by Ashlee Price
I was just happy that he had finally stopped talking about my love life. It was pitiful and men like Billy didn’t need to know about it. He didn’t seem fazed at all by the conversation and it made me wonder if he had already heard about it.
“Just because you have found the one doesn’t mean the rest of us have.”
The man next to me laughed. “I tell him that all the time, but he still does the same thing to me.”
“You have bad taste in women?”
“Yes.” Marcus answered for him and it made me laugh when he gave him the same look.
“Well at least I am not the only one I suppose.”
“Nope, on me all the time.”
“Because you date bimbos and she dates losers.”
“Bye Marcus. Go see your wife.”
“Dang, sis.”
“I will come up there later and see you guys. I have to finish the stalls before mom gets back. You should come back this evening. She is making a roast.”
“I might. Be nice to him Gemma.”
I nodded, though I wondered why he said it. I wasn’t usually mean to his friends, but Billy seemed to think it was all just hilarious. When Marcus was out of the view, I turned to Billy and saw him looking at me in such a way. “You must be a right pudding pop for him to be so protective. What does he think I am going to do to you?”
He didn’t answer me, but looked at me even stranger. I just shrugged and started towards the ranch. When we got on the porch, I took the muck boots off and showed him inside. He was really quiet. “So you work with Marcus out on the rig?”
“Yeah, been with them for almost ten years.”
“You don’t look that old.”
“I am as old as Marcus.”
We walked through the house. “Have you been here before Billy?”
“Once or twice.”
“Well there is an open room upstairs and one downstairs, so take your pick.”
“Where do you stay?”
I looked back at him for a moment and saw the glint in his eyes. I smiled back at him. “I live on the other side of town. I haven’t stayed here for years. So, top or bottom?”
“Definitely top.”
There was more to the answer, the innuendo clear. I had a feeling that he had been out on the rig too long, but I didn’t say anything else. I could feel his eyes on my backside as I made it up the stairs. Opening up the door, I moved aside so that he could go in. “Well if you need anything, just holler.”
I started to walk away and he asked what I was going to do. “I am going to go finish the barn, I told Paul I would.”
“Would you like some help?”
I almost said no, but then changed my mind. “Are you sure you can handle it? It’s kind of messy.”
He shrugged. “I worked on a ranch as a kid, so I don’t think it will be a problem.”
“Sure, I can always use more help. I figured you would be hitting the first bar when you got on land. That is what Marcus used to do before Leanna.”
His cheeks turned a little red and I had to laugh a little. He didn’t answer me and I just told him to come down when he was ready. Men like him were all the same and though I was having fun with him, I told myself to be good.
Chapter 5 – Billy
I watched her walk away and I have to say that Gemma was nothing like I had thought she would be. She seemed to have a curiosity in her that went far past the normal and she wasn’t afraid to ask questions and comments that another person would pause to say. Gemma was like no one I had ever met and it would have been far easier to ignore the woman if she didn’t look the way she did.
Her hair was long and brown, wearing it back in a braid that went all the way down to her round bottom. Even in her present state, no makeup and messy hair, practically covered in mud and straw, she was still ravishing. She had the fresh face of the woman that I would want to wake up next to. Not some random girl that I met at a bar and barely recognized with the smudged and smeared traces of her beauty by morning. There had been times I had awoken to a person that was nothing like what had started at the bar as.
Gemma was built just how I liked my women, tall and curvy. Her body was tantalizing even with just her jeans on, molded to her backside as she walked away. Gemma was not a woman that could be ignored in any sense of the world. When she left the room, it felt a little cooler, her beaming smile and warmth gone from the place. As she had left, I could feel her inner sunshine leaving with her.
I was a little nervous as I put on a pair of old jeans. With another woman, I would have easily talked her out of her panties and went on my way when it was over. Gemma was different and even though I had her brother’s blessing, Gemma was obviously the type that you really went all in on or just didn’t try at all. I didn’t know if I was ready for a woman like her and even though I was attracted to her, I didn’t know if I was ready to have a real relationship. With Gemma there would be nothing short of that. She was an all or nothing kind of girl.
Shaking my head of my thoughts, I started down the staircase and was literally shocked at what I was even thinking about. I was not one that liked relationships and they very rarely occurred to me to have them. I spent most of my time on a piece of floating metal in the middle of the ocean and the last thing I needed was the stress that I saw Marcus in when he was out there, missing his wife. I knew right then that if I was with her, I would miss her terribly as I did right then. She had only been gone for a few minutes and I already felt the urge to be with her. A woman like that was dangerous to a man that coveted his heart more than anything else.
“Grab some boots Billy from that side closet right there or you are going to regret it.”
I didn’t even see her there and I must have jumped a little because I heard that soft breathy voice laughing for a minute. “Thanks.”
