Suitcases, Turmoil & The Ranch

All of my writing is fiction, and the stories and characters are products of my imagination. They were created for my fun and, hopefully, your enjoyment. Some of the events in the stories are not particularly condoned nor encouraged by the author but are there to create and enhance the story of the imaginary characters and their lives. Comments are always encouraged and carefully reviewed. All characters within the story that need to be are 18 years of age or older. I hope you enjoy! And take a second to vote and comment.

~~~

Lyndsey

"Are you sure you can't stay another week? The weather's supposed to be perfect, and you can finish that tan and look double-gorgeous." Saffron struggled to keep a hopeful look on her face.

"I think I've gotten too much sun already. My doctor says I should use some of that artificial tanning stuff if I insist on being brown."

"You're too young to be going to a doctor."

I was twenty-five and had had irregular periods since I'd started having periods. I dealt with them through college, but when I graduated, I felt like I was a woman at last, and went on birth control pills to solve the regularity problem, which was only partially successful. It was getting better, but it was still annoying.

"Well, sometimes we have stuff that's wrong, no matter what age we are. St. Jude's Hospital in Memphis is full of kids that are way too young to have the things wrong with them that they have."

"I see those commercials on TV and feel so sorry for the kids and their parents, too. I can't imagine."

"Me too, and I hope I never have to face that."

"But you can still stay another week, and we'll hide inside, at the sweet shops and those cute dining rooms we've discovered. You said you weren't starting back to your busywork for another week."

"I know. I do love it here, but I have some things I need to get done at home. Maybe three more days?"

"That's a good compromise. Plus, I remembered that I need to pick up a couple more gifts."

"You never did tell me how you like the new job."

Lyndsey laughed. "It's a new job, and working with family is totally different from working for the government investigating possible fraud."

"What's the new job, exactly?"

My mother and brother are talking about Dad's dream of adding a dude ranch to their cattle ranch, and guess who was picked to set up and run it. There's so much work to keep the ranch going that I think I've convinced them to hold off a couple of years."

"How big is your ranch?"

"About 2,500 acres, unless they've added to it."

"That sounds like a lot of space."

"It's just what I'm used to, you know."

"Let's make sure we have a great three days before you head way out yonder."

Lyndsey couldn't keep from laughing.

~~~

Wesley

"Do we have all the stuff together, Vic?"

"I think so. The money and the packets I stuffed into your suitcase, so they're ready whenever you leave.

"Super. I think we're both dead ducks if that doesn't get there on time. That's why I'm carrying it with me."

"You know that the small plane that takes you to Charlotte doesn't allow carry-on suitcases. A tiny bag maybe, but you'll have to check the suitcase, and you'll be able to pick it up when you get to Memphis."

"I didn't know that. Shit, I hate to let that suitcase out of my sight."

Vic laughed. "I don't blame you, but you don't have much choice."

"I know. I've flown all over everywhere, and (I knocked on the wooden desktop) I've never lost a single item."

"You're going to leave tomorrow, so let's go to the Seafoam and have a couple of drinks and think of where we'll be once this is complete."

"Have you hidden everything away. If someone finds that equipment, they may figure out what we've been making, and that won't be good."

"It's two-thirds done, and I'll finish when you leave. Don't worry so much. Everything is good."

Vic was right, of course. Everything was good, but it needed to stay good. His part in the whole plan was complete, but mine wasn't. I had to go across the country with that suitcase, from Atlantic Shores to Oxford, Mississippi, not a huge trip, but it could still be testy.

Vic bought, and I drank, usually a good arrangement, but I had to stop when I'd like to have had another. Tomorrow would be a long day, and I didn't want to go through it hungover.

"How long do you think it will be before you can let me know, Wes?"

"Good question. I have to get there, and then make the connection. I can't set it up ahead of time, so it could be awkward. I hope not, though. I don't need any trouble."

"WE don't need any trouble," Vic emphasized.

At Vic's place, I climbed into bed and squirmed for a couple of hours before I finally dropped off to sleep. In the morning, I checked the suitcase for the fifth time, locked it, and was ready to get out of Atlantic Shores and head for whatever might be in store for me.

Vic took me to the airport. I checked to be sure it was required, then reluctantly checked the suitcase, tucking the receipt into my wallet for safety, went through security, and sat down to wait.

~~~

Lyndsey

"Saffron, thanks so much for the ride, and thanks for talking me into staying the extra couple of days. You'll have to come to Montana and visit me."

"I'm planning on it. I want to see Big Sky Country."

"You'll see plenty of that. Come before it gets cold and snowy."

"I will, for sure. Have a good trip."

We hugged, and I went inside, checked my suitcase, went through security, and sat down to wait.

The flight to Charlotte was uneventful; the forty-five-minute layover wasn't bad. The flight to Columbus, Ohio, went quickly, and the final leg to Helena was a little longer, but the weather was clear, and the window seat allowed me to see some scenery.

After we'd landed, I went to pick up my suitcase, surprised that the name tag was attached with a zip tie rather than the strap that had always attached it to the suitcase. Things like that always annoyed me, but at least I got the suitcase. I'd lost it once before, and it was two days later that it was finally delivered to the ranch.

The drive to the ranch was long enough to be annoying. Dusk had fallen when I finally arrived home, and I was greeted by my mother.

"Lyndsey, how was the trip?"

"Long, but I had a great time with Saffron, and she talked me into staying the extra days. Has anything important happened on the ranch?"

"I guess you actually mean something different, because important things happen here every day."

I laughed. "That's why I'm here."

"I know, and I thought you might bring some good-looking guy home with you."

I couldn't keep from rolling my eyes. "Like that was going to happen. Seriously, is there any food available?"

"Sure there is, hon. I'll get it ready for you."

"I'll go ahead and unpack while you get things ready."

"It'll only take a minute. You can unpack later."

"Hey, I thought I heard a familiar voice. Good to have you home, sis," my brother said as he came down the stairs two at a time.

"Charlie, I thought you were going to be gone."

"I canceled. It seemed like a waste of money."

"Are you going to eat with me?"

"Sure."

"Is that steak, Mom?"

"You were gone on steak night, so I saved yours."

"What about Charlie?"

"It wouldn't be right for you to have steak and your brother hamburger, would it?"

I shrugged. "Hamburger's good," I said, wrinkling my nose at Charlie.

"Same little snot you've always been," Charlie said with a laugh.

"You two, just eat your food and talk nice with each other," Nancy said, waving a wooden spoon at both of us.

We ate and talked, nicely per Mother's instructions, and I went to my room to unpack, change my clothes, and go back down for more conversation. I laughed again at the zip tie attached name tag. I wondered if I'd remember to get a new one before I traveled again. I dug the key out of my purse and opened the suitcase.

"What the hell?" This wasn't my suitcase. I went into the hallway. "Charlie, can you come up here for a minute?" I heard him coming up the stairs.

"What's up? Lose your key?"

"No, come in here." Once in the room, I closed the door. "This is not my suitcase, but that's only part of the problem." I opened the lid.

"Lyndsey, what the heck is that?"

"The green stuff looks a lot like money, but I have no idea what's in the packets. Are you thinking the same thing I am?"

"Probably, and it's scary."

"I've got that, for sure. Are you going to the police?"

"I probably could, but that's scary, too. I'm not sure if there's anything in my suitcase that identifies me. I'm not anxious for some angry drug lord to come looking for me."

"That makes my blood run cold, Lyndsey."

"Me, too. Let's think about it tonight, and talk in the morning."

"Should we tell Mom?"

"Let's wait. We may hear something very quickly."

"Let's go to bed and get a good night's sleep, and we'll figure out what to do tomorrow."

"I did tell Mom I'd be back downstairs to talk for a while. I'll change quickly and meet you there."

I changed, and we talked for an hour until Charlie decided to head for bed. Mom and I hugged, and I went to my room, but wasn't quite ready to climb into bed. I opened the suitcase again. I hadn't touched anything inside it yet, but the money had piqued my curiosity. I began counting, and it all seemed to be hundred-dollar bills. And it came to $23,800. "I wasn't about to touch the packets.

I put the money back, closed the suitcase, and climbed into bed to think and wonder.

~~~

Wesley

Home at last, I tossed my suitcase on the bed and changed into some workout shorts. Despite flying all the time, I'd happily give it up if I could. It was a feeble dream since I knew it wouldn't happen unless I changed occupations. After opening a beer, I decided to empty my suitcase to be ready for tomorrow. I was still annoyed that some baggage handler had torn the name tag off and failed to reattach it. I found the key and unlocked the suitcase, then lifted the lid.

I saw a very pretty and lacy bra that certainly wasn't mine. I searched a little more and found only female things. I could feel my heart beginning to pound. I told myself not to panic, but it wasn't working. Not only was there lots of money, but the special packets we'd worked so hard to accumulate. I needed to call Victor.

"Hello. You've reached the voicemail of Victor Blackwood. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can."

Ugh. Probably floating in the ocean if he hadn't already started for home. I paced back and forth. Then I had an idea. After a little research, I made another call.

"Good afternoon. Atlantic Shores Airport. How may I help you?"

I explained to him what flight I'd taken and what had happened.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm not sure what I can do."

"I know you can't give me a list of the people on the flight, but there were only twelve of us. Perhaps you could contact the other eleven, and I can help a little further. The suitcase I received was a woman's, and I think there were only three women on the flight." I held my breath.

"Listen, I think I can do that. Give me your number and cc I'll let you know when I've sent the message and if I receive a reply. "

"I can't thank you enough. I'll wait to hear."

