Everything Happens for a Reason

The next thing I knew, I heard a knock on my door, and when I opened my eyes; it was dark. "Hey Tommy, you asleep in there?" said a familiar voice, from the other side of the door.

"No, I'm awake," I answered into the darkness of the room.

"Can I come in, sweetie?" said the voice.

"Come on in," I replied, as I reached to the bedside table to switch on the lamp that sat atop of it.

As soon as my eyes adjusted to the softness of the light bulb, I saw a vision standing before me that most men only dream about. It was Laurie, barefooted and in a pair of denim shorts cut just long enough to be considered decent, by whose standards I wonder, showing off her long smooth, tanned legs. In addition, she had on a University of Montana tee shirt that, once again, exposed her beautiful midriff to me. Her dark brown, almost black, hair hung loosely around her shoulders as it gently glided down her back, stopping just above her beautiful butt. I was momentarily stunned until she walked gracefully across the room and sat down beside me on the bed. "I sure didn't mean to sleep so long. What time is it?" I asked, trying to take the edge off of what I was feeling just being near her.

By this time I was sitting up but was still stretched out across the bed and Laurie reached to me, and gently putting her hand on my lower thigh, said, "It's time for dinner, are you hungry?"

At that moment time my stomach growled, making us both laugh and I replied, "Yeah, I guess so."

She stood, and taking my hand making me rise up out of the bed, said, "Well come on then, handsome. Besides, I made something real special tonight, just for you."

As we walked out the door, I smiled and asked, "Oh yeah? What is it?"

"It's a surprise," she said, as I followed her down the stairs.

Before I hit the last step, a warm and soothingly familiar aroma hit my nostrils and in less than a nanosecond I uttered, "Lasagna!"

"Your Mom said that it was your favorite thing to eat so thought I'd make it for you on your first night here," said Laurie.

Before I could reply, Mike appeared in front of me grinning, and pointing to the kitchen, said, "Come on in. Hell son, the smell of this stuff being cooked has had me starving for over an hour now." About that time, and almost as if scripted, my stomach chose to growl again right on cue, only this time, it was much louder. Mike howled with laughter, as did Julia and Laurie, and Mike smiled and said, "I guess you're stomach is in agreement whether you are or not, huh?" Then, pointing to the dining room, he added, "Come on in here and let's eat." We all made our way into the dining room and sat down at the table which, by the way, was very nicely set.

The food was waiting on the table the moment I sat down. Mike sat at one end of the table while I was seated on the other. To my left sat Julia and to my right sat Laurie. Once everyone was served, Mike cleared his throat then grinned at me and said, "Dig in son. It ain't gonna jump off the plate and into your mouth." This suddenly stuck me as funny and I began to laugh.

Laurie looked at me smiling and said, "That's first time I've seen you smile since you've been here. Now, eat before it gets cold."

I just grinned and said, "Yes ma'am," and dug right in. The second the lasagna hit my palate, I closed my eyes and experienced a culinary delight like never before. I must've been making noises, because once I swallowed and opened my eyes; everybody was staring at me and smiling widely.

Julia looked at me and said, "Tommy, honey, is the food to your liking, sweet boy?" causing Laurie to fall into a fit of giggles.

"Damnit!" snapped Mike, "You two leave that boy alone!" Then while winking at me he announced, "Besides; a man that enjoys his food enjoys life. Ain't that right Tommy?"

"Yes, sir," I replied. Then looking back at Julia, I added, "In answer to your question, yes, ma'am. It's the best I've ever tasted. I went to Italy when I was in the Navy and the lasagna I had there was no where near as good as what I'm eating now." Then I looked at Laurie and said, "I mean it. This is the best I've ever had."

She looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes sparkling brightly and replied, "Thank you, Tommy. That really means a lot to me."

"You're very welcome," I replied, with a wink. I ate until I could hold no more.

The moment I pushed away from the table, Julia reached over and patted my hand and said, "Don't go anywhere just yet, Tommy. I want you to taste my contribution to this feast." In no time, a coconut crème pie was sitting in the middle of the table. Julia looked at her daughter and said, "Go get some plates and forks, please, baby-girl."

"Okay, Mama!" smiled Laurie, as she rose and then disappeared into the kitchen.

