Tom lay in his tent recalling and reliving the last few weeks. It was here at the Island that he met Olive the 86 year old grandmother who had changed his life.
He had sheltered Olive and cared for her overnight during a sudden violent rain storm. That night with Olive culminated in her plan to teach him how to get laid. Olive declared him a virgin who needed help, and asked her daughters to help. “They helped,” Tom thought, “oh yes they helped.”
Never in Tom”s wildest dreams had he thought that his first time would be with a married woman and that shortly after he would repeat the experience with her older sister, who was also married.
He shook his head, and grinned as he stroked his hard
Erection.
“I”m sure Olive never planned on Marsha and I getting together;”
I”m not so sure in relation to Allie,” he thought, as he recalled how Olive made sure they were together as much as possible.
He shook his head, “No that”s not fair,” he thought, “I am sure she only wanted them to teach me how to make a woman want me, to teach me how to get laid.”
Remembering Marsha and Allie his hand moved faster, he started to grunt as he recalled his first time his prick entered the velvet warmth of a wet pussy. “It was fantastic,” he moaned as his come spurted up over his sleeping bag.
“Oh shit!” he cried as he quickly jumped up, “Mrs Brown is coming tomorrow morning, I can”t have cum stains on my sleeping bag, or the tent smelling of sex. She”ll know what I”ve been doing out here on my own.”
Anaika Brown was resting and thinking of Tom.
Lately she had spent many hours thinking about Tom. “He”s very young,” was her first thought, when Olive had told her of Tom”s interest in her.
Then she remembered her first time, it was the day after her eighteenth birthday, her partner was much older a friend of her fathers. “My age was not an issue and neither should Tom”s age be an issue,” she decided.
She had not had sex since her husband Alex was killed in that car accident last year. Sex with Alex had been rough and demanding. He only wanted her when he was full of vodka, leaving her used and abused after every session
Stinking drunk, he would come quickly and roll off. If she complained he would call her names, abusing her, “you”re too fucking big, your cunts to far from the ground, I need a fucking ladder to suck you big tits.” he would yell making sure it was loud enough for the neighbours to hear.
She had really only tolerated sex, it had never been exciting, and if anything it had been a chore. She was an avid reader and liked stories that had a love interest. When she read stories of love affairs, she longed for a kind hearted lover who would not be scared off by her size.
When Olive told her what Tom had said, she laughed and forgot about it. But Olive had persisted
It was nice to think that a young man, mixing everyday with all the young girls at his school should think her beautiful. Still she didn”t give it much thought, “he”ll soon forget me,” she reasoned.
She really wasn”t interested in a man after Alex. But Olive wore her down; she kept telling her about Tom, when ever they were together. Finally she decided to find out more about this lad, who Olive said “had the hots for her.”
Anaika liked what she learnt. Everyone had a good word to say about Tom. She was told he played football and cricket. That he was a bit of a loner spending a lot of time hiking, camping and fishing. If you can”t find him, “he”ll be out on that causeway island fishing,” the girl next door told her.
On the night of the dance she was pleasantly surprised. He danced well, with a maturity well beyond that of an eighteen year old. Her reaction to his penis when it grew hard and pushed between them as they danced surprised her.
Instead of pushing him away, she relaxed as she felt her nipples harden. Then as he swept her round the floor she felt her pussy grow moist. “My god!” she thought, “What”s happening to me.”
She was overwhelmed when during the next dance; Tom told her in a rush of words, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “I have always wanted to meet you, but I was too scared.” He cried. She could feel the warmth of his feelings and see it in his eyes.
Anaika loved young Tom”s declaration of love; it was like a passage in one of her love stories. Her pulse quickened, the moisture between her legs increased.
“My god I”m responding like a teenager,” she thought, as she felt her face get hot.
Tom woke early, when he left his tent he was surprised to find a strong wind blowing off the stream straight into his camp.
He worked hard shifting his tent to a protected location behind some shrubs. He dug a new pit for the fire, and dragged a couple of logs up close to use as seats or as a place to lay his head when he stretched out.
Finally he lit the fire, boiled the Billy, and was cooking a late breakfast of bacon and eggs when his mobile rang.
