City Slicker Ch. 03

Story Info
Casual sex turns out to be true love.
7.8k words
4.73
23.5k
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Part 3 of the 5 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 07/04/2004
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It was late Saturday evening when J.D. and I pulled up in front of the barns at the Lazy K. We didn’t waste any time getting the horses unloaded. After walking them around to limber up their tired legs, we put them in adjoining stalls with plenty of water and feed.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” I commented to my grandfather, standing at Indian Summer’s stall.

“They’re both beautiful.” J.D. responded, putting his arm around me. “I’d say you made two good decisions today.”

“You’re gonna do all right expanding our operations.” He added. “You’ve got a good eye for horses.”

After grabbing a quick shower and opening a cold beer, I sat in my grandfather’s office going through my emails. J.D. had already gone to bed, leaving me to tend to business.

“Want me to unhook the trailer?” Cody inquired, stepping through the French doors from the patio.

“No. Leave it hooked up.” I replied, pulling my robe around me. “I may need it tomorrow.”

“Saw you bought two horses.” Cody remarked, sitting down across from the desk. “How many more are you planning on buying?”

“Enough to fill both barns and keep them full.” I replied. “Depends on how well the horse market performs.”

“With the economy improving, I expect people will be doing a lot more buying than selling.” I added.

“Speaking of performing, how about you and me headin’ down to my place for the night?” Cody suggested with a grin.

“I thought I made myself perfectly clear about that yesterday.” I declared. “Evidently, you didn’t listen.”

“I didn’t take it seriously.” He asserted. “I figured you were just ticked off at me.”

“Do yourself a favor. Take it seriously.” I declared. “My advice to you is get yourself another girlfriend.....or get yourself another job.”

Cody realized I wasn’t kidding. My icy cold stare and stern look emphasized the words I’d spoken. He stepped out of the office, making his way hurriedly back to his trailer.

“What a jerk!” I thought. “You’d think he’d take what I said seriously.”

It was well after midnight before I finally shut down the computer and went to bed. I slept through the night into the late morning hours. It was approaching 10am when I finally woke up. Slipping a light robe around myself, I sauntered out to the kitchen, still half asleep.

“Thought I’d let you sleep in this morning.” My grandfather remarked, pouring me a cup of coffee. “Hope you didn’t have anything planned.”

“Not really.” I responded, looking out the kitchen window toward the barns. “Thought I’d do a little shopping over the internet. See if I can find us some more good horses.”

“Michelle, why don’t you take the day off?” J.D. suggested. “Or, work on your book. You haven’t taken any time for yourself since you got here.”

“I know. I know.” I replied. “I prefer to write of an evening, not on the weekends.”

“There’s a big sale down in Amarillo, Texas next weekend.” My grandfather stated. “Three days actually. Starts on Friday.”

“Really! Let’s go!” I exclaimed excitedly.

J.D. informed me about the sale which was to take place at the fairgrounds in Amarillo. Along with afternoon and evening auction events there were several barns set up for direct selling and expo halls with vendor and manufacturer displays. It all sounded very interesting.

“I’ll book us a couple of rooms.” I suggested. “Maybe we can get something close to the fairgrounds.”

“Hah!” J.D. laughed. “You’ll be lucky to get a hotel room close to Amarillo! This horse sale draws people from all over the U.S.”

Logging onto the internet, I found out just how true my grandfather’s statement was. It took over an hour of searching through hotel bookings before I finally received confirmation on two adjoining rooms at the Sheridan Inn on the west side of Amarillo.

With the trip being only three-hundred and sixty miles for us, my grandfather and I decided to leave early Thursday morning. J.D. suggested we take the four-horse gooseneck trailer instead of the one I’d gotten used to. Pulling it with the Ford flatbed truck would also be another new experience I’d have to endure.

Monday morning, right after breakfast, I started prepping for the trip. Contacting the auction company and setting up an account was my first accomplishment. Getting the Ford extended cab truck serviced in Canon City was my second.

Tuesday, I spent the better part of the day getting the four-horse trailer prepared for the trip. After putting fresh straw and sawdust down for bedding, I stacked several bales of hay in the tack room. Filling the onboard water tank and making a comprehensive check of the trailer completed the task.