Suddenly, there was hope, and I waited for those two calls.

~~~

Lyndsey

Charlie was out on the ranch working, Mother was I don't know where, and I was by myself... with the suitcase. A decision needed to be made, and I couldn't wait a week or two. I had just gone to the kitchen to fix my breakfast when my phone buzzed. A text message.

Attention: Lyndsey Frost. Some luggage has been mixed on your flight from Atlantic Shores. If you are the one who received the wrong luggage, please contact us, and we can arrange to have that taken care of. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Marcus Thorne

So, whoever got my suitcase is very interested in getting his back. And I can certainly see why. I debated about replying, but decided that I should since I really didn't know what was in the packets, and it might be something different from what I was imagining. I replied simply.

I am the one who ended up with the incorrect suitcase, and I would like to straighten it out.

Now, I just had to wait for some sort of answer.

It didn't take long. At least I suspected that was the case when my phone rang about thirty minutes later.

"Hello."

"Lyndsey Frost, this is Marcus Thorne from the Atlantic Shores airport."

"Oh, hello. That was fairly quick."

"I've spoken with the gentleman who has your suitcase, and suggested that we'd be more than happy to help with the exchange, but he said he's concerned about the contents and doesn't want to take another chance on losing them."

"I completely understand that," I answered, picturing the large pile of one-hundred-dollar bills in the suitcase.

"He'd like to make the exchange in person, if possible, and I'm asking if you'll okay my giving him your phone number so he can facilitate the exchange."

I chuckled. "This is a new way to get a girl's telephone number."

Marcus laughed. "I'll be able to document this in my memoirs," he said.

I thought for a moment. The way things had gone, it was difficult to think that whoever he was could be a drug dealer. He didn't seem to be hiding anything.

"That would be fine, Marcus."

"I doubt that you'll have to wait long, as he seemed very anxious to get this resolved."

"Thanks for your help, and I'm ready to get it resolved, too."

I sat down in a comfortable chair, waiting for my cell phone to ring. I thought I should tell Charlie about what was happening, but it wasn't critical yet. I had no idea where whoever this was would be coming from, but getting to Montana wasn't going to happen too quickly.

It had been about ten minutes when my cell phone sounded.

"Hello."

"Hello. My name is Wesley Knight, and I think I have your suitcase."

"And I have yours," I answered.

"And you have a number of questions about what's going on."

"It's hard not to be curious."

"Let me dispel your first thoughts without asking what they were. I'm not a drug dealer."

I couldn't help but chuckle since, so far, he sounded a little interesting.

"That was my first thought, spurred by the $23,800 and the little plastic pouches."

"Is that what's there? I hadn't counted it recently."

"I'm not buying that. You know exactly what was in the suitcase."

He laughed. "Yes, I do, and that's what was there, too. Thank you for being honest. Part of that will be your reward for returning the suitcase.

"I don't need a reward for doing that."

"Listen, it would have been easy for you to just take the money and forget about the suitcase and returning it. But obviously, it wasn't easy, and honesty like that deserves a reward."

"We can talk about that later.

Okay. Since you know my name, would you be kind enough to share yours?

"I'm Lyndsey Frost."

"Lyndsey, I'm glad to meet you. I'd like to exchange suitcases with you in person if that's possible. I didn't have too much luck getting it home via usual methods. And when we meet, I'll explain about the suitcase."

"That would be good, and I have no problem exchanging in person."

"In what part of the country are you located?"

"I live on a large cattle ranch in Montana."

"Did you say cattle ranch?"

"Yes. Is that important?"

"It may very well be. Do you believe in serendipity?"

"It happens, I think."

"More explanation when I get there. Where would I fly to in order to meet you?"

"Helena, Montana, and let me know your schedule. I can meet you at the airport, and we can exchange right there if you'd like."

A moment's pause.

"If I'm not being too pushy, I'd love to see a big ranch in Montana."

"I don't think that will be a problem. Get back to me with your arrangements."

"Will do. Take care now."

"You, too."

I decided I'd better call Charlie and update him on what was happening.

~~~

Wesley

"Hey, Wes. Any news?"

"I've been in touch with the lady who has the suitcase, and she told me how much money was there."

"And she was right?"

Yep, an honest lady. And there's something else."

"Go on."

"She lives on a big cattle ranch in Montana."

"No shit? That's unbelievable."

"That's perfect... maybe. I'll find out when I get there. She's picking me up at the airport, so I think she trusts me."

"Sounds perfect."

"I asked her if she believes in serendipity, and she said it sometimes happens."

Victor laughed. "I can hardly wait to hear. How many cattle do you think you'll need to work on?"

"I think twenty should do it. I've got enough of the stuff for several rounds, I think."

"I have more ready, so it would just be a matter of FedExing it out there."

"Sounds good, Vic. Now I'm off to make the arrangements."

It took only a few minutes to arrange for my flight from Memphis to Helena. It was a 7:55 am flight, but the hour-and-a-half drive from Oxford, Mississippi would force me to get up very early.

I called Montana.

"Hello, Wesley. Do you have news?"

"Well, I guess it is news. I should be arriving in Helena at 4:10 in the afternoon. Is that a problem?"

"Not at all. I'll be there to pick you up."

"Looking forward to it."

~~~

Lyndsey

"I don't know, Lyn. This all seems weird. I think I should go to Helena with you."

"Charlie, don't be silly. You have plenty to do right here. I don't think there'll be a problem with Wesley."

"I still don't like it. I wish you'd just let the airport take care of it."

"Well, that didn't happen, and I'll be picking him up later today and bringing him here, and you're not to pick on him. I want to hear his story, and I think you do too."

"Yeah, I'd like to hear his story. I understand that you feel comfortable with everything, but I guess I'm a little more suspicious than you are."

"We're different, but you need to get back to work."

"Is that how you sum up every discussion that we have? You need to get back to work. When do you work?" he asked with a laugh.

"I do a lot of my work between 10:00 pm and 2:00 am, while you're sleeping."

"Come here," he said, and gave his sister a big hug. "Good luck picking up your dude."

"He's hardly my dude, but I'll be glad to get my suitcase back."

"He's probably been sniffing your underwear the whole time he's had it."

"You're disgusting, and wait until I tell Mom what you just said."

"Ha, ha. When do you leave for the airport?"

"It's a while yet."

It actually wasn't very long, since I wanted to get there a little early, and I needed to leave a little just in case time. He was arriving a little after four, and the drive was about an hour and fifteen minutes. If I left 30 minutes for just in case, I should leave in about an hour.

I went to the ranch office and checked some invoices that were waiting for me to make the payment, and decided they were all legitimate. Rather than just hanging around, I went ahead and left for the airport, taking the truck with Frost Ranch painted carefully on the doors. I was about forty minutes early and was tempted to drop into a restaurant/bar and relax with a glass of wine. Discretion told me to skip the bar, but I did order a grilled cheese at the Retreat Restaurant. I'd missed lunch, and I was certain that Mother would have dinner ready when we returned home.

At last I heard the announcement that Wesley's flight from Salt Lake City was landing. It was just a few minutes before I spotted him coming through the gate; at least he looked like the photo I'd received. When he looked my way, I waved.

"Lyndsey?"

"None other," I replied. "And you must be Wesley."

He extended his hand. "Glad to meet you."

We shook hands, and I looked at him.

He smiled. "I had to check it, and if it isn't here, that money is yours."

"Sounds fair to me," I said, marching off to the baggage retrieval area.

"Slow down," he said as he caught up to me. "Let's get off to a good start, because I have something very important to share with you, and it has nothing to do with suitcases."

I stopped. "I don't understand."

"I'll explain it to you on the ride to the ranch."

"The ranch?"

"Aren't I invited to the ranch? There's no return flight until tomorrow."

I laughed. "I knew that, so of course you're invited to the ranch.

We went to the baggage area and retrieved my suitcase.

"This looks familiar," I said, grabbing the handle.

"Probably looks just like the one at the ranch."

"That's amazing, isn't it? How many were on that plane? Maybe twelve people, and two of the suitcases were identical."

"Let's get to the car. I can hardly wait to tell you the plan I have."

"Oh, a plan. I tend to be very organized, so I like plans."

They laughed a little more and quickly got to the truck.

"Frost Ranch," Wesley said. "Must be a big operation."

"We get by," I said with a chuckle. "We have about 450 head on 2,500 acres."

"Oh my gosh, Lyndsey, that's perfect."

"Perfect?" I questioned as we climbed into the truck.

"I'll explain as we go along."

We were soon on the highway, and I waited for Wesley to begin.

~~~

Wesley

"Let me begin by telling you, just for information, that I'm actually Dr. Wesley Knight, and I'm a professor at the University of Mississippi specializing in animal nutrition. I have a partner, Dr. Victor Blackwood, who has worked on this project with me. Our plan is to tag twenty of your cattle, feed them our supplement, then compare them to the rest of the herd."

"So that's what's in those little packets."

"Yep, totally legal."

"When you get to the ranch, you can talk with my brother, Charlie. He runs things, and I keep track of things."

As we rode along, and I was free to observe things, I spent a good deal of the time observing Lyndsey. She was attractive, but there was something else as well. She seemed very content and satisfied. Contrarily, I was happy, but never content. I was always after something, chasing a new discovery or reality. I found it exciting and very fulfilling. I needed to ask her about that.

"Have you lived on the ranch all your life, Lyndsey?"

"Not exactly. I went to college and then went to work for the government doing fraud detection. It was kind of fascinating work."

"Oh my gosh. I suppose you'll be checking what I just presented to determine if it's fraud of some kind."

"Should I do that?"

"No. You'd be wasting your time and effort."

"That's why I hadn't brought it up."

"Why are you on the ranch then?"

"Dad died, and I wondered if Charlie could handle all of the details about the ranch. I went back to Washington, and in a month took a week's vacation and came home to see how things were going." She sighed. "It was a mess, Wesley. Bills hadn't been paid, there were papers everywhere, but the buildings, the herding and the cattle were in perfect shape."

"I think I see why you're back."

"I called Washington to resign and asked them to ship the few things I had there back to the ranch. I did the same with my landlord, who was kind enough to do the same. So, here I am, driving you to the ranch."

I chuckled. "You are indeed, and I'm anxious to meet Charlie."

"Charlie is my older brother, so he's in charge of the ranch. Mom cooks and takes care of the house, but she was never involved with the running of the ranch. She left that to Dad and Charlie"

"Are you hinting at something there?"

"A little, I guess. Charlie can be stubborn sometimes, and he's more cowboy than ranch manager. If what you were doing involved the paperwork and the bills, he'd shrug and tell me to do whatever I wanted. Since it involves the cattle, that's his bailiwick, and what you're proposing is completely foreign to anything he's done in the past, so..."

"What do you think of it?"

Perhaps I could get Lyndsey on my side, even though it didn't sound like she had a lot of influence on her brother regarding cattle-things.

