Cowgirl

by Nance Sparks

  “More than one.” Aren smiled, tossing the towel back. “And it’s probably best that I can’t read your mind.”

  “Well, I still don’t understand how you ended up in foster care if you were never pulled from your home by CPS?”

  “There’s a thug out there somewhere I owe a debt of gratitude to,” Aren said, smiling. “One weekend Dad just didn’t come home. Monday came and went, still no Dad, the next weekend came, still no Dad. It was such a relief, and I didn’t mind at all. I was at school the following Monday looking through the newspapers for current event articles, and on the previous Monday’s paper was a picture of this crime scene. I loved crime scenes. I almost became a criminologist instead of a vet, but I realized I might not be impartial to the evidence if I felt like someone was guilty, given what I’d been through. Anyway, I’m looking at this crime scene photo and it looks like my dad. Same clothes he wore to work, same nasty old boots. I sat down and read the article. This man had been beaten to death behind a bar that my dad hung out at a lot. I knew he owed all sorts of people money, and I mean big money. We had muscle coming to the house all the time. They were actually very nice to me and would bring me suckers and cheeseburgers. They weren’t so nice to Dad, but then he was the one who owed them so much money. My best guess is that they finally got tired of waiting for him to ‘strike it big’ and just eliminated him to send a message to whoever else might have owed them money.”

  Aren had finished cutting in the corner she was working on and walked out of the room. She returned with the eight-foot ladder and started on the ceiling while Carol wet the roller in deep red paint. They had a rhythm down now and it made quick work of the wall.

  “How did you find out the man behind the bar was your dad?” Carol asked once she was rolling her paint.

  “That’s actually the funny part of the whole deal. It was maybe another week after I’d read the article and I came home from school to find police in the house. They had a couple of cars out front and some were dressed in suits instead of uniforms. I’m guessing they were detectives. They looked shocked to see me walk in the back door with my key. They asked me who I was, so I told them my name. I asked them if they had found my dad, not that I wanted him home, but it seemed like the appropriate question to ask. They had a lady cop come and talk to me. I guess none of the men knew how to question a young girl. She asked me who my dad was and I told her. She asked me where my mom was and I told her she was dead, and I guess I looked over to the stove. The frying pan was on the stovetop, but I could still see my dad standing there with it in his hand. She asked me to tell her what happened and even though I knew in my heart that he was dead, I didn’t have the guts to admit the truth. I told her that I didn’t know, that she’d died while I was sleeping.” Aren paused to climb down off the ladder. She was finished cutting in the red along the ceiling. She placed her paintbrush in the bucket of water she’d brought in earlier and sat on the floor while Carol finished the last bit of rolling.

  “The lady cop took my hand in hers and told me that my dad had been killed. I asked her if he was the guy in the paper that I’d read about a week earlier and she admitted it was him. I tell ya, Carol, I felt so much relief. I felt like doing cartwheels all around the house. I told them thank you and that they could go, but they all just stood there staring at me like I was an alien. I had no concept at the time that I was too young to live on my own. Who knew I couldn’t possibly pay the bills and go to school at eleven?” Aren laughed. “The lady cop said I’d have to go to protective services so they could find me a new family to live with. Well shit, based on what I knew of family I didn’t want another one. That’s when I threw a fit and refused to go. I told them that I cooked and cleaned and did the shopping. I told them that I could do laundry and iron, that I didn’t need another family, that I could do it on my own. Obviously, that didn’t convince them. The lady cop took me into my room and had me pack a bag of clothes. Again, I refused. I told her that this was my house and I wanted to stay where my mom was. She shoved my stuff into a few paper sacks and picked my ass up! She was a strong woman because I fought her for all it was worth. She tossed me into the back of the cruiser and hauled my little butt off to CPS. I stayed with a family down in Detroit for a little over a year and then they transferred me up here to stay with Phyllis and Ron. So, now you know all about my sordid past, all my skeletons are out in the open. Here’s your chance to run for it, though I’m hoping you don’t.”