I felt dumb around her, my brain not quite working well as if I was in a fog. She knew that she had that effect on me and I was sure that it was what she was laughing about. I wasn’t usually like this, I wanted to tell her, but I didn’t think my voice and tone would be convincing. As the thought rolled around in my head, I didn’t feel convinced of it myself.
“So you have done this before, right?”
I shook my head, not believing that my voice was going to help me.
“Okay good. Shovels are next to the bridles in the back and I already have a wheelbarrow out. Thanks for helping.”
Once again I just nodded. She looked at me for a moment with her bright hazel eyes. They were slightly different than when I had talked to her last, but I blamed it on the lighting. I must not have been seeing things as they looked greener than before.
Following her midway in the barn, she had already done half of the far back stalls and I was just standing there with the shovel in my hand as Gemma started to get back to work. She had all but forgotten me as her body went into action. I could have watched her for hours, but when she looked back at me and asked if I was going to just stand there or help, I had to tear my gaze from her.
All of the muscles in her legs and arms were stretching as she bent over, showing off her derriere that was hard to look away from. I started to work next to her, my muscles taking a few moments to remember what they were supposed to be doing.
It was like going back to childhood and it had been years since I had cleaned up after horses. It was nostalgic of a time that I was young and sent away to a work ranch for troubled youth. There had been a time that many felt I was headed straight for the big house and working on the McConnell Ranch had changed everything.
“I have never seen someone smile so big to be picking up this muck.”
I looked at her and pulled the corners of my mouth down. I felt like I had been busted. “Just brings me back.”
I thought she would look at me strange, but instead she actually had the same faraway look and smile as I was sure I did. “I like to come out here and work on the ranch from time to time. It reminds me of my childhood in a stra
nge way. I would much rather be here than at the office where I am supposed to be.”
“That was exactly why I was smiling.”
She just shook her head and smiled bigger. Gemma was breathtaking in that moment. “Marcus never did understand it, though none of them cared because no one likes to do it if they had to do it every day. But just the sound of the horses and the peacefulness is enough.”
Gemma turned back to what she was doing, leaving us both back in the silence that she had just talked about. Soon I could hear again the soft nickers from the horses that were still in the building with us. It was peaceful and before long, we were on the last stall and then finished. Watching her tug her boots off and then spraying both pairs down, setting them in the corner, Gemma walked barefoot back to the house.
“I am going to go change, thanks for the help.”
And like that, she was gone and I was left staring after her. Had Marcus known that I would feel that way about her? How could anyone not be taken in by her gentle ways? It was impossible not to be and there was a feeling of urgency. Gemma would soon find another boyfriend. A woman like her wouldn’t be single for long.
I went upstairs and took a shower. While it was fine to smell the familiar smells when I was working, it was not something that I necessarily wanted to take with me when I left the barn. As the water poured over me, all I could think about was Gemma and what she was doing. When I got back downstairs, she had made me a sandwich with a glass of tea beside it.
“Sorry I am not much of a cook, but if you stick around my mom will be cooking later. Have you met her before?”
I nodded that I had. I had known Elna for almost ten years and she had always been the kindest woman to me. Sitting down in front of the small gesture from her daughter, I could tell then that Gemma had picked up some of her mother’s traits. She had a way about her and with her hair damp and her face freshly scrubbed she looked even more enticing than she had before.
“I met her many times in the city. We would go up there on our leave, a lot more before Leanna and your brother got married.”
“I bet. Now you can’t hardly get those two apart, but they are so cute together.”
I had to agree. More than once I had wished I had what he had. “Yes they are.”
“So what are you doing today? You know Marcus won’t be back. Maybe for dinner because he can’t turn down roast, but it will be late when he does show up.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well what do you usually do?”
I smiled up at her as she stood in a long flowing skirt and white top. Her hair was down around her shoulders and she looked heavenly. “I don’t want to say.”
“I was right before, huh?”
I found my head nodded without my permission. Why was I saying that to her or implying that she was right? For all purposes, I was usually more suave, but I seemed to have no game with her. Gemma was not a woman I could lie to and that was problematic.
“Well we could go to a bar if you want. I wouldn’t be opposed to a few drinks. My arms are sore and a little vodka will make it better.”
Of course I had to agree. I would have gone skydiving with her if that was what I had to do to stay around her. I needed to be around her more, her presence a calming, yet exciting force to be close to.
“Good, I hate drinking alone and Paul and Scott won’t be in till dark.”
***
The bar that she took me to was one that I had been to before and I had made the mistake of having a go with one of the bartenders and in true form of my luck, she was the one working when we got there. What was worse was that Gemma seemed to know the woman well and I couldn’t even remember her name. It did not bode well for me and I realized then how much I didn’t want Gemma to know that I had banged the older blonde on the very bar on which she was sliding her a vodka straight up with a beer chaser.
“Thanks, Ileene. I really needed that.” Gemma turned to me and I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights. It was how I felt. Shocked, stunned and hoping that if I didn’t move, maybe they wouldn’t see me. Ileene! How could I forget a name like that, or did I not even ask her for it?
