Ava had an idea as soon as Ray told her he wouldn’t be back for lunch. She could take him and the boys lunch out on the land. She had seen that on the Food Network. A woman named Ree Drummond and her family had a ranch – and a cooking show. Ava had watched it a few times to get cooking ideas and tips. Ree had taken lunch out on the land to her family and ranch hands on the show. There were times Ree had surprised them with lunch. Ava could do that, too. Ava waited until Ray left – with Tom surprisingly. Ava learned from Dax that Ray had asked both boys if they had wanted to go with him today. “How come you didn’t want to go with your father?” Ava asked as she stood in the door way of Dax’s bedroom. Dax was laying on his back on the full size bed. He had an IPad in his hand and off to the side as he looked at her. “I didn’t want to spend my entire Sunday around cattle. If it was only for a few hours I might have gone.” “Mmm
Ray waited for Jesse to dismount his horse. Tom had gone off with the hands to help them with some work. He was trying to earn some sort of badge for Boy Scouts, and every once in a while he liked coming out on the land. He was old enough to help out now. “Came out to make sure I didn’t screw anything up,” Jesse said. “No.” Jesse have him a pointed look. “I trust you, Jesse, but I just had to take a look at her myself.” “Uh huh.” “But since we are talking about her. What do you think?” “I think if we don’t want to lose the calf or her and we should call a vet out here to look at her,” Jesse answered seriously as they began to walk away from the noise of the mooing cattle. “I think the same,” Ray agreed. “I can call him after lunch. Hopefully, he can get here before night fall. If not, hopefully, first thing in the morning. Either way, we shouldn’t leave her out here whether the
The next day . . . Ava had gotten the boys off to school an hour ago. Ray wasn’t at breakfast this morning. He had texted her last night before dinner saying he wouldn’t make it for dinner and he wouldn’t be at breakfast this morning. That pregnant heifer was really worrying him. Ava had placed a plate in the microwave last night for him. Her burner phone rang. “Hello?” “Hey, beautiful. How is this morning treating ya?” “Hawk,” she said as she laid down on the bed in the guesthouse. “So nice of you to call.” “I wanted to check on you. Ray was fit to be tied the other night, and I was checking to see if he took it out on you.” “He tried but I gave as good as I got.” Hawk laughed. “That a girl. Do you mind me asking what happened?” “Well, you weren’t entirely wrong about Ray learning about us going out on the town as you had put it. Obviously.” “Yeah.”
Tonight was the Halloween Party at the community center for the pre-teens and teens. Ava got into the Halloween spirit by dressing in a sock hop costume. It only cost her thirty-five dollars at the holiday shop in Helena. It was an A-line silhouette. The white T-shirt had a scoop neckline with short sleeves and the letter A largely stitched in black over her right breast. Her red swinging skirt came to her knees. A five inch black belt was around her waist. A black, sheer scarf held up her ponytail. One of the ranch hands drove her and the kids to the center. Jesse and Ray wanted to look over the pregnant heifer who was no longer pregnant. She had gone into a rough labor last night. Both mother and calf were weak. The brothers had said they would meet them at the party. Tom was dressed as the Mad Hatter. The costume was rather clever and fun. Tom wore a white broadcloth with a collar with a black ascot around the collar. The vest was orange and brow
An hour and a half into the party and all was well. Lana had no idea it was really Dax she was with. Dax and Beau were almost the same height, give or take an inch. Dax only answered yes and no questions that she asked. He couldn’t talk or she would know instantly it was him. Lana had assumed ‘Beau’ wanted to really be in character as Ghostface by not talking. It didn’t seem to bother her because it gave her a chance to talk. Just by listening, he learned a lot about Lana. She loved lavender roses. Her father gave her a dozen of them on Valentine’s Day and her birthday every year since she was ten. She was a Walking Dead fan and watched the spin-offs religiously. And she loved horror movies, which was a pleasant surprise. Dax loved horror movies, too. “I have to say, Beau, I’m having a great time with you,” Lana commented as they walked to the refreshment table. “I hope you’re having a good time with me.” Dax nodded enthusiastically. The only downsi
Hawk couldn’t help how angry he was. The last thing the Calhouns or the Steeles needed was another generation of their first-borns feuding. And the last thing everyone else needed was the school getting wind of the fight. The boys could get suspended for a week or more from the football team. Hawk was getting too old for this shit. “Explain yourself, boy,” Hawk said through gritted teeth. “Why were you fighting with Dax?” The front of Hank’s black hair was damp with sweat. Some of the heat had left his cheeks. “Well, me and a couple of the guys were hanging out out front. Dax and a few of his buddies were just across the way hanging out. I . . . I knew Dax was dressed up as the killer from Scream. So, I might have said some things about . . . Miss Ava and I might have said it loud enough where he could hear it.” “Like what?” “Uh . . . like how . . . hot she is and how I wouldn’t mind . . . doing things to her,” he said and then his eyes