  Carol dropped her roller into the bucket of water and flopped down on the floor next to Aren. “I’m not going to make that mistake again!” She wrapped her arm around Aren’s waist. “So tell me one last thing—”

  “I’m almost out of emotional energy,” Aren said, “But go for it.”

  “How’d you turn out so well? I mean, why on earth aren’t you a drinking, raging psychotic who, by all rights, should be pissed at the universe for all that you’ve been through?” Carol asked. “I mean, you have every right to be angry, but how’d you turn out so at peace with the world?”

  “Well, my little bookworm, I decided as a kid that I would never be like that as an adult. I checked out every book I could get my hands on about how to heal, how to grow and move on. I was angry and resentful, for a long time, but the books helped with that. I never had an urge to drink, because the smell of booze makes me sick to my stomach. The biggest price I’ve paid has been in my lack of ability to sleep. Ever since my mom died, I haven’t slept well. The demons come out when I close my eyes. They scream at me, I feel the impact of fists, I hear Phyllis’s gurgling,”

  “Are the nightmares still bad?” Carol asked, pulling Aren closer.

  “They still torment me, but I find I’m recovering quicker, and the memories don’t hold as much power over me. I attribute a lot of that to you. I’ve felt more at peace since you’ve been here than I have ever felt.”

  Carol lifted her head from Aren’s shoulder and looked into her eyes. “Why do you think it’s different with me?”

  “You took the time to get to know me. Despite the stories you heard, you took a chance on me. You believed in me when you had no reason to do so. I opened up about all the darkness from my life and I can see that you care. It isn’t pity, you actually care. Your eyes, your touch, your questions, everything you do and say shows me how much you sincerely care. It’s made such a difference for me, helped me face it all. It means the world to me that you know everything and you still care.”

  Carol reached up and cupped Aren’s face in her hands. She leaned forward and tenderly kissed Aren’s lips. She pulled her close and held her. To this day, she had no idea what possessed her to duck between those strands of fencing and approach the woman by the campfire, but she was so thankful that she had. She couldn’t imagine not having Aren in her life.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  The next day after morning milking and chores were finished, they walked over to the house to see how the fresh paint looked in the daylight. Aren looked around, impressed at the difference. Even when she’d been here as a teenager it hadn’t looked this good. The bad memories seemed to have been scrubbed away. It was her home, in a way it never really had been before, and the thought brought tears to her eyes.

  “So, are we ready to get started upstairs, or do you want to start laying the floor?”

  “How do you keep this pace up? We painted until all hours of the night last night, got up early and did chores, and we’ve picked the garden already. Damn, I’m hot and exhausted and you’re ready to go and start another full day’s work.” Carol leaned against the island and stretched her back.

  “Maybe it was the four years of doing everything alone, or maybe it’s the excitement of seeing this project done and actually moving in. Definitely though, it’s the thought of seeing you enjoy this full-sized kitchen, while wearing that spaghetti-strapped sundress again.” Aren smirked.

  Carol stepped directly in front of Aren. She tilted her head up and leaned in close. Aren could fee
l her breath on her neck and then at the edge of her ear.

  “If I’d known how much you liked that sundress, I would have worn it much more often,” she whispered and then kissed Aren’s cheek.

  Aren’s heart skipped a beat. The way it felt to have Carol’s lips so close to her ear sent shivers throughout her body.

  “The paint fumes are too much, let’s go outside.” Carol grabbed Aren’s hand and led her out to the shade of the back porch. She flopped down on the deck, pulling Aren down next to her. After a few minutes, she sprawled out flat on the deck boards. Aren looked over at Carol. What was she waiting for? Carol was beautiful, sexy, and she had kissed her last night with such tenderness. Aren twisted around to straddle Carol, holding herself up using her hands and knees. She bent down, allowing her lips to brush Carol’s ever so slightly. Carol reached up and pulled Aren down on top of her. Her desire was unmistakable when she parted her lips, kissing Aren deeply. Aren moaned, parted her lips, and teased Carol’s tongue with her own. She lowered herself on top of Carol pushing herself between Carol’s legs. She reached up with her free hand cupping Carol’s face. A faint buzzing began to pulse between them. Carol reached down into her pocket and pulled out the vibrating phone.