Wednesday, I did laundry and packed clothes for the trip. My grandfather insisted on my wearing dress clothes for the events instead of casual clothing. It was easier to comply with his wishes rather than argue with him.

“This ain’t no local horse show!” He declared. “This is the big time! Lots of buyers and sellers are gonna be there for this event. I want you lookin’ like a ranch manager, not a stablegirl.”

By Wednesday afternoon, we were ready for our trip. Even with all the work I’d had to get done for our trip, I’d still managed to find time each evening to work on my book. With my grandfather relaxing in his favorite recliner, watching one of his many favorite westerns, we were falling into a comfortable routine.

Shortly after 9am Thursday morning, we drove through the entrance to the ranch on our way to Amarillo. The Ford truck, with its diesel engine, handled the large trailer effortlessly. It took awhile for me to get used to pulling the lengthy trailer. I kept an eye on the rearview mirrors for several miles before finally relaxing.

Traveling through northern New Mexico gave me a chance to see a part of this beautiful country I’d never seen before. Cruising along at seventy-five miles an hour, my eyes took in the picturesque scenery and small towns that dotted the interstate. By early afternoon, J.D. had dozed off after reclining his seat back. At least he wasn’t distracting me with his constant pointing out of minute details about the landscape.

The trip went smoothly with us making our arrival in Amarillo around 4pm in the afternoon. The skyline of the city reminded me a lot of Chicago, except on a much smaller scale. Getting the horse trailer parked amongst the others in the hotel parking lot was a little nerve-racking. Thankfully, my grandfather slept through the entire ordeal!

Our adjoining rooms were on the fourth floor of the Sheridan with a view of the interstate and every fast-food restaurant known to man. After getting situated in our rooms, we decided on dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. The excitement of being in Amarillo and attending the horse expo and sale was quite evident in J.D.’s demeanor. I felt the trip was as beneficial to his health and well-being as his medication.

Early Friday morning, after a good night’s sleep and a light breakfast, J.D. and I headed over to the fairgrounds. The traffic was heavy but flowing smoothly. After being directed to one of the numerous parking areas, we donned our western hats and proceeded to the main exposition hall.

Entering the huge building, we found the registration center for the auctions and picked up a sale catalog along with brochures detailing all the events. From there we strolled casually through the building, looking at all the displays. Everything from saddlery and equestrian equipment to horse trailers and trucks designed for towing were on display.

My grandfather was particularly interested in the saddlery dealer’s and vendor’s displays, looking at all the latest in show equipment. While some were quite expensive, much of it was marked down during the expo. The only things we picked up were catalogs and business cards for later reference.

Walking amongst the newest in horse trailers, we found everything from the bare basics to the absolutes in luxury. J.D. was especially intrigued with the horse trailers equipped with living quarters.

“I’ve always wanted one of these.” He stated. “Maybe we should look into getting one. Whatta you think?”

“They’re nice.” I replied. “But they aren’t cheap. It’s something to think about though. They’d be nice for horse shows and overnight trips.”

The Sundowner four-horse trailer with living quarters that we were standing in was priced at just over sixty-thousand dollars. The same trailer without the living accommodations was a lot less than half that price. I didn’t want to discourage my grandfather’s interest but I didn’t want to promote it either.

The two of us spent most of the morning strolling through the display booths and vendor sales areas. We stopped for lunch in the food court, resting our tired feet as much as fulfilling our appetites. I’d worn high heels with my black dress slacks. My feet were starting to pay the price.

“Whatta you wanna look at next?” My grandfather inquired. “I saw some ATV’s that might be useful on the ranch.”

“We should probably look at the horses going through the sale this afternoon and evening.” I suggested. “That’ll give us a better idea of what we might want to bid on.”

Ambling through the barns, we stopped and looked at almost every horse that was going through the auction. The stallions were absolutely magnificent but nothing I’d want to have on the Lazy K. They were too temperamental and often destructive. Although I wanted to breed our own line of horses, I wanted to use different studs and utilize artificial insemination procedures. It was safer and easier for the mares.

“J.D.! You ole’ horsethief!” A voice yelled out as we were looking at an Appaloosa gelding in his stall.

“Roger! Roger Garrett!” My grandfather exclaimed with a grin. “What the hell are you doin’ here?”

I turned to see two men approaching, both wearing dark western style suits and black western hats. One of the men, whom I guessed to be in his late forties, extended his hand toward my grandfather. The other man, much younger, couldn’t have been much more than twenty-five.