An hour later, the Steele family arrived back on The Cross Creek Ranch. Dax and Tom went upstairs to change and get ready for bed. They had school tomorrow. “Jesse, before you go to your separate corner of the world, I need to talk to you,” Ray said. He thought it best to address it at home than at the party.“Yeah?” Jesse said.“Why are you advising Dax about a girl he likes?” Ray asked. “I’m his father. You should have directed him to me.”“Hold on,” Ava interjected. “That wasn’t Jesse’s fault. You see, Dax came to me first about the girl. Well, we were talking about something else, and Dax brought it up, actually. I advised him the best I could, but I told him that if he didn’t like my advice he should go to Jesse.”“What? Why would you send him to Jesse and not me?” Ray asked, offended.“For one thing, I got the impression that Jesse was the ladies’ man in the family,” Ava said.“And your assumption was correct,” Jesse said with a nod and a small smile.“So
Ray got up at five a.m. the next morning. He had only gotten three hours of sleep. Ava’s words and the conversations he had with the boys last night had plagued his mind. Ray put on a pair of dark brown cowboy boots, black jeans, and a turtle neck and sweater over it and hit the kitchen. He fixed himself a turkey sandwich and gobbled it up and left. What he needed this morning was solitude – and a good hard ride. Ray went to the stables and saddled up Nicklaus and he was off. He trotted the horse for a few minutes, letting him stretch his legs and then he broke out into a hard ride. It was thirty-four degrees. The cold prickled his face as he rode as hard as he could across the land. The leaves on the trees were shades of red, brown, and orange. The grass – not so green as it was this summer. Fall was definitely here. Ray rode across one of the more shallow creeks. The splashing was like music to his ears. A few moments later, he jumped a fence and then slowed
Ray had won first place for bull riding and breakaway roping. He had two blue ribbons and nine thousand dollars in prize money. “I had no idea the prize money was so substantial in a rodeo,” Ava said as they walked upstairs at The Coyote Bluff Estate. Ray nodded. “Contestants can win up to ten to twelve thousand, depending on how many people are in the contests and how many there are in.” “Wow,” Ava mumbled. They got outside of their rooms. “So . . . would you like to come to my room tonight?” Ray asked. Ava’s body tingled all over at the proposition. “Yes. Just let me grab some things, and I’ll be right over.” **** Ray had taken off his boots and socks. His clothes were dusty and dirty and so was he. He had asked Ava to give him a half hour to take a quick shower. He didn’t want to smell like horse sweat and dust
What the hell was I thinking? I haven’t rode a bull in five years. The same for barrel racing. Roping a calf? I do that all the time. But the other things I’m rusty on. I gotta be. I’m older now, too. I could break my damn neck out there. But it was too late now. Ray had paid the entry fees for the three contests and met Lou’s new wife, all the while Ava looked up at him dreamily like a teenage girl who had a big crush. He couldn’t back out. He would look like a coward if he did. And he didn’t want to disappoint Ava. She seemed excited at the prospect of him possibly breaking his neck in the arena. Nathan and Kevin had congratulated Ray and Ava on their new relationship. And asked about how the rest of the football season went for the Broadwater Bulldogs. They had nearly flipped out of their boots when Ray had told them the Bulldogs had won the championship game. Then they had hooted and hollered when Ray told them how well Dax had played that nigh
Ava finished getting ready as quick as she could. She couldn’t wait for Ray to come back over. So, she went to his door. Ray opened it with a smile. “Couldn’t wait to see me again, huh?” He wore a maroon-colored long sleeve shirt with pearl snap buttons and black jeans. Ava grinned. “I always love to see you and as fast as I can, but . . . I came over instead of waiting for you because I had another memory as I was getting dressed. This was the first memory she has told him about in a while. She hadn’t told him about the last few. “Oh?” Ray said as he stood aside, letting her in. Ava walked in as she told him about what she had remembered. “I could have been to Townsend before. I mean . . . the woman invited me to her wedding to a man with the last name Townsend. He could be a descendant of the founder of the town. Or a descendant of someone who lived in the town when it was first established.” “Hmm. I don’t know,
Ava was practically purring like a cat that was being rubbed the right way when Ray began moving up her body. He couldn’t hold out anymore. His goal was to give her as much pleasure as he could as a reward for being so patient while he sorted himself out. Ray hadn’t meant to make her cum so early like that, but the sound of her moans – and knowing he was the cause of it made him want to prove that he could satisfy her. And he was about to do it again whether she was ready or not. Ray got on his knees and lifted one smooth, luscious leg and placed it against him. Ava sultrily widened the other, knowing what he was about to do. He grabbed his manhood and placed the tip at her opening. Then he pushed in. “Uh,” Ava moaned as he slowly entered her soaking, wet pussy. Ray tried going slow at first since she was so tight, but something rose up in him. Like an animal had awakened in him that smelled a hottie in heat. He began thrusting in her –
Ava pulled out of the kiss. “Kissing me isn’t going to fix this, Ray.” He released her. “I know,” he said as he entered the room, making her walk backwards a few steps. Once he had enough room, he turned to close the door and secured the deadbolt. “Oh, no,” Ava began sternly. “You’re not staying so we can talk. I’m done, Ray.” “I know,” he said as he took of his coat and black Stetson. As he tossed the hat on the desk and the coat on the chair, Ava said, “I mean it. Don’t get comfortable because you are not staying. I mean it.” “I know.” He loosened the first top buttons of his shirt then he had the nerve to sit on the edge of the king size bed. “What the hell are you doing?” “Taking my boots off,” he answered like there was nothing unorthodox about what he was doing. “Why are you – I don’t care why just leave them on and get out.” Ava walked to the other side of the room.