  “Hold that thought, it’s the library,” Carol said, trying to get her breath.

  Aren rolled off and helped Carol up as she answered the phone. Carol walked over to the far edge of the deck while she spoke and Aren looked over at the house across the way. A lot of progress had been made there too. Walls were up, the second story was nearly built, and the truss package was at the ready in the driveway. Would Carol get the job, finish her house, and move out? Once she moved out, would she still want anything to do with her? Or would Aren just be a footnote in a particularly bad time in her life? The thought made her stomach cramp. She didn’t want her to go. A loud, excited scream pulled Aren from her thoughts.

  “My interview must have gone great. I GOT THE JOB!” She ran across the porch and jumped into Aren’s arms. “I’m a librarian! It’s all coming together!”

  Aren scooped Carol up and carried her over to the double hammock she’d strung out on the back deck. She set Carol in the hammock before carefully climbing into the web next to her.

  “Congratulations, my little bookworm. I’m going to miss having you here every minute of the day, but I’m happy for you,” Aren said into her ear.

  Carol nuzzled up into Aren, wrapping her arm around Aren’s waist. “The director said that everyone enjoyed meeting me and they were eager to have me as an addition to their staff!”

  “Of course, they liked you. You’re irresistible. So, when do you report for duty?” Aren asked, enjoying the view of the farm from her perspective in the hammock, specifically the beautiful woman curled up in her arms. It felt amazing to hold her and she’d enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

  “I start work next Monday,” Carol answered, her lips against Aren’s neck. “I’ll work Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from eight in the morning until five at night. I guess that’s the good thing about small town libraries, they aren’t open all night. And that means I still have the chance to cook for you in that sundress.”

  Aren felt Carol’s lips on her neck, felt her teeth gently graze skin. She shivered with excitement. Aren turned her head, the need to feel Carol’s lips on hers suddenly consuming. She was tired of holding back, tired of denying herself because of fear. She wanted to experience, she wanted to share this with Carol. Carol tilted her head back as if she sensed Aren’s need. Aren teased Carol’s lips with the tip of her tongue and Carol reached behind Aren’s head to pull her closer, their kiss instant passion. She felt Carol’s hand drop down to her stomach, tugging her shirt free from her jeans. When Carol’s fingertips touched the bare skin of Aren’s stomach, she moaned, and their kiss intensified.

  Carol’s hand lifted from Aren’s stomach, unbuckling her belt, and then opening her jeans. Her fingers slid beneath Aren’s fitted boxers. The touch was electric and stole her breath away. Aren could barely moan in response to the pleasure of Carol’s fingertips.

  “Oh, Aren, you’re so wet,” Carol whispered, her hips pushing into Aren’s side.

  Aren wasn’t used to being so out of control. She’d always found pleasure in pleasing the woman she was with, being on top, being in control. This was such a new sensation. She wanted to touch Carol too, see her, feel her. Aren tried to pull up on Carol’s shirt but was stopped.

  “I want to please you. Let me enjoy your body,” Carol whispered into Aren’s ear. “Lift up a bit.”

  Aren lifted herself up and helped push her jeans down around her knees, craving all of Carol’s touch. The desire she felt at this moment, so completely open, so exposed, was more than she ever could have dreamed. Aren closed her eyes, pushing her head back into the netting. She felt her shirt being pushed up, felt Carol’s delicate touch beneath her bra. Tender kisses caressed her stomach and worked up to her now bare breasts. A gentle summer breeze blew, teasing Aren’s wet nipples. She shivered with the feeling of the invisible caress.

