Samson and Sunset (11 page)

  “How did you get that big scratch on
your arm, princess?” he asked innocently.

  “I fell.”

  “Really, where?”

  “Oh, don’t act as if you don’t know. I
know you know what happened. Too many people saw it.”

  “Well, princess, what’s it going to
take for you to learn to trust me?”

  “Don’t ever say you’re going to spank
me in front of people when you know you’re not.”

  “Well, don’t push your luck, baby.
Someday I just might, just to tame you down a little.”

  “I’d like to drop the subject,” I
said.

  “I’ll bet you would.”

  We sat there about twenty minutes and
Jose pulled up in the driveway with the trailer.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked.

  “Well, come and see,” said Shay
mysteriously.

  When I was almost to the trailer, I
stopped dead in my tracks. Through the open back of the rig I could
see those proud white necks and high-held, flowing tails.

  “Happy one week anniversary,
princess!” Shay said. “Now you have to name them because you’re
stuck with them.”

  “Samson and Sunset,” I said without
missing a beat. “Samson will be yours and Sunset will be mine. Oh,
Shay! I’m so sorry for being a spoiled brat, but you know you are
kind of a contributor.” I whirled around and he took me in his
arms. “Thank you,” I said, “I love you so much.”

  After we got Samson and Sunset settled
into their new stalls we went to the house and both got lucky
again.

  Just before we went to sleep, I said,
“Shay, we’re not leaving Samson and Sunset here at the ranch are
we?”

  “No, babe, we’re having them shipped
to Westover, to the farm. You and I are going to go for many, many
sunset rides. Now let’s go to sleep and we’ll go riding
tomorrow.”

  I nestled into the crook of his
arm.

  “Love you, Callie.”

  “I love you, Shay.”

  That night white horses galloped
through my dreams.

  The Big Caper

  The next morning we had our usual
love-in, then went outside to see the horses. Shay had bought the
beautiful matching western saddles and saddle blankets, and he
showed me how to saddle up the horses.

  Every time I was finished, he’d take
the saddle off and say, “Do it again.”

  After seven times, I said, “Alright,
already. I think I have it down pat!”

  “You know, Callie, if you ever mess up
saddling your horse you could endanger your life.”

  “Oh great, now you’re trying to scare
me?”

  “Of course I’m not, that’s the last
thing I want. You have enough fear in your life. Saddling and
riding are very safe if you learn the correct procedures. Now watch
me mount up and do as I do.”

  I did. It seemed simple enough. We
walked them around slowly so I could get the feel of turning,
stopping, starting; so that Sunset could begin to trust me, and I
could begin to trust her.

  After a little warm up riding lesson
from Shay, we rode a long distance into the hills. It was a
beautiful day, bright, sunny and clear.

  “Hey, Shay, aren’t we going to make
them run?” I said after a while.

  “No, princess, you’re not ready for
that. And there could be a prairie dog hole out here, so best we
ride gently today.”

  After a couple of hours, we went back
to the stable, unsaddled the horses and put them away. Shay said
Jose would cool them out, brush and feed them. We had to pack; it
was our last day at the Sand Hills ranch.

  We just had hamburgers and chili for
supper, showered, and hit the hay.

  “Hey babe,” Shay whispered as he held
me in the dark. “We probably won’t be back here for a long time. Do
you think we should say goodbye to the ranch with some great
farewell sex?”

  “I think we absolutely should,” I
said.

  ***

We woke up early and were out the door just
as the sun was rising.

  “Well,” I said as we sped down the
wide dusty road, “I guess the honeymoon is over.”

  “Doesn’t have to be, princess,” said
Shay with one hand on the wheel.

  I got gifts for everyone along the
way—a beautiful rose-pink scarf for Mom, a glass mug with
Sand
Hills
written in silver cursive for Dad, a floppy, soft teddy
bear for Kelly; earrings for Susie and a locket for Cookie. I got a
beautiful pair of cream colored, cashmere gloves for Maggie, and a
fountain pen for Sterling.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Shay said
as I nestled the last purchase into my goody bag.

  “Nonsense,” I said. “It’s fun.”

  We took turns driving, but Shay
shouldered most of the work, while I cuddled close.

