Only When It Rains

The feeling of having her body pressed so closely to mine was beginning to have an effect on me that I'd not felt in years. So, before she could feel what was beginning to awaken between my legs, I gently eased her back and asked, "What're you thanking me for, Marlee?"

"A lot of things really," she smiled, while taking her arms from around me and playfully scooting me over, away from the kitchen sink, "But mostly just for being such a kind and gentle man."

"Thank you," I softly replied, "That was a very nice thing to say."

"Don't get a big head,' she giggled, teasing as she began to wash the dishes, refusing all attempts to help, "You're still a brat."

"Whatever," I laughed, shaking my head.

~~~~~~

After the first time I talked with Marlee I could tell that she was an intelligent woman. However, throughout the course of our conversation that evening; I discovered that I had only seen the tip of the iceberg earlier, and that Marlee was a truly brilliant woman. With the exception of Jane, Marlee was one of the very few women that understood what I was talking about, and I was thrilled by not having to repeat or explain myself, not even once.

And the more I talked to Marlee, the more she began to remind me of Jane. While they looked nothing alike, there was still that air of relaxed, yet tender familiarity. However, with Marlee there was something so compelling about her, and I was having the hardest time trying to mentally grasp what it was that drew me to her so quickly. Maybe I would figure it out, maybe not. Either way, I knew that I wanted to know more about her. Still though, I wasn't going to jump in with both feet, I wanted to take the time to get to know her better....a whole lot better.

~~~~~~

"Thank you for coming over tonight, Michael," Marlee cooed, as I stood by my truck, getting ready to leave.

"Thank you for inviting me," I smiled, "I enjoyed the meal, but nearly as much as the company."

"You're a good man, Michael," Marlee purred, placing her arms around my neck and hugging me closely, "I'm so glad that we met."

"I'm glad that we met, too," I smiled, reveling in the feeling of her unfettered breast as they pressed against my chest, separated only by the thin material of our shirts.

"Well," I guess I'd better go inside," she smiled, breathing a little heavier than usual. And I could also make out the protrusions of her nipples as the pointed themselves at me beneath her tee shirt, confirming the fact that Marlee was braless; God, what a beautiful woman, "Goodnight, Michael."

"Good night, Marlee."

~~~~~~

A lot of things went through my mind that night as I drove home. I didn't know how I knew this, but I could somehow feel that everything was going to be alright; and the storm that once raged within me was beginning to show signs of coming to an end.

I found Marlee's razor sharp wit to be absolutely charming, and the playful banter that went on between us earlier felt as comfortable as an old shoe. Still though, I sensed an unresolved sadness within Marlee that had yet to be faced. She's a strong woman, that much is obviously certain, but I'm sure that I, nor anyone else for that matter, were meant to see that side of her. And in his awe inspiring way, it was at that moment that God suddenly chose to reveal to me, the path to my own salvation. In order to permanently exorcize the demons from within myself, then I was going to have to help Marlee deal with hers, whatever they might be.

~~~~~~

Chapter Four

The next morning I awoke to the aroma of something wonderful coming from the kitchen. Because it was Saturday, I got out of bed and threw on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and then made my way down the hall, straight to the kitchen.

"It's about time you got out of bed, ya bum," teaseled Uncle Jake, laughing as he stood at the stove cooking, wearing one of Aunt Rita's aprons, "What's the matter, m'boy, did that pretty girl wear you out last night?"

"Jake," Aunt Rita scolded, as she came from around the corner, "Leave him alone right now."

"Aw hell, Darlin," Uncle Jake chuckled, "I'm just teasing him a little bit. Quit bustin my balls, why don't ya?"

"I said stop it," Aunt Rita glared, and then in Spanish, angrily added, "Tu pinche loco cabron." (Which translates to, "You fucking crazy old motherfucker.")

I loved seeing this side of Aunt Rita, because in my personal opinion, there's nothing funnier than a Latin woman when she's angry; provided that you're not the one she's angry with. "Thadda girl, Aunt Rita," I cheered, laughing heartily, "Don't take any shit from him."