"I think it sounds interesting, and maybe promising, and would certainly be worth a try, depending on what you finally propose."

"Do you want me to outline the whole thing now, or wait till we can include Charlie?"

"Give me a twenty-five-word or less summary, and we'll go from there."

"Tag twenty cattle, feed them the supplement, track them for a while, compare them to the rest of the herd."

"Good job," she said with a chuckle. "You've been looking at me the whole time. Are you trying to gauge how I'm reacting and if I'm on your side?"

"Pretty much, yeah." There was more to it than just gauging.

"I'll make it simple. Yes, I think it's a great idea, and I'm willing to push it with Charlie-enough that I'm willing to help you do it. Do you ride?"

"I'm not a cowboy, but I ride."

"Good. We'll do all the work together so that none of Charlie's guys have to be involved. I assume you have the tagging equipment, tags, and some kind of tracking equipment."

I was totally taken aback. Lyndsey's complete acceptance of the project was more than I'd expected and would make things much simpler. At least I hoped that might get around any difficulties Charlie might create.

"I can have it here in a couple of days."

"And where are you planning to stay while you're doing all of this?"

"I was hoping there might be a motel somewhat close by."

She laughed. "This is Montana, Wesley. You'll stay in the bunkhouse at the ranch, which only has one fellow staying there now. And you'll eat with us. Don't worry, I can handle Charlie on that."

"What if he says, Hell no! to the project?"

I got the nicest smile from Lyndsey.

"He might, but I know how to schmooze him to get my way."

"Is that a government word or a Montana ranch word?"

"I dunno, but it fits the situation."

We rode in silence for a while, and I just watched the land go by, amazed by what I was seeing. It was rolling country with larger hills here and there, and it looked peaceful and tranquil. It was certainly different from anything I'd been around in the past.

"You're looking at me again," she said, not looking at me.

"Probably so. Should I stop doing that?"

"Clever question. How should I answer it?"

I laughed. "The scenery outside the window here is beautiful. But the scenery inside isn't bad either."

"You didn't answer my question. Plus, you've only known me a few minutes."

"I apologize, then. You are very attractive. Here's a question for you, something that's always fascinated me. If I sit and stare at a beautiful painting, no one says a thing. But if I stare at a beautiful woman, I'm a pervert."

"That's not exactly a question, you know."

"Yeah, but you get the point."

"I do, and you'll be surprised to learn I've had somewhat similar thoughts. I go out to some event, wear my best and most beautiful gown, carefully apply makeup until I'm satisfied, add jewelry, and then get annoyed if a man stares at me."

"I didn't know that women had thoughts like that too."

"I guess we do."

"You never replied to one of my questions."

"Oh?"

"Does it make me a pervert?"

She laughed. "Do you think you're a pervert?"

"Mostly just normal."

"We've yet to determine that, but stare away if you'd like."

As I looked at her, she glanced at me, returning my look, and suddenly it seemed odd to be doing it.

"You're not a psychologist, too, are you?" I chuckled as I asked that.

"You're feeling guilty about looking at me? Pardon me if I chuckle, but I think I learned some during our ride."

"Me too," I confessed.

"Look to your right."

"Grass, trees, and hills," I responded.

"Frost Ranch."

Wow. Where are the cattle?"

"All around, I guess. I leave keeping track of them to Charlie."

"I'm getting excited just knowing that we're close."

"I love this place, and it was so hard to leave it and go to Washington. My father's death was horrible, but I think I was overjoyed to find a reason to come home."

I watched Lyndsey's face as she spoke those words, and it didn't take a genius to know that it was her heart speaking. I shared her feelings.

A minute later, she pulled into a long driveway and went under a The Frost Ranch sign.

"Just like the Old West."

She chuckled. "It's just home."

She pulled up in front of the rather large house.

"Let's go in and meet my mother. I expect that Charlie is off somewhere taking care of the cattle."

We went inside.

"Mom. Are you here?"

"I'm always here," a very attractive and slightly graying lady said, coming around a corner in the foyer where we were waiting. "And is this the gentleman whose bag we've been storing?"

"It is, Mother. This is Wesley Knight. Wesley, my mother, Nancy Frost."

"Ms. Frost, I'm so pleased to meet you."

"And I'm pleased to meet you, and just call me Nancy, please."

"I can do that, Nancy, and it's been so pleasant to talk with your daughter on the way to the ranch."

"It's been wonderful to have her here again, but she had to give up a wonderful job to come back home, and I hope it's working out for her."

"Mom."

"Nancy, I've listened to her talking about being back at the ranch, and from what I heard, I can assure you that she's very happy to be home."

I got a look from Lyndsey, but a big smile from her mother.

"Where's Charlie?' Lyndsey asked.

He said he'd be home for dinner. That's about all I know."

She turned to me. "Dinner for Charlie is sometime between 4:00 and 11:00, so we usually don't wait for him. But if he remembered that you were coming today, he might be here at dinner time."

"Should I be flattered?" I said with a laugh.

"He isn't here yet," Lyndsey cautioned.

"Everything is ready, Lyn, if you'd like to go ahead and eat," Nancy said from the dining room door.

We were halfway through dinner when Charlie appeared. I stood and shook his hand, and we finished eating, Charlie quickly catching up with the rest of us. After dinner, we went to a large room at the rear of the house that looked out over the ranch.

I was ready to make my presentation to Charlie.

~~~

Lyndsey

I took a deep breath as Wesley was ready to make his presentation. Charlie hadn't said anything negative as of yet, but I sensed an aura about him that I didn't like. I knew I'd be involved.

"Charlie, let me make a suggestion. Let Wesley go through the whole thing before you ask any questions."

Charlie gave me a look.

"I'll do my best," he said, a certain reluctance in his voice.

Wesley began and went through everything we'd talked about, including paying room and board for staying in the bunkhouse.

Charlie didn't say anything for a moment.

Sounds like a waste of time to me."

"How's that, Charlie?"

"Our pastures are rich, and our cattle are strong and healthy, so why should I mess with something like this?"

"Well," I said before Wesley could reply, "when every ranch in Montana is using the supplement and producing bigger and better cattle than we are, you may want to rethink it."

"Who says that some quack formula that a couple of college boys came up with is going to make such wonderful cattle?"

I was instantly embarrassed for my brother, and I glanced at Wesley, whose expression, amazingly, hadn't changed.

"That's what we're trying to find out, brother, and you don't need to be involved at all." I looked at Wesley again. "I'll help Wesley, and the two of us will get the study done." I hoped he realized that I was glaring at him.

Another voice spoke up.

"Charlie, what harm can it do?" My eyes were wide as Nancy, who never said anything, was challenging her son.

"Mom, you don't need to get involved with the cattle. I can take care of that."

"I'm not getting involved with the cattle; I'm getting involved with my son, who's acting in a way we didn't raise him to act."

I could hardly believe my ears. And I was waiting for Charlie's reaction.

He looked at her, then at me, and I knew he was ready to explode, but didn't dare do it.

"Okay, Lyn, I'll let it go, but you have to keep up with your other work."

That was the wrong thing for Charlie to say.

"Charlie, I came back to help keep the ranch going, not to be ordered around by my brother. You weren't keeping up with the work when I got here, so don't lecture me about keeping up with my work."

With both his mother and sister seemingly against him, he had nowhere to go. He looked at Wesley.

"This stuff better be good and not interfere with the ranch work."

"I'll do my best to make that happen, and I think you'll be happy with the results."

"Dinner was good, Mom, and I've got more work to do."

Charlie left the room.

"That's Charlie," I said to Wesley.

"I'm still in one piece and ready to get started. I'll have the equipment I need sent here FedEx, and we can get to work."

"Tomorrow morning I'll catch up on some paperwork, and then I'll take you on a tour of the ranch. It's almost a square, about two miles a side."

"I think I'll go to my room and read for a while, then go to bed," Nancy said.

"It was so nice to meet you, Nancy, and I look forward to talking with you again."

"Nice to meet you too, Wesley, and I'm not that interesting a person."

"We'll see about that."

I sat there smiling at Wesley. I wondered what his reaction might be. We'd become sort of friends on the ride from the airport.

"You're really going to help me?"

"You'd be in deep shit without me helping you."

"Well, I can't thank you enough."

"You'll owe me big, but I'll figure out some way to get even."

"I may live to regret that."

"Would you like a piece of pie and something to drink?"

"You're very kind. I would."

"We have coffee, beer, and wine."

"Wine, out here on the ranch?"

I chuckled. "If you look around, you can see that we're somewhat sophisticated here."

"I see that," he replied, and looked a bit pensive for a moment.

"Something's on your mind," I suggested.

"Yeah, but it's not important," he replied, not looking at me.

"Wesley, if we're going to be working on this project and become good friends, we need to be honest and share things with each other."

He smiled, I think, enjoying the thought of becoming good friends. He was obviously intelligent, moderately good-looking, and pleasant to talk with. I think I was anticipating the thought of becoming good friends, too.

"Well, I warned you, so don't go off on me."

I snorted, shaking my head.

"I got curious about a big ranch like this and... well, I went online and looked up Montana ranches for sale. I found one in Western Montana that was 2,350 acres. You want to guess what the price was?"

"No idea. There are no thoughts here about selling, so we have no information along those lines. But I am curious, I guess."

The price was $17,500,000."

"Like sitting on a gold mine, I guess, huh?" She said that very matter-of-factly, with no excitement in her voice.

"It's just a lot of money."

"No argument there. Which of those three things would you like to drink?"

"Whatever you're having."

"Wesley, which of those do you WANT? We're not on a date, so you don't have to humor me or smooze me."

Thankfully, he laughed. "Well, I drink beer, but with the pie, I think I'd like some wine."

"Red or white?"

"Wow, a choice."

I sighed. "In the cellar, there's a wine rack with probably a hundred bottles of wine, so the choice between white and red is no big deal."

He swallowed hard. "I guess I'm learning, aren't I?"

"I certainly hope so," I said, raising my eyebrows and smiling at him.

"Well, I think a nice Riesling would work well, but I can't rule out a pleasant Pinot Noir, either. But you may have suggestions, too."

"Smart ass," I said with a smile. "I know there's a Riesling in the cooler in the kitchen, so we'll have that."

"Perfect," he said, and followed me to the kitchen.

I cut two pieces from the pie that Mother had baked just yesterday, put them on plates, and set them on the counter. The bottle of Riesling was nearly full, so I grabbed two glasses and put them on the counter.

I wasn't surprised or offended when Wesley poured two glasses of the wine.

"I think I've struck it rich. The pie and the wine are fantastic."

I often can't help but be just a bit snotty.

"Does that surprise you?" I questioned.

He set his wine glass down and looked me directly in the eye as he leaned toward me.

"Lyndsey, I'm a city boy. I was raised in Ohio and got my degrees from Ohio State. I received an offer from Mississippi and decided to take it. Farming and ranching are a touch foreign to me. I have always been involved in animal nutrition. My partner in this project was at Mississippi and was the one who encouraged them to hire me. He was working on this nutrition research and wanted me to help him. So, I know something about cattle, but mostly from a theoretical standpoint and not personal experience. I'm hoping to gain that personal experience here and also help you increase the output of your herd." He shrugged and gave me a little smile.

"Well, why don't you call me Lyn, and I'll call you Wes, and we'll get this darn project and research taken care of in a proper manner."

"I think I'd like that."

"I know you're going to be helping me learn about the project, and I hope to help you learn about cattle and ranching. We'll start in the morning."

"Are your cattle ear-tagged?"

"I think almost all of them are."

"Great, I have a little device that can attach to the ear tag and transmit a signal that should help us find them."

"Sounds great. Let's get you settled into the bunkhouse. Breakfast for us will be at 7:30, okay?"

"I'll be there."

