Montana Rhapsody Pt. 02

Hal reassured Paris, "Everything is fine, and you are safe now."

"Hi Hal. Sorry about this mess. Another foot over from the edge and I would have been okay. My toes just sunk down before I knew what was happening."

"Paris?"

"Yes Dr French."

"Please confirm you took no impact on you head."

"Absolutely and my woolly cap only came off in soft branches in the very last second before I hit the ground on my ass."

"Well I can't see anything requiring an x-ray. There are no bleeding and no apparent fractures. You were wearing thick clothing and on that shelf landed on thick snow. All I can say is you were very, very lucky and appear to be escaping with just severe bruising. You have the choice of being taken to hospital or being taken home."

"Home please."

"Very well. I'll go to the ranch house and examine you properly when you are fully undressed. I probably suggest a warm bath and then dress warmly and then to bed. I'll stay for coffee and to give you an injection to make sure you sleep through the night and be in no pain. I have oral medication for you to take in the morning and something to reduce the impact of bruising. That's all I can do Paris."

"That's plenty Doc. And thanks for coming out."

"Well I was out and heard there was an emergency at Harrop Ranch so came on over. I've been the Harrop family's doctor ever since I arrived in the district."

"You sure have Renee," Hal said, "and thank you so much for your initiative."

Hal thanked the helicopter rescue team and the chopper left.

Doc French said, "I've read two of your books Paris and know why Hal is supporting you while you experience a bit of ranching life. I also saw you riding yesterday. Bravo. You are fitting in so well. Boys take Miss McCoy to the house and deliver her to the bathroom. Alice and I will take over from there. I'll give you this wee shot to keep you calm on the ride home dear."

As the ambulance left Renee said to Hal, "I want her watched through the night. Perhaps you and Alice can take four-hour shifts."

"Okay but why?"

"We don't know about internal injuries and internal bleeding and won't know unless symptoms emerge. I'll brief you over coffee. Rex from 'The Examiner' is waiting to talk to you. Don't be too long."

When Hal arrived Doc French had gone and Paris was in bed asleep, Alice taking the first watch She asked, "Did you have to shoot Marissa?"

"No and Tom says it definitely is just a slight sprain and has her in a stall with her foot wrapped up well. We are in agreement not to call in a vet. Time heals sprains, not vets."

"We must tell Paris when she awakes. She will be worried. Did the media ask was it a publicity stunt?"

"The same thought had crossed my mind but he was just a photographer and asked basic questions, writing slowly. He'd spoken to Alan, an eyewitness who showed the photographer where the new slip was. Tom confirmed that so there could be no question it wasn't an attention-seeking novelist wanting to keep in the limelight."

In the morning the boys had gathered wanting to see Paris if she were awake.

Alice said, "Not yet. Sit down and I'll feed you guys."

Hal walked in and heard that. "Come out into the dining area. It's more comfortable there and you won't be under Alice's feet. It will be a half hour wait."

"Breakfast will be five minutes boss. I knew they would be coming."

They were eating breakfast when Hal, at the head of the table, saw a movement at the passage door. Paris walked through smiling, shuffling a little like an old woman. Of course she was badly bruised. At that moment he knew he was seeing the 'vision' or whatever Alice called it and had seen expect it was the ranch house door and not the door of the hospital. He turned and saw Alice looking, at yet not speaking, and by the look on her face he thought she was thinking exactly what he'd been thinking. With no memory of it she would be thinking that was the image she'd told Hal about.

"Boys, your buddy is arriving," he said.

The boys jumped up and gathered around Paris, each taking a turn to carefully kiss Paris on the cheek.

"Sorry boys, I'm such a bad horsewoman."

"No" they cried. The other two looked at Tom.

"We were moving at a slow gait," he said. "You probably were propelled forward with Marissa coming to an abrupt stop at something like twenty to thirty miles an hour. None of us, not even the boss, would have stayed on unless we had both boots caught in the stirrups and that wouldn't be likely. You'll be pleased to know Marissa is looking fine this morning, enjoying being on pellets and top quality hay.

"Oh thank you boys and everyone else for what you have done for me. Alice when you are through breakfast I'd like another bath. Doc French said that was the way to go."

"I'm coming darling. I ran it twenty minutes ago. It should be just at the right temperature for you now."

Hal sighed and didn't attempt to wonder how Alice would know Paris would be coming out at this time and wanting a bath.

* * *

The bulls were taken up to leased summer pasture next day. Alice always went on the daylong cattle drive and with a packhorse carrying the food. Paris insisted she go, saying she'd be okay and would probably catch up on finishing the next lot of chapters to send off, using her laptop in bed.

"I don't really think..."

"Go Alice. It's one of your big days of the year and you get to camp out that night. Being up in the mountains means a lot spiritually to you."

"Who told you that?" Alice demanded.

Paris grinned. "Hal mightn't know a lot but he probably knows more than what you think and probably thinks more about you than you'll ever know."

Alice sighed. "You wouldn't think men would be capable of being complicated would you?"

They laughed and before Alice went off to pack everything she said Hal would keep the yearlings back tomorrow when they took the bulls, cows, calves and steers up the mountain.

"Hal will take the yearlings up when you are ready to ride again. You have been looking forward to the experience. Although snow's still about aplenty the spring flowers are pushing through. It's a wonderful sight."

Paris marveled at Alice's visionary powers. But when Hal came in to say goodbye he said, "I told Alice to tell you I'd hold the yearlings back until you were fit to ride for most of the day. Just the three of us will go. I want Alice to tell you how to allow your mind to think when you are up in the grandeur of the high country."

After waving off Hal, Alice and the boys now joined by three other cow hands from neighboring properties as it was the custom to pitch in and help neighbors with spring and fall cattle drives and haymaking, Paris returned to bed and wrote a chapter about taking 600 head of cattle including bulls and calves, to mountain pastures. She hadn't been on a cattle drive but when she had been on the drive of the yearlings she could correct mistakes she had written in this account.

- - - -

Skye dressed in a soft blue shirt like the others, a vest, fleece-lined jacket down to her hips, jeans, high-topped boots and a black Stetson waved goodbye to the housekeeper/cook Maude, the only person left at the ranch house.

Rancher Billy Jamieson's mom Amelia had set off an hour ago driving a 4WD tractor and trailer carrying supplies and tents to set up the first base camp. Next morning Amelia with Skye's help would pack up and set up again high up the mountain where the cattle would be freed to graze on wild grasses now coming away in the spring warmth, sharing pasture with elk and deer.

Skye was looking forward to seeing mountain birds and wildlife but especially wild flowers. Billy had told her Montana was world-renowned for its wildflowers and most Americans conceded the state was almost alone as one of the country's surviving massive wilderness area.

She was hoping to see blue and yellow violets, dandelion, wild strawberries and trillium and, that other flower she'd been told looked grand. Ah yes, Indian Paint bush.

Billy was now more at ease with her and that made Skye feel horny. She had plans for Billy on this journey into the wilderness.

He'd given her the crappy job, riding alone well behind the herd to pick up any strays. That left her alone with her thoughts, enjoying the rising grandeur until she came across a cow and calf and that suddenly converted her into a real-life cowgirl.

The duo was grazing as Skye rode up to them and shouted, "Come on mommy and sonny, at least I think you have nuts."

Skye's face fell as they bolted, in different directions.

"Come back you misbehaving critters!"

Her horse Jess virtually took over, leaping after the cow.

Skye fell off.

"Fuck!" she shrieked, having been riding since she was three and thought herself a horsewoman. But Jess had taken off like a lightening bolt, catching her by surprise. She'd been fiddling with her gloves.

Skye stood, dusted off and retrieved her Stetson and only then saw she'd landed neatly between two rocks. White-faced she wondered what to do next and to her immense relief she saw Jess only a few paces away. Jess had stopped and was looking back at Skye. Quizzically?

Skye laughed and limped over to Jess until deciding she'd be bruised because the ground was iron-hard but it wasn't necessary to limp.

"Thanks to whoever trained you Jess. And thank Christ no one saw this. That would have been my ultimate humiliation."

She had been unaware Billy had been sitting on top of a rocky outcrop watching and laughing his head off. Apparently satisfied she would cope he disappeared to catch up with the tail of the herd.

With relief Skye saw mother and calf had reunited. Deciding Jess would know best she clucked her tongue and shunted her weight forward lightly. "Go get 'me Jess, you know best. I'll keep my mouth shut."

Up ahead Billy decided to give Skye something more challenging. He cut out a bull and two older calves and sent them back down towards Skye. Actually once she had them turned the five would be easier to drive than two and the older calves should be aware their next feed was moving up the mountain.

Later chewing a piece of steak wrapped and bread and holding a tin mug of coffee, Billie leaned against the trailer looking down mountain a little anxiously. He was about to put down his food and ride to find Skye when the heads of three cows came into view and then into full view over the rise and followed by four more cows and the bull and five calves.

The guys had joined him to eye Skye but their mouths fell open as well.

"Which of your guys is adding to the strays," Billy began ominously.

"Now Billy," warned his mom.

All the guys said it wasn't them.

"It's amazing she'd picked up that many," Danny drawled, hoping to divert Billy to avoid being booted in the butt.

"Fucking amazing," Billy said. "She must think she'd a cowgirl now. Come on don't look at her. It will only swell her head."

Skye couldn't believe it. As she drove by the men they all looked at her in silence. She knew without a doubt they were mentally stripping her. Men when they looked sullen did that sort of thing. At least Amelia standing at the door of the small cabin on the trailer was waving and smiling at her.

God men! She'd expected applause and Billy saying to everyone she'd done a great job.

Billy called out, "How many did you leave behind?"

Tears forming Skye rode on ignoring him to attach her little band of stragglers to the main herd.

Wiping her eyes she returned to the modern version of the chuck wagon.

Billy stepped forward and stood to catch her, so she dropped into his arms. He then kissed her in front of everyone. Oh god!

"Didn't she do good boys, didn't she do amazingly well?"

"Yeah," shouted the boys, well men really.

Hugely embarrassed Skye buried her face into the opening of Billy's jacket, found some bare skin and licked it.

"Christ Skye steady on," Billy whispered unsteadily.

"Skye, I've scrambled some eggs for you knowing you eat meat sparingly."

"Thanks Amelia," Skye said, breaking away from the cook's son.

She almost swaggered to the trailer before forking in some egg and holding a thick slice of bread.

Still eating she turned to the boys and demanded, "Who finished off the training of Jess after she was broken in?"

Elderly Black Joe stepped forward.

"I did Miss Skye. I'm sorry it failed to meet with your requirements."

Skye wiped her mouth and stepped over and kissed the part Indian on the cheek.

"You did really good, I mean really well Black Joe."

Several of the guys claimed they'd helped to train Jess.

"Get fucked," Skye said contemptuously, using her broadest Scottish accent.

The guys fell about laughing. Skye looked up to catch the disgust on the face of Mrs Jamison but she was smiling and winked at Skye.

Later when Skye was helping Amelia to pack up Amelia said, "Today your acceptance on Highlands Craggy Ranch has been acknowledged Skye. I for one have been absolutely astonished at the way you have acclimatized and pitched in. Billy today tested you to rate your performance and you as tail-end-Skye sailed over the bar to amaze even him with his high standards. Well done and welcome to our family."

"Welcome to the family... w-what do you mean?"

"Oh Skye. Billy can't keep his eyes off you. If you don't know what that means I'll tell you. It means you're the woman for him if you decide to be that woman. Need I say more?"

"No, I rather knew that at least I thought I knew that but then thought the spring was making me overly romantic."

Skye hugged Amelia and turned and saw the boys had gone.

"Oh Christ I'll be booted in the ass for slacking on the job."

Amelia cackled in laugher.

Skye saddled up and was off in a gallop. In another hour of steeper climbing they would reach the place where temporary helper Johnny would be waiting with their relief mounts. She patted the neck of Jess affectionately and thought of asking Billy this evening to take her to a field of flowers if he could find one where she wanted him to have sex with here even if the ground would be damp and rock hard and they'd have to fumble to do it through thick clothing. Well if he were long enough it was on, wasn't it?

She giggled and followed the trail of fresh dung. Minutes later she came across Tony.

"The boss put me behind until you caught up to take over."

"He'll want to boot my ass."

"I don't think boot is the correct word to use," Tony chuckled and moved off at a faster gait.

When they were changing horses Amelia drove by. She would drive through the herd to arrive at a flatter pasture where she'd begin cooking dinner on her gas oven. The boys would have to set up their own tents. The arrangement was Amelia and Skye would sleep on the two bunks in the little cabin on the trailer.

Two escaping steers can trotting down towards Skye, breaking her from her half dream of pulling out Billy's erection to check that there would be sufficient length to sink well into her after he got through two sets of clothing.

With supreme confidence Skye clicked her tongue twice and jolted her weight forward, signaling to Jess she was free to go to work. The two delinquent steers took one look at the charging horse and skidded into a turn and went off at a run up the mountain after the main herd.

- - - -

On the way out to collect the mail, a soft pillow behind her back and sitting on another to cushion her bruised parts, Paris took calls from two friends who'd just opened their mail and found the story about her in the 'Women's Home Journal'. Both said it was well written, as to be expected, and marvelous publicity for her.

Paris wasn't too sure whether articles about here would help her book sales. This latest novel was still months away from publication. She frowned thinking it would have been better having articles published closer to the time her book was being marketed but she sighed, knowing the media couldn't be controlled like that. Her only hope was a number of readers would remember her name when they saw the book being promoted.

Then Ruby called.

Paris decided to say nothing about her brush with death. Ruby would only panic.

"Marvelous news darling. Your article in the 'Women's Home Journal' came out yesterday and at our team meeting this morning everyone was raving about it. Lisa told me the big boss is more than pleased."

Paris said she was on her way to the gate to get the mail and expected a posted copy would be there because a couple of friends had called saying it had arrived.

"But how could you get it already?"

"Darling we are only way across America, not on the other side of the world."

Ruby thanked her for the recent hospitality and said the short vacation had brought Thelma and her even closer together. "Thelma says we are now truly in love and don't I know it."

Paris wasn't a prude but she did wonder about the acceptability of being given credit for bringing two female lovers closer together.

Paris was looking for her article in the 'Journal', stopped alongside the letterbox when she jumped and almost crapped herself. Someone had tapped on her window.

She looked up fearfully and broke into a smile and wound down the window.

"Good morning Trooper Olsen."

"Hi lovely lady. I saw you parked with your head down so stopped to find if you were okay." said Julian. "I read about your narrow escape."

"Yes I suppose the account is in this newspaper. I was looking for an article about me in the 'Ladies' Home Journal'.

"Ah, look I'll grab coffee and my sandwiches from my vehicle and join you and you can read it to me."

"Oh do you really want to hear that? Sometimes those journalists get carried away and wax on, ninety-percent bullshit."

"Not a 'Journal' writer, surely?"

"Ah no, I suppose not. Then please join me."

Julian got in beside her and poured some coffee into a paper cup for Paris and handed her a chicken sandwich. When he had his coffee mug filled Paris began reading and apologize for chewing at the same time."

She finished. "Well, what do you think Julian?

"It's a great story, full of color and she captured your personality."

"I'm amazed she had somehow crammed so much in because she was only with me a couple of hours and then neighbors arrived to take her and her photographer overnight to their ski club for a full day's skiing and then the twins took them to the airport."

"Well obviously the neighbors and the twins filled in many gaps. By god that Bella makes you mouth water doesn't she?"

"Yes she is attractive if that's what you mean. I recall you are married?"

"Yes but that doesn't stop wishful thinking. I look at you in the same way."

"Oh god Julian, you're embarrassing me."

"You are a lovely lady Paris and I have no wish to embarrass you. But I can look can't I?"

"Yes of course you can and you may kiss me before you leave. It's just my token of appreciation at you sharing your morning tea and being a friendly cop serving our community well."

They later kissed sweetly and Julian repeated, "You're a lovely lady Paris."

Paris turned and drove up the access track wondering what she would have done had Trooper Olsen had unzipped. Thinking about her answer she became rather flustered and snorted, "God you are such a slut." She managed a smile thinking really lovely men were difficult to find so perhaps a woman came across one she was tempted to reward him. She felt a little better thinking that.

The magazine article had been very favorable and mention of the titles of her first and her most recent books during the course of the interview had not been deleted so that meant if any reader was interested in learning more about Paris and her work then they'd know where to go to pick up one of her books. Yeah to the local library!