After I'd eaten the pie, I knew that if I didn't get up and walk around, I'd be miserable for the rest of the evening. So, I stood up, and patting my stomach while smiling, said, "As good as everything was, I've got to walk around a little bit because I'm not used to eating like this, at least not all the time anyway."

Laurie stood up and came over to stand beside me and, taking my hand, replied, "That sounds like a good idea. You don't care if I come with you, do you?"

Before I could reply, Mike rose up from the table and announced, "Oh no you don't, young lady. You're gonna help your mother clean up all this mess in the kitchen. Besides, I'm sure Tommy is getting tired of all the flirting and fawning you've been doing over him ever since he got here."

Her face immediately began to brightly burn with a crimson blush, and looking at her father in near tears; she screeched, "DADDY, HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?" and then she swiftly bolted up the stairs. Moments later I heard the sound of her bedroom door slam.

"Michael Watson! You shouldn't have said that to her. You just embarrassed the life out of that poor girl! What's wrong with you?" scolded Julia, and then she added, "Just for that, you're going to help me clean up this mess, dammit." I was caught standing there not really knowing what to say or do until, with a noticeably gentler tone of voice, Julia looked at me and said, "You'll have to over look him, Tommy. Sometimes he opens his mouth without thinking about what comes out of it," Then peering up the stairs from across the dining room, she added, "Don't worry about Laurie. She'll be okay. You go and take a walk. Everything will be alright, okay sweet boy?"

"Yes, ma'am," I replied. Then I went to the front door, opened it and after walking out, closed it behind me. As I stepped off of the front porch, I found myself becoming mesmerized by the view of the night sky above me. I'd never seen anything more spectacular than what I was looking at right then. Sure, I'd seen the night skies in Texas and they were as beautiful as the night skies I'd seen in the Navy while I was at sea. However; when I looked at the full moon as it beamed across the mountainous horizon and all the stars that twinkled brightly around it, I felt something stirring deep within me that I'd never experienced before now.

You see, when I was in the service, I managed to complete the training it took to become part of the U.S. Navy's SEAL Teams and the work we did was extremely dangerous. During my time there I saw, and was exposed to a number of very terrible things. We did our jobs like were trained to do and had a very high success rate, but some of it had come at a very high price, because as we all know, freedom does not come free. I'd yet to deal with the nightmares that doing that kind of work is known to induce, but because of the fact I'd been so busy since I got home; my mind hadn't really had the chance to think about it......until now.

Suddenly, I felt all alone on the earth and the souls of the enemies that I'd defeated, as well as those of the friends that I'd lost, all seemed to be coming back to haunt me all at once. As I walked down the long driveway and onto the road, my steps began to quicken to a more brisk pace, and it wasn't too long before I found myself running with tears stinging my eyes and raining down my face. For the first time in many years I was in a bit of a quandary, having never experienced these kinds of emotions before. I showed no emotion at my father's funeral because I wanted to remain strong for my mother. But now, all the emotions that I'd kept bottled up for so long seemed to pour from me like the swift waters of a raging river. I began to run as fast as I could until I couldn't run anymore. I wasn't exhausted by any means. I was just tired. I then sat down in the middle of the deserted road, and holding my head in my hands, wept like I hadn't done since, I can't remember when.

I didn't know how long I had been sitting there, but even though it was summertime, the night air in Montana is still quite chilly and I soon began to feel it. I stood up and brushed myself off and headed back toward the house, wiping my face and eyes as I walked. I looked at my watch and cringed when I realized that I'd been gone for a little over four hours. I knew that everyone would be worried sick so I picked up my pace, and in hardly anytime at all, I found myself walking up the driveway as the house came into view. I walked up the steps and onto the porch and just as I reached for the door, it slowly came open. I found Laurie standing there with a look on her face that I had yet to see.

"I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable," she said meekly. It was right then that I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns.

I took her hand, and after closing the front door, led Laurie into the living room to sit next to me. We sat down on the couch together and as I looked into her eyes; I knew that this was going to be difficult for me but still; I braved through it. Releasing her hand, I said, "Laurie, you've done nothing wrong. It's me who should be apologizing to you."

"You apologize to me, what on earth for?" she asked, bewildered.

