Sara had no idea what kind of people would be there. Her anxiety was building but so was her excitement. She had a hard time getting to know new people and letting them close to her. So many friends in the past were never truly friends. She learned that the hard way.
But her hopes were high as she sprayed her favorite perfume in the air and walked through it, just giving her enough of the scent to be subtle and soft.
“There! I think I am ready!” she said to herself and to Sam, one of her kitties that was lying on the bed watching her primp. She leaned over and gave Sam a snuggle. “You keep an eye on things for me today Sam. I may be gone a while. At least, I hope so.” Sara said as she scratched Sam behind the ears. He acknowledged her with his soft purr, rolling over to expose his belly.
She grabbed her purse and keys and locked the door behind her. The day was glorious and warm. She probably wouldn’t need her sweater but brought it anyway in case it got cool later in the evening.
Her German Shepherd, Gus, was out on the porch taking a nap and rose to greet her as she closed the door behind her. “Gus ‘ol buddy, wish me luck tonight!” She said as she patted him on the head and took off out of the screened porch and down to her beat up truck.
She looked at the truck and paused. These were the times when she wished she had a nicer car. Here she was in an old beat up truck that was as clean as she could get it, but always looked dirty. Sara sighed but she didn’t care. Her evening was just beginning. Spring was here and in full bloom. She had met someone that seemingly liked her and everything else just didn’t matter at the moment.
She shrugged off the truck and figured that the guys would probably appreciate her old truck anyway. After all, keeping something running that is 25 years old is a feat in itself.
Sara made her way down the main road the couple of miles to the River Road and turned into the ranch. As she drove, the trees opened up and she saw miles and miles of hills, covered by cattle and bright green fertile grass that made you want to run barefoot through it. Dotted in between the black cattle were trees randomly placed where a few cows were gathered underneath finding the shade. On the edge of the fields along the drive were Black-eyed Susan’s all along the ditch. Sara wished she had brought her camera, and knew it wouldn’t take long to drive back and get it. But she didn’t want to waste anymore time getting to see this new man in her life.
She didn’t realize she was that close to a cattle ranch. Along the main road it was heavily treed and you really couldn’t see the cows grazing in the fields.
The road was long and curved through a few hills before coming to a clearing where the land flattened out a little. There was a large hill right in front of her, and the road split and went around each side. A wooden sign was painted with two arrows. One arrow went left and said River Road, and one arrow pointed right and said Ranch Road. GREAT! Sara didn’t think to get a phone number in case she got lost because she actually didn’t think she WOULD get lost. She sat there for a moment and looked around, trying to decide which way to take.
Both roads went around a hill that was directly in front of her so she couldn’t tell what was behind the hill. She figured she would try one and if it was the wrong one she would backtrack until she got to the right place. She decided to take the road to the right and just as she was beginning to head down it she heard the sound of a 4-wheeler approaching.
It was Alex. He stopped the bike and turned off the engine. As he dismounted the bike, she couldn’t help admiring his long lean stature. His arms were strong in his white sleeveless t-shirt with a famers tan. He carried a sidearm pistol which gave him a distinct cowboy appeal. YUM…she thought. I got me a real cowboy here.
He smiled as he walked up to the truck. Sara saw his pupils dilate as he took her in. “I didn’t think to get a cell number in case I got lost. I guess I didn’t think I would need it!” she said laughingly trying not to sound retarded. His smile put her at ease as she tried not to show her nervousness.
“I’m sorry Miss Sara. I should have told you to go left. Actually, you would have eventually gotten to the barbeque because the roads eventually meet up and makes a big circle, but going this way is quite a bit longer than going the other way. If you want, follow me and I will lead the way.” As Alex walked back over to his bike, Sara managed to really get a good look at his backside. Something about a man’s butt in a nice fitting pair of jeans always made her moist. She tried to envision him without pants before shaking herself back into her current reality.
Sara put the truck in reverse and backed it up to the fork in the road. She waited until he passed her then followed him down the River Road.
As they made the long curve around the hill, they were greeted with trees lining the drive that canopied the road. Sara could see water glistening through the trees on her left from the river that flowed through the property. Eventually, they came to an area where there was a cabin that sat up on the hillside, opposite of the river. It was rustic and homey and quite large. When she thought of a cabin, she usually thought of a one room shelter that was more like a camping cabin than a living cabin. This was much better.
Alex pulled the bike up the drive to the front of the cabin. Several of his buddies were there already and the smell of smoked chicken filled the air. There were a couple of picnic tables in front of the cabin along with a few folding chairs surrounding a small bonfire pit.
Alex motioned to Sara to pull into a spot next to another truck. He waited for her to stop and went to open her door for her, reaching out his hand to help her out of the truck. She loved a gentleman. As she placed her hand in his, the electricity that she felt before made her tingle and twitch in places that should be behaving but that she had no control over.
“You look mighty nice today Miss Sara” he said softly as he leaned into her personal space closer to her ear.
“Thank you.” Sara blushed. She didn’t hear many compliments from handsome men these days. “Something smells really good.”
