By the Horns

Heya kids! miss me? I hope so, cuz man do I have a tale for you! I know it's been a while and so many questions may be floating around, so here's an answer to a few of em. Yes I took time off, yes I am gonna finish up a tale or two I have out. Iron Heart and Fighter are the two I will get done soon. Now why did I run off? Well reason is I just got done writing my first novel! It's being edited now and should be out soon. I'll keep ya posted on that. Now on to this tale. I know you may say how is this what it is? Answer is simple, it's a slow burn kinda deal, but when it gets going that's when the fun kicks in! Read it, love it, and tell me how ya think about it! As always kids, ENJOY THE SHOW!

Nadine smoothed the skirt down across her legs. Her full hips and thick thighs made her stand out as she always did. She looked in the mirror at the sight of the cute pleat skirt on her hips and smiled at the mirror a happy smile. It had taken a while for her to get to the point in time she was happily in. It took a while, and a lot of confusing twists along the way, but in the end she found it was worth it. As she dabbed the deep red lipstick to her lips she looked back on the way life had taken her on a serious roller coaster ride and dropped her where she would never had dreamed possible.

Nadine was an anomaly at times thanks to her genes. Her dark cinnamon skin was a credit to her mother and father. Her father, Tyresse Benjamin, was a black man from Georgia. Her mother was a dark skinned Dominican woman named Esmeralda Gomez. They met young in New York and after a while they married, then had Nadine and her siblings. The family lived well for what they had and Nadine was always a good girl. Her mother and father worked hard for all they had and that mentality washed off on Nadine and her two brothers and baby sister.

As per her upbringing she strove everyday to make herself better in school and at home. She took a job early on delivering newspapers and though her parents at first said no, they couldn't deny that she was happy being a hard worker. The time went by and Nadine went from a paper route to a restaurant job at sixteen. She finished high school and went to college shortly after she turned eighteen. Her time in college was fun and she made a lot of friends in the process. Her life was fun for many reasons, but she never strayed from her schooling.

Her time in college was also one of trying times as she seemed to attract one loser after another that always just wanted to get in her pants. At five foot four she was a bit small, but her body had curves to spare. A full bust line graced her luscious frame. Her hips were very full and thick as was the rest of her. While not fat by any stretch of the means, her voluptuousness did make people take notice of her. Her face was also something that people could lose themselves in.

Her large round eyes were a dark brown. Her full thick lips were pouty and always in a sweet smile. Her dazzling smile could light up a room and did as often as she went to parties and social gatherings. Her only real mistake in life was she didn't complete her college education. She did two years and was ready to get her bachelors, but then she met the man in her life. They met at a party and soon it blossomed into full on love. In a short time span they married and she put off school to help him go further.

Her husband, Trevor Mills, was a safety for his college, and nearly made it to the pros. The tragic end to his career came in the form of a near crippling injury that almost cost him his ability to walk. His left knee was shattered during a stupid play by an opponent. As Trevor was going for the ball he was blind sided. Instead of going high and tackling him the opponent went right at his knee with full force. The awkward angle snapped his leg in two and flung him end over end. As he went to the ground he went at a bad angle and felt the rip and pop in his knee. The whole stadium went silent and Trevor was on the floor unable to move as the pain took him under. Quickly he was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to save his leg. The fracture bone was easy to set and the knee was damaged, but fixable. The only downside was he would never be able to run like he could so it ended his career. He spent the next nine months in therapy and when he found out he was done with football his world was forever changed. His normally hard mind softened and his mood changed dramatically.

Trevor went from a happy go lucky guy to a burned, angry person almost over night. In the time he did his therapy he found out he couldn't play any more he became very bitter towards life and people. The only thing that kept his head above water at times was Nadine. As time drug on after he was cut from the school he began to let himself go a bit at a time. It started with drinking, then went into a little pot on the side. Over time he was smoking a bit more every month. He claimed it was to help him get over his pain, but when Nadine would ask him to stop he would get angry and lash out at her. While he was never violent with her, his mouth got the better of him at times. Nadine never held it against him knowing what happened to him, but at times she just wished he would be a bit nicer.