He recognized the voice, “Hi Mrs Brown,” he called.
“You”re not chickening out are you, you”re still coming?” he asked the concern showing in his voice.
“You will have to stop calling me Mrs Brown.” She told him. “I hope you don”t mind but I was so excited at the idea of camping and cooking in the open that I had to come early.”
“I”m down at the causeway, what do I do now?”
“Just wait I”m only a minute or two away,” he said as he set off at a gallop.
At the causeway Tom eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Anaika standing watching him approach. She was breathtaking.
His eyes devoured her, quickly checking her out from head to toe.
A pair of moleskin riding breeches moulded a pair of perfect legs that went on forever before reaching in the rear an arse to die for. In the front the moleskins moulded her mound so tight it stood out making Tom”s mouth water.
She wore a white knitted top that prominently displayed her tits. Tits that Tom had drooled over since he became a teenager, they were big, yes big, maybe he thought, “I should say very big,” as he studied them closely.
“My god,” Tom groaned out loud as he came to a halt gasping for breath. Anaika was alarmed to hear Tom panting. “You silly boy stop rushing” she cried, “take your time.”
“I”m not panting from rushing, you take my breath away,” he moaned.
Anaika blushed “Oh I can see your going to be fun,” she laughed. “Stop teasing me, where is this camp?”
As they made their way back to his camp Tom spoke from the heart, “I wish I had my camera.”
“You remind me of a Greek goddess or maybe it”s a Viking princess but whatever it is you”re a goddess.”
“Thank you” she growled. “If you keep up these compliments, I”ll have a swollen head.”
At the camp the bacon was sizzling in the camp oven, the Billy was singing on the boil.
“Oh that smells wonderful,” Anaika exclaimed as Tom sat her down on a log, set up a little collapsible table and served her a large plate of bacon, eggs, toast and fried tomatoes.
He filled her plate expecting her to object, but to his surprise she wolfed it down and sat on the log to cook more toast with the toasting fork. Tom was relieved when he realised she was enjoying his company. She was laughing and joking, completely relaxed.
She lay back on a blanket with her head on a log and thanked Tom. When he asked what the thanks were about, she explained that camping and cooking out was a dream come true, something she had dreamed of and always wanted to do, but never done.
“Two dreams,” he said, “I”ve always wanted you.” His face went red as he realised how she might interpret what he had said. Anaika didn”t react; she just looked at him and smiled.
The leisurely breakfast allowed Tom to study Anaika more closely. She lay on her back protected from the wind by the logs. As they talked about camping and fishing, he couldn”t keep his eyes from straying to her tits. “My god their great,” he thought, trying to imagine her lying there nude.
Anaika knowing that Tom was studying her closely, quickly agreed to Tom”s suggestion that she rest, while he rigged her fishing gear.
“What clothes did you bring?” He asked as he looked around for some warm gear. “When you get out of this protected spot it will be a lot colder, and you could get scratched by bracken or thorns.”
She stood up, “I didn”t bring anything, will this do?” She asked. With her hands on her hips, she invited Tom to inspect her clothes.
“These old moleskins and this top are ready to be thrown out they are getting a bit tight, so it doesn”t matter if they get ripped or dirty,” she told him as she swung around.
She stopped when she saw Toms wide grin, “What are you grinning about?” she asked.
“I won”t let you throw them out,” he laughed “I love the way the fit you so tight, they”re bloody magnificent.”
When she didn”t react or object he decided to be cheeky and tell her what he really thought.
“Can I tell you why I want you to wear them when you camp with me? He asked with a smile.
“I haven”t agreed to camp with you,” she answered, before turning to him and asking “all right tell me why you want me to keep them?”
“They highlight your beautiful long legs,” he said as he asked her to stand up. “They fit so tight that there”s not a wrinkle on their surface.”
“It is the closest thing to seeing those long legs, and that perfect round bum, in the flesh. Glancing at Anaika to see how she was reacting he went on, “Now that you have turned like that, what I now see is a painter or sculptors delight, your thighs and your mound.
Knowing he may have gone too far, he laughed out loud, “Believe me Anaika those moleskins are the devils creation, they make me say and think things I shouldn”t.”