~~~

Wesley

It looked like my bed in the bunkhouse had been freshly made with sheets that smelled like mine had when I was a young boy. Evidently, at least some sheets here were dried on a line outdoors.

I set the alarm on my phone for 6:45 so that I could take a shower and try to be presentable for breakfast. I hadn't brought lots of clothes, and Lyn showed me a chest of drawers with clothing that had been left here in the past. She assured me that it had all been washed before finding its way to the chest of drawers. I rummaged through and found a couple of pairs of Levi's and three shirts that fit me nicely. I'd been wise enough to wear my boots.

I slept very soundly, but 6:45 seemed to come much too quickly. I showered, dressed in my newly acquired clothing, and went to the house for breakfast. It was probably fifty or sixty yards to the house, so I had a bit of exercise before time to eat.

"Good morning," Nancy said as I came through the kitchen door. "I see you found some clothes."

"And they fit well, too. Maybe one of these days we can go to Great Falls and pick up a few things."

"I'm sure Lyndsey will be happy to take you to Great Falls and show you around."

"That would be great."

"Where are you originally from?"

"I grew up in Ohio."

"Did you go to Ohio State?"

"Pops always used to like to watch their football team on TV."

"Was Pops your husband?

"Yes. Married for 32 wonderful years, but I think the ranch finally just wore him out. He hated asking for help, which he really needed."

"I'm sorry."

"I have lots of memories, but I'm not too much help around here. Pops wouldn't let me get involved in the details of the ranch. Charlie and Lyndsey are kind of the same. So I cook, wash, and clean, and I'm very content. I read lots of books, too," she added with a little giggle.

"You must be proud, being a part of the Frost Ranch."

"Not just a part of, the owner of."

"I hadn't really thought of that."

"Lyndsey would probably ask if you said that because I'm a woman."

My turn to chuckle. "I hadn't really thought of that aspect of it, but it surprises me a little about Lyndsey."

"She has her moments, but they're very infrequent."

"Good to know."

"Hello, you two. Are you talking about me?" Lyndsey asked as she came around the corner and into the kitchen.

"What if we were?" I questioned.

"I'd want to know exactly what you were saying."

Before I could say anything, Nancy spoke up and totally shocked me.

"Wesley was saying that you're the most beautiful woman he's seen in the last five years."

Lyndsey rolled her eyes. "Mom."

Nancy laughed. "You two sit there and talk while I get breakfast ready." She went to work, and Lyn sat down beside me.

Your mom is a character."

"She surprises me every once in a while. Are my cheeks red?"

"Just naturally rosy. Are you like her?"

"You'll probably be here long enough to find out."

I wasn't going to disagree because I was anxious to learn more about Lyn.

Breakfast was bacon, scrambled eggs, hash browns, and very good coffee.

"Not every breakfast will be like this," Nancy warned.

Lyn whispered to me, "Don't worry, they'll all be fantastic."

"No whispering," Nancy cautioned.

"Let's go see the ranch."

~~~

Lyndsey

As we walked to get our horses, I knew that I was going to enjoy today. I loved the ranch, and being able to show it and share it with Wesley would be great. We mounted and took off, and I was satisfied that Wes looked comfortable in the saddle and wouldn't get tired and sore early.

"And you've lived here all your life, Lyn?"

"Except for my time at college and in Washington."

"Where did you go to college?"

"I went to Georgetown."

"That's a long way from Montana."

"It was a joint undergrad and law degree, and I wanted to do government work. I knew that I'd be accepted if my degree was from Georgetown."

When I glanced over, he was looking at me.

"It sounds like you had a Washington, D. C. dream."

"I did, for sure, and I enjoyed it while it lasted."

"It had to have been difficult to give it up."

"In a way, I guess. But I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason--nothing happens by chance."

"So, here you are, and there's a reason for it."

"Maybe it happened so that you could get your supplement tested."

His head went back, and he laughed.

"I kinda hope that isn't the reason, but just a subset of the real reason."

"There they are," I said, waving my arm at the vista that lay before us. We were at the top of a small hill, and the valley spread out below held probably fifty or sixty cattle. "Let's head down there slowly, and you can get a look at the ear tags you'll be dealing with."

"Will they let us get that close?"

"Some will, and some won't. But you'll get to see at least one."

Just as I had said, as we walked the horses into the valley, some moved away while others kept grazing, and a few watched us. In the midst of four or five who stayed put, I pulled up my horse.

"Do everything slowly and deliberately," I cautioned as we approached a large pair of horns.

"Are they all Black Angus?"

"I think Charlie added about twenty Herefords recently." I chuckled. "I remember paying the bill. Do you have a preference?"

"If most are Angus, that's what I'd like to use."

The horns had moved away as we approached, but I was rubbing the head of a large cow who seemed very content having me there. Wes quickly joined me.

"Oh, yeah. My little sensors will fit on that tag easily, and they're so light they should work perfectly."

"So, all of your special things are supposed to arrive today?"

"If FedEx can find the Frost Ranch."

"We get three or four deliveries a week, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"I think that cow likes you," Wes suggested with a chuckle.

"I hope it doesn't make a difference, but you'll only be adding your sensor to ones like this. We have to chase and rope the others."

"I don't know that there's a genetic difference between this nice lady and the ones who run. Hopefully we can find twenty that don't run."

I moved from the cow I'd been with to another who eyed me warily when I approached, but didn't move. I began rubbing her head.

"See, it's not hard. You'll get twenty for sure."

"How about forty?"

"The results would be more reliable if I tagged the placebos as well.

"Let's continue the tour."

At the top of the next hill, the previous scene was nearly repeated. Another group of cattle was grazing in the valley.

"You're looking at me like that again," I said as we paused.

"I know, but I have a concern."

"Let's talk about it then."

"I really appreciate your helping me, but I don't want to take time that you should be doing something else."

"Such as?"

"I'm not sure what you do, but you've said you're busy."

"Maybe I'd rather be helping you than being busy.

He didn't say anything for a moment, and I knew my comment could have more than one meaning.

"I just don't want to cause trouble for you, you know, getting behind in your work and getting Charlie upset with you."

That brought a big laugh from me.

"Charlie has no idea what I do, so he won't be getting mad at me. Plus, if I threatened to go back to Washington, he'd have no idea what to do."

"You're not considering it, are you?"

"If it was just Charlie, I might get mad enough to do it, but with Mom here, I could never do it."

I sighed and bit my lower lip.

"You'd never leave, Lyn. You'd hang around until you and Charlie could work it out."

He had a pleasant smile as he told me something about myself that was very true. I wondered if I was that transparent or if Dr. Knight was an excellent judge of character.

"You're probably right," I conceded.

"And you're very fortunate to have this place. How often do you just jump on a horse and go riding around your basically four square miles?"

"I think you already know the answer to that question, Wes."

"And that's partly why I wonder if you should be helping me."

I quickly turned my horse until I was beside him and looking straight at him.

"Wesley Knight, I'm old enough and wise enough to make my own decisions. And I've made it. I'm helping you unless you dismiss me."

"That ain't gonna happen, Lyn. And I do appreciate you helping. Are there some good places to eat in Great Falls?"

That last part certainly came out of nowhere.

"Of course," I said, wondering if he would really do it.

"Then let's go to dinner there this evening."

How brave was I? "Did you just ask me for a date?"

"Did I?"

"Oh, no, you don't. Answer the question."

"Based on your response, yes, would you go to dinner with me?"

"I'd be honored to go to dinner with you, Dr. Knight."

I loved the look I got from him as I said that.

"Well, I'm honored as well. But I insist you pick the place."

I laughed. "That's probably wise," I seconded.

We rode for another hour and a half with Wes dismounting often to see if the cattle were going to tolerate him. He seemed satisfied with the results. We had a leisurely ride back to the house where he insisted on helping me take care of the horses so he could learn to do it.

When we went into the house, Mom showed us the large box that had arrived for Wes.

"You don't need to hang around while I unload this stuff."

"Just like you, I want to learn, so I'll stay and help."

I got the warmest smile I think I'd ever seen.

"I like having company, so you're welcome to help."

He unpacked each item and carefully explained its function. I wasn't dumb, but neither was I technical, so some had to be re-explained using different words. I did my best to absorb it all, hoping that would make me useful to his project. Of course, I wondered why it was so important to me to be helpful. The answer was clear if I just faced it. He seemed to be a guy I could learn to like... if I hadn't learned that already.

"Listen, Lyn, I'm still concerned that you're way too busy with ranch things to get involved with my project."

"Uh huh. Anything else you'd like to arrange in my life?"

I said that with a smile, hoping he'd catch the sarcasm.

"What?... Oh. I apologize, Lyn. I was just trying to look out for you."

I hoped he was learning things about me.

I chuckled. "I appreciate that. Let me start out helping you, and if it gets overwhelming, I may have to reconsider."

"That sounds fair to me. I don't think I want Charlie mad at me."

That one made me laugh. Charlie didn't know before I came home that there was anything wrong, and he certainly wouldn't know now either."

"Not another word," he said, hands in the air.

"Good."

"I've got an idea. Let's skip lunch and go to Great Falls early. You can show me around a little, and then we'll have dinner."

"Deal. I need to take a shower."

"Me too. I think I should have the bunkhouse all to myself."

"See you later."