Both men shook hands with my grandfather and exchanged pleasantries.

“This little filly can’t be the granddaughter you’re always bragging about?” The elder of the two men asked with a grin.

“You bet she is!” J.D. exclaimed, beaming a big smile. “This is Michelle Gray and she’s my new ranch manager.”

“What?” Roger Garrett questioned. “I thought you were a famous writer?”

“I’m still writing.” I explained, shaking hands. “I’m doing both.”

“This is my son, Wade.” Roger stated, introducing the younger man.

Wade tipped his hat while we shook hands. His gesture caught my attention since it’s something you rarely see except in old western movies.

“Ms. Gray.” He muttered, while we clasped hands. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” I responded, smiling softly.

Wade Garrett stood a few inches taller than me, close to six foot. His western suit fit him perfectly, accenting his broad shoulders and slender waist. I could see his hair was short and dark brown in color. His eyes were shaded by his light tinted sunglasses but I could see he was looking me up and down.

“How’s your father doing?” My grandfather asked Roger. “Is he here with you?”

“Dad’s not doing too well.” Roger answered, sounding quite disheartenment. “He’s about given up since his last stroke.”

“You oughta come down to Fort Worth and see him sometime.” He suggested. “You know, before something happens to him.”

“I’ll do that.” My grandfather declared. “Maybe I can cheer him up a little.”

“Speaking of cheer, how about coming out to the motorhome with me and having a beer?” Roger suggested.

“Sounds good to me!” J.D. exclaimed. “Michelle, you wanna join us?”

“Oh.....no.” I responded. “Think I’ll look around some more, then go on to the auction arena.”

“Wade, why don’t you accompany the little lady?” Roger suggested.

“That won’t be necessary. I can find my way around.” I quickly responded.

“Unless, Wade really wants to accompany me.” I added, muttering the words.

“It’d be my pleasure.” Wade asserted, smiling. “It’ll give the two of us a chance to get acquainted.”

While Roger and my grandfather proceeded out to the motorhome, Wade and I went our own way. With the handsome young man walking alongside me, it was difficult to concentrate on looking at the horses. “I take it your family has a ranch in the Fort Worth area.” I surmised. “How many acres do you have?”

“One.” Wade replied with a laugh.

“One!” I exclaimed.

“Yeah. My parents live in one of those gated communities.” Wade explained. “I’ve got an apartment on the west side of Fort Worth.”

“We board our horses out by Weatherford, about forty miles from Fort Worth.” He added.

“How do you like living on a real ranch?” Wade asked. “It’s got to be awesome!”

“It is!” I replied. “It’s so much different than Chicago. Almost like another world.”

We kept chatting as we continued looking at the horses. I sensed Wade wasn’t near as happy as he let on. He worked for his father, who was a real estate developer. From hearing him talk about his work, I could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

I’d reserved a private table with a computer for the auction events. I felt the additional fee was well worth the money. It afforded a great vantage point of the arena as well as comprehensive details about each horse as it came up for bid. I was a little nervous since this was my first time at any kind of auction.

“What kind of horses are you looking for?” Wade inquired.

“Quarterhorses.” I replied. “And, Appaloosas and Paints.”

“What about you?” I asked. “What are you looking for?”

“Dad and I are lookin’ for a good cutting horse.” Wade responded. “We’re thinking about going out on the circuit. Just on weekends and holidays, not full time.”

Wade and I watched the first few horses run through the auction. It gave me a chance to see how the bidding was conducted as well as get a grasp of the computerized information system. When a registered sorrel mare was led into the arena, she grabbed my attention. The computer listed her as three years of age and fifteen hands high. The owners had her billed as highly suitable for western pleasure and show events.

“She’d be perfect for the ranch.” I stated, looking at Wade.

“Bid on her!” He exclaimed. “See how your lucks running!”

The bidding started at three-thousand dollars, then quickly escalated to thirty-nine hundred. Catching the eye of one of the auction assistants, I raised the bid to four-thousand. There were four bidders competing for the horse. I waited till two of them dropped out before placing another bid. The auction assistant kept his eye on me as the other bidder and I bantered back and forth. I eventually won out with a winning bid of fifty-five hundred dollars.