“That’s Bud. He is the best chicken smoker around. He knows just how to get the right amount of smoke and perfect tenderness and juiciness out of a bird.”
She looked over at Bud and he nodded and tipped his hat to her and smiled. “Howdy ma’am” Bud said with a smile.
As she looked around, she suddenly felt over dressed. Everyone else was in cut-offs and blue jeans with t-shirts.
Most of the barbeques she had been to in the city were much different than here. In the city she may actually be underdressed, but here it was just the opposite.
Alex took her around and introduced her to the handful of folks that were chatting and enjoying the company. It was peaceful and she looked around at just how beautiful the location was. The cabin sat up on the hill as the hill continued to rise up behind it. There was a level area in the front where everyone was at, then the ground slowly tapered towards the road and then down towards the river.
“This is a great place out here. I didn’t realize the river was so close.” Sara stated.
“Would you like to walk down and take a look?” Alex asked.
Sara smiled and nodded yes. They both took off down the hill towards the river. There was a path that had been cleared wide enough for the 4-wheeler. As they stepped off the road, Alex extended his hand to Sara’s. “This area can be a little slippery.” He said, taking Sara’s hand in his. “I wouldn’t want you to fall and get that pretty dress dirty.” Sara smiled and blushed. How thoughtful he was to be considerate of her clothing. Although, she wondered if he really just wanted to hold her hand. As his fingers wrapped around her hand, that electricity seemed to ignite all the things she remembered about finding a man attractive and falling in love. She knew it was much to soon to be thinking that way, but she couldn’t help herself. This guy seemed almost too perfect, and everything was falling into place. She reciprocated by holding onto his hand as he led her down the path to the river.
It was a gentle slope that opened up to an area where the river g
ently lapped against the rocks. Once they reached the bottom, Alex let go of her hand. Sara almost felt disappointed, but figured he really was just trying to keep her from slipping. As they stood on the bank, Sara took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. The sun felt good on her face and there was a cool breeze that the river seemed to give them.
Feeling at peace and happy, Sara thought it was a feeling that she wanted to bottle so she could feel it any time she was feeling blue. The serenity carried her away briefly as she listened to the sound of the water trickling against the rocks. There were birds chirping, enjoying the spring weather. She started to drift in her mind, wondering about the man who lived in this rustic cabin. Could he be a sweet as he seemed? Or was this the way he played with women? She was unsure and a bit afraid. But figured at this point in her life, she couldn’t let her past dictate her future.
“You almost look like you belong here.” Alex said, breaking the silence.
Puzzled, she asked him “What do you mean?”
“I sense that you appreciate nature and what nature has given too us. That you love its peacefulness and how fulfilling it can be to live amongst the trees and the river.”
“Yes, I suppose you are right. I have spent so long in the city and I never want to go back. The city makes you numb. It makes you less appreciative of what is out here. I guess I have always been a country girl at heart. I am glad I am here now.”
Alex smiled big and Sara noticed he had very small dimples in his cheeks. She hadn’t noticed them before. Probably because she was too worried about what she looked like to him. Now that she had a little more time and he was cleaned up, she had an intense desire to taste his lips.
She shook herself because she didn’t really know him just yet. How could she think about kissing him already! She felt her face get hot as she blushed. She looked down and then spun around taking in the scenery.
“So when do you guys usually start eating?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t sounding like a pig as she started to walk back up the path towards the cabin. She had waited to eat and she was starving. She stopped at a big tree and turned her back to it, leaning up against it.
“Bud has those chickens just about ready. It shouldn’t be long now. I know smelling it makes me hungry. We try to do this about once a month, me and the guys and their gals. All these guys are the ranch hands that work with me.” Alex moved closer to Sara, leaning up against the tree next to her on his shoulder. She could feel him looking her over and could smell the soft scent of soap as the breeze blew across his skin towards her.
“Oh, I see. Sounds like a good plan. So…where is YOUR gal?” Sara asked coyly as she leaned her head back against a tree, looking upwards towards his face. Alex leaned a little closer forward, just inches away from her face. He moved his body around to the front of her, placing his hand up on the tree right at the level of her head.
“Well…I am currently without one. I was hoping that maybe you might consider being my gal for the day.” Alex asked sweetly. As her eyes met his she noticed just how crystal blue they were and her whole body flushed with excitement. It felt as though he was looking into her soul. Her stomach felt like it was full of jumping beans as she tried to hide her stressed breathing. “Would you Miss Sara? Would you be my girl for the day?” Alex asked confidently, but with a little boy look on his face as if he was asking mommy for a cookie.
Sara tried not to laugh at the way he asked and she found it adorable how an obviously well-grounded man could sound so cute and yet humble. She smiled and felt special at the thought of her being the girl of the host of the party. In some way it made her almost feel elevated to belong to this new group of people who she didn’t know yet.
She looked at Alex as he patiently waited for her response. She sensed he was holding his breath as he waited for her answer.
