“Who’s cooking tonight?”
James mounted and turned away from the stable. “I’m doing beef ribs.”
Senior Gomez was tending the fire under the meat as the smell travelled for miles. They hadn’t cooked outdoors in a long time but it was a nice warm evening despite being late in the year. Matthew was sitting at the bottom of the steps talking to James about the little fish along the riverbank. Mirisa knew that James was his favorite because they bonded when he was so young though his father always got the true love.
The kitten was jumping on Dog and playing with his tale which excited Matthew and every time he would try to pick him up the cat would roll over and bite him. Dominic didn’t think James would bring the damn thing home and he knew telling them that it had to stay outside was a waste of time. It would be in bed with Matthew and Dog tonight. The boys were already drinking shots and Mirisa reached over and took Meeks glass.
“It’s been a long time sweetheart.” He refilled the glass and Dominic looked over at him.
“If you get her drunk you will have to take care of Matthew in the morning.”
“I’d rather take care of your wife but I can handle Matthew.” He lit a cigar and took out the cards and began shuffling them. Matthew heard the sound and immediately got up and crawled into Meeks lap. Matthew loved playing cards and would count the little pictures on his cards out loud. Dominic just shook his head, leaned back and kissed Mirisa.
Dominic figured three years of being good was probably more then he could handle. “I’ll watch him tonight.”
Mirisa thanked him and asked if that included Meeks offer. Dominic sighed and knew it was going to be a great night of poker and an excellent night for putting out the fire.
Mirisa poured a glass of lemonade putting it in front of Matthew. He grabbed her shirt as she started to stand up and kissed her cheek. She raised her eyebrows and realized that he was really starting to imitate Dominic who kissed her every time she did something for him. Matthew turned back to playing cards with Meeks and Garnett.
Mirisa put the dishes on the corner of the table as Dominic moved over to play poker. Matthew would look at his cards and up at Meeks for help on what to do. Mirisa took out the little bowl of rocks that Matthew had collected in the gardens which they used instead of money when he played. Matthew had an obsession with rocks and Mirisa would frequently find them in his pockets, in his bed or down between the furniture. If you weren’t careful, Matthew would drop one in your glass.
James brought the large platter of sizzling ribs up on the porch and put it down. “Matthew, are you winning again?” He looked up at him and showed him his cards. “Looks pretty good to me. Are you hungry?”
“I eat with daddy.” Dominic looked up at him and thought that this small child had probably more control over him than Mirisa.
“Well, since he’s sitting here and looks hungry do you want to eat?”
“After cards.”
“Okay, one more hand and we eat.”
“Okay after cards.”
Matthew preferred to eat vegetables because he could understand the growing, picking and fixing his vegetables and it seemed understanding was important to him. The day they found him eating an earth worm baffled them. It took them a while to get Matthew to understand not to eat them because they weren’t vegetables even if they lived in the vegetable garden. Mirisa brought out a small bowl of steaming string beans and put it next to Dominic. Matthew looked up from his cards. He folded his cards and handed them to Meeks and got down and went around the table and crawled up on Dominic’s lap reaching for a bean.
Dominic put him to bed after he fell asleep on his shoulder. He left the door open and went back out to find most of the table cleared and a new bottle of whisky uncapped. Dominic poured a shot, picked up the cards and shuffled. Mirisa picked up the bowl of rocks and put them back on the shelf before she changed into something more comfortable. She reached around Dominic to pick up the last bowl and he reached his hand up her skirt to see whether or not she was wearing anything. She smiled then straddled his lap and he ran both hands up the outside of her legs as he kissed her.
“Excuse me, are we playing cards?” She leaned back and James thought that view was extremely nice but he much preferred standing behind her when she bent down to pick something up. She sat up, kissed her husband and moved off his lap. He reached up and encircled her waist and Meeks told him to save it for when they were alone. Meeks poured her a shot and slid it across the table as Dominic dealt the cards. About an hour into the game James got up and checked on Matthew and came back and picked up his cards. No one had to ask if he was still sleeping because if he wasn’t he would be sitting on James’ lap.
Garnett was winning most of the hands through the first hour before it started switching back and forth with different runs. They knew when she got up on her knees instead of sitting that she was getting serious and she was definitely up on her knees. James sat back and looked at her.
“James, look at your cards not my wife.” Mirisa looked at Dominic. “Mirisa, in or out?”
“I’m in.” She anted and upped the bet before asking for one card. Dominic gave it to her but she didn’t look at it.
James folded and Garnett met her bet and raised it two. Meeks looked at his cards and met the raise. Dominic folded. Mirisa leaned across the table and Meeks smiled because he knew what she was doing. He reached over as he poured her a shot and brushed his fingers across the bracelet which was never off of her arm. Mirisa found his ability to talk to her without a single word amazing. Meeks’ touch seemed to quicken her breathing because Mirisa knew that it was never innocently done. He was so dangerous and he knew it. Mirisa put her cards down and she thought for a moment that Meeks would do exactly what his eyes said he wanted to do and she blinked. Meeks sat back and smiled. Garnett folded and Meeks turned over a full house winning the hand. Mirisa excused herself to check on Matthew and as she stood up against the wall in his dark room she tried to control her breathing. Mirisa had not experienced anything so strong since Conrad first came to her in her dreams.