“Don”t blame the moleskins,” Anaika responded laughing with him. “I saw you studying me, you”re very cheeky.” She laughed as she swatted him on the bum, “I didn”t wear them to turn you on, I wore them because they can be thrown away.”
“Well I didn”t know why you wore them, but they turn me on,” he growled. “They prove to me what I have always believed, you are magnificent.”
He lent over to her, as she slipped away. “Kiss me Anaika,” he pleaded.
“Fishing first and kissing later.” She answered quickly, standing up on the log to tower over him.
He looked up at her longingly, “I hope you know what you just said.”
“What did I say,” she queried as she picked up a rod and reel.
“Kissing later,” he repeated.
Anaika studied him closely, “we”ll see, first you must teach me how to fish.”
Tom banked up the fire settling it down to keep it going, but making it safe before they left the protection of his shelter for the river.
On the bank he spent a half an hour or more teaching Anaika how to cast her fly.
She was starting to get the hang of it, when Tom hooked a beauty. “Drop your rod and come over here,” he called as the trout headed up stream.
Handing Anaika the rod he told her, “I won”t interfere; you play it and land it.”
Her eyes lit up. As she took over, the fish worked its way out into the fast running current, causing Anaika to step off the bank into the stream to follow.
Tom became concerned as she played the fish while navigating her way along the rough bottom of the fast running stream. He jumped up to stand on the bank, to make sure he was nearby if she slipped.
As she played the fish he couldn”t resist giving her directions on how to tire the fish, and lead it towards a low bank.
Anaika quickly told him to, “Hush up.” “I want to do it myself,” she cried.
Do it herself she did, minutes later the fish lay flapping on the bank. Tom removed the barb less hook asking, “shall we eat it?”
Anaika looked at Tom, “It”s beautiful, can we let it go?”
“Of course,” Tom answered, “it”s your fish, it”s your decision.” He gave her a wet cloth to hold it. Anaika went down on her knees and slipped it back into the stream, where it lay for a minute, before slowly swimming away.
As Tom stood up, Anaika grabbed him and kissed him. “Oh Tommy” she cried “That was marvellous.”
As Tom held her in the kiss he realised that her moleskins were wet through. “We had better get you back to the tent before you catch you death of cold he urged.”
Back at the tent he sent her inside to change while he stirred up the fire and used the existing hot water in the Billy to fill his old hot water bottle.
Pushing in through the tent flap he found Anaika having difficulty removing the tight wet moleskins in the confined space.
“Thank god,” she said as she fell back on the sleeping bag. She held her legs up high, “pull these off will you,” she said with a grin.
“My oh my,” Tom cried, trying to make a joke of it in case Anaika was embarrassed.
“I didn”t think you”d be asking me to get your gear off so quick.”
The wet moleskins were hard to remove. They were both sweating and puffing when they pulled free, taking her panties with them. Tom was left standing with the wet gear in his hands staring at Anaika`s cunt.
They didn”t move, staring at each other for a few minutes, before Tom trying to hide his embarrassment and a rising erection said, “I”ll get the hot water bottle,” and moved out to the fire.
After a few minutes Anaika called, “don”t stay out there, you can come in now.”
In the tent he picked up the wet moleskins and the flimsy pair of panties. When she protested and asked what he was doing, he told her. “I”m not going to do anything kinky; I”m just going to hang them in front of the fire.”
“The wind and the fire should dry them quickly.”
“Oh thanks that will be great, I didn”t bring any extra clothes,” Anaika said, her voice full of laughter.
Tom turned quickly looking at her sitting in the sleeping bag. “What are you wearing then?” he asked.
“Do you want something of mine, I brought extra after my experience with Olive.”
She looked at him with a cheeky grin, “I”ve still got my top it”s only a little wet, other than that, you have taken away what I had, so there”s just me in this bag.”
Tom found her a shirt and a pair of his boxers. “Strip off the top and put these on, then come out and sit by the fire. I”ll get more wood and stoke it up.”
Then swinging back to look at her, his grin growing wider, he croaked, “I have a better idea just strip off and come sit by the fire, or let me crawl in with “just you” in that sleeping bag.”
