by Amy Brent
“Yes, sir, that’s wonderful news, of course I accept. Yes, please email me the offer letter and I’ll sign it and send it back immediately. Yes, sir, a week from Monday sounds fine. Thank you, sir. Thank you.”
I hung up the phone and put a hand over my heart.
It felt like it was gonna beat right out of my chest.
Shit. I mean, yay!
My dream job had just become a reality.
Today was Friday.
A week from Monday I’d start my career as a research scientist at Monsanto’s Houston labs, doing research and development on new seed hybrids.
I couldn’t wait to tell Luke.
Surely, he’d want to come with me.
Luke
The day we got back to the ranch I slept almost fifteen hours straight. Cody said Shelby was so worried that she kept coming in to check on me to make sure I was still breathing.
When I finally managed to pry my eyes open and my ass out of bed, she wrapped plastic wrap around my waist and over my bandages so I could take a shower. I felt like a damned convenience store burrito. It was all I could do to resist pulling her into the shower with me. I would have loved to have soaped up her big titties and fucked her from behind as the hot water sprayed down on us. Sadly, that would be a fantasy we’d have to play out another day, when her Daddy and his shotgun weren’t around.
It was kind of nice showering alone, though. Taking my time, letting the hot water jets beat against my sore shoulders and neck. Fuck, just getting a week’s worth of hospital grime and sex goo off me made me feel a hundred times better.
I spent the next few days in bed most of the time, but slowly started moving around the house. Shelby refused to let me do much other than move from bed to kitchen chair to porch swing to bed. She fed me like a damn horse, insisting that I eat every bite of food she put in front of me.
Finally, I felt good enough to get out of bed for most of the day. I borrowed some of Cody’s clothes and underwear and socks. I’d lost a considerable amount of weight, so Cody’s clothes hung on me like a set of bad drapes. Shelby had to help me pull on my boots, but other than that I managed on my own.
The scar was healing well and the pain was subsiding, although I still had to be careful because sometimes the pain would hit out of nowhere and hitch me over double for a minute or two. I recalled the doc telling me that anytime they worked on your insides, it could take months, if not years, to completely heal. Screw that. I didn’t have years to lay on my ass. I wasn’t getting no younger.
I didn’t mention it to Shelby, but I planned to be back on a bull soon as the rodeo season started again in a few months.
I didn’t mention it because I knew she would go through the roof.
She kept making these little comments about how dangerous bull riding was, and how I wasn’t getting no younger, and how I ought’a be thinking about my long-term future.
I let the comments go, partially because I didn’t have the strength yet to argue with her and partially because I knew she was right.
Bull riding was dangerous and I wasn’t getting no younger.
And I rarely thought past my next ride.
But goddammit, I wasn’t ready to just roll over and die.
At least not yet.
* * *
I was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a cup of coffee when the screen door opened and Alvin Lee came in, wiping sweat off his face with the sleeve of his shirt. A cloud of dust followed him in. He hung his hat on the rack by the door and gave me the eye.
“How you feeling, boy?” he asked. He went to the sink and washed his hands, then opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He twisted off the cap and took the chair next to me.
“I’m better every day,” I said with my hand on my side. “I’ll be out there riding and roping with you and Cody before you know it.”
“Don’t rush it,” he said, shaking his head with the bottle at his lips. He wiped his bushy mustache with his fingers. “Worse thing you can do is get back on a horse or a bull too soon and have your guts pop out in the middle of the arena.”
“Yes, sir, that’s the truth.” I smiled and gave him little a nod. I held my coffee cup between my hands and stared into it. I didn’t want to look him in the eye because I had the fear that he would see guilt all over my face. I had done nasty things to his little girl and I knew that he would see that in my eyes. I could tell he was watching me. I could feel his steel blue eyes burning into my face like a hot branding iron.
“So, Luke, what’s you plan?” he asked, sitting back with the water resting on his chest.
I glanced up and shrugged. “Reckon I’ll heal up and get back on the road.”
“No, son, I mean what’s your plan regarding Shelby?”
I glanced up again and my eyes locked on his. I tried not to blink. “Sir?
“I asked what’s your plan regarding Shelby.”
“Um, well, I’m not sure I understand the question.”
He huffed and shook his head at me. “Son, do you think I’m stupid?”
“No, sir,” I said quickly. “You’re probably the smartest man I know.”
He chucked and rubbed a knuckle under his nose. “Son, if that’s the case you need to greatly widen your social circle.” He grinned at me for a moment, then put his elbows on the table and leaned in over them. “I know about you and Shelby. I always have.”
I blinked at him. “You have?”
“I have. I also know she’s been head over heels for you since she was a teenager,” he said, cutting his eyes at me. “And I expect you’ve always had feelings for her. At least I hope you have. I’d hate to think that you were just using her.” He gave me a moment to respond. I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded and hoped it would suffice.
“I was young once, I know the things that teenagers do,” he said with a heavy sigh. “And I also know the things that grownups do.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” I said. My eyes went around the room, looking for a shotgun that might be leaning in a corner.