"If I've told you once, I've told you a hundred times," laughed Uncle Jake, as he suddenly grabbed Aunt Rita around the waist, making her giggle and squeal as he hugged her tightly against him, "You better watch your mouth, woman."

"I love you" giggled Aunt Rita, and then she gave Uncle Jake a tender kiss, her palm softly caressing the side of his face.

Suddenly the phone rang, and being nearby, Uncle Jake let go of Aunt Rita and answered it.

"Hello," he said, then suddenly glanced over at me smiling, and replied, "You betcha, come on over and I'll have them ready when you get here, okay," he paused, "Alright, we'll see ya'll in a little bit then, bye."

"What's going on," I asked.

"A lady and her daughter came down from Houston to look at two of my Andalusian colts the other day," Uncle Jake proudly smiled, "And she's willing to pay top dollar, too."

"Oh really," I pointedly replied, "And where was I?"

"Aw hell boy," he laughed, "You were in town flirtin with those two girls."

"That's not funny," I said, the blush rising in my cheeks, "And you know it."

"Oh yes it is," he laughed, "Especially the color of your face."

"This time I have to agree with him, Mijo," giggled Aunt Rita, who'd remained silent until then, "It's very funny."

The after a good laugh, Uncle Jake patted me on the shoulder and said, "Come on and help me bring those two colts in."

"I ought to make you go get them yourself, dammit," I haughtily replied.

"Yeah, yeah," Uncle Jake laughed, mockingly, "Come on, tough guy."

What I forgot to mention earlier was that not only did I begin studying the martial arts at a very young age, but Uncle Jake was the man who taught me everything I knew. He was a very strict teacher, adhering to old ways of training, born in a near ancient time; but he was also my Uncle as well as a friend. The reason that I respected the way that I did had nothing to do with what he did in the Navy, well, maybe a little, but it was that I could tell him anything and everything, and be assured that my confidence would never be breached. So, what that in mind, dear reader, let it be known by all that I would've died for my Uncle Jake if need's be. That's how much I respected him as a man, and how much I loved him as member of my family.

~~~~~~

Uncle Jake and I had cut the colts from the main herd and put them in the front corral. We were standing there talking when e car a solid black, four door Mercedes Benz pulling into the driveway. We walked up to the house to greet whoever was within as soon as they reached the house.

"Is that her?" I asked, as the car came rolling up to the house.

"Is sure is," Uncle Jake replied, smiling.

~~~~~~

As soon as the Mercedes had pulled up, parked, and the engine had been shut off, the driver's side door opened. All of the windows had been dark tinted and I wasn't able to see into the car, nor did I have any idea who was driving. However, when the driver stepped out, one could only imagine the surprised look on my face when I saw a lady that was somewhere in her late fifties, or early sixties. She was extremely pretty, long blonde hair, tied back with a white ribbon, bright sparkling blue eyes and in good, no, great shape. She was dressed very nicely, and in that familiar southern Texas drawl that I've heard my whole life, she walked up to us smiling and said, "Hi there, Jake, nice to see ya again."

"Well, hey there, Rosalyn," Uncle Jake grinned, as they shook hands, "Nice to see you, too, I've got the colts in the front corral, and we can go see them whenever you're ready."

"That'll be fine, Jake," she smiled, then looked at me, "And who is this good lookin young fella here?"

"This is my nephew, Michael," Uncle Jake conspiratorially grinned, his hand on my shoulder, "His last name is Hayes, just like mine, and he helps me run things around here."

"Oh, so, he's your foreman, then," Rosalyn smiled.

"No ma'am," I chuckled, "Aunt Rita just lets the both of us live in the house and eat at the same table. He works me just as hard as he does everybody else around here."

"Shut up, boy," Uncle Jake laughed, his hand playfully cuffing the back of my head, "Mikey, this is Rosalyn Beck. Rosalyn, this is my favorite nephew, Michael."

"It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Beck," I politely replied.

"Oh my, what a polite boy," she giggled, "Please Michael, call me Rosalyn."

"Thank you, Rosalyn," I smiled.