When he saw her start to pull up her top, he quickly stuck his tongue out and headed outside. “I `m disappointed you didn”t invite me to stay,” he laughed as her wet top hit him in the back.
Tom soon had a roaring fire going. He dragged some hot coals to one side and gave Anaika some spuds, “here roast these and toast some bread,” He ordered.
“What are you going to do,” she asked. “I”m going to watch you, while I rest up and gather my strength for our kissing session.”
She burst out laughing, “what kissing session?”
“Remember” he said quietly, “you said fishing first kissing later.”
Sitting by the fire they studied each other.
Anaika was rapt, Tom was fun. The way he looked at her she knew he would want to be more than just friends. “I”m in no hurry, but I think he will be different to Alex,” she thought as her pussy tingled.
“Those big soft eyes have followed my chest all day. He called me a princess or a goddess and he really has treated me like one. I love it.” He”s very nice she thought, “I wonder what he will do.”
Tom made a circle of logs, and then lay down on the blanket behind the largest log. Out of the wind the sun and the fire quickly warmed him. He signalled to her to come over and join him. When she seemed to ignore his plea he whispered, “You”ll be sorry; I”m as snug as a bug in a rug.”
“What do I do now,” he thought as his eyes ran over Anaika`s body. Olive had said “let nature take its course.” Marsha had said “kissing turned a woman on.”
Don”t just grab at her, kiss her, love her, with you lips,” she had told him one evening on the back porch.
The wind was dropping as Tom watched Anaika`s clothes flapping on his make shift line. “No bra!” he said aloud as he realised that here was no bra on the line.
“What are you talking about?” Anaika asked.
He blushed, “You didn”t take your bra off, it”s not on the line,”
Anaika loved the way he blushed, “No there”s no bra because I never wear a bra.” she explained.
Tom turned to look at her, his mind racing.
Anaika sensed his confusion and smiled, “why don”t you come over her and lie with me,” she whispered.
“Tell me about this island, and your fishing.”
Tom crept close and looked up at her face, “kissing first and then Fishing,” he whispered.
“Its time for you to keep your promise.”
Raising himself on one elbow he leant down to kiss her. He heard her moan quietly as their lips met.
Their kiss started slowly, Anaika`s mouth stayed closed for a while, then gradually opened as her tongue crept out seeking his.
They were both breathing heavy, when he moved back and looked deep into her eyes, “I knew it would be beautiful,” he whispered, “You”re wonderful.”
Anaika lay in his arms as he kissed her again and again. Remembering past experiences she tensed as she waited for Tom to start groping.
When he just kept nibbling on her lips, moving his tongue gently into and out of her mouth, she relaxed kissing him back, moving her mouth to nip at his ears, or kiss his eyes shut.
Tom was enjoying himself, kissing her cheek and neck then along her chin back to her mouth. His nights with Marsha had taught him that he could make a woman hot by just kissing her and talking to her.
Now he was using that experience, that training as he felt Anaika start to respond. Her moans grew louder; her body moved slowly at first, then pushed forward as she gave a little grunt, and then sighed.
Anaika was enjoying Tom”s kisses when she surprised herself, grunting quietly then sighing; she felt her juices on her leg. Tom didn”t know what had happened when he heard her sigh. He stopped kissing and lay looking at her when he smelt the first signs of her arousal.
Anaika was amazed; Tom had given her a tiny orgasm with his kissing. It was wonderful, she wanted more.
Her juices were now causing a wet spot on the front of her borrowed boxers.
She was trying to think but she couldn”t think straight. Her first thought was to repeat again under her breath, “I want more, yes more.” Then she became worried “I can”t let him, not on our first time alone, he”ll think I”m a slut.”
Then she changed her mind again and thought “why not, no one will know.”
“Any way it would be none of their business.”
Tom unaware of Anaika`s confusion was trying to make up his mind what to do. “Let nature take its course,” Olive had said. It had worked with Marsha he remembered, maybe it”ll work again.
He kissed down her chin on to her neck then opening a button on her shirt, he kissed lower.
When she moved adjusting her body”s position, he thought she was going to stop him. He kissed back up to her neck, and when Anaika did nothing, he returned this time to lick and nuzzle the top of her tit.