“What did you want to drink Billy?”
Ileene slid a beer to me and walked away. I tried to search my memory for what happened between us. She hadn’t seem too happy to see me, though she wasn’t angry, so that was a positive moment.
“Did you know her?”
Again, I shouldn’t have shaken my head that I did, but it was impossible to lie to Gemma. “Yeah. I met her a while ago.”
“Did you date?”
“Not particularly.”
Her cheeks got slightly red. “Oh.”
I wished then that I had said nothing. Why had I? I swear I didn’t know why I wanted to tell her everything. Lying didn’t even come to mind, which was strange because I was known to spin a tale with women.
Gemma took a drink of her vodka and grimaced slightly before she grabbed the bottle from the other side of the bar and raised it. “Ileene, I am just going to take the bottle.”
When she sat back down, she poured herself a drink and then one for him. “If we are going to drink, the least we can do is drink something better than a beer.”
I followed her in a shot and felt the familiar burn down my throat. I hadn’t wanted to lose my senses to her, but the truth of the matter was, I think I needed it too.
Chapter 6 – Gemma
“It’s about time you got here Gemma. I wasn’t going to wait much longer.”
“Sorry mom.” I gave her a kiss and she gave me a stern look.
“Drinking so early?”
I waved her off. She was always critical of drinking, thus the reason I had started drinking vodka at a young age. It was less easily noticed, but Elna had a nose like a bloodhound and I smiled sheepishly at her. “I was just taking Billy out for a drink before dinner.”
She looked passed me and seemed to notice the man standing behind me as more than my most recent excuse for a boyfriend. Usually I didn’t bring men home, so she had to know that it was unlikely. “Billy, how are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Elna moved to give the tall man a hug and he wasn’t stiff around her like he was with me. It seemed like a natural things between them and I realized he did know her well. It made me wonder why I had only just now met him. The whole afternoon we had talked for hours and though it seemed as if the time had flown by, now I was feeling strangely like an outsider. He also seemed to know my other brothers as well. Where had I been?
“So you are getting my daughter drunk huh?”
“No man, she got me drunk.”
“Yeah that sounds like her. Where is Marcus?”
“He is down at the hospital with Leanna.”
Elna nodded, expecting as much. “Dear, call your brother and tell him to get down here. We have some things to talk about while I have most of you under the same roof.”
I agreed, pulling out my phone. I was not expecting her to have another family meeting that evening and whenever we had one, there was always changing coming. I half-expected her to say that she was stepping down from the business again, though I didn’t know who would want to take over her job. None of the family was into the city life and even mom had times where she didn’t want to be in the fast paced life either. Was sure that it was what it was going to be.
There was a feeling of apprehension when I came back in and there was a small meeting already going on at the table.
“I just think that it is time that the family move in a different direction. There is a lot of work to be done and we could all walk away from this place, have more money than we knew what to do with.”
Paul was the first to shake his head no. He didn’t want to sell the ranch, the rest of the business he didn’t care about, but I had to agree. The ranch couldn’t go. “We have enough money as it is mom. I don’t think anyone here is worried about a little extra money to get rid of our home.”
Mom sighed and I knew that she had to see the conversation going where she had feared it would go. She had to know that we weren’t going to let her sell it. We all had shares in the family business and though she had a substantial amount more, my mind was already doing the math as hers had. There were more of us and if all five of us there agreed, she would not pass a motion. We ran the company and though she was the one on the top floor, we were just as adamant and stubborn as she was. All of us kids got it from her and I could see in her eyes that she saw the fight coming.
I wanted to alleviate the situation. There was Marcus as the wildcard, but I didn’t think he was really willing to give up the ranch. It was where we came when something important happened. Weddings took place there, every good childhood memory revolved around that swath of land and I just hoped that his time out in the ocean hadn’t made him forget what the ground was like under his feet.
“I just think we need to think about it. I don’t want you to have to do what I have started. This was mine and your father’s dream.”
She stopped and we could all she her getting emotional. It wasn’t so unlike her, but it was genuine. Mom wore her heart on her sleeve and I decided that maybe it was the way that I could make her see reason. But why did she need money suddenly? It had me curious more about the reason why she wanted this change. People will usually answer your questions if you just listen to them and I was trying to listen to her, see what was really said in between what was actually coming out of her mouth.
“But it is no longer my dream to stay here. I will always think fondly of this place, but I think it is time to move on.”
There was more, I could tell, but she was not keen to go on. I could tell by Marcel’s face that he knew he was going to have to step up. If she was wanting out, for whatever reason it may be, Marcel would be the one to take over the business. Paul and Scott wanted the land we were on, while Marcel had already proven that he could do it if necessary. If he actually wanted to do it was unclear, but I could see that he was mulling the idea around in his head. “I just don’t get why you want to sell. If you are ready to go on to something else, I will take over.”