“Yes Alex, I think that would be very nice.” Sara responded, as she saw a huge grin of satisfaction mixed with relief appear on his face. He pushed himself off the tree and out of her space. She felt both relieved and saddened that he wasn’t as close.
He motioned for them to head back up the path towards the cabin, reaching out his hand for hers. She placed her hand in his warm and electrifying grip as they walked back up the path.
“So do you live here alone?” Sara asked, hoping she wasn’t being to forward.
“At the moment I do. It is quite nice to have a place all to yourself sometimes. But I will admit, there are days and nights when it gets quite lonely. Most of the time, I work such late hours that I don’t really think much about it because I come home and just shower, eat and fall into bed.”
Sara smiled to herself, glad to know he was living alone and not with a roommate or boarder.
“How about you? Do you live alone?” Alex asked.
She was actually surprised at the question. For some reason it never occurred to her that he may be interested in her living situation. Suddenly she became uncomfortable, because she really didn’t know this guy. What if he was some kind of weirdo. All kinds of awful thoughts passed through her brain in an instant. But she knew how to answer.
“Actually, I live with three others.” She replied. “I have a wonderful German Shepherd who is my guardian, and two little furballs that are my babies.” She figured if he at least knew she had a dog, he may be leery of doing anything weird if that was his intention.
Sara shook her head at herself. Why was she being so paranoid? This guy is fine. There is nothing fishy going on here. She chatted to herself in her mind, reassuring herself that she was being overly self-protective.
“I love animals. All animals. I know that may sound a little crazy considering I work at a cattle ranch, but one of the reasons I love it here is because we treat our animals humanely. Even when we send them to slaughter, we use the most humane ways to do it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Alex said with conviction.
Wow! She thought. She was impressed by his attitude and position on the humane treatment of animals. Sara believed that if people treat animals in a humane way, then they are good people deep down.
“Actually,” he continued, “most of the guys that work with me are the same way. Even Bud, the chicken guy, treats his chickens the same way. Makes for the best chicken anywhere.”
Sara smiled as they made their way back up to the rest of the group. As they reached the front of the yard, she asked where the restroom was. Alex led the way into the cabin. Sara was amazed at how big the place was from the inside. It was quite rustic, with a huge stone fireplace. A big comfy couch was across from the fireplace area along with a couple of chairs on each side. As they walked through the house, she could see the kitchen with a bar that divided the kitchen and living area. Down the hall the bathroom was at the back of the hallway. It was spotlessly clean and quite large for a cabin.
“I will go ahead and meet you back outside, Miss Sara.” Alex said as he walked back through the hall and disappeared as he turned the corner to head out front.
Sara closed the door and leaned up against is. She took a deep breath and sighed and started to giggle. Looking around, she did a quick happy dance to let out some of the contained excitement that had been building. Could this actually be happening? She felt like she had to pinch herself because this didn’t feel like it was real. Was she dreaming? Here she was in her middle age and feeling like a teenager. She figured it must never go away…those feelings of butterflies when you are falling for someone. And she was glad to know that she could feel this way again. It felt good to be paid attention to.
After taking care of business, and making sure her face was presentable, she hurried back outside to join the rest of the group. Alex was sitting on the front porch bench but immediately rose when she stepped outside. How much she adored good manners.
They both walked down to where everyone was gathered around a long wood table, filling up their plates with delicious home grown food. She made sure to try a little of everything.
“I wish I woul
d have brought something.” She whispered to Alex, feeling a little like a moocher.
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head over something like that. I will always have both of us covered.”
His response was strong and confident, as if he assumed he would be taking care of her. It made her feel special and cared for. That was a feeling she had not felt in a very long time, if ever. In fact, most of the guys in the city wanted to make sure she could pay her own way! What a different world it was out here. She wondered if all the country boys were like this.
She smiled and dug in, devouring everything on her plate. The food was so satisfying and she complimented everyone on how great it was during her conversation with the rest of the gang.
The next several hours was spent socializing and grazing as the sun began to set. The guys all got up and pulled out lighters to light the wood over in the fire pit as the girls cleaned off the table, covering any remaining food with foil. As they stoked the fire she could feel the coolness in the air. Even though it was spring, the night air still had a slight feeling of winter leftover that needed to be chased away. A bonfire would do the trick.
Everyone moved their chairs over around the fire as each couple got closer together. The conversation flowed, but so did moments of nothing but the night quite and the sound of the crackling fire. It was cool to be able to sit around a fire where everyone didn’t feel like they had to talk all the time. There was no need to fill the air with mindless conversation. She could hear the bullfrogs and the crickets singing their hearts out as the night settled in.
Sara looked around the circle of chairs at each of the couples and then eventually made eye contact with Alex sitting next to her, who happened to be looking right at her.
“I must say, Miss Sara, that the firelight on your face is quite sexy.” Alex said softly, as he leaned over to reach up and brush a strand of hair away from her face. His hand lingered as he stroked her hair, bringing his hand underneath the back of her hair and massaging her neck.
Stinging Proposal (Erotic Romance) Page 3