Seeing how nasty he was getting Trevor actually changed his ways a bit, but only a bit. After a particularly nasty session when Nadine almost left him he promised to get it together. He found a job and put himself to the grindstone. Soon he advanced at the warehouse he worked at and it allowed Nadine to quit her two jobs and focus on her work at the bank. Combined their income was enough that they could afford a house in the nicer part of Burbank, California. They worked hard and together after almost six years they found a happiness that belied any other notions. Their love life was pleasant as well. The only thing they lacked was children. It wasn't for a lack of trying, but Nadine only got pregnant one time and it was a sad day when she was taken to the hospital after complications arose.

Nadine was rushed to the hospital and the doctor had to remove the fetus from her and she was almost given a hysterectomy. It was only good fortune that she had no real damage or life threatening problems. She was spared the agony of the procedure and after a week in the hospital Nadine was released. She settled back in the house and noted that as the days went on Trevor got more glum. He would often go to work for long periods of time and not come home til very late. While he was making good money and it allowed Nadine time to recover, she missed him at times.

The days went on and Nadine was able to get back to working. She went to work with a big smile on her face and a bounce in her step to get the past behind her. She buried herself in her work and soon she was advanced to a assistant branch manager position. With an excited energy flowing through her Nadine went home and made a good dinner for Trevor and even got his favorite wine. The fine meal was on the table for five hours when Trevor finally came home. The smile on Nadine's face to see him was a beautiful one, but the look on Trevor's face was not a happy one. The look was more of a "I'm tired, leave me be" look.

"Hi honey," Nadine said softly seeing his mood.

Trevor glanced at her and he smiled a bit. He didn't want to be rude so he hugged her to him. Nadine sighed as he did and felt his arms around her, which was all she really wanted. As she relaxed in his arms she continued.

"I made your favorite," she said cutely.

"That's great, but I ate at work. Can we save it for later?" he said calmly.

"Um, sure," she said softly, "I have some good news though." she continued.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'm getting a promotion. I'll be an assistant branch manager now," Nadine said cheerfully, "Better money and some good benefits," she concluded.

"That's great honey, how about I take you to diner tomorrow night to celebrate?" he asked.

"I suppose, but can't we....you know...celebrate tonight?" she asked sweetly kissing his lips.

Trevor looked at his wife and nodded his head. They went to the bedroom and Nadine undressed. She waited for him to leave the bathroom and it was not ten minutes later he was panting and sweating all over the bed. He had climaxed in her, but she hadn't. The whole affair was him shoving her head to his crotch, then after a long time of her giving him fellatio, he stuck in and humped her for a minute then got his jollies. He was happy and turned over to sleep leaving Nadine awake and bewildered. He didn't even kiss her but three times then did his thing.

Nadine wanted to curl into him, but he was already asleep and ignoring her. Nadine curled to her side and her eyes showed their hurt. Why didn't he want her to love him? Why didn't he want her to be pleased? What had she done wrong? The long night was spent awake and hurting. The next day was filled with broken promises as he called her and left her high and dry at her favorite restaurant. Nadine went to work and threw herself into it over the next weeks as she didn't know what else to do.

As the weeks went by Trevor became more and more distant. He was either working or out with his new friends and not coming home til late in the night. Nadine was left more and more alone as he went out and did his thing without her. Some nights she cried herself to sleep, others she didn't sleep in the bed as she slept on the couch waiting for him. The time drug on for her as it always does, but little did she know the next day would dawn with a new surprise for her.

Saturday found Nadine alone as Trevor got called into work and left early. He didn't even thank her for breakfast when he got into his car and left without a word. As Nadine was washing the dishes she saw a moving van pull into the large cul de sac at the end of the block. Looking out the door she saw a man get out and he immediately stood out to her. He was taller than Trevor by a few inches and his body was massive. What she could see was he was wearing a black muscle shirt with a strange logo on the back and green cargo shorts. His left arm was covered in a large tattoo and his legs were similarly covered as well. He lifted large boxes from the back of the truck and trudged them inside. The thing she noted was he was limping slightly as he did. Her good nature got the best of her and she got into a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. Slipping on her sandals she ventured out to the new neighbor to help if he needed it.