Anaika lay waiting as she felt Tom”s kisses approach her breast. She turned her body slightly to let him have his way and was disappointed when his lips moved away.
Her disappointment quickly disappeared when his lips returned to kiss her breast and suck her nipple in his mouth.
She watched as his hand undid the last buttons of the shirt. It seemed like a slow motion movie as he gave a last nibble on her nipple, and then slowly lifted his head to stare as the sun lit up his face and his mouth gaped in amazement at her large hard breasts.
For the first time in years Anaika felt special. For the first time in years she was not worried about her size. The shadow of Alex”s ridicule and abuse fell away, as she looked at Tom”s face. It shone with adoration.
They had ridden for several minutes before Peggy began the conversation.
“Just for today let’s pretend I am not your boss and we are just friends, okay?”
Cal nodded, looking at her briefly with a sideways glance to see that she understood he was in agreement. He thought he detected a more thoughtful mood about her today, but maybe that was just because the children were not along.
“You were embarrassed when you saw me checking out your muscles and your manly physique, weren’t you?” she asked after a few moments, a quick smile slipping across her face when she saw his look of consternation.
“Yeah, I guess so,” he replied.
“Why? Haven’t you checked me out many times in the same way, even though I was fully clothed?”
He thought about that for a few moments.
“I think it’s different, somehow . . . at least in a man’s mind,” he added lamely.
“I don’t know why,” she said, pursuing the subject. “We girls like to look the same as you guys, we just like to look at different areas of the body, and maybe with a different purpose in mind.” Cal smiled wryly – the old gal sure was plain spoken, and he liked her for that.
“So, what were you thinking when you were looking at me?” he asked, looking directly into her eyes, hoping to get the upper hand in the situation. She accepted the challenge without hesitation.
“I was just wondering why I had not tried to coax you out of that little waitress’s bed and into my own,” she said, smiling at his new discomfiture. “After all, the word around the restaurant is that you are the real stud on this ranch!”
Cal wished he had never pursued the discussion, and had no idea how to respond to the woman. It was she who picked up the conversation again after a couple of very quiet minutes.
“Maybe I misread the attention you have given my body,” she said softly, watching him intently. “Maybe you were just being polite.”
Cal pulled Paint to a halt, patted him on the shoulder and leaned forward on his saddle horn, looking the now startled woman directly in the eye.
“I have wanted to undress you and make love to you since the first time I saw you,” he said, delighting in the sparkling smile that flashed across her face and eyes. “I just didn’t think it was proper to let that be known, considering the fact you are the boss and all.”
“And the difference in our ages?” she asked pleasantly.
“Well, that doesn’t really mean anything to me, I am a man and you are a woman, the hell with the age difference – I’ll let someone else worry about that,” he replied, hoping that this conversation would somehow end up with the attractive woman lying in his arms.
Her smile was genuine, almost girlish, as she suddenly kicked her horse into a canter, letting her words drift back over her shoulder as he tried to catch up.
“Then follow me, I have something to show you.”
They ran the horses for a few minutes and then let them catch their breath as they sat on a small bluff overlooking the upper end of the lake. Below them was a small beach leading into shallow water. About fifty yards out into the lake was a large, flat rock rising only a few inches out of the water. The beauty of the place almost caught his breath.
“This is our family swimming hole,” she said. “None of the other people on the ranch are allowed up this far . . . except Jose, of course, he is allowed everywhere.”
Cal looked around instinctively, almost expecting the old timer to be sitting behind them, watching. Peggy laughed.
“Don’t worry, I told him to stay home today, I have private business to attend to with you.” Cal looked at her questioningly, and her smile told him that Jose knew why he should not have followed. Damn her, she had made him blush again.
“You are the first person he has ever trusted me to be alone with since Art died six years ago,” she said, reaching over and squeezing his arm. “That is an awesome compliment from my dearest friend,” she continued, letting him know with her eyes that he had become very important to both her and Jose.
“C’mon, I brought you out here specifically to tease you into going skinny-dipping with me out on the rock.” He again was following her lead as she let her sorrel mare find its way down the face of the bluff until they were able to dismount at the little beach.