"I want to apologize to you for not being more myself and for not being honest with you from the start." I replied, with eyes cast downward, looking at the floor.

Suddenly, her countenance transformed back into the beautiful face I remembered when I'd first arrived at the airport, and putting her soft and gentle palm to my face; she made me look into her eyes and then replied, "I've got something I want to tell you and I'm not really sure how you're going to react to it. But, I want you to be totally honest with me now and tell me what you think once I'm done with what I have to tell you."

"That sounds fair enough." I said.

It took a moment for her to get her thoughts together, but then she took a deep breath and began, "When I was a little girl and we were living out on your family's ranch when Daddy worked there, I always looked forward to when you would come home from school and play with me. I still remember the horse-back rides that I got to go on and you were always there with me. I remember the picnics we had in your tree house. I also remember all the times I used to sneak up on you and spit water on you, but you never once scolded or rejected me for it. I know that this may seem like a very long time ago to you, but it is as fresh as yesterday in my mind. I guess what I'm trying to tell you Tommy is that, I fell in love with you when I was a little girl and I've never stopped loving you since." When she finished, I saw tears forming in her eyes, threatening to pour down her cheeks and before I could respond she looked at me and added, "Sounds pretty childish, doesn't it?"

I knew that telling me her innermost thoughts and secrets was, more than likely, the hardest thing she'd ever done. Yet she faced it bravely and pushed through it with full force. I don't care who you are, that takes guts. It was at that moment right then that, I not only respected her more than any woman I've ever known, but the spark of an old boyhood flame began to ignite itself within me once again. So, I looked at her and said, "Laurie; there's nothing in what you said that stuck me as being childish, not in the least. You wanted honesty? Well, here it is. You're not alone in your childhood feelings. I felt something back then too, but I was still too young and immature to know what it was. While I'm not sure whether or not it was love, I knew that I really missed you for a long time after you left. When I grew up and as I got older, the girls in my school made me forget about it for the time being. Then I joined the Navy and saw the world and began to find that I had a sort of gift for being able to...uh...I guess the best word to say would be, interact, with women."

"You mean, you knew how to get into their panties, huh," Laurie playfully interrupted.

I laughed and continued, "Yeah, you're right. But then I came out here and saw you. Even though it's been years since we were around each other, I feel like that six year old little boy all over again, and to be totally honest; I'm standing on unfamiliar ground here. And, I'm not talking about just being in Montana for the first time either, I'm talking about how my feelings are when it comes to you." There, I'd said it. Now the ball was in her court.

While I saw a momentary spark of excitement in her eyes, Laurie smiled and gently took my hand, then looked me dead in the eye and replied, "I'll tell you what, Mister Tommy Mason; why don't we take the time to get to know each other again and see what happens, okay?" Then she stood up and said, "I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

I agreed and followed her up the stairs until we reached the opposing doorways of our bedrooms. I took her hand again and said, "I'm glad we had this talk."

She smiled brightly at me and gently patted my hand and said, "Me too, sweetie! Good night, Tommy," and then she went into her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Chapter Four

The next morning I awoke at 7:00 am to the aroma of something wonderful coming up the stairs. I got up and made my bed. Then after cleaning myself up in the upstairs bathroom where I showered, shaved...etc.; I got dressed and went down stairs.

The second my foot hit the living room floor I heard Julia say, "Good morning, sweet boy, how are you this morning?"

"I'm fine, thank you," I replied, looking into the dining room to find Mike, Julia and Laurie already sitting down to breakfast.

Julia stood up and said, "Let me get you something to...."

"No, thank you, Ma'am," I interrupted, "If you'll show me where everything is, I can help myself, please."

I saw where Laurie got her bright smile from as Julia leaned up, and with her back to her husband and daughter, hugged me and said, "You sweet, sweet boy." Then she turned around and looked at her family, and while still talking to me, smiled and sternly said, "Maybe your good manners will rub off on a couple of other people I know that live here." This time I couldn't help but laugh...out loud too.

Mike chuckled, and after reaching over and gently patting Julia on her right hip; he stood up and put his arms around her and replied, "I'm sorry, darlin," and then he added, "Here, you sit down and let me show Tommy where everything is, okay?" Julia just winked at him grinning and returned to her seat knowing he would be back to join her momentarily. After I got a cup of coffee and a plate full of food, I sat down at what was now my place at the table and began to eat.