  After stopping at a gas station to gas
up, Shay came to the car with two bottles of root beer. While I sat
and sipped the drink, I noticed he kept turning his head and
looking at me. Then he’d look straight ahead, smiling; slowly
shaking his head back and forth. He did this several times.

  Finally, I said, “Okay, lover boy,
what are you thinking about that’s giving you that grin?”

  “Well,” Shay said, “I want to tell you
something, but I don’t know how I want to say it.”

  “Well, just say it! Can’t be that hard
to say, unless it’s bad…”

  “Oh no, it’s not bad,” he said.

  “Then what?”

  “Well, you know how my mom has that
hothouse, where she grows those beautiful, prize-winning roses that
smell so sweet?”

  “I’ve seen them, yes. They’re
beautiful.”

“Well,” Shay continued, “the honeybees have
all those flowers outside to go into, yet they hang around the
hothouse door just trying to get in because they know the flowers
on the inside are the best, their pollen must be that much
sweeter…”

  “You think I’m a bee?”

  “Now just let me finish,” Shay
chuckled. “I’ve been sleeping with girls since I was fifteen years
old—”

  “What, now you’re telling me you’re a
tramp?”

  “Will you stop it, Callie? I’m trying
to tell you something and you’re not helping.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m just giving you a
hard time,” I said. “You’re so funny when you’re trying to be
serious. Go on.”

  “I’m trying to tell you all those
girls were like the flowers outside, and you’re the flower inside
the hothouse.”

  “Oh, you think I’m hot!”

  “Shut,” as Shay always said, “I’m
telling you that of all the girls I’ve ever been with, you are
absolutely the greatest. You do things to me that I thought were
impossible. I just love you so much. You’re my hothouse rose,
overflowing with sweetness. You fill me up.”

  “Shay, that’s so sweet! I didn’t think
a big macho man like you had those kind of sentimental thoughts,” I
smiled. “I’ve heard some of the things that come out of your mouth
when you’re with your buddies drinking!”

  “So then, smart mouth, how do you
think I should have said it?” he challenged, his eyes crinkling up
with amusement.

  “Callie,” I said in a low voice, “you
know that stud bull we have in the pasture with all those cows?
Well, he only likes to mount this one cow, ’cause he thinks she’s
the best! That’s how I feel about you.” I grinned. “How’s that big
boy?”

  “Crude,” he said. “That was really
crude. I said you were naughty and you just proved my point.”

  “Well. If you were going to say it
crudely, what would you have said?” I asked.

  He turned and looked at me. “Callie,
I’ve fucked a lot of girls, but you’re the only one I ever made
love to. How’s that smart mouth? And while we’re on the subject of
crudeness, I don’t want you using foul language.”

  “Why? You do, sometimes.”

  “That’s different. I can; you can’t.
Like at the ranch when you had your little temper tantrum? You said
‘screw you.’ No more of that language, missy.”

  “Hey, I’m an adult. I can say what I
want.”

  “Well, then let me tell you this, the
next time I hear anymore of that language, I’m going to wash your
mouth out with soap, and don’t you think for one minute I
won’t.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said, as I moved across
the seat and slid my hand between his legs.

  “Damn, Callie, now I’ve got to find a
remote spot to park for awhile.”

  And he did, and we did.

  ***

We got to Westover, around 8:30 p.m. I was so
glad to be home; I wanted to go right to Hudson to get Kelly. But
Shay said he’d already spoken with my mother and they both agreed I
needed to rest up for a day.

  “We’ll go Tuesday, princess. I want
you to sleep in tomorrow.”

  I was too tired to argue, plus I knew
he was right. I missed Kelly so much, but I was outright exhausted
and I did need sleep. So I agreed without an argument.

  When we reached the Big House, Shay
said, “Now wait,” as we neared the door, “I want to carry you over
the right threshold.”

  “Well,” I said, “then that would be
inside, upstairs. Just carry me through the doorway of our
suite.”

  He insisted on carrying me over both,
for good measure.

  Inside, we showered and made love.
Afterwards Shay tucked me into bed.

  “You go to sleep, princess,” he said,
pulling the blanket under my chin.

  “Shay, it’s the middle of July,” I
protested. “I only need a sheet.”