“I mean y’all are not teenagers anymore,” he said, the humor draining from his face to make room for a scowl that made me lean back in my chair. “Y’all can’t just run off to the barn to fool around and then get back to business anymore. Teenagers have hormones. Adults have feelings.” He narrowed his eyes at me again. “You get my meaning now?”
“Yes, sir,” I said, swallowing hard. “I believe so.”
“So, I’ll ask you again. What’s your plan regarding Shelby?”
I blew out a long sigh and spread my hands. “I’m not sure I have a plan.” A sharp pain bit at my guts. I put a hand to my side and tried not to wince. “I mean, to be honest with you, I didn’t expect to need a plan until I saw her walk into that hospital room a few days ago.”
Alvin Lee’s head bobbed, like he understood. He was an old cowboy. He’d ridden the circuit back in the day. He understood the lure of the road and the ride. But he also understood the love of a good woman, even though it was something he’d never really had.
He finished off the bottle of water and set it aside, then brushed the knuckle across his lips and gave me a firm look. “I’m just gonna say one thing on the subject and then I’ll shut up,” he said. “If you love her, hang on to her for dear life because there ain’t too many women like Shelby. But if you’re just messing with her to pass the time, well, son, it would be best if you heal up and move on quick as you can.”
“Yes, sir, I understand.”
He got up from the table, plucked his hat off the rack and worked it between his hands for a moment. He set his hand on the screen door, but paused before pushing it open.
“I reckon you know that if you break her heart you’ll have to answer to me,” he said without looking back at me.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “I understand.”
“All right then.” He set the hat on his head, pushed open the screen, and went out the door.
I bl
ew out a long breath and rubbed my eyes.
What was my plan regarding Shelby?
I had no fucking clue.
Shelby
It was Wednesday already and I hadn’t mentioned the Monsanto job to Luke, even though I had to leave on Sunday. I had told Cody about the job and made him swear that he wouldn’t say a word, not even to Daddy, who would want to make a big deal over it.
“You ain’t told Luke yet?” Cody asked as we stood at the sink washing the dinner dishes. I glanced out the window over the sink. Luke was moving around pretty good now, getting out of bed and walking around the house, sitting on the porch. I could see him standing at the corral with Daddy, their long arms draped over the top rail, shoulder to shoulder, chatting like old pals. They were watching one of the cowboys trot a new pony around the corral.
“I’ll tell him when the time is right,” I said.
“When’s that gonna be?” Cody asked, holding out a dripping plate for me to dry.
“Soon,” I said. “Stop pestering me.”
“No time like the present,” Cody said, nodding out the window. “Here he comes. Dry off your hands, put on a smile, and tell him what’s going on. You owe him the truth, Shelby. You need to tell him tonight.”
“You’re right,” I said, drying my hands on a dish towel. “You got this?”
“Who do you think did the dishes while you were at school?” Cody said with a grin. He glanced out the window. Luke and Daddy were almost to the porch. “Go on. Tell him now.”
* * *
“Sure is a nice night,” Luke said as we walked hand in hand past the barn where we’d first made love. I resisted the urge to drag him inside and rip his clothes off. We hadn’t made love since he’d been home and even though he put on a brave face, I knew his side still hurt him something fierce. The scar was healing up, but one good romp in the barn could send him back to the hospital. I wanted to fuck his brains out, but not at the cost of popping his stitches again.
We walked past the barn where the pastures started. About thirty yards out, at the top of a hill, was a giant elm tree that we used to climb when we were kids. It loomed dark and large as the sky behind it turned purple.
“Can you make it to the tree?” I asked, squeezing his hand.
“I think I can,” he said, giving me a sideways smile.
I looked up at the stars that were starting to come out as we walked through the tall grass, trying to find the right words to tell Luke about the job. I had already played the conversation over and over in my mind, but I knew reality rarely mirrored imagination.
Did I really expect Luke to just forget about bull riding and move to Houston with me?
Did I really expect him to never climb onto the back of another bull at all?
Did I expect anything of him other than great sex?
Did I expect anything at all?
We reached the tree and Luke turned to sit on the ground.
“Need help?” I asked, holding Luke’s hand as he lowered himself slowly to the ground.
“No, ma’am,” he said, wincing. “I am quite capable of sitting down on my own. Though getting up might be another matter.” He sat down and leaned back against the tree with his long legs stretched out and ankles crossed.
I sat down beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder. This was the closest we’d been in days without someone watching us. Immediately, I could feel the heat growing between my legs. I could feel my nipples pushing against the thick padding of my bra. I wanted him so bad I could already feel him inside me, but I knew we had to be careful. His stitches were still mending. And Daddy could show up anytime.
“This is nice,” Luke said, brushing his lips against my forehead. “You wanna fool around?”
“Do you think we can without putting you back in the hospital,” I said, putting my hand to his cheek and brushing my lips to his. I glanced toward the house at the bottom of the hill. I could see the lights on in the kitchen and front rooms. Where we were, under the night shade of the old elm, I was pretty certain that we couldn’t be seen.
My hand slid over his thigh, just an inch or two away from his cock, which if past experience held true, was already growing hard and thick inside his jeans. I put my lips to his ear and swirled my tongue around the rim.