"Well now," she grinned, "Why don't we go have a look at those two colts?"

~~~~~~

"Those are two of the prettiest colts I've ever seen, Jake," Rosalyn said, "I assume you have registry papers, as well as birth and bloodline certificates on them, yes?"

"I sure do," he proudly replied, handing her three large envelopes, "Every Andalusian that I own is either a champion, or comes from champion lineage."

"I've heard some really nice things about you and your horses from several different breeders," she said smiling, perusing the paperwork Uncle Jake had given her, "Besides, I've always wanted my own pair of Andalusians, ever since I was a teen age girl."

"Well, now you do," smiled Uncle Jake, "If everything is in order, why don't we go up to the house and have some coffee and talk a little business, Rosalyn?"

"It's so nice to see you back again, Rosalyn," Aunt Rita smiled, as we came through the back door into the kitchen, "I take it you like the colts then?"

"Oh my goodness," Rosalyn smiled, "Those two are the prettiest babies I ever seen."

~~~~~~

"What do you consider a fair price for your animals, Jake?" Rosalyn asked, as they sat at the table.

"Because their parents are both champions," Uncle Jake began, "They're worth a hundred-thousand dollars apiece, and that's firm."

"I was expecting nothing less," she smiled, reaching into a small valise she'd brought from her car on the way inside. After reaching inside and withdrawing a checkbook, she opened and withdrew a pen, then smiled and said, "Who do I make this out to?"

"Rocking H Enterprises," Uncle Jake said, "I would also appreciate it if you'd note that is for the purchase of the colts, if you don't mind."

"Not a problem," Rosalyn smiled, "How soon can I come and pick them up?"

"Because the check is from a different bank in Houston, it'll take about seventy-two hours to clear the bank here," he politely replied, "As soon as I receive confirmation of deposit, and I'll also have my bank notify you, you can come and pick them up any time after that."

"Perfect," she grinned, "It looks like we'll see you soon then."

"Good enough," Uncle grinned, as they shook hands and the deal was done.

~~~~~~

I spent the rest of the day working on all the things that needed to be done around the place. And as always, Uncle Jake and Aunt Rita treated me as if I were their own. Because of one of the wounds that he received in Vietnam, Uncle Jake and Aunt Rita weren't able to have any children of their own. I guess that's why they lavished all of their attention on me, the youngest of the next generation.

I guess now would be as good a time as any to tell you that Uncle Jake's ranch was one of the biggest in the area; and that he was very well respect by everyone around, ranchers and breeders alike. That's why Dad never had a problem with my being under his brother's tutelage from an early age. My parents both knew that Uncle Jake, because of his life's experiences, would be able to teach me about the things that they couldn't, as well as teaching me to be able to handle myself in almost any given situation.

~~~~~~

As we sat around the table eating dinner that night Aunt Rita smiled and ask me, "How did your date with Marlee go, Michael?"

"I had a nice time," I smiled, still remembering how good Marlee's body had felt, as she pressed herself against me in the driveway before I left, "She's a nice girl."

"She really is," Uncle Jake said, "Maybe you ought to think about...."

"I know where you're going with this, Uncle Jake," I tersely interrupted, "And I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave it alone."

"I'm not gonna leave it alone, God dammit," he angrily exploded, "You need to do some serious soul searching and find a way to move on, boy, or you're gonna let that shit eat you alive."

"What a load of bullshit," I brusquely, as well as a little over zealously replied, "I remember what you said about losing your friends in Vietnam, Uncle Jake, but Jane was my wife, not just a friend. So, until you lose your wife, I'm not asking you to leave it alone; I'm telling you."

I knew that I'd messed up the moment that last word left my mouth, because Uncle Jake stood up, and then with loud and menacing tone of voice, he glared at me and growled, "Because you're my nephew and I love you, I'm going to overlook the way you just spoke to me. But you better deal with this, and you'd better do it quickly, or you're going to deal with me. Is that clear?" As opposed to answering him, I simply rose from the table and then turned and walked away.

~~~~~~

After walking outside onto the front porch, I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I was still pissed off, that much was certain. But as opposed to going back inside and dealing with it before I'd had a chance to cool off, I jumped into my truck and took off for the beach.