  He turned the fan toward me, bent down
and kissed me. “I don’t want to hear anything out of you until
morning. You need some rest.”

  “Hey, you got a deal, darlin’.”

  Shay dressed and went out quietly. He
was always so good at being soundless if he thought I was resting.
Don’t know when he came to bed. It was lights out for me.

  ***

At 6 a.m. I heard Shay stirring and woke up.
After he showered and dressed, he said I was not to get up: Cookie
was bringing me a tray.

  When Cookie arrived, I told her I was
embarrassed that she had to serve me.

  “Well, sweetie, you’re having my
Shay’s baby, so you just let me help. Cookie loves doing this.”

  “I am really tired, still,
Cookie.”

  “You
look
tired, sweetie. Now
you just eat a little and then go back to sleep. I’ll be back at
noon with your tray. What do you want for lunch, sweetie?”

  “Cookie, you just give me whatever
there’s extra of. You don’t ever have to cook something special for
me. Also, when you come back at noon, could you stay awhile and
visit?”

  “I’d like that, sweetie, and you can
count on it,” she said.

  ***

At noon Cookie arrived with my tray, pulled a
comfortable chair up to the bed and we had ourselves a girls’
giggle and gossip session. After she left, I watched a little
television and went back to sleep. Shay woke me at around 6 in the
evening and I felt quite refreshed. As I got out of bed I thought
to myself, Shay had just better watch out! I was feeling
frisky.

  We showered together and Shay dried us
both off. When we were all clean and dressed, Cookie brought us
each a tray: t-bone steak, baked potato, vegetables, salad, and
chocolate cake for dessert. She even brought a pitcher of tea.

  “Kids, she said, “this is your welcome
home, newlyweds’ supper from old Cookie.” She winked at us and off
she went.

  ***

I can’t remember when I ever spent a whole
day in bed unless I was sick, but it was lovely. When supper was
over and I was lying in Shay’s arms, he said we were going to leave
at 9 in the morning to go to Hudson.

  “Call your mother and tell her we’ll
be there about 1 p.m.”

"Why so late, Shay? It doesn't take that long
to get to Hudson."

  “Well, we need to stop at the bank to
close your account, and then we’re doing a little shopping.”

  “What are we shopping for?”

  “Well, you’ll just have to wait until
tomorrow, princess.”

  Shay went to sleep before I did, and
why not? He hadn’t gotten a full day in bed like me. We got up at
6:30 a.m., showered, dressed and went to the dining room for
breakfast.

  Wow, they had a full buffet in silver
chafing ware. You could just get whatever you wanted; two types of
eggs, bacon, sausage links, waffles, breakfast potatoes, fruit, and
several different juices. Let me tell you, I was not used to this,
and to top it off, I’d be eating at the same table with Sterling!
Conversation was kept light. There were some questions and answers
about our trip. Sterling said he heard we’d gotten a couple of
pretty fancy horses. We said, yes, we had and they were
beautiful.

  After breakfast we were out the door
for Hudson.

  “You sure are anxious to get my
account closed,” I remarked.

  We went to the bank first, and I
closed my account.

  Then Shay said to the banker, “Now she
wants to open a new account in her new name. Here’s her first
deposit,” and handed the banker a check for $1,000.

  When we got outside of the bank, I
said, “Shay, why didn’t you tell me I was going to get a new
account?”

  “Well, woman, do you have to know
everything?

  “Well, yes! When it’s important.”

  But as we walked to the car I couldn’t
help smiling. I had never had that much money in my life! I felt
like a kid in a candy store.

  “Where are we going now?” I asked,
taking Shay’s arm.

  “Well, we’re going to look at all the
new showroom cars. All the 1966 models have just come out and I’d
like to see them.”

  We went to four or five dealerships.
There were some cool new cars. Then we went to The Weiner Wagon for
a couple of Max’s famous conies and chili. Max knew us all by
name—since high school he had called me Chatty Kathy.

  Max picked up the check, saying, “Just
a little wedding present, guys.”

  While we were eating, Shay asked me
which car I liked the very best of all the new models.

  “Oh, that’s easy,” I said, “the ’66,
two-door Chevelle Super Sport, in the exact color they have,
metallic blue, with white leather interior, bucket seats and chrome
rims.”