Montana Summer Ch. 14

Everyone there was a couple with the exception of two, Ryan and a girl named Cheryl. She was a tall slender girl, willowy in appearance with long light brown, wavy hair. She was cute with large, brown eyes and a few freckles around her nose.

Cheryl looked uncomfortable as they walked into the theatre she finally turned and looked at Ryan. "You're probably a nice guy, but I've got a boyfriend. He's at state right now."

Ryan felt a bit more at relaxed now. He grinned at Cheryl. "Well, we have something in common then. I've got a girlfriend and she's at state too."

"Cool," Cheryl responded. She felt a bit more at ease now. She didn't know Ryan and had only seen him around at school. She was only vaguely aware of what happened to him earlier this summer. This was only from phone calls with her mother as she had spent most of the summer traveling with her boyfriend and his family.

---

Jessi was having a good time with Josh and Becky. She was glad that Josh had asked her to come along. The place was packed and the band was good. Josh had explained on the way to the dance that all of the fire departments in the county participated and the proceeds went to aid burn victims.

He had waited long enough. It was time to make his move. He casually walked to the table where Jessi was sitting. The band had just finished a song and had started into another. He tapped Jessi on the shoulder and flashed a smile at her, "Would you care to dance?"

Jessi looked at Becky. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "Why not, go dance. We're not going to ditch you and take off."

She stood up and laughed. "You better not. I have the keys."

Becky was having the time of her life. She found that her and Josh shared a taste in music. As she watched Jessi dancing she leaned over and asked Josh, "Do you know who he is?"

"Nope," he replied. "I don't think I've seen him before."

As she danced, Jessi found her mind wandering to thoughts of Ryan. She wondered what he was doing. It had made her happy when she convinced him to go to the movies with some of the people from his classes. She had felt a tinge of jealousy when she thought about Laura Hannah being there, but had fought it off.

After the song ended, Jessi smiled at the guy that had asked her to dance. "Thanks for the dance."

He felt a little chagrined, because during the dance she seemed too preoccupied. Her eyes had looked distant and she had paid very little attention to him. "We're already up here. Would you like to dance one more?"

She looked over at Becky and Josh. They seemed to be engrossed in conversation. Jessi wanted to give them their privacy. It was with a bit of reluctance that she agreed to dance to the next song. He looked attractive, but there was something about him that was unsettling. She couldn't put her finger on it.

"Well, did you have fun?' Becky asked as Jessi sat down.

Jessi shook her head. "There is just something creepy about that guy. When he looks at me, it feels like he is trying to see me naked."

Becky looked around to get another look at the guy that Jessi had just danced with. She had been to busy talking with Josh to pay much attention to him. "That is creepy."

"Yo! Josh! What are you doing here with one of my ex-patients?" It was Lisa, the nurse from the hospital.

Josh turned around and grinned. "Hey, Lisa. Mom was asking about you."

Becky smiled happily and stood up and gave Lisa a hug.

"How are you feeling, girlfriend?"

"Really good," Becky replied. Lisa was holding on to the arm of a man and he looked a little older than Lisa.

"This is Brian." Lisa introduced the man at her side. "He's a writer and is doing a story about Montana." She pointed to Becky, "She was a patient of mine, and this is her friend, and you've met Josh before.

The man who had danced with Jessi maintained his vigil from his vantage point. She was the one he wanted tonight. The way her breasts had jiggled slightly when she danced had turned him on. He would touch them tonight with his hands, lips, and his cock. It was only a matter of time. Whether she knew it or not, she was coming home with him tonight. One way or the other, she had no choice. He would wait a few more songs and go ask her to dance again. It had angered him that she had paid precious little attention to him. He kept his rage subdued. After all, there was more than enough time after he had her at his place to satisfy all of his urges.

The band started playing a slow song and Josh looked at Becky, not sure if he should ask her to dance. Becky could sense his hesitancy and reached down and squeezed his hand. "Aren't you going to ask me to dance?"

Josh swallowed and managed a grin. "Would you like to dance?"

Jessi smiled as she watched them walk to the dance floor. She was just about bursting with happiness for Becky. She thought that Josh was the perfect guy for Becky. 'They look so cute together,' she thought. Becky's bubbly personality seemed to fit perfectly with Josh's quiet, laid back manner.