“Hey, Ray,” Troy greeted as he approached. “Hey. You guys have fun?” Ray asked and sipped his scotch. “Oh, yeah. It was great. Me and my friends were talking and we hoped Ava would come with us tonight to a club.” “What she say?” “I don’t know, yet. My friends are asking her now but I had a feeling she wouldn’t say yes unless it’s okay with you.” “Oh. Well, if she really wants to go –” “You’ll be okay with that?” “Yeah.” “There’s just one thing, though.” “What?” “Um . . . do you mind staying behind? No offense. You’re a really cool guy but it would be pretty awkward to go to a nightclub with someone’s dad.” “What?” Ray said as his eyes narrowed. “Look, I’m sure you and Ava came up here to spend some father/daughter time together and I – I mean we don’t want to interfere in that, but, surely, you can give her one night out with peop
The Coyote Bluff Estate was more beautiful in person than it was online. Snow covered the landscaping. It was a huge log cabin home that was turned into a getaway. The two owners were friendly. They took them on a quick tore inside and then showed them to their rooms. Ava’s room was across the hall from Ray’s. They had lunch an hour before they had gotten to their location. So, they decided to get back in the truck and look around at the sites. Apparently, Ray hadn’t been to Kalispell in ten years. He had said a lot had changed since then. They took a tour of Glacier National Park to look at the scenery and the wildlife. When they had finished with that, they had gone to The Montana Club Restaurant for dinner. During dinner, Ray opened up to her, telling her more about his parents and grandparents.After dinner, they went back to the estate. It was almost eight o’clock.As they walked to their rooms, Ava said, “I have to say you seem more . . . relaxed than usual.”“Oh? We
Two days later . . . After dinner, Ray was packing what he needed for his trip with Ava. They were leaving in the morning around nine. They had told the boys they were going on a short trip together and would be back sometime Sunday. Jesse was in attendance for dinner tonight. They seemed to be fine with it. Dax and Tom had wished them a good time. Jesse was milling around in Ray’s bedroom like he used to when he was a teen, looking over him as he packed and asking a bunch of annoying questions. “Did you buy new drawls?” Jesse asked as he paced by Ray for the tenth time. “No. Why do I need new drawls? What I got is fine.” “No holes in them?” “No!” “Skid marks the washing machine couldn’t get out?” “Shit no, Jesse!” Ray shouted. “Now, if that’s all, can you get the hell out of here!” “One more thing.” Jesse rounded around him as he reached in his pocket. He pulled som
Two days later . . . Ray was in the stables preparing Nicklaus for travel tomorrow. For the first time he was being put out to stud. Ray was going to send him to the man that liked Nicklaus more than Whisper, the Albano, he had originally wanted to put out to stud. “I’ve seen her, buddy,” Ray said as he packed up Nicklaus’s favorite feed in the corner for the boys to take when they backed up the truck. “You’ll love her. Trust me.” The horse snorted nastily. “Hey,” Ray eased out as he stood straight from bending over. “I wouldn’t lie to you.” Nicklaus blinked. He had a solid shiny, brown coat along with a long, brown mane and tail. “Are you nervous?” The horse turned his head a little. “There’s a first time for everyone, buddy. Just . . . take your time. Let her feel you out and you feel her out.” Nicklaus turned back to him. “I know you weren’t expecting