“Sold to the Lazy K Ranch!” The auctioneer shouted over the public address system as he slammed his gavel down on the podium. It was a statement he’d make a few more times during the afternoon.

My grandfather and Roger Garrett joined us as I was bidding on a beautiful four-year-old chestnut mare with a standing foal by her side. At a little more than fifteen point two hands high, her conformation and markings were outstanding. The young filly, identical in color to her mother, pranced freely around the arena. She was putting on quite a show as the bidding became heated between me and five other bidders. When the bidding reached fifteen-thousand, all but two bidders dropped out. It was between me and a middle-aged couple from Oklahoma.

I bid with a slight nod of my head immediately after being outbid by the couple. The bidding reached twenty thousand dollars and kept climbing in five-hundred dollar increments. I was seriously considering dropping out and conceding the auction. I noticed the couple started discussing the bidding between themselves. I took it as a sign they were reaching their limit so I decided to stay in. The auctioneer was asking for another five hundred but the couple declined. We won the auction with a bid of twenty-four thousand dollars for the pair.

“Sold to the Lazy K Ranch!” The auctioneer shouted, pounding his gavel down on the podium. “The little lady wins another one!”

“You oughta come down to Fort Worth and work for me.” Roger jested. “I could really use you in my real estate business.”

“No thanks.” I responded, grinning. “I’m happy right where I am.”

“How about joining us for dinner this evening then?” Roger suggested. “There’s a great steakhouse not far from here.”

I could see my grandfather liked the idea so I agreed. The four of us left the auction arena proceeding out to the Garrett’s motorhome.

Parked amongst others in a special area set aside for campers, their Holiday Rambler motorcoach was the absolute in luxury. Light oak cabinetry and leather furnishings, complimented by textured tile flooring and thick carpeting, gave it the feel of a home rather than a camper. Expanding sidewalls at the livingroom and diningroom with another in the rear bedroom gave it spaciousness and allotted for more amenities.

“Maybe we should look into gettin’ one of these motorhomes.” J.D. suggested. “Sure make it nice traveling and pulling them horse trailers.”

“Thought you wanted a horse trailer with living quarters.” I responded, sitting down on the leather couch.

“Well, I did till Roger showed me around this rig.” My grandfather replied. “This might be a lot more suitable. Sure be a lot more comfortable.”

I surmised it’d also be a lot more expensive. Either way, both had their pros and cons.

Wade joined me on the couch, handing me a glass of cold beer. Kicking off my high-heels, it was the first chance of the day for me to really relax. While Roger and J.D. discussed old times, Wade and I talked about his prospects for buying a cutting horse. Since I was also in the market for cutters, it put me in an awkward position in that I might end up bidding against him. Hopefully, he’d find his horse early in the auction proceedings.

Saturday’s auctions were much more crowded than the day before. Sitting at our reserved table, the four of us watched as several horses went for extremely high bids. The outlook for being the successful bidder looked dismal at best. The longer we sat there, the more discouraged I got.

“Let’s go look around the expo for a while.” I suggested to Wade. “Doesn’t look like we’re going to do much good here.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” He assented. “I’d like to look at some new saddles and bridles.”

Leaving J.D. and Roger to sit through the auction proceedings, the two of us strolled through the sales areas. Wade found a show saddle and bridle he liked without much trouble. Priced at nearly four-thousand dollars, he didn’t hesitate to spend the money. I saw some items that we could use at the ranch but I thought it best to wait till the final day to see if the prices would come down a little.

Back at the motorhome, Wade stored his new show saddle in the storage compartment underneath the motorhome.

“How about something cold to drink?” He offered, opening the door to the motorhome.

“Sounds like a good idea.” I responded. “I’m dying for a cigarette.”

Wade poured us some iced tea while I lit up a cigarette. Being alone with him, I sensed something was about to happen between us. If he tried something, I wasn’t sure how I’d react.

I didn’t have much time to think about it. Wade pulled me into him, kissing me softly on the lips. My lips responded to his, sharing the intimate moment. I could feel his hands rubbing lightly over my back as we embraced and prolonged our kissing. My hands on his shoulders, grasped him tightly, not pushing him away as they should.

“I’d like to make love to you.” Wade muttered. “It’s all I’ve thought about.”

“What about your father and J.D.?” I questioned. “They could come back here at any minute.”