

  Emma, immediately concerned, turned and walked to Nina..."let me see it" as she reached for her hand. Quick as a flash, Nina had turned Emma so that she had her back to the wall and the distance was quickly closed as Nina moved so they were touching. She gently brought her hand to Emma's cheek and stroked it and moved to kiss her softly, tentatively on her sweet warm lips...just a brief kiss and she stopped to check Emma's reaction as the passion she was feeling smoldered in her blue eyes. Emma was momentarily surprised by Nina's quick move but the look Nina was giving her was no surprise as she was feeling those same feelings...

  Emma closed the gap between them with a kiss of her own. She could feel the heat radiating from Nina and she reached out to touch her and pull her even closer searing her lips with a kiss that definetely drew a response from Nina. As their lips and tongues gently duelled with each other Nina slid her hands under Emma's T-shirt, and to her breasts that were just calling for attention, her firm nipples poking through the sheer material of her bra. Nina quickly pulled Emma's shirt off and unsnapped her bra all in one slick move...as her hands cupped Emma's breasts and rubbed her thumb over the taut nipple Emma moaned into her mouth and arched her back, letting Nina know that she was more than ready to continue what they had begun. Nina gently pulled, first one, then the other of Emma's legs up to wrap them around her waist, pinning Emma against the wall...feeling the heat as their bodies meshed together.

  Nina gently carried Emma to the bed and placed her in the middle...her towel had long ago fallen away and Emma ran her hands over her back and ass as Nina lay over her, pinning her to the bed. Nina ran her palm down Emma's belly, past her shorts, to her core, which had long since been turned to liquid. The touch of Nina's hand drew a sharp gasp from Emma as her fingers slipped through to gently run a finger over her already swelling clit. Nina brought her hand up and licked the sweet honey that she had just gathered, slowly from her fingers, her eyes riveted to Emma's. She removed Emma's shorts and underwear in one swift movement and again moved to lie between Emma's legs, moving up to kiss her while grinding against her, letting her know she was as wet as Emma was....

  So intent was she on the feelings she was evoking, that she had not heard her pager beeping for the last several minutes...even the ringing of her mobile phone did not sink in to her consciousness. It had rung several times, stopped and started ringing again before Emma surfaced from where they had been to hear it."Baby, your phone is ringing, "Emma said sweetly.

  "The hell with the phone..we are busy "growled Nina.

  Although Emma wanted to agree and just let it go, the persistence caused her to worry just a little...."maybe it is something really important...maybe you better answer it."

  Nina growled low in her throat and grabbed the phone and said in a threatening voice...."this better be damn important!"

  Her foreman, Rick, was quite taken aback as he had never heard the boss sound like that..".wonder what I interrupted", he thought to himself as he dreaded even having this conversation with her. Emma, propped up on one elbow, rubbing Nina's back while she was on the phone, could of course, only hear one side of the conversation, and it wasn't sounding good! Nina was saying, "All right, I will be there as soon as I can"...hanging up the phone and tossing it in disgust.

  "What's wrong?"Emma asked expectantly.

  "We are doing a job away from here...a big job...worth almost a half million dollars...it is the biggest job I have ever negotiated...Rick is my foreman. He is a good guy, fresh out of engineering school, has great designs, he just hasn't had the real-life experience and he is running into big problems. If we get this job done under budget and on time we will get a big bonus and have the opportunity to do more business with this development company. I need to go out there and get things straightened out."

  "You mean right now?"Emma said.

  Nina looked dejectedly over and said, "they have a plane waiting for me, they have been trying to get mefor a few hours."

  Tears sprang to Emma's eyes as she said quietly, "how long will you be gone?"

  Nina tenderly wiped a tear from Emma's cheek..."it may be a while. Baby, I am so sorry...sorry to leave right now, like this, believe me when I say it isn't what I want."

  Emma tried to be brave, saying, "I will be OK. You better get ready."

