Wrangled (11 page)

That was the second time she said that to
me. All of a sudden, I needed to get better a lot quicker than things was
goin’. I needed to talk to the boss, soon as Annalee left. But while she was
there, I tried to show her how much I loved her, kissin’ and holdin’ her,
strokin’ her hair and wishin’ I could love her with all of me.

Next evenin’ Hank come to visit me again.
We was both mad, but he got his licks in first. “What did you tell that girl?
She come up to me this mornin’ and told me I better mind my own business and
stay outta yours. What the hell does that mean? You’re my kin. You ARE my
business.”

“Now Hank, you brung that on yourself. You
had no call to tell her she was interruptin’ my studies and disturbin’ me. I’m
just about done with you interferin’ between me and Annalee, you hear?”

Hank dropped back on his heels like I’d
took a swing at him. “Do you hear yourself, son? What’s got into you? When did you
ever disrespect me like that?”

“Uncle Hank, I’m sorry. I don’t mean no
disrespect, but you gotta stop interferin’. Annalee was all riled up last
night, cryin’ and carryin’ on, all because you said that to her. I don’t want
her upset.  I told her to pay you no mind.” I didn’t mean it to come out
soundin’ like that, but you’da thought I slapped him.

“Well, that’s the thanks I get for takin’
you on, boy. I guess you’re too uppity to listen to your old uncle anymore.
I’ll be leavin’ you alone, since that’s what you want.” He turned and marched
out the door, slammin’ it behind him so he couldn’t hear me callin’ after him.

“Uncle Hank! Come back, that’s not what I
want. Please, Uncle Hank, I just want some peace, is all. I cain’t have the two
people I love most in this world fightin’ like y’all do. Please, come back.”

It didn’t do no good, he was gone. I knew
he’d be back, and we could mend our fences, but it felt pretty bad right then.
For the first time since I was sixteen and found my mom dead in her own vomit,
I felt like cryin’. Couldn’t do it though. You never knew who might come
through that door next, and I couldn’t think of anyone that I’d want to find me
bawlin’ like a baby girl. I set my jaw and fought it off.

I was hopin’ I was through with company for
the night, but it was no such luck. About half an hour after Hank stormed out,
Mr. Russ come in, real quiet, and closed the door quiet and careful behind him.

“Rough night?” he asked me.

“Kinda,” I said. “How’d you know?”

“I found Hank out by the barn tearin’ into
a bale of hay like he wanted to kill it. Kickin’ and punchin’. Never saw him so
mad.”

I could tell the boss was trying to make me
feel comfortable with him, because he didn’t always sound like the rest of us
did, but when he wanted to be your friend, his Western drawl was almost as bad
as mine.

“Yeah, I guess I disappointed him.” I was
lower than a snake’s belly at that minute, and I didn’t care who knew it.

“What happened? If you don’t mind tellin’
me.”

“Boss, why cain’t people just get along?
Hank’s taken a dislike to Annalee, and between the two of ‘em, I don’t know
what I’m gonna do.” Without thinkin’ about it, I made a fist with my right hand
and punched it into my left, then wished I hadn’t. That stung.

“He’s just trying to protect you, Cody.”

“He don’t need to protect me anymore, Boss.
I’m twenty-one, and if you’re not doin’ it just for his sake, I’ve got a good
job. I wanta marry Annalee.” Now I’d gone and told two other people before I
told her. I was gonna be in a world of hurt if she ever found out. The boss
didn’t seem surprised, though.

He said, “You know, when Charity asked me
to bring those girls here to protect them until they came of age, I should have
known there’d be some trouble. You young hotshots and five pretty girls, it was
bound to happen that someone was gonna fall in love. I just didn’t think about
how it was gonna affect your uncle when it turned out to be you.”

“Why, Boss? Why cain’t he see I’m all
growed up and can take care of myself.”

“Probably because you can’t, not right now
anyway. He sees you getting closer and closer to the girl who’s taking care of
you, and he thinks you’re mistaking gratitude for love.”

“I don’t see how that can be, Boss. I told
him before my accident I was sweet on her.” Come to think of it, he was opposed
to it then, too.

“Cody, just consider what it will mean to
her if you change your mind. All I’m asking is you slow down. I’ll talk to Hank
about staying out of it.”

“I ain’t gonna change my mind, Boss,” I
said stubbornly.

