Rancher's Dream

"Dinner will be done very soon, go clean up and we'll eat." Elizabeth busied herself grabbing silverware, and plates, while Jack moved through the house and trotted upstairs. He needed a cold shower and fast. His cock was once more showing signs of wanting to learn more about the woman who looked like she had missed cooking for someone. The meal he had walked in on was obviously something she had once made a man after a hard days work, because by looking at her there was no way she ate that much food. He hurried through his shower, and shaving. His cologne filled the room, though most of it was washed off his hands, when he gave them one last cleansing.

Elizabeth turned at the sound of Jack entering the room. Her eyes lit up for a moment, as she took in his clean clothes, and his features. His sea-green eyes seemed to reach into her and pull from her a sigh. She coughed then, pulled the coffee from the stove and poured them both a cup. Once she sat down, Jack sat across from her. "This looks like a meal fit for a king, Mrs. Wallace."

She chuckled and laid her fork down. All afternoon she had fought with herself over him being here, until finally she resigned herself to the fact, that he was staying. Elizabeth looked at him, and smiled. "Your living under my roof, sleeping down the hall from me, and working for food and board, call me Elizabeth or Lizzie." Picking up his plate she piled mounds of food on it, then handed it back to him. "I think I have fixed to much."

He laughed, "I'll eat what I can, then more for a midnight snack." The meal was divine, each morsel melted in his mouth, and the company made it even better. He told her of his childhood with Sarah, in the city, and how hard it had been to let his little sis move out here for school, then marry her off to some rancher. But in the end he liked Robert, and knew that Sarah was happy. Jack stayed off of the subject concerning Blaze or her husband, he really thought the animal was a waste if she wasn't going to ride it, but it was her business in the end. His eyes watched her as the meal finished up, and she brought him a slice of apple pie, a dollop of ice cream melting over it.

"Good God woman!" he groaned, patting his stomach. "When did you have time to bake a pie?"

She laughed, and smiled. Turning around she reached into the trash and showed him the frozen pie package. "I'm not all country, Jack." Elizabeth sat down and enjoyed her pie with him. The whole meal had been a surprise. She had come inside and started to get her usual salad toppings out when she spied the chicken she had not yet separated for freezing. The next thing she knew she had whipped up a nice down home cooked meal, and she hadn't done that in three years. When they had finished eating she stored the leftovers, surprised at how little there were left, knowing she had eaten more then her fair share of the food. She hadn't realized how much she had missed cooking for someone until she was forced to do it.

Elizabeth soon found that she had missed having someone to spend the evening with and she was looking forward to the rest of the evening. Conversation with someone, besides silence would be a welcomed change. The two of them worked side by side, cleaning and washing the dishes. Afterwards, they moved off into the living room, and settled into a quite evening. She flipped through the channels and settled on a drama, and he picked up the paper. Every once in a while she'd look over and watch him. Her eyes took in his face, and the color of his skin. When he had come into the house, his shirt off and his body glistening with sweat, she had felt a longing in her stomach, that she hadn't felt in a long time. She had quickly ordered him upstairs to clean up, so she wouldn't have to look at him anymore. Now she sat there trying to drink him in with stolen moments.

Jack could feel her eyes on him, and several times he had found himself shifting in his seat. He had read the same article four or five times, eventually giving up and pretending to read. Thoughts of her and how she had looked each time he saw her ran through his mind, and he felt the pull to learn more about her. Was it possible that he was what she needed to break free of her sorrow? Jack began to wonder more about the woman instead of the Widow. The way he ached to touch her was like a yearning to capture the very air she breathed. He struggled to not grab her and crush her lips to his, and he fought with all his strength to get up and leave the room, telling her he was ready for bed. "Want to get an early start on the barn tomorrow, I'll have to go into town for supplies," he told her, as he left the room.

She watched him walk away, her eyes glued to his shoulders, and slowly trailed down his body, as he moved. The words of supplies caught her attention, and she hurried up the stairs after him. "I don't have money for supplies," she told him.

He knew that this conversation was going to occur, he had been hoping to avoid it, but he was realistic, and knew that he wouldn't have been able to get out of this one. "I'm taking care of the supplies."

"To hell you are!" she straightened her back and walked into his room. Elizabeth's face spoke volumes and she knew there was a burning blush on her cheeks. "Your not buying anything for this place, I'll pay for it, somehow." She turned and left him standing there, her steps echoed on the floor, and soon the walls shook with the slamming of her bedroom door. Immediately she went to her desk, and sat down. The barn was in a desperate state of repairs, but she honestly had no idea how she was going to pay for the supplies. It had taken her months to pay off her last charge account over at Mack's, and to start up a new account, was staggering to her. Sighing, she knew she'd do it. Pride, once more began to creep in on her, that and stubbornness.

Mack would give her the credit, and Jack would get the repairs done, and she would once more find a way to make ends meet. Blaze needed the barn for winter, and so did the milk cow that she had planned on purchasing next summer. If she started on the barn now, then she'd have a few more funds come in from her parents. Thoughts of her mom and dad rushed over her and she sighed, not quite ready to tell them, she needed more.

She pushed away stray hairs, and pulled out the small photo of her parents. They had been sending her monthly checks, keeping her from having to find work. Each month she prayed the check would come, and each month it did. Her parents had not returned in two years. They had come down to be with her after Eric's death, stayed for some time, then headed back to New York. Two years ago they came down and visited her and tried to get her to come back to the city with them. But she had refused, and chose to stay in her Arizona home. In the end, she had admitted that life was hard, but she loved it here, and so they sent her money instead. Each letter said, they still had a place for her, and Elizabeth was almost to the point of giving up.

With a heavy sigh she pulled off her clothes, and slipped into her shower. The water hit her skin, and relaxed her muscles. She thought of Eric, and the times they had spent together. His blue eyes called out to her, and she felt herself falling into his arms once more. Her fingers moved over her body, and she became one with him, her mind taking her to heights that were only reachable in her dreams. As she came down from her small, but pleasant climax a tear escaped her eye. Breathing deep, and locking her memory of him in she slid her hand to her wedding ring.

"Oh God!" she shouted, and shut the water off. Elizabeth looked at her bare hand, her mind swimming over when she had last seen the rings. Pictures of her day swam over her, and she recalled seeing them before she had begun gardening, but not thinking of them afterwards. Throwing on her robe, her hair and skin still wet, she ran from her room. Jack's door closed tight as she hurried past it and down the stairs. She opened the laundry bin, where she had tossed the muddy gloves, and dug through it. Finding them, but not finding the rings, she emptied the tub, and searched frantically for the bands. Leaving the heap of clothing on the floor, she ran to the back porch and grabbed a flashlight.

Her bare feet, stumbled over the rocks of her driveway, and hit the cold mud that was rough to walk on. She headed toward the vegetable patch and held the flashlight in one hand as she dug the ground with the other. Tears flowed down her face, as she begged and pleaded out loud. The frantic search became more hurried as she dropped the flashlight and dug with both hands. "Please! Oh God, please!" she repeated over and over, until she felt herself being lifted from the ground.

Jack had just gotten into his briefs when he happened to see a light in the garden. He looked down on Elizabeth and saw her digging. Something didn't seem right, she'd been sensible, so for her to be in the garden in the middle of the night, meant she was searching for something she had lost earlier. He pulled on a shirt, leaving it unbuttoned, and pulled his jeans back on, not bothering to zip or button them, as he hurried out of the house.

He pulled her to her feet and shook her. "Elizabeth!" he shouted. Tears ran down her face, and she was sobbing uncontrollably. Jack was at a loss as to how to reach her, she was beyond reasoning. She tried to pull herself from him, and return to her digging, all the while screaming at him about rings, and Eric. Jack continued to shout at her, then crushed her lips with his. He kissed her hard, no passion, no lust, just strength. Something to bring her back to the here and now, something to shock her system. The resounding crack across his face when he released her, showed his plan had worked. He rubbed his now hot cheek, and looked at the woman who stood before him.

Elizabeth wiped the tears from her face, and ran her fingers through her hair, then pushed around Jack, and headed back to the house. He looked down and plucked the flashlight from the ground, and followed her back inside. The two rings tangled under torn dirt, and pulled weeds, once more was lost to the human eye. Jack heard the slamming of doors and winced as he approached the house. Whatever it was she had lost, he'd find out about it tomorrow, and offer her his help in the morning. Right now, he was horny and needed to get to bed. The kiss had been one that he had done out of a rash moment, and now he was thinking to much about it.

He stopped at the top of the stairs and heard her shower running. The mud had been caked thick on her hands, and when she had wiped her face, he would have loved to see the streaks she had made. The dark night had hid most of her features from him, but what moon and starlight he did have, but what he saw thrilled him. Jack moved to his room, and stripped off his shirt, and jeans. He laid in his bed, and thought of the woman across the hall, naked in her shower. His mind undressed her, and he imagined his hands running over the smooth, firm skin, he hungered to touch, and taste. Jack felt his cock hardened and he ran his palm over it, wanting nothing more then to remove his briefs and have Elizabeth beside him. He punched his pillow and rolled over, burying his head in its softness, a frustrated growled left his lungs. Jack finally succumbed to exhaustion, though his sleep was full of the woman in the house.

***** Elizabeth woke up the following morning, the sun fully lighting her room. Her head hurt and her eyes told her to pry them open. She rolled over in bed, and looked at the time. Tossing the covers back, she cursed, and leapt from the bed. "Jesus," she muttered. "I haven't slept past noon in a decade or more!" She hurriedly got dressed and headed downstairs. Her feet stopped short as she stepped into the kitchen. A rose and a note rested on a plate with bagels and jars of jam to one side. Elizabeth looked around and saw her truck gone, but knew that Jack was using it. She sat down and picked up the note. It was a simple one, written by him. She read the words and tucked the note in her pocket. He'd gone to town, and would be back after lunch.

She sat back and ate her bagel, smeared with strawberry preserves. Elizabeth thought about last night, and how he had pulled her from the ground, and kissed her. She knew that slapping him had been more of shock and anger, not at him, but for her loss. Her fingers rubbed the bare spot on her hand, now nothing but a small discolored ring on her finger. The "cheater's ring" she had heard it called, but for her it was the Widow's ring. She had taken her rings off once, but quickly pushed them back on. Now she had no option, they were gone. She bit back the tears, and finished her light meal. Since Jack would not be there for lunch she grabbed an apple on the way out the door, and reached for the basket to gather the eggs with. Inside was another note, this one telling her he had all ready gathered, and fed the chickens, and taken care of Blaze.

Elizabeth sighed, and thought about what she could do. He would be back later with the supplies, and she hadn't thought to call Mack and have him put it on her tab. She hoped Jack had mentioned her and had all the things put on her account, but somewhere deep inside she knew he probably hadn't. She would find a way to pay him back, perhaps making him his favorite foods while he was here. Heading back to the house, she decided she'd invite Scottie over, to give her a lift, back to his place. A visit to Sarah sounded good to her, and she'd do a little homework on her house guest while she was there.

Jack arrived back from town and drove to the back of the barn, unloaded the plywood, paint, and other various things he thought of as he was in town. Then he drove the truck back to the house and unloaded the groceries he thought would come in handy for Elizabeth. Once inside he realized she wasn't home and then noticed the note. He called up his sister and told him he'd be over to pick up Elizabeth in just a few minutes. She invited him to dinner, so Jack took a few extra moments to put on some fresh clothes, that looked nicer then the ones he had planned on wearing for the rest of the evening. He went ahead and shaved early, then headed out the door, his eyes glancing at Blaze as he left. Jack felt a new project building in his mind, as he headed to his sister's ranch.

Once there he greeted his nephew, and his girlfriend. Sarah's husband Robert rounded the corner of the house and eagerly greeted him. Before he had even managed an attempt to see his sister, he was working side by side on a tractor with his brother-in-law. They discussed the repairs he was planning on doing over at Elizabeth's, as well as the corral he had all ready fixed. He declined Robert's offer to send Scott over to help out with the repairs. Jack knew he wanted to spend as much time on that ranch alone with Elizabeth as he could. The thought of having his young nephew all over the place, wasn't his idea of fun.

Jack looked over toward the voices he heard coming from the barn. His eyes took in Elizabeth and his sister. He thought about how beautiful and alive she looked when she was with others, and he noticed the difference in her smile. Jack realized she hungered for company, whether she knew it or not. "Robert," he turned back his attention to the task at hand, and waited till his brother-in-law responded, before continuing. "You got any horses you can free up for the next three weeks?"

Robert looked up and then over to his wife and his sister-in-law. He chuckled and shook his head in amazement. Sarah always had a plan and it looked like the one she had in her head was starting to become a reality. "Wanting something to ride over there at Lizzie's?" He smirked at the sneer and then ducked as the shop towel was thrown at him.

"Yes. I need to get that horse of her's moving, and I figured she'd tag along for the ride. At least that is what I'm going to try and get her to do."

"We've got more then a few to spare, I'll have Scottie ride Butter out and she can use him, unless your planning on her riding Blaze, then I'll send Tornado to you." Robert pictured the silver grey stallion and grinned, very few could intimidate the animal, but he knew his brother-in-law could handle him.

He thought a moment, then answered, "You best send over Butter. I don't even think she wants to ride, and I don't think she wants to ride Blaze. If I'm wrong, then I'll ride Butter, no reason on having the two stallions together."

"No, but since you don't have a mare in heat over there, they'd get along decently."

Jack agreed, and before long the two men had finished the needed repairs, and celebrated the roar of the engine turning over. They headed into the house, grabbed a couple of beers each and settled back outside under the shade of the large maple tree. The branches hung low, and the two men watched the women moving through the flower beds. "How's it going over there?"

The question pulled Jack from his musings and he took a drink of his beer. "The first day, was rough, slept after I made it a point I was staying. Well, after your wife made the point clear over the phone to her."

They laughed, and he continued. "I did those repairs, and went into town today. I haven't been with her yet, so I'm not sure I can answer for how it is going. Seems to be all right. She is warming up some. She really misses him though."

"They'd been married for 10 years, when he had that wreck. She's only 33, and really doesn't need to be alone. Hell, she still has plenty of time to live and love life. Shit, if I wasn't in love with Sarah, I'd be hounding Lizzie's porch all night."

Jack laughed, and stood up, "Well, I think I'm going to try and convince Mrs. Wallace that I should be hounding her bed, and not her guest room."

"Don't toy with her, and hurt her Jack. Sarah and I would have a hard time forgiving you." He said nothing else, as he went inside for the steaks, returning moments later to see Jack heading toward the women. He shook his head, hoping that Sarah knew what she was doing, then he headed to the pit to cook the steaks.

Elizabeth had seen her truck as soon as she and Sarah had left the barn, her eyes quickly scanned and caught the sight of Jack. Her stomach had done a few flips, and she had to be readdressed by her friend a few times, before she got her attention back to their earlier conversation. They had discussed the first full day of Jack's stay, and Elizabeth admitted that his help over the next few weeks would be a great weight off her shoulders. They talked about a few things from Jack's past that Elizabeth had been grateful for learning.

She had found out about a very serious relationship, that went sour, after he had found her with a good friend of his. That had led to a tangle of depression, but over the past several years, he had become his old self, full of laughter and kindness. Elizabeth felt herself lucky at being at the receiving end of his kindness, and hoped to experience more of his laughter. She watched him approaching, and her eyes lit up. His captured hers, and he moved in to step between her and his sister. "I do believe you lovely ladies need an escort to the picnic table."

Sarah laughed as she felt her brother's arm slide around her and bring her close. She had missed him, and she hoped that his time with Elizabeth would grow into something more permanent. She wanted that closeness with him again, and having him in Arizona instead of LA, would be a dream come true. She smiled up at him, and laughed. "I think I can make my way on my own, escort Lizzie if you feel she'll lose her way." She left the two and headed up to her husband, thoughts of the couple left her mind, as her eyes captured those of Robert's.