  Carol explored and savored Aren’s body in a way that no one else had ever done. Aren had never known how sensitive the hollow of her throat was and how the delicate touch of Carol’s tongue down her neck and to that spot could make her knees feel weak, her hips want to rock. She had no idea that the sides of her breasts were almost as sensitive as her nipples or that she could ever dream of wanting to feel teeth graze the tip of her nipple, but the moment Carol did that, she wanted to feel it again and again. Everywhere Carol touched, she found herself wanting more. Aren’s hips lifted into Carol’s exploring fingers. She moaned, wanting so much to feel Carol deep inside of her, but Carol teased her by circling her finger just enough inside to make Aren’s body quiver with excitement. She lifted into Carol’s hand, eager for more, though Carol continued to tease, circling around her clit and then once again barely inside. She leaned down, kissing Aren deeply, pulling away and leaving Aren wanting more. Trailing kisses down Aren’s neck, the breeze tickled each spot where Carol’s lips had been. Nibbling and teasing Aren’s nipples. Aren tangled her fingers into the hammock above her head and lifted her hips into Carol’s hand. She felt Carol’s fingers slide deep inside. She shuddered, held them there for a second and then pulled her hips back and pushed into Carol again. Aren reached down, holding Carol’s hand in place and pushed her hips even harder into Carol’s fingers, her clit against Carol’s palm. She could barely stand the excitement as her body heated and quivered. Her breath hitched with each thrust.

  “Oh, don’t stop.” Aren moaned, her head arched back as far as it would go into the netting.

  Aren held Carol close to her, her hips thrusting into Carol’s hand. She was so close to tipping over the edge but didn’t want the feeling to end. Their lips were barely touching from a kiss that she couldn’t pull away from, but her breaths were so ragged, she couldn’t continue either. Carol did something to Aren, something with her fingers that flooded Aren’s senses. She quivered and shuddered while consumed with wave after wave of orgasm. Her breath caught in her throat and she pulled Carol close, holding on tightly while she convulsed with pleasure, her body quivering with electrical aftershocks.

  “You’re incredible, you know that?” Aren managed to say between deep breaths. She kissed Carol deeply, shuddering all over again when Carol pulled her hand away.

  Carol fidgeted next to her on the hammock and then something dropped on the deck next to them. Then she heard Velcro followed by a thud. Ah, the boot. Before Aren knew what was happening, Carol had pulled herself up and was straddling Aren. She looked down at Aren with seductive eyes, a new look, a sexy look. Aren’s heart pounded in her chest, excitement consumed her all over again. Aren traced her hand up the sides of Carol’s thighs up to her hips. She expected to feel Carol’s shorts but instead found bare skin. She wrapped her hand around Carol, cupping her ass and lifting her hips up into Carol, holding herself there for a moment. She wa
tched Carol tilt her head back, roll her shoulders back and felt her rock her hips into Aren. It felt incredible. Aren brought her hands up beneath her shirt and lifted it over Carol’s head. She watched Carol look down and watch her every move and then she looked into Aren’s eyes, her tongue curling up, the tip teasing her upper lip. She reached behind her back and released the clasp on her bra, allowing it to slide down her arms and fall to the side. She was completely naked and more beautiful than Aren could have ever imagined. Her full breasts rose and fell with each breath. Aren started at Carol’s knees, her fingertips teasing up her legs, around her hips, and up her sides. She cupped Carol’s beautiful breasts in her hands, grazing her nipples with the sides of her thumbs. Carol’s hands swept up and covered Aren’s holding her tightly against her chest, her hips rocking again ever so slightly. She closed her eyes and arched her back. It was the most sensual sight Aren had ever seen.

  Aren pulled her hand free and slid it between them. She felt another flood of excitement when she touched Carol for the first time. She tried to tease Carol with the slightest touch, but with Carol on top, she simply took control and pushed into Aren’s hand. Aren touched Carol with her fingers and lifted her hips at the same time Carol pushed into her. They both moaned from the sensation. Aren pulled her knees up so she could lift her hips into Carol’s, pushing her fingers deeper inside. Carol held onto Aren’s other hand, still holding it against her breast. Her hips thrust into Aren faster and harder and Aren could feel her thighs starting to quiver. She pushed her hips up against Carol and held herself there, letting Carol rock against the base of her hand.

  “Oh yes, just like that.” Carol thrust her hips into Aren.

  Aren could feel her tightening around her fingers as Carol pushed with short, forceful thrusts until she shook with orgasm. Carol rolled her hips, shivering and then collapsing on top of Aren, trying to catch her breath.