As she ventured up to the man and got closer she couldn't help but see he was indeed enormous! He was at least six three and his arms were huge. His legs were well defined and as she got closer it became easier to see his body was filled with tattoos. His hair was cut in a short pro cut that looked nearly military in stature. Effortlessly he hoisted large boxes into his arms, but as he walked she saw his limp and it made her tilt her head curiously. She got closer and finally to the driveway. She walked up and made her presence known as he hoisted a large load into his arms that was very precariously balanced.

"Hi," she said in a chipper tone.

The man heard the noise and he turned, but as he did his balance was thrown off and the boxes began to teeter.

"Oh shit!" he exclaimed and Nadine saw the boxes tipping.

"I'm sorry!" she yelped and ran forwards catching the boxes and pinning them between them.

Between their bodies they had the boxes pinned and stable, but if she moved the boxes would tumble to the floor. The man laughed incredulously and suddenly she heard his voice.

"Umm...hi...well now, this is a....interesting way to introduce oneself," he said in an amused tone.

"I'm so sorry," she pleaded.

"No harm no foul. But can you uh... can you just...move to your right," he said and Nadine went the wrong way.

"No,No...your other right!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed and went the right way.

"OK...OK, now move a bit..." he said and Nadine started walking the way he needed her to go, "Yes! That way! OK, slowly now," he said to keep them in balance.

The walk was painfully slow as they ambled into the house the man kept up his instructions for a bit, then the counter came into view. The walk to it was a funny one, but they soon succeeded in getting everything on the counter. After it was done Nadine looked at the man and she was taken back. It took her a second to see up to his face, but when she did his eyes took her by surprise. His eyes were ice blue like a Husky. They had an albino quality to them that was intimidating at first, but his warm smile made her feel at ease.

"Like I said, what a way to say hi," the man said with a friendly grin and extended his hand to her.

"I'm Mike. Mike Redmonte," he said formally.

"Nadine Mills, nice to meet you Mike," she said politely.

Mike took her hand and shook it gently. He wasn't dainty with her, but he treated her like a lady with his hand shake. That alone caught Nadine off guard. As soon as he let go he looked at the pile of boxes and the door.

"Well now, it seems I have a lot to go and need to get back at it. Nice to meet you Nadine," he said and went to the door.

As he walked Nadine noticed the way he limped and her eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"Need help?" she asked.

Mike turned back to her and shrugged.

"If you want, though I'd have to pay you back you know," he said smiling

Nadine waved her hands and shook her head.

"No, no, you don't need to pay me back Mike, I don't want any money," she protested.

"Oh, well then how about I pay you back with my world famous iced tea?" he asked.

"World famous?" she asked and chuckled.

"Oh yeah," he said making a serious face, "Recognized as such by at least a few cool people," he joked back.

Nadine laughed at that and nodded her head. Mike smiled and went back to the truck. The move was cut in half as they got everything out and in it's place. The truck was stocked full of stuff that showed it was more than just his. Nadine saw on the boxes several names and her eyes grew curious.

"So are you married Mike?" she asked as they got the last boxes in place.

"Me, no. I live with my kids and their mother," he said simply.

"Wait, your kids and their mom?" she asked confused.

Mike grinned and nodded his head.

"It's...uh....a little complicated. Lets just leave it at that if you don't mind," he asked in a cordial tone.

"OK," Nadine replied thinking she touched on a touchy subject.

"And what about you Nadine, you married?" he asked back setting a box on the counter.

"Yes I am," she replied setting a box labeled electronics in the living room.

Mike nodded his head and went to the living room. He saw the boxes labeled as such in the correct room and nodded his head. Seeing a good chance for a quick breather he smiled as he went to the fridge and opened it. He pulled out a pitcher of tea and poured two glasses. Once they were filled he walked to the living room and handed Nadine a glass. Nadine looked at the tea and sipped it softly. It was amazingly refreshing and before she could contain herself she was sipping it rapidly. The tea was half gone and Mike was chuckling softly at that.