“Well, like you say, you’re of age, and
so’s she, though she’s an awfully young twenty, because of her upbringing. Just
please be careful. She doesn’t need more heartbreak, and your uncle doesn’t
need to have to pick up the pieces if
she
breaks
your
heart.”

“That ain’t gonna happen,” I said again,
stubbornly. Like a lot of things that I was thinkin’ all the time I laid in
that bed, I didn’t know what all could happen to us against our will.

I was lookin’ forward to my next doctor
visit to get this cast off so I could ride again. No such luck, though. Come my
second six-week checkup, I still couldn’t put my full weight on my bad leg, so
nothin’ changed. Doc said come back in another six weeks and we’d take another
look.

The Boss never did find no one else to come
out and live at the ranch to give me my physical therapy, but he got someone to
come out once a week and lay out a plan for me to do on my own, and he brung me
some crutches so’s I could get around better. That worked out just fine, so now
I was busy with my studies, and fillin’ in that database and doin’ my
exercises.

Annalee didn’t have to take care of me no
more, since I could thump on into the dinin’ room for meals, and could take my
own shower, sittin’ on a little stool the boss brung me. But she still come to
visit every night that the boys or Uncle Hank wasn’t there. We talked sometimes
about what it would mean if I could get on in the rodeo, but neither of us come
right out and said we loved the other, or we planned to get married. I reckoned
there was time for that when I was on my feet good.

One night, while I was holdin’ her and all,
I said, “You know, I miss you takin’ care of me. Especially them sponge baths.”
I winked at her so she’d know I was jokin’, but she surprised me. She rolled up
and got across my lap like the first time she kissed me, when I still had the
neck brace.

“What are you doin’ Annalee?” I asked,
though my pecker seemed to have its own idea.

She giggled. “Now I’ve got you where I want
you, and you can’t stop me from doing anything I want.”

I didn’t know whether to hope she did mean
what I thought she meant, or to hope she didn’t. “Annalee,” I groaned, “don’t
tease me like that.”

“Who said I was teasing?”

This wasn’t anything like I’d dreamed about
with her. I was laid up, couldn’t love her right, especially with her sittin’
on top of me. And we were in the boss’s house, that wasn’t a good thing. I
shook my head. “We can’t, Annalee.”

She set her mouth kinda stubborn. “Yes, we
can. And anyway, how are you going to stop me?”

I didn’t know the answer to that question,
especially since part of me didn’t want to stop any more than she did.

“What if someone comes in?”

Her eyes got big, and she climbed off me
and off the bed, went over to the door and locked it. “They can’t.”

Back she come, but this time, she was
unbuttonin’ her blouse. I couldn’t help it, even though I knew it was a bad
idea. I’d waited so long to see those tits, I just didn’t have the strength to
tell her to stop. She climbed back on the bed, and back where she was, sittin’
high in the bend between my hips and legs. She looked back at the cast where it
almost touched her ass. “Is this okay, Cody? I’m not hurting your leg, am I?”

I wouldn’t have admitted it if she had
been. My better judgment had taken a vacation, and all that was left at home
was the part of me that wanted to fuck her senseless. “No, sweetheart, you
aren’t hurting my leg. But you’re gonna hurt somethin’ else if you don’t either
stop or get on with it.”

Annalee’s smile was the only thing on this
earth that could have torn my eyes from her hands on her buttons, undoin’ ‘em
so slow. “I’m not gonna stop Cody Wayne. You better be ready for me.”

“Cain’t you tell I’m ready?” I complained.

“Oh, yes, I can tell,” she teased. I could
see a little glimpse of her bra, now, with creamy white skin bulgin’ out above
it. I moved my hands to touch, and she slapped them. “Wait ‘til I say you can.”

Oh, man. I had never had a dream where I
was helpless and the
girl
was in charge. But I had to admit, it was
kinda hot. I grinned at her and put my hands down by my sides. Now she was
undoin’ the last button at the bottom, and she kinda stuck her chest out as she
shrugged outta the sleeves. Oh, my God, she was sexy. I licked my lips, wishin’
she would take off that bra and offer me one-a them tits to suck on. She was
gonna do it, too. She had her hands behind her, about to unfasten the bra, when
a poundin’ like nobody’s business came at the door. Shit. Who could that be?