  Nina slowly got up and started throwing her stuff in the bag and getting into her clothes. Emma, dressed in her robe, walked her to the door....Nina turned to her and hugged her tightly, as if trying to draw her essence into her own skin."I know I can't ask you to wait for me...I know you have your own life to live but I promise I will make it up to you when I get back, if you will let me?"

  This caused a fresh crop of tears to begin and Emma said, "I'll be here...come back to me,eh?"

  "You can count on it baby" Nina said, trying to swallow the lump that was threatening to cut her breathe off. With one last longing kiss, Nina bounded off of the porch and into her truck and was gone....

  Emma felt such a feeling of emptiness...like she had happiness in her grasp and it was again taken from her. She watched TV and drank too much wine and managed to drift into a restless sleep. The next day she just meandered around the house, her thoughts returning again and again to Nina....

  Monday dawned sunny and bright. She had just had her first cup of coffee when she heard the sound of vehicles coming down the drive. Wondering who in the world it could be, she looked out the window to see a few of Nina's company trucks pull to a stop and a young guy come to the door.

  She opened the door and he introduced himself as Greg, Nina's crew boss. He said he got orders to be here first thing Monday morning and to make all the repairs that she had discussed with Nina. Emma replied, "I'm not sure I have the money to do all I wanted to do at one time."

  Greg replied, "the boss says she will discuss the fee when she gets back." This caused Emma to chuckle and kind of turn a slight pink, thinking of what kind of fee Nina might charge....Greg wondered at the way this woman seemed a bit flustered with that bit of information but he wasn't asking questions...Nina was a great boss and worked side by side as hard as any of her employees and he was loyal to her. Emma brought the notebook with Nina's figures, sketches and the suggestions and gave it to Greg. Soon the place was filled with the sound of repairs.

  Another knock at the door revealed a delivery man with a dozen red roses...not that she had to read the card to know who they were from. And so began a pattern that continued throughout the weeks that Nina was gone...Amber and Amy were called and they made it a habit to come out and see Emma a few times a week or they would do dinner...of course not just because Nina asked them to look in on her but because they had become good friends. Nina called Emma daily and they both looked forward to those times, although Emma could tell Nina was getting weary, she could hear it in her voice. She continued to get flowers every week and one day another bigger box arrive
d and it was moving! She pulled the top off to find a chocolate lab puppy with a big red bow and a note from Nina... "thought he could keep you company..his name is Brady...take good care of him...I love you baby"...such simple words but they filled her heart.

  Work on the house was almost complete and it was just as Emma had imagined it...it was beautiful. It had been a long few months..summer was on its way out and fall was beginning with just a bit of chill in the air. She was missing Nina so much more these days. She wondered if that damn job would ever get completed. Amber had called earlier and wanted her to have dinner and a movie with them and she had agreed. They really had been wonderful friends and she was glad that they had been here to keep her company. They even offered to come and pick her up. They had a great time just as always...as they headed back to Emma's house Amy asked if she had heard from Nina. Emma sighed and said, "a, she thinks it will be another couple of weeks and then the job will be done" She was so much in her own thoughts that she completely missed the conspiratorial wink shared between Amber and Amy...

  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Nina had arrived shortly after Amber and Amy had picked Emma up...giving her plenty of time to prepare. She looked at the house and the repairs with a typical builders eye and was pleased to see her guys did their usual excellent job. The bedroom with the skylight especially looked terrific, allowing the moonlight to stream into the room with a romantic glow, just as she had hoped. She got the wine and glasses, the cheese and fruit arranged on a small table in the bedroom. she lit what seemed like a hundred candles...all the way from the foyer into the bedroom and the bathroom and surrounded the garden tub. Next she got all the rose petals that she had ordered..the florist probably thought she was nuts but that was just too bad...she wanted this night to be perfect. She scattered them from the front door, up the stairs, to the bedroom, and covered the white comforter with them...all red, white and yellow....she got a fire started and looked at her watch...perfect...Amber should be on her way back.