They unsaddled the horses and let them graze off along the shoreline of the lake, and Peggy started removing her clothes as soon as they were finished with the horses. Cal just stood, with his hands resting casually on his hips as she unbuttoned and slipped out of her shirt and then reached around and unhooked her bra. As she let the bra slide from her shoulders she raised her eyes to watch his as he looked at her two small, but full breasts as they settled comfortably on her chest, still quite firm despite her age. She kept her eyes on his as she unsnapped and unzipped her jeans, sliding them and her panties down around her boots in one smooth motion. Cal gulped slightly as her shapely hips, round tummy, tight thighs and neatly-trimmed, salt-and-pepper pubic area were revealed.
“I’m going to need some help with these boots,” she teased, the girlish smile having returned to her face. Cal helped her sit on one of the saddles and pulled each boot and sock off before removing her jeans and panties from around her ankles. While he was still kneeling in front of her he slowly opened her legs wider to get a better view of all that she was, and she willingly let him have his way, just enjoying the look on his face as he drank in her mature beauty.
“You are as beautiful as I had anticipated,” he said, his eyes finally finding her own and locking there. “No, you are more beautiful than I expected.”
“Well, if you just continue to sit there and stare I am going to start feeling self-conscious,” she said, smiling happily. “When is it my turn?”
Cal stood up and peeled off his shirt, before dropping his cutoffs and jockey shorts over his erection and around his ankles. Then he sat down on the other saddle and looked expectantly at her.
“I think I may need some help also,” he said, smiling widely.
Immediately she was on her knees in front of him tugging on his boots, her breasts swaying gently with each tug. When the last sock had flown over her shoulder she surprised him by leaning forward and taking his erect penis in her mouth for a couple of minutes of oral manipulation. Cal could only lean back on his extended arms and enjoy the sight and feeling of this wonderful woman giving him such immense pleasure.
Suddenly she grabbed a bottle of suntan lotion from her saddlebag and sprinted toward the water.
“Last one to the rock is rotten egg,” she laughed as she splashed into the water a few strides ahead of him. They swam together, then, neither wanting to race, arriving at the same time, and stopping before they climbed upon the rock for a long embrace. The embrace was not enough, though, as they began touching. When he realized how wet she already was, he spread her legs, grasped her upper thighs just under the buttocks and lifted her up onto his aroused penis. She looked him directly in the eye as she settled down on him, her own eyes opening wider as she realized how tight she had become after six years without having sex.
Then they were moving in a graceful, rhythmic dance which grew more intense with every stroke, until orgasms only seconds apart locked their bodies into a frozen embrace as they kissed again, passionately exploring each other’s mouth with their tongues.
“I didn’t think about protection,” Cal said apologetically as he came out of the woman and helped her onto the rock.
“Well, I don’t think I am in any danger of getting pregnant,” Peggy laughed playfully, “And I have every reason to believe your waitress is clean . . . since we had random drug tests two weeks ago and did an extra test on her blood.” Cal pulled back from the woman and looked at her to see if she was teasing.
“Does that make you angry?” she asked, hesitant with him for the first time that day.
“No, I was just wondering why you would go to that trouble with her, since she is not going to be around much longer.”
“Because, Mister Benton, I have had every intention of getting you inside me since the first day I caught you enjoying my ass and breasts,” she replied impishly, once again smiling freely. Cal just shook his head, not having had any idea that the woman was as attracted to him as he was to her, right from the start. Oh, well, he wasn’t going to complain, but just wanted to get inside her again as soon as possible.
That didn’t take long as they began kissing again, and he soon was totally erect. They slid back into the water, but this time their movements were slow and deliberate, though just as passionate. He slid his finger down to begin rimming her clitoris as she scratched tiny trails down his back with her fingernails. They came again almost simultaneously before climbing back on the rock.
Peggy handed him the lotion and rolled onto her stomach so he could work it into her back, bottom and legs in a soothing, sensual massage. After she had returned the favor – for both his back and front – she again relinquished the bottle and stretched out for him to do her front.
Cal had moved from her shoulders to her breasts, taking one in each hand, gently massaging the nipples and then the whole breast. As he did he felt something that did not seem quite right. Getting more lotion he used both hands on the right breast, making love to it with his fingers and palms, before moving to the left. As he slowly worked the left breast his fingers told him he was right originally – he felt a golf-ball size lump on the outside half of the breast.