"Your Mom said that you're pretty good with cattle, Tommy," said Mike, matter of factly.

"Yes, sir," I said, having just swallowed the first bite of my breakfast.

Motioning to his daughter, Mike grinned and asked, "Would you mind riding with Laurie out to the north pasture today and bringing home the few stragglers that are still up there?"

"I wouldn't mind at all," I said, "As soon as I get finished eating we can go if that's alright with you, sir."

"There's no hurry. Eat as much as you want, son," said Mike, with a hearty laugh.

As soon as I finished eating, I took my plate and coffee cup to the sink and rinsed them out then put my dirty dishes into the dishwasher. I looked at Laurie as she came up behind me and said, "Let's go saddle up the horses and I'll show you around the place."

We went out to the stables and as soon as I entered; the sights, sounds and smells reminded me of home and gave me a warm and soothing feeling of comfortable familiarity. Going to one particular stall, Laurie looked at me and said, "I know you can handle it so I'm gonna let you ride Jessi. She's a new broke philly that has a lot of spunk and she's still just a little green. Don't give her too much rein, because she'll try to take off with you."

I walked into the stall and gently caressed the nose of the beautiful creature that stood nobly before me. God truly gave us a gift when he made the horse. Jessi gave me a low whiny and a gentle nod of her head. I walked in closer to her and looked into her eyes, and while still rubbing her muzzle, said, "Easy girl, I'm not gonna hurt you." As Jessi began to relax, I held her head close to my body and gently blew my breath into her nose and softly said, "That's it, pretty girl." All at once Jessi layed her head against me and gently nuzzled me, letting me know that she was content with me. Then I looked at Laurie and said, "I think Jessi and I are gonna be just fine."

She grinned and said, "I think so too." Then she handed me a leading rope from off the wall within the stall and said, "C'mon and get her ready to ride while I saddle up my horse, Gus." After showing me where all the riding tackle was stored, ten minutes later we were both mounted and headed out.

As we rode into the northern hills, I could see the house and the additional buildings slowly disappearing from sight. And as I began to take the cool and clear mountain air into my lungs, a refreshing feeling began to sweep over my every fiber, making me realize that my mother had been right. The air up here was doing me a world of good. Jessi was responding to my every command and the longer I sat upon her back, the closer to being one we became. I've been riding horses since I was five years old and a lot of people don't realize how aware of its rider's feelings that horses really are. Horses are what I call, gentle giants. God blessed us when he put such a kind soul into such a powerful body. The more comfortable you are on the horse that you're riding, the better ride you'll have.

Laurie hadn't said anything to me at this point and we'd been riding for almost an hour, but for reasons unknown to me at the time, I wanted to let her be the first one to speak. As we came around a wooded bend, I saw a wide flat, mile-long grassy plain that gently sloped roughly ten to twelve degrees up to the top of a mountain foot hill. Laurie grinned at me and said, "I'll race you to the top!" and then took off.

I leaned forward in the saddle, and giving Jessi full rein, gently prodded her flanks with the heel of my boots and said, "Fly baby, fly!" She took off like a shot out of a cannon, and in what seemed like seconds, we were half way up the hill, leaving Laurie and Gus about four to five lengths behind us. I could hear Laurie laughing wildly as we rode. We reached the top with Laurie and Gus only a few seconds behind us.

Laurie and Gus came to a halt behind us and as I dismounted Jessi, Laurie looked at her wildly and said, "God, you got her to run a whole lot faster than any of us ever could!" Then she got down off of Gus and walked over to me and Jessi and gently rubbed her neck, patting it tenderly while whispering "Good girl," into Jessi's ear. Taking Jessi's reins from my hand and taking Gus's in the other, Laurie tied the horses off to a small log near a rather large grass pile and then looked at me and said, "C'mon, handsome, I want to show you something!" I followed her to an outcropping that overlooked one the most breathtaking scenes I'd ever born witness to. As far as my eyes could see, lay a vast expansion of mountainous wilderness. It was lush and inviting while at the same time dark and foreboding, but it was truly one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen before. "This is the start of the Oxbow. It's probably one the very few places left on earth that has never had many human footprints on it, and in some places, never!" said Laurie.