~~~

Wesley

I watched Lyndsey as she walked across the room and up the stairs, and I couldn't keep from smiling. She was an attractive lady in every way imaginable, and I was going to have a date with her this evening. I hadn't planned on it being a date, but she had helped things along, much to my surprise. I certainly wasn't averse to having dates with her. She would be an outstanding catch for anyone, as long as you could deal with her very strong will. The way she expressed it, though, was very attractive, at least for me.

I showered, but still had only the hand-me-down clothes from the chest of drawers in the bunk house. I checked again, but knew that the cowboys who worked there probably weren't going to have dress clothes with them. I was about to head for the shower when there was a knock on my door. I opened it.

"I'm not sure what clothes you like, but I sneaked into Charlie's room and grabbed a shirt and some slacks. You two are about the same size, so they should fit."

"Lyn, I appreciate that, but don't get yourself into trouble."

"Charlie has no idea what dress shirts he has. They've all been gifts, and he never wears them."

"Seems strange. While we're in town, I need to pick up a few things."

"We'll take care of that. Have a good shower."

"I hope there's hot water."

"Me too," she said with a laugh and left.

There was plenty of hot water, and it felt good to stand there and let it pound on my body. Finally, I dried off, shaved, dressed, and was ready to go. I checked everything in the mirror and headed for the main house.

"You look nice," Lyn's mother said. "I suggested that Lyn steal some clothes for you. She wasn't difficult to convince."

"I appreciate that very much. I'm going to pick up a few things in town."

"It's nice of you to invite Lyn for dinner."

"She's been so kind and helpful. It's the least I can do."

Nancy smiled, but didn't say anything, and I just smiled in return. My guess was that Lyn had said something to her mother about me and our going to dinner. I was looking forward to it, to getting Lyn away from the ranch and talking with her in a different atmosphere.

"Hey there, you look sharp, Mr. Knight."

"Um, my honest opinion is that you look absolutely gorgeous, Lyn."

"Wes, you make me blush."

"What do you think, Nancy?"

"I'm a little biased, but I have to agree with you, Wes."

"Mom!"

"Hey, don't dress up like that if you don't want to get compliments."

Lyn was wearing some kind of stretchy black slacks that highlighted her shapely legs, and a bright red sleeveless top that highlighted the rest of her figure. Her hair, usually in a ponytail, was gathered in a tight bun on the top of her head, held in place by a gold-colored clip. She wore black shoes with about one-inch heels.

"You two have fun," Nancy said, and we headed for the garage.

"You want to drive?" Lyn asked.

"I can, if you'd like. My Mississippi license should be good here in Montana. "

"Here ya go," she said as she opened the garage door from her phone.

"Haven't seen that before."

"We needed a new garage door opener, and I thought this was cool," she added with a little giggle.

"Whoa, what is that?"

"It's my practical luxury car, a Range Rover Evoque. Very plush with All Wheel Drive, good in the Montana snow."

"British, eh?"

It is, I guess, but that's not a problem for me. What do you drive?"

We climbed in the car, started the motor, and headed off down the long driveway, Lyn closing the door with her phone.

"You never answered my question. "

"Oh, I drive a Toyota."

"So, what's wrong with me driving a British car?"

"Nothing wrong. Which way do I turn?"

"Left."

"This is a beautiful country, Lyn."

"That's why I've always been in love with it. There will be no moon tonight, so we'll go outside and see what real darkness is. Plus, you'll see more stars than you've ever imagined. If you're really brave, we'll go on horseback."

I could only glance at Lyn, but it was easy to picture the sparkle in her eyes and the warmth in the smile that filled her face when she talked about the ranch or Montana.

"We'll go outside, and you can try to talk me into the horses."

"Oh, I'm sure I can do that," she said, patting my thigh.

I chuckled to myself. I was also sure she could do that.

"Do you have a girlfriend back in Mississippi?"

This time I looked toward her, and our eyes met.

There's a woman there I had a date with. One date.

"Go on."

"It wasn't unbearable. She had a nice laugh, but she'll never be a candidate for Mensa membership. I got a lot of blank looks and several whats. So, the answer is, no, I don't have a girlfriend... in Mississippi."

She didn't reply, and I wondered what she was thinking and if my innuendo was inappropriate.

"How do you like the car?" she asked.

"Smooth, comfortable, and easy to drive. What more could I ask?"

"I've enjoyed it too, and turn left at the next intersection."

"Where are we going?"

"The Bar-S Lounge and Supper Club."

"It's nice, has good steaKs, and isn't that expensive."

"I'm not worried about expensive."

"Trust me," she said.

I thought about replying that I'd trust her with my heart, but thought that might frighten her away. I wasn't certain, but I wasn't willing to take a chance.

We pulled into the parking lot and parked. I went around the car and opened Lyn's door. When she stepped out, she reached over and took hold of my hand, and there were no objections from me.

We crossed the parking lot, occasionally bumping shoulders, and went inside.

"Lyndsey, how good it is to see you again. It's been a while. And how may I address the gentleman with you?"

"This is Wesley, from Mississippi, who will be spending time with us at the ranch. I'm sure we'll be here more often now, right, Wes?"

"Seems perfect, Lyn."

"Well, I'm going to surprise you by letting you order for both of us."

"Lyn, are you sure. I want to make sure you get what you like."

"I trust you," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Lyndsey. What can I get you guys to drink?" Our server had arrived, and Lyndsey seemed to be well-known at the Bar-S.

"Sweet iced tea for Lyn, and the same for me," I replied. "And I think we're ready to order.

"Perfect. Go ahead."

"For each of us, the fourteen-ounce New York Strip, medium, baked potato with sour cream and butter, and some asparagus, cooked gently and a little crisp."

"Very good, sir. Will that be all?"

I glanced at Lyn, and she nodded.

"I'll be back in a moment with your drinks." The server was quickly gone.

"That's amazing," Lyn said softly. "That's exactly what I would have ordered.

"Serendipity, then. I just ordered what I would normally order.

"I guess that, eating out, we're a good match." She smiled.

I wanted to tell her that, when she smiled at me like that, she was so delicious that I could barely keep from devouring her, whatever that meant.

"So, we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow?" she asked.

"Very much so. I'll get everything ready when we get home so I can get an early start in the morning."

"Wes, first of all, I'm going to help get everything ready, and secondly, It's so we can get an early start tomorrow."

I'd promised to let that go, so I did, happy that she'd be with me on both occasions.

"Quick question. Do you have a scale where we can weigh the cattle?"

"We do, but it will force us to bring each cow in from the range and weigh it."

"We'll do that at the end of the project."

Out of the blue, Lyn said, "Can you picture yourself living on the Frost Ranch?"

I'm sure I had a puzzled look.

"It's just a hypothetical question, whether a PhD from Mississippi could be happy and satisfied on a Montana cattle ranch."

"Speaking strictly as the person you described, it seems very pleasant here. Speaking from a personal standpoint, I could see myself living here under the proper circumstances."

"There's a university here in Great Falls," she said.

"I doubt that they do research in animal nutrition."

"Probably not, but I've heard they sometimes have lots of trouble filling their positions."

Our drinks came, and we each sipped our iced tea.

"That's good," Lyn said, and I nodded in agreement.

Her hand was lying on the table, and I began to play with her little finger.

"Oh, you've polished your nails."

She smiled. "I'm glad you noticed. I only do it once in a while for special occasions."

I was flattered that I was a special occasion, but more than that, I was happy that she'd done it. She was smiling at me right now, and I was amazed at how that made me feel. I was twenty-nine years old and wasn't getting any younger, and I wondered if time had been passing me by. I mean, I was a successful college professor doing meaningful research, but when I thought of my parents, my dad was a successful businessman who always said that my mother was the most precious thing in the world, and he'd quickly give up the business if he had to choose between the two.

"You're thinking of something," Lyn said, breaking in on my thoughts. "And, from the look on your face, it must have been very important."

"I apologize for letting my mind wander. I'm here with you, exactly the thing I want, and I'm sorry I left you stranded for a moment."

"Not exactly stranded, but I'm enjoying getting to know you, and when you're thinking the way you were, I'd love to be a part of that."

She was a part of that, for sure. And perhaps I could share that with her, but I needed a lead-in.

"You asked if I had a girlfriend, and I answered. How about you? Any guys in your life?"

For a moment, she watched my hand, still playing with her pinky.

"I had a guy in college, but when he found that I was going to work for the government, he decided that I wasn't the girl for him. Since I've been home, there hasn't been anyone. About the only guys I see are the cowboys who work with Charlie. They flirt with me every chance they get, but they're a little too much like the guys in the country song, Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys. They just don't appeal to me, even though they're kind of city cowboys. Most live around Great Falls, and a lot of them are married."

"What do you prefer?"

"Someone more like you," she said very casually.

I concentrated on that carefully polished pinky.

"Did I say the wrong thing?"

"I've been playing with your hand after I invited you to dinner and agreed that it was a date. So no, it absolutely wasn't the wrong thing. It was very right."

"Good. I think we both understand that we're comfortable with each other, enjoy being around each other, and are ready, and maybe eager, to see what may develop."

Her eyebrows were raised in a questioning look.