Quick as a bunny, she jumped offa me and
onto the floor, puttin’ her blouse back on at the same time. She took a deep
breath and walked real slow over to the door, and turned to look at me before
she opened it. “Are you ready?”

Damned if I wasn’t still stiff, but I threw
a corner of the blanket across my lap and nodded. Annalee opened the door, and
there stood Uncle Hank, lookin’ like a thundercloud. He give Annalee a look
that sent her scurryin’ out of the room and then come to stand beside the bed.

“What’re you gettin’ up to, boy?” he asked.

Well, I couldn’t tell him. I’d have had to
let him know that I wasn’t gettin’ any choice in the matter, and what kind of
gentleman tells tales like that on his girl? I shook my head.

“You watch yourself in the boss’s house,”
Hank said.

“Yessir. What can I do for you?”

“I needed to check for sure which mare to
put in with the stud tonight.”

I felt like rollin’ over and poundin’ on
the bed. I knew which mare I wanted put with me for stud. “Put White’s Etta
James with him, Hank. Thought I told you. What’s her barn name again?”

“You maybe did, but I forgot. She’s Miss
Priss, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Anything else? I’m ready to get
some shuteye.”

“No, go on and sleep. ‘Night, Cody.”

I was layin’ there wishin’ Hank had better
timin’ when the door opened real soft. It was dark in the room, but I could
smell Annalee’s strawberry scent clear across the room. Mr. Johnson woke up
right away and stood up to greet her. A click told me the door was shut, and
another that she’d locked it. Next a flare of a match, and then she set a
candle down on the nightstand.

“Hi, honey,” she said. “Your uncle came in
before I was finished with you.”

“He sure did. I’ve been regrettin’ that
ever since.”

“Well, we could start over.”

“I’d like that.”

In the candlelight, her skin looked all
soft and rosy on her cheeks, and for once her hair was down. It fell down her
back all wavy and soft, catchin’ the light in the waves. I reached for a strand
of it and ran it through my fingers, smellin’ them strawberries comin’ off it.
Annalee had changed into her nightclothes, and was wearin’ a long drapey kind
of thing. “Can I take this off?” I asked.

“I’ll do it,” she whispered. While I
watched, she pulled it off over her head, shakin’ out her hair as she pulled it
through the neckline and settin’ loose more strawberry smell. Underneath, she
had on a little silky short thing with tiny straps. I wanted that off her, too,
but the way her boobs was swayin’ underneath was mesmerizin’. She climbed up on
the bed with me.

“What are we gonna do about these pajamas?”
she asked.

“I guess I’m gonna need help gettin’ ‘em
off.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t have no shirt on. The pajama
bottoms was loose enough to go on and off over the leg cast, but the skivvies
underneath might not. I’d worry about that when the time come, maybe even take
the cast off if I could get her to agree to it. Annalee put her hands on my
bare chest and ran ‘em over my muscles, sending shivers down my spine and
makin’ my nipples hard. “Ooh, that’s nice,” she breathed.

I wanted more than anything for her to come
into my arms, so I could do the same thing for her, but she had other ideas.
She eased the waistband of those pj’s over my erection, and worked ‘em down my
hips, over the cast, and finally off. I guess she decided to cross the skivvies
bridge when she come to it, too, because all of a sudden, she was back in the
saddle, straddlin’ me and leanin’ in for a kiss. I almost forgot she hadn’t
told me I could touch her yet, and my hands drifted up to ease my fingertips
along the sides of her tits.

“No, no, no,” she said. “Wait.”

This time I groaned real loud. Waitin’ was
gonna kill me, or make me come early. Maybe I should tell her that. I hadn’t
been with a woman or a girl since Cass, and that was too many years ago. Just
no opportunity here on the ranch, unless I wanted to try to beat Uncle Hank’s
time with Janet. I didn’t count my hand; it was different.

Annalee leaned down and dragged her chest
across mine. I could feel her nipples through the silky material, hard like
mine, only a whole lot bigger. “Please,” I said, real low.

“Please what, honey?” Her voice was like
honey, all warm and sweet. I wanted to drink her up.

“Please, can I touch ‘em? Or bring ‘em up
here where I can reach so I can suck ‘em. Come on, Annalee, sweetheart, you’re
killin’ me.”