Becky liked how it felt to be held by Josh as they danced. She laid her head against his chest as they moved with the music.

'Damn!' Jessi thought as she saw him approaching.

He flashed his smile at Jessi again and pointed to the dance floor. "Would you like to dance again?"

There was something about him that set Jessi on edge. She found the thought of him touching her in any way repugnant. "No, I would prefer to sit this one out.'

Still smiling, he thought, 'You'll pay, bitch. You'll pay tonight for telling me no.' He pulled out the empty chair at the table and as he sat down he said, "Is this seat taken?"

It sounded to Jessi like more of a statement than a question. He was already in the chair before she could speak. She hoped the song would end soon and that Josh and Becky would return. She didn't like being alone with this guy.

"So, you don't like slow songs?" He tried to turn on his charm that had worked so many times in the past. He had been disappointed that the girl seated next to him hadn't made the usual comment on how he looked like a certain actor.

"Well, I do, but..." Jessi looked for Becky and Josh. She had lost sight of them on the crowded dance floor.

"Oh, by the way, my name is Lance." He offered his hand.

"Jessica." Jessi reluctantly shook his hand.

Through the corner of his eye, he could see her friends leaving the dance floor. He might as well give it a shot. He wasn't worried though. If this direct approach didn't work, he still had his backup plan in his pocket. "So, would you like to go somewhere? So we can get to—know each other better."

Revulsion poured through Jessi's body. She knew exactly what his inference meant and it gave her chills. Her reply was curt and cold. "No."

"C'mon baby, I could have my pick of the girls in this dump. I decided to let you be the one for me tonight."

His sheer arrogance annoyed Jessi. "I said no! And no means no! No, not now! No, not later! No, not ever!"

She was glad that Becky and Josh had returned. Feeling the safety of her friends, she looked at Lance. "Now, that you've overstayed your welcome, leave!"

Becky looked at Jessi with a concerned look as the man got up from table and glared at the three friends. "What happened?"

"Something about that guy scares me. He asked me to go with him, so he could get to—know me. He then told me that he had decided that he was going to let me be the one tonight."

Josh shook his head. "Jeeze, if balls were bricks, he'd have a mansion."

Jessi and Becky laughed at Josh's comment. It had broken the tension that had been felt at the table.

---

The movie had been quite enjoyable. Ryan was glad that he had been beside Cheryl, because it had put her between him and Laura.

They had gone to the local pizza place after the movie and had talked about the movie as they waited for their food. Again Ryan found himself sitting next to Cheryl.

"What do you plan to major in?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet. That's why I decided to stay here and not go to state this year. I thought I would do some core classes this year and then hopefully I can decide." Cheryl had noticed how Laura had kept staring at Ryan, how she had tried to put herself next to him, and how Ryan had managed to avoid her.

"What about you?" she asked. "What's your major going to be?"

"Agricultural administration," Ryan replied. "I was going to major in communications, but I changed my mind."

As the evening wore on, Cheryl found herself more and engrossed in conversation with Ryan. She found him interesting to talk to. When she finally looked at the time and at the empty table, she realized that she and Ryan were the only ones left.

"Well, it looks like everyone bailed out on us," she commented.

Ryan had only been vaguely aware that people had left and hadn't paid much attention to their goings either. "Yeah," he laughed. "And probably stuck us with the tab too."

"Oh." Cheryl hadn't thought of that. "I've got some money..."

"Don't worry, I'll get it." Ryan grabbed the bill from the table and walked to the register.

"Do you need a ride home?" Ryan asked after he had paid the bill.

Cheryl looked around "Well, I guess I do. I came with Tammy and Paul, and since they've left, I'm sorta stuck."

"I'll drop you off." Ryan smiled.

She was impressed when he unlocked the door to his truck and held the door for her. When they stopped at her house she was even more impressed when he had gotten out of the truck and again had opened the door for her.

"Thanks for the ride, Ryan. And thanks for everything else. I had a good time," she said after she had gotten out of the truck.

"I had fun, too," Ryan replied. He looked Cheryl in the eyes. "Listen, I know you have a boyfriend, and you know I have a girlfriend. I was thinking that maybe every now and then we could go see a movie and grab something to eat together. It's not really a date, but like tonight. We could just sit and talk."