~~~~~~

I'd only been at the beach for about an hour or so before it began to get dark. Before the sun had totally set, I'd taken the opportunity to gather plenty of wood in order to build a fire. After I was done I went ahead and lit the kindling beneath the dried limbs and before long; I had a nice fire going.

I sat there on the shore thinking about all the things that Uncle Jake had said to me, as well as the terrible things I'd said to him. I made a mental note to be sure and apologize to him at the first opportunity. After all, he was only looking out for my best interests, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would never hurt me or let anything bad happen to me.

I had been sitting I front of my fire thinking for, according to my watch, for an hour and a half, when I suddenly saw a familiar looking GTO pulling up next to where I'd parked my truck in the sand. After the engine shut off, the door opened and Marlee got out and walked toward me.

The fire was bright enough to illuminate her face, and smiling as she sat down next to me, she said, "I thought I might find you here."

"Hi," I non-chalantly replied, "What're you doing here?"

"I called your house, looking for you," she sweetly told me, "And Ms. Rita said that you and your Uncle had a fight, and that you took off without telling anyone where you were going so, I came looking for you."

"What is it with you southern girls, "I snapped, not really meaning to, "Ya'll can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

"What the hell's gotten into, Michael," she crossly asked, "And why are you acting like this?"

"I'll tell you what's gotten into me," I hatefully spat, "I'm sick and tired of everybody trying to tell me how to live my life."

"Michael, I'm not trying to tell..."

"Then why in the fuck are you here," I harshly interrupted, "God dammit Marlee, can't you see that I'm fucked up?"

"Yes, you are fucked up and so is the way you're acting right now" she angrily replied, "And to tell you the truth, I wished I'd known Jane."

"Oh, yeah?" I hatefully asked, "And why is that?"

"Because I would've told her that she was too God dammed good for you," she growled, looking more beautiful than I could ever recall since meeting her, "And from what Ms. Rita has told me about her, I know that she would be kicking your weepy little ass right now if she were here."

"Fuck you," I viciously barked, "You've got no right to talk about her like that."

No, Michael, fuck you, asshole," she barked right back at me, angry tears now running down her beautiful cheeks, "Ya know, I thought you were special, but no, you're a selfish prick just like every other man I've ever known."

"What is it?" I barked, "Do you wanna fuck, is that it? Well come on then and take off your clothes and I'll fuck you."

Suddenly a disturbing look of fear came across her face as she screamed, "GO TO HELL, YOU SON OF A BITCH," and with that said, she quickly hopped up and raced off toward her car.

As I watched her tail lights fading as she hurriedly drove away, I said to myself, aloud, "Way to go, Michael, you fucking idiot." For the rest of the night I sat in front of my fire until I could no longer hold my eyes open. And as sleep overcame me, the same old demons crept up from the darkest depths of my subconscious and chased me in my dreams the whole night long.

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes the next morning I was lying in the sand, on my back, and looking up to see the nose of my Uncle's favorite Andalusian mare moving just a couple of feet above me.

"Well," laughed Uncle Jake's voice, "I see that you didn't get eaten by the sharks, boy."

"Yeah, I guess I fell asleep," I regrettably said, as I stood up, "Look, Uncle Jake, about last night, "I'm really sorry for saying......"

"Forget about it," he chuckled, "Your Aunt Rita sent me out her to bring you home so, let's get going, other wise it'll be my ass."

"Hmm," I smiled, "Now there's a thought."

"Smart assed kid," he laughed, "Get your little ass in your truck and I'll meet you back at the house."

Yeah, yeah, yeah," I mocked, laughing as I walked to my truck.

~~~~~~

"Don't come in this house unless you can act like a man instead of a spoiled child," Aunt Rita scolded, the second I walked through the back door, "Are finished throwing your little temper tantrum, boy?"

"Yes ma'am," I meekly replied, "I'm very sorry, Aunt Rita."

"Aw, its okay, