Ann: A Love Story Ch. 36

Holding up the T-shirt to show Ann the script black 'Cowgirl' emblazoned on the front, I said, "It looks like somebody beat us this spot."

Ann's mouth flew open wide, and she covered it with her hand as she looked at the garment in my hands. "Aunt Helen!" she mouthed as she pulled her fingers away from her lips.

"And Uncle Marty," I said, pointing at the area in the hay where they'd obviously spent more than a little time together.

"Holy shit! That is so cool!" Ann said. It was an interesting reaction, but I felt the same way. Somehow, even from afar, we'd seemed to influence another couple to branch out sexually. I handed Ann the shirt, and her thoughts changed from giving me a blowjob to something else entirely. She got practically giddy, and said, "Let's go inside."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann and I walked through the sliding glass door hand in hand. She led us over to the counter of the bar and we sat down on the tall bar stools, looking over the counter. Val was in the kitchen, making herself a snack.

"Hey guys. Neil, Sean asked me to apologize, but he had to go and meet up with some friends. He was going to ride back on his bike and say goodbye, but Mom wouldn't let him. She was worried it would spook Roxy and she might throw you since you aren't experienced riding. So, he said to tell you that he loved meeting you."

"Oh...well, tell him the same when you see him," I said, relieved that he hadn't ridden back. I couldn't help but think that Helen had covered for us, knowing what we might be doing. I admittedly didn't know a lot about horses, but they didn't seem to react at all when Sean had come home revving the engine of his motorcycle. When I looked outside with Christina in my arms, they never even looked in the direction of the noise. I figured at the time they were used to it. So, it seemed unlikely that Roxy would have thrown me.

"So, did you two have fun?" Val asked enthusiastically.

"Yes," we both said almost simultaneously.

"Wow...I guess you did. Can I make you something to eat?" she asked.

"No thank you," Ann said politely.

"Neil...how about you? Would you like to split my sandwich with me?"

"Are you sure?" I asked, not wanting to appear too needy, but I was famished.

"Please...I have a hard time making a half a sandwich, but that's all I really wanted. Here, let me get you a plate."

"Val you don't have to. I can..."

"Oh yes I do! After what you did today, you're lucky you have a fiancée, or I might just pay you back a whole different way!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, a little bewildered at how Val was looking at me.

Ann let out a laugh. "I've seen that look on her before, baby. You might want to cover your crotch."

"Why? Is she going to kick me in the balls?"

"She's more likely thinking about licking than kicking, lover," Ann said, winking at me.

My head snapped toward Val, who was leaning over the counter toward me, licking her lips seductively. My eyes flew wide open, along with my mouth. "Look...I'm..."

"Relax, Neil. I said if you weren't engaged. But you are. So this will have to do," she said, sliding a plate with half a club sandwich and some chips on it. "What can I get you do drink?"

I shook my head and said, "I was thinking about water, but I think I may need a beer now."

Val poured me a cold glass of water from a pitcher in refrigerator, giggling as she brought it to me. When she slid it across the counter, she placed her hand on mine, patting the back of it. "I really do mean it, Neil. I want to thank you for what you did today. I don't know what in the world you said to Dale, but he's scared. And for the first time in my marriage, I stood up to him and laid down a few rules...and he said OKAY!"

"What did you say to him, Neil?" Ann asked.

"Yeah," Helen said, walking in behind us with Marty in tow. Helen was wearing her same plaid shirt she'd worn over her T-shirt, but now it was buttoned and tucked into her jean shorts. Ann took the T-shirt in her hands and quickly stuffed it between her thighs on the seat to hide it.

"I didn't do that much, really," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Bullshit," Val and Helen said at the same time.

Marty laughed out loud. "We all saw you talking to him, Neil. And he hasn't acted the same since."

"He actually played with that little girl on the floor like you did. He's never done that before...or changed a diaper, which he did earlier," Helen said, acting mystified. "And he's actually giving her a bath right now. They've been in there for a half-hour, and they're both laughing. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything. I may have insinuated that he was lucky to have a woman as great looking as Valerie, and that if he didn't get his shit together, he was going to get cut off."

"Really?" Val said, not believing me.

"Yeah."

"Wow...I'm glad he bought it, because I'm not sure I can go without sex that long."

"You wouldn't have to Val. If you dumped him, you'd have a new guy in no time," Ann said.

"That's what I told him," I chimed in.

"WHAT...Really? You said that?" Val snapped, almost in a panic.

"Now it's your turn to relax," I said, patting her hand like she had mine a moment before.

"I...I'm not thinking about leaving him, Neil! I just..."

"I never said you were. I only planted the seed that you could, and that if you did, you'd do fine. He, on the other hand, has amazingly overachieved. And he knows that now. He also knows that if he screws up, there's a consequence."

"But, I just said..."

"I know, Valerie. You're not planning on leaving him. But, I maaaayy have also insinuated that if he doesn't watch himself, he could have a different price to pay."

"What kind of price," Helen asked.

"Well, he kind of got his dander up and tried to be all big and tough. But when I stood up, he backed off. So, he tried to use the fact that I don't live around here, and so there was nothing I could do about it."

"And?" Ann asked with a smile, knowing I'd done something to intimidate him.

"I sort of nodded toward Sean and told him he didn't have to worry about me. Of course, it helped that Sean was giving him a death stare at the time," I chuckled.

"Well, that's not all that unusual. Sean's always wanted to pop him one," Marty chortled in response.

"Well, now he thinks that's a real possibility," I said.

"Wow. I don't know that to say. I'm just glad I don't have to go without sex. That would have sucked," Val said bluntly.

"Valerie!" Helen scolded.

"What? You're embarrassed because I like sex?"

"No...but that's not something I think you should be discussing in front of Neil."

"Mom...he brought it up!"

"She's right Aunt Helen. Neil always has sex on his mind. That's why I love him," Ann giggled.

"Well, Neil's a man...and that's what men do. They think about sex," Helen said.

"So do I," Ann said with a smile. Pulling the T-shirt from between her legs, she added, "And apparently, so do you. You left this in the stall in the barn."

Helen's color went past both pink and red, her face flushing instantly to a wonderful shade of crimson. "I...I...got hot!"

"So, you take off that shirt, and then you take off this T-shirt, and you put that one back on?" Ann said as she pointed at the shirt Helen was wearing.

"Uh...yeah," she stammered. Her eyes shifting back and forth, looking to a place to hide.

"Well, that explains it Ann. I guess I was wrong. I could have sworn that place in the hay in that stall where we found the shirt was a little love nest. I mean, it sure looked to me like a woman had been on her back there with her knees pinned up near her ears," I said, staring at Helen.

Her mouth dropped open, and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my God! You could tell that from the hay?" she exclaimed.

"He can now," Marty said with a chuckle. Looking at me, he said, "Good bluff son. Remind me never to play poker with you."

"NEIL!" Helen yelled out.

"Well, in my defense, you really can tell you were lying there. I just made up the part about your knees being pinned back," I said with an evil little grin.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann's naked body lay pressed against mine, our legs intertwined as we breathed together. They were deep, peaceful breaths. My right arm was draped around her, my hand gently gripping her left breast; her back pressed into my chest as we spooned under the covers. It was dark, but we'd left the drapes open so we could look at the stars through the big window in the spare bedroom of Uncle Marty and Aunt Helen's house. It was Ann's old room when she's lived there when she first moved to California.

Ann's right hand was tenderly rubbing the outside of my thigh, occasionally slipping behind to tickle my ass with her fingernails, making me flinch forward and press my cock deeper against the crack of her smooth, silky ass. Whenever she did, I'd playfully pinch her nipple in retaliation, making her let out a soft, sexy giggle.

"I still can't believe you got Aunt Helen to admit that she'd been bent over by Uncle Marty. I can't get that image out of my head," Ann said quietly.

"Image? It wasn't like you were watching them," I replied into her ear, my hot breath making Ann moan a little.

"No, but I can imagine what it must have looked like. Well, to an extent anyway. I mean, I'm not trying to picture them naked...but you know what I mean. I can't help it. She was so embarrassed at first."

"She got over it," I said, gripping the flesh of her tit a little tighter, and then letting my fingers ease. Ann slipped her hand over mine, lacing our fingers together.

"Yeah, because you're so damn charming. One minute you're embarrassing her by tricking her into confessing she'd been fucked like a slut, and the next minute you have her laughing about it and sharing the details. Even Uncle Marty talked about it."