Cheryl studied Ryan's eyes. "I think that would be kind of nice." She hesitated for a moment and then kissed Ryan softly on the cheek. "You are a sweet guy, Ryan."

Ryan watched her walk up the sidewalk to the front door. Once she was inside, she turned and waved. Ryan returned the wave and then got into his truck and headed out to the ranch.

As he drove home, his thoughts were of Jessi. This time next week he would be with her. They would have the whole weekend to spend together.

---

Lance was waiting for the perfect opportunity. He was keeping a vigilant watch on the table. Her words still stung in his ears. He would show her. No one ever told him no. As he watched, he fantasized about what he would do with her. He could feel his erection straining in his pants, aching for release.

'What was her name?' He struggled remember. 'Bitch, that's your name tonight. Suck my cock, Bitch. Would you like me to fuck you in the ass, Bitch?'

Outwardly, he looked calm, and looked to be just watching the crowd. Inside, a rage boiled over. The only thing that would quench the fires of this rage and lust would be the total humiliation of the girl.

Becky and Josh got up to dance again. Jessi got up at the same time. "I'm going to the little girls' room."

Josh turned his head and called to Jessi. "Mention my name and you'll get a good seat."

Jessi rolled her eyes and headed towards the bathroom giggling.

Now! This was the chance he had been waiting for! The vial was open in his hand as he walked towards the table. He stopped at the table and pretended to be looking around. The hand with the vial paused over the top of the glass of Coke that sat in front of where Jessi had been sitting. Several drops fell into the glass. He headed out to his car. He had some preparations to make.

Jessi returned to her seat and went to take a drink. The glass was to her lips when she stopped. Something glistened on the ice cube. The top of the drink looked oily. She carried the drink back to the bar. She set the glass on the bar and called to the bartender, "Can I have a Coke please?"

He could feel his heart racing in anticipation as he walked back into the dance. He had arrived in time to see her sit down and take a drink. 'Success!' The thought raced through his mind. He checked his watch. 'Thirty minutes! Thirty minutes and the bitch is mine.'

He watched the minutes tick by and softly he counted them out, one by one. It seemed to take an eternity. He could still remember the words of that whiny bitch of a grandmother. She was always quoting from the bible. 'All good things come to those who wait.' Her words echoed in his mind and for once, her words had a ring of truth to them.

Time was up. Now he just had to wait for his chance.

Jessi's hands were sticky from some spilled soda. While Becky and Josh were off dancing again, she decided to go wash them. She looked in the bathroom mirror and smiled. Her cowboy was coming next weekend.

She had just left the bathroom when she felt her body slam against the wall. It was him! She felt his hand squeeze her breast roughly.

"I think it's time we left, dear." His words were laced with sarcasm. "I think you've had a bit too much to drink."

He liked how her tit felt in his hand. He could hardly wait until she was in the car. He knew he wouldn't be able to wait. He would get a good look at them there. Then he would take her back to his place.

The thought made his mind spin and it turned him on so much that he saw lights. Lights, bright white lights, lights so bright that they hurt. Pain! Searing pain! He fought the urge to vomit as he doubled over in pain. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't understand for the first few milliseconds at what happened. His balls felt like they had been smashed with a hammer.

Jessi had driven her knee up as hard as she possibly could into his groin. "FUCK YOU!" She had screamed at the top of her lungs as her knee had crushed one of his testicles.

One of the firemen that had been tending bar had heard Jessi's screams and had gone to investigate. When he found the man doubled up on the floor, he looked at Jessi and asked. "What happened?"

Jessi shook head. "I have no idea. I came out of the bathroom and..." She pointed to the man on the floor. "He slammed me against the wall and started to grope my breast and mumbled something about how it was time for me to go home with him."

"What happened to him?"

"I pulled down hard on his shoulder and kneed him in the crotch as hard as I could," Jessi replied.

Becky had heard Jessi scream and had leapt from the table and ran in the direction of the bathrooms. Josh was in hot pursuit right behind her.

"That was danged scary." Becky couldn't believe what had happened.

"I thought there was something creepy about him." Jessi still felt shaky from the incident.

Josh walked back over to the girls. "I was talking to one of the deputies. He said they found some drugs on him. They think it's that date rape stuff."