"My feelings, exactly. And here comes our food."

~~~

Lyndsey

My steak was delicious, which didn't surprise me since I'd eaten steaks here before. Being next door to Idaho, the potatoes were good also, big and very tasty. It seemed logical that they were Idaho potatoes, but I couldn't be certain of that unless I asked. The asparagus was okay, but it's the only thing I might have ordered differently. I'd have probably ordered buttered carrots, my favorite.

"How was your steak?" I asked.

"Excellent. Grilled to perfection and very tasty."

Our server stopped by to ask if we were interested in dessert, and I couldn't resist after what I had been thinking about before.

"Question: Are these Idaho potatoes you serve here?"

Surprised, I'm sure, she said. "I have no idea, but let me go ask."

She was back in about one minute. "No, ma'am, they're grown right here in Montana."

"Thanks so much. Wes, are you interested in dessert here? I have a pie that Mother baked back at the ranch."

"I vote for Nancy's pie," he said, and I shrugged to the server.

"I have your check in a minute," she answered.

"Where did that question about the potatoes come from?"

"You didn't share your thoughts with me, but I will with you. I was wondering as I was eating, so I thought I'd ask."

"Oh, nasty," he said with a laugh. "My thoughts were much more personal, as I was thinking about how happily my parents were in their marriage. Dad said that Mom was the most precious thing in the world."

"Aww, that's so sweet."

"I'm twenty-nine, and I think I'd like to find something like that myself."

"I'm twenty-eight, and I think we're two peas in a pod."

"What kind of pie?"

"Apple, I think, but I'm not sure. We'll just have to find out."

Wes paid the bill in cash, I'm sure from his suitcase stash, and we were ready to do some shopping.

We were just blocks from the two stores I thought he might like, so we walked. I felt a little tingle when he took hold of my hand as we walked. I wondered how I'd respond if we met someone I knew, but that didn't happen. Each thing he picked out needed my approval before he'd consider buying it. In an hour, we were walking back to the car, Wes holding the large shopping bag full of goodies that he purchased.

"Why don't you drive home so I can sit here and drink in your beauty while we talk?"

"Wes, I'll be so self-conscious, I probably won't be able to find my way home."

"No need to be self-conscious. Just revel in my adoration as you drive your beautiful Range Rover."

"Evoque," I added.

We each shared things from our pasts on the twenty-minute drive back to the ranch.

As we came through the door, my brother was just coming around the corner from the kitchen.

"So, did you two go to dinner tonight? And shopping, too, I'd say."

"We did, and Wes got a few clothes to tide him over."

"Where'd you eat?"

"At the Bar-S."

"I think I ate there once or twice."

"The steaks were excellent," Wes threw in.

"So, you're starting on your project tomorrow, is that right?"

"We are. The cattle seemed very cooperative today when we just rode around."

"That's cause you ain't punching holes in their ears to attach tags."

"Probably so."

"You helping him, Sis?"

"I think so. I need to learn about what he's doing."

"Yeah, I suppose so. I'm going to bed. I'll see you when I see you."

Charlie headed up the stairs.

We hurried to the kitchen where Mom already had the pie on the counter, ready to cut.

"Apple?" I questioned.

"Yes. Do you like apple pie, Wes?"

"Is the Pope catholic?" he replied, and Mother laughed.

The pie was delicious, as I knew it would be. We talked for a few minutes, and then Wes and I headed for the bunhouse to get things ready.

We counted out the tags and took five extra for safety. He checked the little receiver, which would track the signals from the ear tags. I looked over the notebook we'd use to keep track of everything, which would be my job. Once back at the bunkhouse, we'd enter everything into his computer, and he'd email it back to Oxford.

I was ready to head back to the house, but there was one more thing I needed to do.

"Wes, after our talk at dinner, I think there's something we can do right now that would be very appropriate.

I opened my arms, and he stood and wrapped me in his. We squeezed each other affectionately.

"Your hair smells so good," he whispered. "I could get used to that aroma."

"I imagine you'll be getting used to it since I don't plan on changing my shampoo."

He chuckled. "See you in the morning at breakfast."

"Seven-thirty," I reminded him.

"I'll be there."

We parted and, halfway to the house, I turned and waved. Standing in the bunkhouse door watching me, Wes returned my wave. Things seemed to be happening fast, but somehow, not inappropriately fast.

"He seems like a very nice man," Mother said as I came in the back door.

I sighed, and before I could say anything, my mother spoke up.

"That sigh tells me a lot, honey."

"Does it really? What does it tell you?"

"It says that you find him more than just a nice man."

"I think you could say that. And he feels the same way about me."

"Don't take this as a negative, but you haven't known him long."

"We both know that, so I'm not expecting a proposal this week. We'll be working together on this project, and I'm sure we'll get to know each other much better very quickly."

"If you're happy, then I am too. I've totally given up on Charlie."

"To find a woman, you have to be around women. Charlie doesn't quite fit that picture."

"I know, and I was worried about you, too. But you lured this man to Montana with that suitcase mix-up, and it may work out."

"Mother."

She laughed. "Listen, he probably checked all of your bras and panties while he had your suitcase."

I was shocked. "Mother, who is this I'm talking to that would say something like that?"

"I saw a movie on TV a while ago, and when the guy had a chance, that's what he did."

"Well, I'm sure Wes is not like that."

As I said that, I wondered if I could generate enough nerve, or guts, to ask him about it. I'm not sure what difference it would make, except I might not like the answer I'd get. Guh, why did she have to bring that up?

"Now that I know where your mind is, I can assure you we won't be jumping in bed together any time soon." As soon as it was out of my mouth, I wished I'd hadn't added those last three words. Now she'd be wondering when "soon" might be.

"Oh my gosh, Lyn. That's your business, not mine. You're twenty-eight years old and can make those kinds of decisions on your own. I'm not about to check up on you about that."

"I know, Mom. This is just kind of a new experience for me, and I'm not quite sure yet what to expect."

"I'm excited for you two. I like him, which makes me feel good about you liking him as well."

"I'm sure I'll be talking about it with you in the future, like tomorrow or the next day."

We both had a good laugh over that.

"I'd better get to bed. We're supposed to have breakfast at seven-thirty."

I looked at Mother, who nodded in agreement.

"Plus, I think it might be a little bit of hard work as well."

"Give me a hug, honey. I'm very happy for you."

I climbed into bed with a smile on my face, something that didn't happen very often. I could hardly wait for tomorrow, both for the work and for what might happen between Wes and me.

~~~

Wesley

Seven o'clock seemed to come very quickly, and I showered and dressed, ready for what I hoped would be another special day in my life. As I was almost to the back door, it swung open.'

"Good morning, Dr. Knight."

"Lyn, why the formal greeting?"

"Well, since we're working on your project today, and it's the project of Dr. Knight, I think you should be Dr. Knight."

I laughed. Doctor for a day, then."

"Breakfast is ready, still good, and hot. Pancakes, sausage patties, real maple syrup, and coffee." She took hold of my arm and led me to the table.

"Good morning, Wes," Nancy said, a huge smile on her face.

Something told me that she and Lyn had talked last night. But the smile told me the outcome of the talk must have been good.

I stuffed myself; everything was so good I couldn't have kept myself from doing that, even if I'd wanted to.

After breakfast, we gathered the things from the bunkhouse, saddled our horses, and were ready to begin the project. Lyn had two saddlebags, so she carried the material. When we stopped on top of the first hill, we saw twelve cattle in the small valley below us.

"Do you know how much the cattle mingle and travel around the ranch?"

"Charlie always says that they graze in one place for a while, then move on, looking for another better place. So, if that's true, I'd say they move all over the place." She laughed. "I know when they go out to round up a bunch of them to sell, they always seem to be in the far back corner of the ranch."

"I think we'll still try to include several groups in our final twenty. Actually forty, with the placebo group."

We rode the horses down the hill, then dismounted and began adding the chip plus battery to the ear tags already present. It was a simple operation, and I read the numbers to Lyn, who carefully recorded them in her notebook. I also took a photo of each of the tagged animals, Lyn's notebook keeping track of the order in which the photos were taken. We did four each in this group, then mounted and rode to the next hill.

Not all of the groups were in a cooperative mood. In our second group, we tagged the first cow, and the rest decided they weren't in a tagging mood. Not wanting to antagonize wild cattle who probably weighed between a thousand and fifteen hundred pounds, we moved on.

By noon, we had fifteen of each group tagged.

"Do you want to get the other five now, or come back after lunch?" I asked.

"I'm good if you are."

"You're way gooder than I'll ever be," I replied.

"You're just guessing now, but you'll be finding out as time progresses."

"Maybe, but I don't think so."

She laughed and shook her head.

"What are we doing after we get through with our late lunch?"

"I'd like to practice tracking a few of the tags, and I'd like to go into town and pick up a small blackboard to write the numbers on for the photographs, so it will be a permanent record, and you won't have to write extra things in your notebook."

"We can run into Great Falls again, and I can take you to a neat hamburger place."

"I'll vote for that."

It took nearly two hours to finish the five, and Lyn texted her mother that we'd be coming in for lunch. The way I was being fed, I was certain that what they'd decided I should pay for room and board wasn't nearly enough. I suggested that to Lyn.

"Are you kidding? Now that Mom knows we like each other, she'd be more than happy to house and feed you forever." She laughed.

"I'm glad she likes me."

"It makes everything much simpler, doesn't it?"

"Something just struck me. Do all of these cattle stay outside during the winter?"

"Well, sort of. When we've left the bunkhouse to ride, we've headed kind of north-east. Tomorrow, I'll take you out the other direction, and you'll see a group of shelters that have been built over the years as winter shelters. They have a roof and sides, and we keep them stocked with hay. When it gets cold and snowy, we have to feed them sometimes. Believe me, they're well-used."

"I'm learning things."

"Speaking of winter, how long is your project going to last?"

"We decided that this first test will last six months."

"That's longer than you talked about at first."

"I know, but Vic thinks that might give us a better picture of how effective the supplement is."

"Are you going to stay here the entire six months?"

"Yes and no."

"I'm supposed to understand that?"

"I'm fairly free to do what needs to be done to complete this project, but they like to see me once in a while and get personal reports."

"So, how often are you going to have to leave?"

"No more than once or twice. Probably two days each."

"Not too bad, I guess."

"Do I still get lunch?"

"I'll have to check with Mom?"

We went inside, and lunch was ready.

Lyn told her mother all that we had accomplished, and what we had to accomplish yet today. And before we knew it, we were in the midst of tracking cattle around a field.