"So?"

"So...you amaze me. I'm thinking she's going to kick us out of the house, and the next thing you know, she's forcing us to stay the night."

"Ummm...I'm glad. It got us into bed a lot sooner than if we'd driven to your place."

"It's not my place, Neil. It's Chad and Dana's. But I'm glad too. I love being close like this."

~*~*~*~*~*~

The hours after Helen let it spill out that she had indeed been fucked like a slut in an empty stall in the barn flew by. And they were, to say the least, interesting. After the initial shock of outing herself, Helen seemed to revel in the thought of doing something so spontaneous and outrageous for her. So much so that she kind of relived it, telling us details that I never would have imagined. Even Marty chimed in from time to time, correcting Helen on certain points...like the fact she had attacked him, not seduced him as she was claiming.

At nine, Dale came into the kitchen and told Val they needed to get going. He said that Christina was tired, and he was worried she'd fall asleep there, and she'd be a nightmare the rest of the night if they had to wake her up just to get her ready to leave.

Val walked around the bar and got to within inches from his face, a scowl on hers as she stared deep into his eyes. They blinked rapidly as she looked at him; she was stoic, and frankly, a little frightening. Dale's eyes widened, fear reflecting in them as he tried to avoid her stare. "Okay...but remember our deal," she said, patting him on the cheek, almost slapping him. He looked at me, and then nodded before scurrying off to pack up Christina and all the paraphernalia that comes with having a young child, so he could get it all in their car.

Helen looked at Val, who shrugged her shoulders and said, "Dale and I had a little talk. I think he's seen the light, but we'll see."

"What's the deal you were talking about?" Helen asked.

Val smiled and said, "I took Neil and Ann's advice. I'm cutting him off."

"I thought you said you couldn't go without sex," Ann said with a laugh.

"I'm never said I was cutting myself off. I'm not going without it...he is."

Helen started to freak, and said, "Valerie...you're not..."

"Calm down, mother," Val said. Whispering, she continued, saying, "I'm not going to screw around on him. But now he knows it's a possibility. I've told him ever since I took him back that he owes me a free one anyway. He just never thought it was possible before. He's thinking a little differently now though."

"So it's just a threat?"

"Sort of. What I meant was I'm cutting him off...and he's only going to get it if he does what he's supposed to do. And most of that is taking care of me, if you know what I mean."

"I'm not sure I do, sweetie," Helen said.

"Let's just say I'm going to make sure he finally puts that big mouth of his to better use than just drinking beer!"

Ann started laughing and gave Val a huge hug. I grabbed the portable crib they had, and carried it out to their car, meeting Dale in the driveway. He hadn't seen me coming up behind him, and he screamed like a little girl when he turned around and almost walked into me.

I laughed and said, "Relax, Dale...it's just me."

"What are you doing?" he said, a little perturbed that I had come outside.

"I brought you this," I said, handing him the crib.

"And I suppose you brought this because you thought I couldn't do it?"

"What's that mean?" I asked.

"That's what this was all about today, wasn't it? Showing me up because everyone thought I couldn't do it. Well, I proved that I could, didn't I!"

"Dale, no one said you couldn't do it...whatever the fuck IT is. No one thought you WOULD do it. And now that I hear you, I can tell that you didn't do it for the right reasons. So, I guess you didn't learn your lesson, did you!"

"What lesson is that?"

I reached over, and grabbed Dale by the collar, dragging him towards the side of the car away from the house, and forcing him up against it so that we were out of sight. He started trembling, and I drew my arm back, and clenched my fist. Dale's eyes got wide, and he was shaking his head.

"D...don't hit me...please!" he begged.

"Why...I'm about to do you the biggest fucking favor in the world."

"Hitting me is a favor?"

"Uh huh. I'm about to put you on a diet, you fat, lazy bastard. All it's going to take is one punch, and you won't be eating solid food for a month. And that's the favor...because when Val leaves you after I tell her you were just proving a point, and you weren't serious about being a real husband, and a real Dad...you MAY have a chance to get laid again because you won't be as big of a cow as you are now. Of course, you'll still going to be an idiot...my knocking you out can't fix stupid!"

I pulled my hand back farther, like I was going to deck him, and he shrieked again. He didn't try to defend himself, or anything. He just closed his eyes tight and said, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!"