“Don’t you want this nightgown off first?”
she said, all sweet and innocent. But there was nothin’ innocent about the way
she was lookin’ at me, lust written all over her face. I reckoned mine matched.

“More than anything,” I answered.

“Well, why don’t you take it off, then?”
she invited.

I didn’t wait for no other invitation. My
hands went up to slip those little bitty straps off her shoulders, and pulled
‘em down her arms. I watched as the silky material clung for a second on her
hard nipples, and then slipped off, showin’ me the finest sight I’d ever seen.
Just like in a dream I’d had once, she had big, soft boobs, with big
pinkish-brown tips and long nipples right in the center. Just lookin’ at her I
almost shot my wad.

Almost scared this was a dream too, I
brought one hand up and cupped a boob, heftin’ it to feel its weight in my
hand. Annalee sighed and dropped her head back, thrustin’ that nipple closer to
my lips. With a feelin’ like I mighta been drownin’, I put both hands on her
bare back and pulled her closer, nuzzlin’ her tit, and then took the nipple in
my mouth. Oh, God, much more of that and I wasn’t gonna last. I let go of her
nipple and kissed the other one, then kissed her on the mouth and pushed my
tongue inside.

“Sweetheart, it’s been a long time for me.
If I’m gonna be any good for you, we’re gonna have to get to it.” That probably
wasn’t the most romantic thing I could’ve said, but it was God’s own truth.

She smiled at me then, and said, “Just a
minute.” She leaned over and took somethin’ off the nightstand, and then I
heard the rip of the condom package.

“Where’d you get that?” I said.

“Your Uncle Hank came looking for me after
he left you,” she said. “He said, ‘If you’re gonna take advantage of my boy,
you be sure to be safe.’” Her silver-bell soundin’ laugh came then. “And I told
him, ‘you’d better give me a lot, then, ‘cause I’m gonna take advantage while I
can.’ I think it embarrassed him.”

“Probly. So, did he give you a lot?”

“Just a couple, but he said he’d be back
with more. I’m beginning to like your uncle, Cody.”

“Wish I could tell you the feelin’s mutual.
He thinks you’re trouble.”

“Well, he may be right. Now shut up and
kiss me some more. I think we took care of your problem.”

Sure enough, that little bit of
conversation had eased the urgency, and I went back to playin’ with those boobs
and kissin’ Annalee like we had all night. Before long, though, in fact, in
only a minute or so, I was rarin’ to go again. “Annalee…” I said.

“Sure, baby,” she whispered. Next thing I
felt was her raisin’ up off me on her knees, and her soft hands pushin’ my
skivvies down, easin’ em over me like I might break. Come to think of it, I
might’ve exploded if she wasn’t careful. Then, she took my cock in her soft
hand and rolled the condom on, ever so careful. It was all I could do to lay
still while she touched me. It had never been like this with Cass. Yeah, it was
good, but any sex would be good for a seventeen year old boy. I didn’t remember
havin’ these waves of tender feelin’s for her, like I was feelin’ with Annalee,
but tonight’s excitement was just like back then, white lightnin’ racin’
through my veins.

When Annalee settled onto me, pullin’ my
dick in like a calf slippin’ through the chute, I just about lost my mind. I
wondered if she could feel me tremblin’ like a newborn foal with the feelin’ of
her surroundin’ me and squeezin’ my cock so sweet. I knew I wasn’t gonna last
long this time, but I didn’t want it to end. So I was as still as I could be,
just feelin’ her, all warm and moist, and kissin’ her when she leaned forward
for it.

I reached up again to touch her boobs, and
felt her clamp down on me with her pussy, just about makin’ me lose it again.
But it felt so good, I wanted more. I flicked my thumbs across her nipples, and
sure enough, she clamped down again.  I wasn’t in control after that. Without
me thinkin’ about it, my hips started pushin’ up, over and over, faster and
faster, tryin’ to climb right up into Annalee’s body, and she was grindin’ down
on me at the same time. When she cried out and gripped my cock with her pussy
muscles, harder than ever, I couldn’t hold back. I come harder than I’d ever
come before, harder than with Cass, harder than with my own hand. I didn’t know
I
could
come that hard and that long. It shook me right down to my
innards, and the strangled noise I could hear turned out to be comin’ from me.
When I flopped back, all my strength gone, I had my arms around my woman, tight
as tight could be. I didn’t plan on ever lettin’ her go.