She came back out and sat down and picked up her cards. “What’s the bet?”
“Three to you.”
She looked at her cards but couldn’t concentrate so she folded. “Mirisa, why are you folding on the first pass?”
“I don’t know.”
Meeks watched her carefully. “Do you want to change your mind?” She looked at Garnett as he reached over and picked up her cards. She had two pair, queens high.
“Mirisa?” She looked at Garnett and he thought she was the most sensuous woman in the world or at least at the table. “This is a good hand.”
“I’m sorry I.think the pie is cooled.” She got up from the table to make coffee. Dominic followed her into the kitchen to help.
James put his cards down kicking back. “Good job Meeks. You just can’t leave her alone can you?”
“If you want the truth, any other man and I would have stolen her years ago.”
“It’s men like you that make me glad I’m not married.”
“Oh, that’s good James considering you have bedded more women than the rest of us put together.”
“Make that more married women.” Garnett shuffled the cards and dealt them.
“Well, you have to admit given the choice in single or married, married women have more experience, far less partners and are usually starving for attention so they will do anything you are in the mood to do.”
They all agreed. “Yes but you are a complete exhibitionist. You have seduced more married women in public and in the presence of their husbands.”
“That’s because they are more resistant when their husband is nearby which puts that little edge on it but then Meeks you know that because you did it tonight.”
Dominic came out, poured a shot and lit his cigar. “Thank you Meeks!” He picked up his cards and Garnett just laughed.
“No problem but I really think you
need to share her.”
“I am sure you do.”
Mirisa came out with a tray of coffee and peach pie putting it down on the table and sat down next to her husband. James poured her a cup of coffee and put it in front of her. She picked it up and looked at Dominic’s cards. “Mirisa quit cheating and play your own cards.”
“Mirisa?”
“Yes Meeks?”
“Do you wear anything under your dress when you are playing poker?”
“What I wear has nothing to do with poker.”
“Why?”
“Why what? Meeks, if you know from looking at me why would you ask?”
“Is that how you cheat?”
“No, that trick would only work on James and definitely works on Dominic especially when I am sitting on his lap.” Meeks smiled at her.
“Then your answer is yes. What do you use when you are playing against me?”
“With you I bluff.”
“Does that work?”
“No, you are way too serious and never bluff so it never works.”
“Your husband won’t share.”
“Oh he shares; he just won’t let you sleep with me.” Dominic told her it was her bid.
“Mirisa, you didn’t tell us what you use on Garnett.” They all knew that he was going to push her tonight.
“Nothing. He is afraid of his true feelings and I don’t have the ability to ever hurt him.” The statement stunned them all. Garnett looked at her. They weren’t playing poker anymore they were being as honest as they could without coming out and saying what they all had known from the very beginning. Garnett knew the balance was paper thin. She anted and asked for one card. She was on her knees and James looked at her.
“You have nothing on?”
“James, of all people in the world the image of my body has to be ingrained in your mind and I have very little on.”
“True but that only makes it nicer.”
They played for another hour before James said he had to get up early to start the turkeys so they called it a night. James kissed her good night and his hand slipped down her back. “Damn you should be locked away somewhere.”
“You would lock away an innocent woman because you have no control?”
“I’ll hold my answer because I’m not convinced that you are innocent.”
She smiled and shook her head. Garnett and Meeks both kissed her on the cheek but went no further. Dominic helped her clean up and then she checked on Matthew who was sound asleep with both Dog and the cat curled up at the end of his bed. She kissed him goodnight and then turned to her husband and had her way. Dominic loved it when they wound Mirisa up which is why he never left her alone with any of them. If he couldn’t resist her, how could any other man.
Dominic decided to have a special harness made for Matthew that would allow him to ride with anyone and stay on the horse. The nice part about the design is he could sit so that he would be up against the rider and sleep comfortably. They took him out using it several times but the longest they rode was two hours out and he slept all the way back. Mirisa had more problems with his sleeping against her since she was so small so they decided he would ride with one of the men when he was tired. He had taken to riding with Garnett every morning before breakfast and seemed to prefer him to everyone else but they weren’t sure why. Garnett seemed to interact with him less than the rest and they rarely talked when they were together but the affection seemed to be mutual. Matthew had taken to standing out on the porch in the mornings waiting for him and Garnett would ride up and just reach down and lift him up and ride north for a mile and then come back for breakfast.
Garnett slid off the horse with Matthew under his arm and put him down on the steps. Matthew stood quietly as Garnett tethered his horse and then he reached up and took Garnett’s hand. James was sitting in the corner drinking his coffee. “Garnett, it looks like you have a riding partner for the trip.”
“It would appear so. I guess he knows who handles horses the best.”