I grabbed him with both hands on his collar and shook him.

"What didn't you mean?"

Dale opened his eyes and said, "I was just trying to be...tough. I didn't want you to think..."

"WHAT...didn't you MEAN!"

"I didn't mean what I said. I learned my lesson. I really did. And I'll do what Valerie says. Everything!"

It was hard to tell if he was sincere. He was sincere in that he didn't want to get punched out. And I'd left no doubt in his mind that I was not only capable of doing it, I could have. I didn't like having to go the violent route. In fact, I hated it. But the thing is, if you're going to use it in a bluff, then you had better be prepared to back that up if you need to. I doubted going in that I would have had to...but when he'd challenged me, trying to restore the little manhood he thought he had, I reacted.

Would I have hit him? It was hard to tell. I suppose the answer is yes, if only for that little girl. Christina didn't get to choose who her Dad was. But she certainly deserved a father. It was just a question of whether Dale had the guts to step up, and grow up.

But, I wasn't taking any chances. He'd slipped up once before and screwed around on Val. Now he slipped up, and tried to challenge the need for change just a couple of hours after he seemingly did. It takes a while for change to take. I wasn't willing to leave, and just hope.

Pressing my forearm into his chest, I pinned him against the car. I leaned in close, and gritted my teeth as I snarled at him like an angry bear. "I promise you this, Sluggo. I'll find you. I don't care how far away I am, I'll fucking find you. You're not that smart, and you leave a slime trail a mile wide. I love Ann, and Ann loves Val...which means I do too. And if I EVER find out that you've hurt Val...or God forbid, Christina...I will find you, and I will finish this. I'll fucking finish this, and you'll be eating baby food the rest of your miserable fucking life. Are we CLEAR on that!"

"Yes sir," he said quietly, surprising me.

I left Dale, cowering in the shadows by the car. As I walked onto the patio, I passed Marty, who was sitting in a lawnchair in the dark. He looked up at me, and I took a deep breath, waiting for a reaction. I knew he had heard. That's why he was on the patio to begin with. But he didn't say anything. He just stood up, and put his arm around me, walking me into the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie and her family were on their way home, and for the most part, we all knew what would be happening when they got there. Ann and I should have left at the same time, but Helen convinced us to stay just a little longer, on the pretense that they really didn't get to visit with us alone. I didn't feel comfortable saying no, and Ann felt we should stay a little longer, considering all they'd done for her when she first moved out to California. She felt it was the least we could do to appease them...and we were having a good time, so there didn't seem to be a rush to go.

We sat in the living room and talked...well, we laughed. It turned out to be a hilarious evening. I found Marty to be much like Marlin in a lot of ways. He was old school wise, but he we also engaging, with a biting sense of humor. Helen was as smart as she was beautiful. But she had a real earthy quality to her. She had a country girl freshness that I thought was both honest and adorable.

It was in the middle of a story about how Marty and Helen built the barn when I noticed for the first time the chimes of the Grandfather clock in the front hallway going off. We all stopped and listened, as they continued on well past what time we thought it was. Looking at my watch, it said 3AM, which confirmed that it was midnight on the couch I was relaxing on.

"Wow...we really need to get going, Neil," Ann said as she stood up.

"Nonsense. You're staying the night," Helen said standing up to block Ann's way toward the door.

"Aunt Helen...we can't impose on you like this," Ann said

"Anna Renee...it's after midnight, and it's over ninety minutes to your house. I'm not letting you drive this late on a Saturday night...too many things can go wrong."

Ann looked toward me for help, but I shrugged my shoulder. "She's right, babe. There's no reason that we should be pushing ourselves like this."

"Well, I can think of one," she said, giving me a wicked little grin.

Helen let out a big laugh, and said, "Sweetie...relax. Sean is spending the night at a friend's house, and you know our bedroom is clear on the other side of the house. You two can do whatever you want and we won't hear it."

"See babe, now there's no reason to go. Besides, I'm getting tired myself. Let's just stay and go to bed."

"Good...it's settled. You know where everything is. Neil, please make yourself at home, okay?"

"Okay, Aunt Helen. Thanks," I said, getting up and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Marty wished me a good night, and leaned over to kiss his niece. "You picked out a good one this time, Anna. I'm happy for you," he said softly, but I was still able to hear it.