It wasn't always easy, but the sensor spotted the cattle and told us which one it had found. It also guided us to the proper animal, even if it was a little further away.

"Are you satisfied that everything is working?" she asked.

"I am. Let me see the notebook." I was standing beside her and looking over her shoulder. Her cheek was right in front of me, and I kissed it.

She turned, looked at me, and smiled.

"Now, I've had my first kiss, and I'm treasuring it as we speak. But we haven't had OUR first kiss yet."

I took hold of her arms and turned her toward me.

"Even after working all day, you're delectable."

I leaned forward, and our lips met, and it was like she melted into my arms. The kiss was passionate, but not like the ones you read about in those erotica stories. It was passionate because of what happened in our hearts.

Her head on my chest, she said, "Don't let me forget to pick up the book."

"We'd probably better get back to the house and then go to Great Falls."

"You're right, but I'll remember this day forever."

We rode back to the house, climbed into the Land Rover, and went to Great Falls. I was lucky enough to find a small erasable whiteboard and bought it along with four markers.

The following day was spent relocating our tagged cattle and taking their photo with their identification clearly spelled out on the whiteboard. I was amazed that it took that long.

The following day, I decided to make one of my trips to Oxford to check in and detail what had happened so far, which hadn't involved the special nutrient that was the subject of the study. But Vic had told me the Powers that be were curious about how things were going.

~~~

Lyndsey

While I had originally picked up Wes in Helena, it was much simpler to drive to the Great Falls airport. Unconcerned about PDA, we had a wonderful kiss before he left me to board the plane. I knew he'd be back in just a very few days, but the hollow feeling that took hold of me as I watched him walk away told me how much I cared for him.

I drove back to the ranch, and Mother met me as I came through the door.

"Are you going to miss him?"

"Mom, my whole world has turned upside down since Wes got here, and the thought of being away from him for even two or three days seems like it will make me crazy. Is there anything wrong with me for feeling like that?"

She laughed. "I know it's only been a few days, but you're falling in love, and you're falling fast, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that."

"I know, and that's what I tell myself, but everything I've done so far in my adult life has been carefully thought out, considered from all angles, and a decision finally made."

"There's nothing wrong with that either. But none of those decisions have involved your emotions to any large degree, right?"

"That's right."

"And right now, your emotions have completely swallowed your brain, and they're controlling your feelings."

"We kissed for the first time out there in the midst of the cattle."

Nancy chuckled. "I'm not too surprised, you know."

"I told you the other day that we weren't going to jump into bed together anytime soon, but if he asked me, I'm not sure I could say no."

"Whoa, too much information, Lyn."

They hugged.

"I don't want you to be hurt any more than you want that for yourself. But when you love, you take a chance. Maybe a poor comparison, but when we were turning a small ranch into a much bigger ranch, your father took a chance when he'd spend money for cattle for breeding purposes only. They all turned out to be worth the risk, and love is a little like that. How many of your friends from high school and college have taken a chance on love... and lost?"

"More than I like to think about." I shivered at that thought.

"I'm not pessimistic at all, because I think you two make a great pair."

"It's funny how those negative thoughts can sneak into the wonderful thing that's happening and make you wonder."

Lyn's cell phone rang.

"It's Wes," she said excitedly.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself. The plane is leaving on time, and the flight from Salt Lake City is on time as well, so it looks like a simple trip."

"That's wonderful, Wes. I miss you already."

He smiled. "All these people around me, and I'm wishing a very special one was also here."

"Aww, you're sweet. Have a safe trip."

"I plan to. I'll call you later."

"Bye-bye, now."

"How are those little lingering questions doing now?"

"Just hearing his voice stifled all of those ignorant voices."

I went to the ranch office since helping Wes had, just as he worried about, put me a little behind on the ranch bookkeeping. His being away would give me time to catch up. And I'd be able to get to bed a little earlier since I'd be caught up.

The three days passed fairly quickly and uneventfully as well. Mother and I spent time talking and cooking. We made several delicious casseroles to be enjoyed when Wes returned.

I was at the airport early, and the kiss I received when he arrived made everything seem very worthwhile. We walked to the car holding hands.

"Um," he said, "I've only been gone for three days, but I think autumn arrived while I was away."

"It is October, so you can expect some freezing temperatures overnight and hopefully some fifties during the day."

"I was going to pick up some cold-weather clothing on the trip, but Oxford, Mississippi isn't the ideal place to do that. So, we'll have to make another trip to Great Falls so I can get that taken care of."

"You might find some things in the bunkhouse."

"I searched pretty well the other day, but there didn't seem to be many warm coats and things."

"I guess it's Great Falls then," I said.

It seemed to suddenly strike me. "We're already here. Want to do it now?"

"Seems logical, doesn't it, and I know you love things that seem logical."

"Let me text Mom so she can plan dinner accordingly."

I told Mom we'd text her again when we were ready to head back to the ranch.

I helped him pick out a coat for public use and one for work. We picked up a few other warm things for the winter work.

I sent the text, and we headed for the ranch.

The casserole she'd picked for dinner was delicious.

"I don't think I'm speaking out of line, Wes, when I say that this lady missed you."

I sighed and shook my head.

"I spent a lot of time staring at my phone," he said.

"Wait a minute. Let me see your phone."

He handed over the phone.

"Where did you get this picture?"

"I took it."

"My hair is all messed, I don't have any makeup on, I'm wearing my dirty work clothes, and I'm not even looking at the camera." I frowned at him.

"I know, and I love it."

"You love it? Let's take a good picture right now. I'll fix my hair."

"Lyn, this picture is you. This is the you I see when we're working together. It's the you that... the you that I've been falling in love with."

Mother stood and left the room.

"Then keep that picture, and think every time you look at it that it's the woman who's falling in love with you, too."

Another longer and more blood-warming kiss followed, and he squeezed me so hard I grunted.

"I'm sorry," he exclaimed immediately.

"Wes, don't apologize for... for loving me too hard."

"I'm so glad we've finally said it. It makes everything so much simpler."

~~~

Wesley

It was time to give the cattle their first dose of the new supplement, and I was anxious to get it done. Thank goodness it wasn't a daily dose, but a weekly one. We had tested the flavor on a few cows, and they seemed to love it.

It was Monday morning, and time to begin.

"Listen, Lyn, I'm going to get tough with you now."

A pouty look appeared on her face.

I laughed. "If you're going to help me with this program, I need to learn to help you with some of the ranch paperwork."

"We've been through this before. I'm doing fine with the paperwork."

"You're not getting enough sleep."

"Are you spying on me from the bunkhouse?"

"I'm being serious."

"I know, and very honestly, it's a struggle to keep up. If you want to help, I have several things you can do that would be very helpful."

"You can be a little stubborn sometimes," I said with a chuckle.

"I know, but it's kept me out of trouble more than once."

Today, we only had to find the twenty cattle who would be getting the supplement, so I hoped we might be through a little earlier than on some other days.

We had a big pan, and I would measure out the prescribed amount of the supplement from the large bag, put it in the pan, and it would be gone very quickly. Fortunately, three of our subjects had wandered to a new area, and I got to see the shelters that could handle up to five hundred cattle during the winter. It was an amazing sight.

A little after noon, we were finished and headed back to the ranch, where I was ready to be tutored on ranch paperwork. I sorted and separated, while Lyn made the entries in her computer and paid the necessary bills, which seemed to arrive nearly every day.

~

We fell into the routine of feeding once a week and photographing every two weeks. In December, near Christmas, we received our first snow, and the weather turned a little colder. The routine continued, though, and writing on the whiteboard, placing it so the wind didn't blow it away or cover it with snow, and taking the photo became a little more difficult. One thing that helped a lot was that the cattle tended to congregate near the shelters where they were being fed. We saw Charlie and his helpers more often, although they were using much of the time replacing a large section of fence that had seen better days. It was part of the original fence, and they were upgrading it, including new posts.

As we were setting up to photograph one of our subjects, Lyn turned to me and smiled.

"You know, you can tell just by looking that these guys who have been getting the supplement are much bigger than the others."

"That's my impression, too. And it's making all of this work worthwhile."

"It makes me happy to see you so happy."

"Well, I have one more thing to do today that will make me even happier, I hope."

"Does it involve me?"

"Very much so."

I knew this was a little weird and very different, but it somehow seemed appropriate to me. I took off my gloves, reached into my coat pocket, and dropped to one knee."

"Wes?" a very surprised lady said.

"Lyn, this supplement, the cattle, and fate have brought us together, and I've found what real love is. I desperately want to spend the rest of my life with you, however that may work out. So, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Wes, I'd never imagined that the snow and cold of Montana would provide the most wonderful day of my life, but it has, and, yes, I want to spend the rest of my days with you, so there's nothing I want more in my life than to become your wife."

I stood, and we hugged and kissed, accompanied by the mooing of many cattle who seemed happy to celebrate with us.

"We have five more to photograph, so let's hurry because I can hardly wait to tell Mother."

The cattle almost seemed to realize what had just happened, and they were very cooperative as we completed the photography.

Back at the house, Lyn made her announcement, and both of us were lovingly hugged by Nancy.

"Lyn, honey, your father would have been so happy to hear this news. We're going to have a wedding," she said with a little giggle.

"How come everyone looks so happy?" another voice said. Charlie had come home early.

"Your sister was just proposed to," Nancy said, obvious pride in her voice.

Charlie looked at me. "So, we're going to be brothers-in-law?"

"That's my plan," I said.

"Well, on my way in, I looked at some of the cattle, and some of those with your extra ear thing are looking mighty healthy," he said, and a smile crossed his face. "Whatever it is that you're giving them seems to be working. I think the three of us need to be talking about what it'll take to have all of our cattle using it."

Charlie looked at Lyn. "Sister, come here and let me hug you. I know I don't do that very often, but I'm happy for you. Just the look on your face and the way you look at this guy says you're happy, and that makes me happy as well."

Somehow, seeing Charlie and Lyn hugging seemed to tie everything together, and I don't think I've ever had such a warm emotional feeling fill my body. Charlie was the outlier who had suddenly become a part of what was happening, and I was happy for Lyn and Nancy.