Glancing down he realized Peggy had been watching his face carefully, and he knew he could not hide the concern in his eyes. He lowered them, then, and slowly and lovingly moved to her rounded tummy, her thighs, legs and feet and, finally, back to her pubic area, where he dwelt for several minutes until her felt her shudder under her third orgasm of the day. Then he lay down, resting his head on one hand so he could continue to watch her body.
“I found it about six months ago,” she said softly, watching his eyes. “Old Doc Barker in town said it was probably nothing and just to keep an eye on it. I guess he is not too familiar with these kind of things, because that was the wrong advice.” She stopped then, looking out over the lake before returning her eyes to his. “It started growing about three months ago, right after you moved up to the top and started giving me so much positive attention.” She smiled, then, a warm, loving smile as she remembered the past few months.
“Next Tuesday I am scheduled to fly out to the Mayo Clinic . . . the preliminary report is that I will probably have to have the whole breast removed. The mammogram shows there are several growths there, not just the large one.” She stopped again, waiting for him to speak if he wanted. He just nodded, not trusting his voice at that time.
“I guess it has already reached my lymph system, and they want to keep me there six weeks for some intense radiation treatment. When I come home, it will be minus one breast and all my hair, and no promise that I will live another year.”
She signed, then, looking back out over the lake before returning her gaze to the saddened young man now sitting up beside her, gently stroking her hair, her face, and her breasts. She watched his hand on her body and slowly broke into a series of sobs, prompting him to draw her to himself, holding her against his chest as she let the emotion flow.
“I guess I tricked you into coming out here with me . . .” she began, but he stopped her by putting his index finger to her lips.
“I wish I had been man enough to let you know how much I wanted you three months ago,” he said quietly, stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Today has been wonderful . . . more wonderful than I could ever have imagined.”
She thanked him with her eyes and they slid off the rock again for their third, most prolonged session of kissing and lovemaking before swimming slowly back to the shore.
“The kids will be back pretty soon, and we probably won’t be able to be alone again until Monday night,” she said, watching him for any reaction. “Would you spend Monday night with me?” His smile and the tears in his eyes were answer enough and they stood holding each other for what seemed like an eternity until the horses came up, knowing it was soon time for their ration of oats back at the barn.
They dressed and saddled up in silence, mounting and climbing the front of the bluff carefully. They stopped at the top and looked back at the little beach – their beach — one last time before smiling their love to each other and letting the horses break into a canter on the way home.
Monday evening Cal slipped quietly out of his bunkhouse apartment, surveying the ranch grounds for anyone who might see his destination. He caught sight of Jose, leaning against the front of the barn and knew no one would see him – Peggy’s old friend would see to that. Carmela let him in through the kitchen door, kissed him quickly on the cheek and led him to his lover’s room.
Peggy was wearing a beautiful transparent blue nightgown and had fixed her salt-and-pepper, shoulder-length hair up high on her head. She had a camera ready and asked him to take pictures so they could both remember what she looked like. He took two full rolls of film until they could stand it no longer and fell into bed in each other’s arms. She opened her legs for him with the first kiss and he glided into her, much easier this time that when in the water. As before, they made love three times, breaking twice for oral interplay before they fell asleep. They awoke in the middle of the night for a fourth time, and just before breakfast Cal was able to get a final erection which he gladly shared with his lover.
After breakfast and a lot of long, tearful goodbyes, she drove off with Jose, waving bravely at the family, and giving Cal one last teasing wink as the jeep passed him. She would not be back for six weeks, and the place surely would not be the same until she returned . . . maybe not even then.
Midway during the second week of Peggy’s absence, Cal was leaning on the corral fence watching the two children brush down their horses. He was slightly surprised when the kids’ father pulled his jeep over to the corral instead of just waving as he went by. The kids gave him a hug and excitedly told him about the rattlesnake that had scared the horses and that Cal had killed with a stick. When they were done with their story, the father hugged them again and sent them up to the house to get ready for dinner. He then walked over to the corral fence, leaning on it just a few feet from the young man he had practically ignored the entire summer.