“So, what are you plans?” Luke asked of out of the blue. My hand froze on his thigh as I pulled back to look him in the eye.
“Plans? What do you mean?” I held my breath, wondering if he had somehow found out about my job. I pulled my hand back from his leg and laced my fingers together in my lap.
“I mean, you know, do you plan on staying here on the ranch or maybe getting a job somewhere else? I’m not sure where a body has to move to work on seeds.”
“Well, I haven’t given it much thought,” I said, lying through my teeth because I wasn’t prepared to tell him the truth. I glanced at him sideways. “What about you? What are your plans?”
Luke stared off toward the house. He brought up his knees and rested his elbows on them. I could just make out his profile in the darkness. He said, “Reckon I’ll get back on the circuit someday.”
I frowned at him. “Is that for sure what you’re gonna do?”
His shoulder went up and down against mine. “Don’t really know,” he said quietly. “Reckon I won’t make any firm plans until I know that I’m well enough to ride again.”
“That’s smart,” I said, wrapping my arms around myself as if I were chilly. I wasn’t. I just didn’t know what to do with my hands.
“I can’t imagine you’d stick around here,” he said. “You have your degree now. I’m sure there’s a bunch of companies that would love to scoop you up.”
“Well, I’m not sure about that,” I said. My stomach started to sour. I could taste the bitter hint of bile in my throat. I hated lying to him. It was twisting me into knots. I took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth. It had to come out sooner or later. Now was as good a time as any.
Then I felt his hand on my leg.
“What are you doing?” I asked, smiling, suddenly breathing hard in response to his touch. He turned toward me with his hand sliding into my crotch. My pussy was scorching hot for him. I could feel the juices pooling in the crotch of my cotton panties. He squeezed my pussy and my juices soaked into my jeans. I spread my legs and sighed.
“We can talk plans later,” he said, his lips on mine. He swirled his tongue around my lips, then pushed his tongue into my mouth. “Right now, I gotta have you or I’m gonna bust right out of these jeans.
“Stop, let me do the hard work,” I said. I glanced toward the house again. I could see Daddy through the window of his study, smoking his pipe and reading a book. I didn’t see Cody, but figured he was smart enough not to have followed us out to the tree.
Under cover of darkness, I pulled off my boots and shimmied out of my jeans and helped Luke shimmy out of his. He lay back against the tree with his rock-hard cock in his hand, stroking it slowly, waiting for me to climb onboard.
“If your side starts to hurt we’ll stop,” I said, turning my ass toward him and slowly squatting to lower my pussy onto his waiting cock. The breath caught in my throat when the head of his cock slid inside me. I squatted down a little more and more of him slid inside me. When he was in as far as he could go, I began to rock my hips back and forth, milking him slowly, like sliding over a saddle on a slow trotting horse.
“Fuck…” Luke moaned. “Now that’s the best medicine there is.”
He slid his hands under my ass to help take some of the weight off my knees. He dug his fingers into my ass and helped me rock back and forth. I moaned as the length of him slid in and out of my soaking cunt. I was gushing, dripping, covering his cock and balls with my juices. My tangy scent wafted through the moist night air.
“Jesus… Luke… I’m cumming… already…” I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut as his thick cock slid in and out. I brought my hands to my tits and gave them a firm squeeze. My ri
gid nipples pushed out from my bra and t-shirt. I rolled my fingers over them as the heat of my orgasm started to burn its way throughout my body.
“Shit… Shelby… cum… baby…” Luke said, panting the words, fingers flexing on my ass. “I’m… right behind you...”
I bit my lip to keep from screaming as the orgasm shot through me like lightning in a Texas thunderstorm, making me shudder as my body released wave after wave of slick cum down the length of his cock and balls.
Luke came with me, clenching his hands on my ass and pulling me down onto him as far as I could go. I heard him grunt like a bear as the heat of his hot milky orgasm filled my cunt. I could feel his heat burning from my clit to my nipples. His hard thrusts pushed the air from my lungs.
I braced my hands on my knees and struggled to catch my breath. I could hear Luke panting like a dog behind me. His fingers loosened on my ass. He started gently massaging the small of my back with his thumbs.
“Jesus Christ a’mighty, I needed that,” Luke said with a happy sigh.
“So did I,” I said, pushing myself up off him with a grunt. I turned around to squat over his deflated cock again, this time facing him. I put my hands around his neck and pressed my lips to his. “Your side okay?”
“Yes, ma’am, my side’s just fine.
“What were we talking about?” I asked, nuzzling my nose to his.
“Damned if I can remember,” he said as his tongue pushed into my mouth again. “Damned if I can remember.”
Luke
After a week back home at the ranch, I was feeling more like my old self. I wasn’t quite ready to climb back on a bull, but I had high hopes that someday I would.
Shelby turned out to be one hell of a nurse, although she could be a Nazi at times. We hadn’t managed to sneak off and have sex again after our night under the old tree, but she was sweet and attentive and waited on me hand and foot. It was kinda nice.
Course, it would have been nicer to take her out to the barn and let her ride my old pecker like a show pony. But that time would come. Right now, she seemed to have other things on her mind.