Charlie looked at his mother. "Momma, it's nearly Christmas, and I need to do some shopping."

"I'll get my coat," Nancy said with a laugh. She appeared a moment later, wrapped in her winter coat. "The car or the truck?"

"We can take the truck, and I'll drive," Charlie said. "I just feel out of place in that car."

They disappeared out the door into the garage. We heard the truck start up, and then drive away.

"Should we use this time to catch up on some of the paperwork?"

"We could do that," Lyn replied.

"Could?" I questioned.

"There are other things we could do."

Just the look on her face made my blood heat to nearly boiling.

"Oh? Do you have some suggestions?"

"Let me think a moment. Ah, I have one."

"We could take our clothes off and play some games."

"If I take my clothes off, I won't be playing games."

"What will you be doing?"

"I'm not that good with words, but if you'd like, I could show you."

"You have a Ph. D. You should be good with words. But if you'd like to show me, I'm game for that."

I watched as she pulled her sweater off over her head, revealing a lacy black bra.

"Did you see this bra when you went through my suitcase?" she asked, giggling.

"I only saw a white one, but I didn't check very thoroughly."

"I'm disappointed that you didn't check everything. Did you try to picture what might belong to that white bra?"

"I was so upset; all I could think of was that I wanted my suitcase."

"Well, just so you know, these are what belong to that white bra," she said as she unfastened the black one and tossed it aside.

She may have been getting close to thirty, but there was absolutely no droop in the breasts that were suddenly bare and right in front of me.

"Do you want me to keep going while you watch?"

"That would be fine, but I may not be able to control my hands."

"We'll see."

She kicked off her shoes and unzipped her slacks, sliding them slowly down her smooth and very trim legs. Her black panties weren't a thong, or even a small bikini, but they seemed to perfectly highlight everything about her body.

"Your turn."

I debated whether to undress myself or just grab the ravishing figure in front of me. Her smile said she knew exactly what I was thinking.

I pulled my sweatshirt off, which bared my top. I was wearing boots, so I knelt, untied them, and pulled off both boots and socks before I hurriedly stood and started working on my pants.

"Want me to help?" Lyn asked seductively.

I wasn't certain what I'd been expecting, but Lyn was much, much more, I was sure, than anything I might have imagined.

"I think I'd like that."

She stood in front of me, her breasts seemingly just inches from hands that were longing to squeeze them. As she unfastened my belt, I could feel my maleness throbbing inside those pants, eager to be freed. As the zipper was slowly lowered, I could feel the pressure of her hands on the erection, hiding just inside.

Not able to wait any longer, I pushed my pants to my ankles and struggled out of them.

"Someone seems eager," she said, leaning forward and kissing me.

"I'm surprised you aren't eager, too," I managed to say.

I felt her hand sliding up and down on my erection, my boxers separating us. She took hold of their waistband and lifted it away from my body.

"Look what I can see." She licked her lips, and I was certain my erection grew another inch. "Should I take off these panties so you can see, too?"

As she said that, she slipped her hand inside the boxers and grasped my very stiff cock. I nearly collapsed. She released me and slipped off her panties, as I tossed the boxers aside.

"Let's go up to my room," she said, and we started toward the stairway.

I followed her up the stairs, hearing several loud squeals as I used a finger to advantage. In her room, she jumped on the bed and waited for me.

She pulled my head to her, and we kissed like nothing we'd ever done before. It was raw passion, and just the taste and feel of her lips and tongue had my throat creating tiny groans of its own. I feasted on the sounds she was making as well, and my hands almost instinctively went to her breasts. I pulled her on top of me, and she squeezed my erection between her legs. I began to move.

"You like that, don't you?" she murmured against my lips.

"I love everything about you," I murmured back as I rolled her off me and slipped between her legs.

When I tried to spread her legs, I found them spread as wide as they would go, her gorgeous and inviting pussy looking right at me. I slowly ran my hands along her thighs, moving toward that very wet and very pink place that looked ready to welcome me. I began caressing her labia, enraptured by the sounds she was making.

Her ragged breathing and the movement of her body were things I'd never experienced before, and I clung to them, debating what to do next. She solved that for me.

"I want to be a part of you and you a part of me. I want us joined, with you inside me. Make it happen."

It was what I wanted too, and she was tight, slippery, and warm when I entered her. When my pubes reached hers, I groaned.

Gasping, I asked, "Is this really happening, or am I imagining it?"

"It's real, finally, and I want it to last forever."

The way I was feeling, I knew it wasn't going to last forever, but it was already far beyond incredible, and I wondered where it would finally go. I began to move, and so did Lyn, and the movements matched amazingly well, her hips lifting as I drove myself deeper into her. The sounds that were filling the room were different than any I'd ever heard, and they only seemed to make us move faster.

I was ready to explode when she moaned, "Wes, I'm coming. Oh God, am I ever coming."

Her body began to shake, her spasms squeezing my erection even as I was matching her moans with my groans as I emptied myself into her. I opened my eyes, and the ecstasy on her face engulfed me, and I collapsed on top of her, her arms instantly around me.

"Let's do that again," she whispered.

"And again and again," I added, "for the rest of our lives."

"I love you, I love you," she said almost fiercely.

"Lyndsey, I love you, too. I think you're going to have to begin making more visits to the bunkhouse."

"During the day?"

"Yes. I'm sure we'd even wake a tired and exhausted cowboy."

"As much as I'd like to stay right here for hours since this day has been the most wonderful day in my entire life, we should probably get dressed before a couple of people get home."

We hurried downstairs, gathered our scattered clothing, and dressed. It was nearly forty minutes later that Nancy and Charlie returned with shopping bags loaded, and I lamented that there would have been time for a few more naked pleasures.

"Did you get everything you needed, Charlie?" Lyn asked innocently, glancing at her mother, who suddenly smiled, nodding her head.

"I think so. Mom is a great shopper. I said a name, and she shopped until it was time to say another name. When I'd finished, she had more names that I'd forgotten." He chuckled.

"And how did you two get along, left alone in this big old house?" Another big grin and a wink to Lyn, who immediately blushed.

I hadn't noticed, but Lyn's hair was slightly mussed, something she never allowed to happen around the house; her cheeks were very rosy, and her sweatshirt was not tucked in as it had been when Nancy and Charlie had left. When Nancy glanced at me with a sly smile, I think I blushed, too, since she obviously knew how we had gotten along while they were away. As long as she was smiling and teasing, I think both Lyn and I had no problem.

~~~

Lyndsey

Mother knew exactly what had happened, and she was happy for us; I was sure. Charlie didn't seem to catch on, but that was fine with me. He'd have teased me mercilessly if he'd figured it out. I was sure it would dawn on him one of these days. I just wished he could find someone like Wes had found me. I think he'd be surprised how happy that would make him.

Mom went to the kitchen to fix our slightly late dinner, and Charlie hauled all of the shopping bags to his room.

"We need to make some plans," I said to Wes.

"You're right, and you're good with lists, so you make a list, and we'll talk about it."

"I want to get married."

Wes chuckled. "Is next week too soon?"

"And there's a future to think about." That was a big one, too.

"You know, as long as I'm with you, things are gonna work out. I'm trusting in that. All of these serendipitous things haven't come together to not work out in the end."

"Mom will want a big wedding."

"What does big mean?"

"Probably not big, like a city wedding. Maybe fifty people, and it will be here at the house, I'm sure."

"I have no problem with that. I'll just have a few friends to invite."

"Isn't there any family you could invite?"

"A couple of aunts and uncles, but I've never been close with any of them. Mom moved to Switzerland and is remarried. She didn't even tell me about it until a couple of months after it happened. I'll invite her, but she won't come." He chuckled. "We'll probably get a nice present, though."

I was sad for him when it came to family. He was an only child and now nearly an orphan. My family was small, but I had a couple of uncles who would probably come to the wedding.

Whatever else happened, I'd found the man I would be spending the rest of my life with, and I'd learned how it feels to be truly in love. I'd never imagined how it would take over your whole being and be more important than anything else in the world.

Still, I was anxious for the future.

~~~

EPILOG

We had a March wedding, much to the chagrin of many of the guests who had to navigate through the unexpected ten inches of snow. Despite the difficulties, all the invited guests were there. The ceremony was brief, and the food, wine, and alcohol were excellent, and soon, everyone was happy, laughing, and dancing.

We enjoyed opening the wedding gifts, beautiful and also practical since we were both nearing thirty. None quite matched the Christmas gift Wes had gotten from his absent mother. The maroon Lexus fit nicely in our garage and allowed him to sell the 2017 Toyota he'd left in Oxford. Wes didn't tell her about the wedding, concerned that she'd think he was fishing for another gift. He'd sent her a thank-you note along with a photo of the car parked in front of our ranch house. He also thought that might make her wonder.

I still had been on birth control pills to regulate my periods, so I hadn't had to make any preparations for what I knew would eventually be happening, but I'd stopped using the pills the day after the wedding, hoping that something might be doing away with my periods, at least for a while anyway. Nothing yet, but I'm hopeful.

Surprising me no end, Charlie was fascinated by the obvious results of the supplement in the twenty cattle, and offered to bring them in and weigh them without Wes paying for the men to do it. The supplemented cattle averaged 230 pounds heavier than the ones who hadn't received the supplement. In a herd of 450 cattle, that would amount to another fifty-one tons of beef, and that was a lot of money as well.

The university received a patent on the supplement, and Wes and Victor would split 30% of the royalties, which it appeared would be substantial. Charlie surprised us again when he discovered that the 1,300-acre ranch next to ours was for sale, and he wanted to purchase it, which we did. We were becoming a big business, and we needed help.

Wes, bless his heart, left his position at Ole Miss and moved to Montana to help with all the work involved with the new property. He also took a teaching position at the University of Providence in Great Falls. It worked out well in that he taught all morning and had the afternoons free. It was a perfect arrangement.

We moved into the very nice house on the new property. It would suit us well and had plenty of room for a much larger family, which we were still hoping for. I don't know how often I'd sit and think about the suitcase mix-up when I had been afraid that I was somehow caught up in a drug ring or something, only to find that the contents of the suitcase and its owner would become a wonderful and fulfilling part of my life.