Matthew climbed up on his father’s lap and looked in his coffee cup and made a face as Mirisa put his fresh apple juice in front of him. Mirisa stirred his bowl of fresh grits with bits of left over bacon and when she set it down in front of Matthew; Meeks looked at her and asked why she never made him that.
“Because I’ve never seen any of you eat anything but eggs or flap cakes for breakfast.”
“That’s because James doesn’t offer anything else.”
“Can I ride with Daddy?” He was looking across the table at Mirisa.
“When do you want to ride?”
“Now.” Mirisa looked up at Dominic because she didn’t know what he had planned for the day. He nodded.
“Okay, but you have to come home with me for lunch.”
“Okay.” Matthew pushed his bowl away he got down and ran into the bedroom looking for his boots. She dressed him and told him he had to wear his jacket which was out on the porch where he left it. Dog followed him back to the porch.
They had all mounted except Dominic. “Ready partner?”
“Yep.” Matthew climbed up on the table stuffing a biscuit in his jacket pocket. They all shook their heads as Matthew lifted his arms and Dominic picked him up putting him in the saddle. He settled in and held on to the horn and waved goodbye to his mother. They were riding a lot faster with him than she did because they wanted him to get used to the pace.
Mirisa sometimes wondered why she hadn’t gotten pregnant since having Matthew. She couldn’t believe that she was already 22 years old. She spent the morning fixing lunch to take down to the stables.
She dismounted and tied up her horse. Matthew was standing up on the railing with Meeks talking about the horses. Meeks leaned over and kissed her which he hadn’t done in a long time. The time didn’t seem to diminish the effect it had on her. She looked at him and he reached over putting his hand behind her head and really kissed her.
“Meeks.” He put his finger on her lips and turned his attention back to Matthew.
“Matthew, are you hungry?”
“I will eat with Daddy.”
“Where is your Daddy?”
“He went with Garnett and James to look at horses. Momma, these are all my horses.” He looked at Meeks and asked him a question about what they were doing to get thrown off the horse. Meeks explained it to him. “Oh.” He thought it was funny. “Oh, there’s Daddy.” He pointed and she saw them riding up from the west. They all dismounted and Dominic lifted her from the railing and kissed her.
“We’re playing cards tonight.”
Matthew turned to him and asked if he could play.
“Sure you can, right after dinner.”
“Okay.” He turned back to Meeks and the horses.
“Matthew, are you ready to eat?”
“Yep, then I need a nap.” James laughed at how regimented he was at such a young age. “Mommy take me home, okay?”
“Yes darling, Mommy will take you home.”
“Can we ride faster because you are slow?” She put her head on Dominic’s chest and he held her. He wondered sometimes how she dealt with so many men in her life. He lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. She was so beautiful and so giving. He remembered the first night he got her drunk and how that feeling of wanting her so bad was always there. He backed her up against the rail post and kissed her with such passion and she responded instantly.
“Come on Matthew, Daddy’s going to ride you home.”
“Okay. Is Mommy coming too?” Meeks lifted him down and he ran to his father.
Mirisa took the basket off her horse and handed it to James. He thanked her and wondered what in the world had gotten into Dominic today. Garnett lit a cigar and leaned up against the railing next to Meeks and watched them ride away.
The thunder heads started to build in the north and slowly work their way down the river. Mirisa stood out on the porch watching as the sky took on a dark purple hue. She loved the thunderheads tha
t mysteriously built up over the flat land. The rumbling was so deep and the lightening just seemed to flash between the large black clouds. Mirisa watched as a herd of wild longhorns came closer to the river. The herds had been increasing at an unnatural rate but they never had been so close to the house.
Dominic came out standing next to her. “Have I told you I want to spend my life with you?”
“I think you told me that in church.”
“I feel like we just got married and yet so much has happened. Do you ever regret marrying me?” He was being awfully wistful today. He hadn’t asked her that question in a very long time.
“I can’t say it has been anything like what I thought my life would be. There are times when your love is so wonderful. I just don’t know why I have been unable to give you a lot of children.”
They watched the thunderstorm rumbling through the hills as he thought about her words. “I’m going to have to talk to Tom about rounding up more of the longhorns before they become dangerous.” Dominic turned her around and slowly undressed her until she was standing on the porch completely nude. The electricity seemed to fill the air with a current of excitement that traveled from the sky into their embrace. Dominic’s hands slowly moved under her breasts before following the hollow of her stomach and around her hips bringing her up against his body as she closed her eyes. His breathing quickened as her head came back and her lips parted. Dominic reached up and untied her hair allowing it to fall haphazardly around her shoulders.
James swirled his glass as he kicked back on their porch watching Dominic knowing he was aware they were watching. Garnett lit his cigar then slid his glass over to be refilled. “Think it will rain?”
Meeks was chewing on his cigar which had gone cold. “It looks like it will but right now I’m concerned with the cattle gathering along the river.”
Garnett picked up his glass and downed the shot. “Sometimes I wonder if he is aware of how precarious the balance has become.”
“Dominic’s always aware.”
“Then he’s a damn fool.”
Meeks got up and stretched as the rain began to fall. “That’s what I’m counting on.”
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