“Thank’s for working with the kids,” he said, not looking at Cal but across the lake and up the valley. “They need a friend like you at a time like this.”
“They need a real Daddy at a time like this,” Cal said, not too gently, spitting into the dust at his feet.
“You don’t think too highly of me, do you?” Rob Grable asked, turning to look intimidatingly at the younger man.
“You haven’t given me any reason to,” Cal replied, refusing to turn and face the man.
“Maybe you’d like to explain that remark,” Grable said, almost threateningly.
It was then that Cal turned to look at him with an icy stare.
Grable remembered a conversation he had heard between two of the ranch hands not long after Cal had come up to work on top. They had not known he was on the other side of the barn wall and were discussing the confrontation between him and Cal at their second meeting.
“I asked ol’ Jose what would have happened if Grable had jumped the kid,” one of the cowboys said. “And he just said the boy reminds him of a gray wolf trotting along the edge of a clearing. There might be bigger and meaner animals around, but they all find reason to move aside when the wolf comes too close.”
“Well, I’m with ol’ Joe,” the second cowboy said. “When that boy tells you with his eyes he has had enough, I’m ready to clear out cause I don’t think he would stop until one of us was dead.”
Grable felt a cold shiver run up and down his spine as he looked into the cold eyes of the younger man. Cal finally spoke, after nearly a minute of looking at the older man.
“You have a beautiful, loving wife, yet you run around with some little floozy you should never have hired in the first place . . .” Grable started to speak but was silenced with an upraised hand by the younger man. “You have two wonderful children, yet you ask a stranger to be their surrogate father, driving them farther away from you every day you are a lazy parent. And you had a loving mother-in-law who would have willingly given you the lifelong results of her life and her husband’s, but you are too poor an excuse for a man for her to even consider doing so.”
Cal turned, then, leaning on the fence again, ignoring the blustering man who wanted to challenge him, but feared him too much to do so.
“I don’t have to take shit like that off of you,” Grable finally grated out between clenched teeth. “I came down here to try and thank you for helping my family and you have the audacity to tell me how to be a husband and father and businessman. Fuck you, you little cocksucker.” He then spun on his heel, climbed into the jeep and spun his wheels in the loose dirt in front of the barn.
Cal just shrugged and turned toward the bunkhouse, not seeing the old man leaning just inside the barn door – or the slight smile that played across the weathered face.
Two days later, Cal walked into the corral to find Rob Grable helping his youngest child saddle her horse. The father didn’t look up when he felt the other man’s presence, but just voiced his intentions in an unfriendly tone.
“I’m going to ride with the kids while their grandmother is gone,” he said tersely. “That leaves you time to do something else.” The kids grinned their excitement at Cal and he smiled back, waving at them as he turned to leave. As he stepped up on the bunkhouse porch Jose emerged from one of the rooms, looked out to the corral and then reached up to squeeze Cal on the shoulder. The two men looked at each other and nodded . . . maybe something good was going to come of Peggy’s ordeal.
A week later Cal overheard a conversation in the bunkhouse between two of the long-time hands. One of the waitresses had told them that Grable’s favorite cigarettes and brand of whiskey were piling up and they would not have to order any more for a while – he had evidently quit using both.
That was not the only change. Cal was being invited much less to the ‘big house’ for dinner, but was rather having dinner at the little house behind the bunkhouse with his friends Jose and Carmela. The Grable family was seen more and more doing things together, and Rob was even taking extra time off from work to drive down to the city some days with his family.
The six weeks passed quickly for some, but it had seemed like an eternity for Cal before he saw Jose’s jeep pull up in front of the lodge. Everyone was there on the porch to greet the gracious woman who had given them so much.
She emerged from the jeep wearing a brightly colored kerchief around her head. She had lost some weight and her face looked sad, but the vivacious eyes which they all loved so much were unchanged as she took the time to kiss them all – even the blushing cowboys — before moving up to the ‘big house.’ Halfway up the rise she stumbled slightly and Cal stepped forward and picked her up with no effort whatsoever, holding her carefully in his arms. The look she gave him melted his heart, and he held her closely until depositing her on the porch swing where her family was waiting to greet her.