"Good stuff huh?" he asked and she looked at him sheepishly.

"Yes!" she replied eagerly and sipped at it some more.

Mike smiled and sipped his tea. He regarded the younger lady and smiled. She was a cutie, but he shook it off. The bigger things he had to do was to go over the house and set everything in it's proper place for unloading. He waited for her to finish her tea, which didn't take long, and walked with her to the end of the house where they began to stage the boxes. It took a few minutes, but when done they found themselves sipping tea and enjoying a pleasant small talk.

"So you're here from where Mike?" she asked.

"LA, but I had to move from there for the sake of my business," he said simply.

"Business?" she asked.

"I'm in productions and investments," he explained.

"Productions?" she asked confused.

"Yes, I produce things," he said jokingly to her.

Nadine giggled at the joke and looked at her feet. She decided to change angles of the conversation, "I'm in banking," she said after a moment.

"Very respectable," he complimented by raising his eyebrows and his glass to her.

"Respectable?" she asked in a confused manner.

"Yup, means you have a good head on your shoulders," he replied with a smile and filled her glass with more of the tea.

Nadine looked at his arm and saw the tattoo a bit more fully and it was amazing. It was a full sleeve that went from his shoulder to his wrist. The designs were of what looked like frogmen coming from a sea of fire and a large warship sailing in the flames. The rest was of various navy like things and a few words she couldn't make out. Up his arm closer to his shoulder was what looked like a pair of dog tags, but the names on them were different. As she gazed at it Mike saw her and decided to help her. He raised his arm on the counter and showed her the full extent of it.

"Wow," she said in an impressed tone.

"It took some time, but I dig the results," he said as he rolled his arm for her to see it all.

The entire work looked like it had taken several trips, but in the end result of it that it was impressive. She ventured a look at his face and saw he was looking down at it and his eyes showed some remorse.

"Were you in the army?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound silly.

Mike heard the question and a bemused grin came to his face. He tilted his head and tapped the warship on his arm. Nadine saw that gesture and she bit her lips.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"No biggie Nadine. I get asked that a lot," he replied, "Besides, I'm used to it."

Nadine felt kind of silly for asking him that even though she saw the ship and it showed in her eyes. Mike saw her plight and changed topics for her sake.

"So when I get moved in me and my friends and family are gonna have a big cookout," he began and Nadine picked her head up.

"I plan to invite the block and have a real block party kinda deal. You can come if you feel so inclined," he said.

"Can I bring my husband too?" she asked.

"Of course," Mike said sincerely. "Hell, bring a friend or two if you'd like," he offered.

"OK," Nadine replied smiling.

Mike upended his tea swallowing the last of it down. He shook the jug to Nadine, but she had her fill. Getting up Mike walked back to the fridge and Nadine again saw his limp. It made her finally ask him the big question.

"Mike, I don't mean to be rude, but are you OK?" she asked in genuine concern.

"I'm fine, why do you ask?" Mike asked back seeing her concern.

"Because you're limping. You didn't hurt yourself did you?" she asked.

Mike's head dropped so he was looking at the floor with an exhaling chuckle. He knew of his limp and the reasoning for it. He saw a serious woman so he decided to let her in on his ugly past.

"I was hurt a long time ago," he explained.

Nadine looked at him curiously and Mike felt her eyes on him.

"I wasn't just in the navy, I was in the SEALs," he explained.

"The SEALs?" she asked in shock.

"Yup," he said proudly, "SEAL Team Two," Mike said back.

He bent over at the waist and lifted his cargo pants so she could see his knee. The sight that greeted her was one that made her eyes bulge. A large, jagged scar covered the front of it giving it a weird angle. The rest of his leg looked fine, but the knee was just terrifying.

"I can't go into the specifics, but I took a round to the back of my leg and it tore my knee to hell," he said and she put her hands to her mouth.

"Oh my god Mike, I'm so sorry," she said and meant it.

"It's all good. I can still walk, so I guess it could be worse," he said back with a grin.