The drink that had looked funny flashed back into Jessi's mind. "Oh my God! When you two were dancing, I went and washed my hands. I got back and went to take a drink and something looked funny, like there was an oily film on the top. I wonder if he drugged my drink with..."

Becky didn't want to say what was on her mind.

"That's not all," Josh continued. "They searched his car and found duct tape and rope. They found a digital camera in the car, and it's got pictures of girls that he has done this to before."

Jessi shivered at the thought of him touching her.

---

Ryan and Bill had been up since before the dawn. While Suzanne had prepared breakfast, they had saddled the horses and had them into the trailer. The sun was just threatening to come up over the mountain to the east when they mounted the horses.

The air had a bite to it this morning and the frost was heavy on the ground making it look almost white. Ryan was glad he had thrown an extra sweatshirt on under his jacket. He fished around in his coat pockets and found his gloves and pulled them onto his hands.

Once away from the truck, the scene of Ryan and Bill riding could have taken place anytime in the past century. Both were wearing battered cowboy hats and well-worn coats. Their jeans were covered by leather chaps that were deeply tanned from years of use. A cowboy from the 1890's would have found their tools of the trade very familiar.

Ryan scarcely noticed the weight of the gun belt on his hip anymore. It had become routine when he went out riding on the ranch. Over the past few months, he had done some shooting and had become more proficient with the weapon. It now felt like an extension of his arm when he shot.

Bernie was glad to be out of the corral and to feel the weight of the man on his back. He felt the urge to run and to feel the air whipping at his head. In the distance, he heard the sounds of cattle and he knew that he would be working. Bernie enjoyed the thrill of the chase and the battle of wills that it took to get a stray back into the herd.

Bill reined his horse in and Ryan followed suit. "Look, over there at the edge of the trees." Bill's voice was a quiet whisper.

Ryan followed Bill's finger with his eyes. "Wow," he whispered. A huge bull elk stood at the edge of the trees and was staring at the two men. Ryan marveled at how regal the creature looked. His rack of antlers was impressive; they spread wide and high from his head like a crown of horns. The dark hair around his neck gave the appearance of that he was wearing a mantle.

The elk finally turned and trotted into the bush and out of sight. Bill turned to Ryan. "I never get tired of seeing that."

"He looked..." Ryan searched for the word he was looking for. "Majestic. It felt like this was his land we are on and that we were intruding."

Bill nodded. "That's a good way of putting it. You are right. His kind have been here longer than us, and probably longer than any of the Indians as well."

Bernie shook his head and whinnied as to say, "Okay, let's get to work."

Ryan laughed and scratched the horse's ears. "Yeah, yeah, I can tell. You want to get after those cattle."

"There are times when I could swear that horse understands you," Bill joked as he urged his horse forward.

Ryan had to agree with his uncle's assessment. He had felt a bond between them from the first time he had ridden Bernie.

They could see the main body of the herd and most of the animals were still resting on the ground. Bill suggested that they ride up to the end of the pasture and begin to sweep back down, rounding up any lone animals along the way.

Bill scanned the pasture with his binoculars, searching out any cattle that were away from the main group. He pointed to a thicket about a hundred yards away. "Looks like there is one bedded down over there."

Nodding at his uncle, Ryan touched his spurs to Bernie and headed towards the small grove of young aspen. Once he got closer, he could see that the animal was dead. He turned and waved at Bill, motioning for him to follow.

Ryan dismounted and looked at the remains of the young steer. He estimated that the animal was about half eaten.

Bill examined the area and looked for any clues that might tell how the animal had met its death.

"What do you think happened?" Ryan asked.

Bill shook his head and pointed at the ground. "Can't really tell. All I can see are some coyote tracks." He knelt on the ground. "I doubt the coyotes could have done this, but there is no doubt that they've been feeding on the leftovers. Might have been wolves, or it might have been a bear."

"Wolves?" Ryan questioned. "I didn't think there were any left in this part of the country."

"Well, they started reintroducing them down in Yellowstone a few years ago. Walt says he saw some wolf signs last winter." As he stood up, he cast one last glance at the dead steer. "If I was betting,I'd put my money on the bear. Wolves generally don't leave that much behind."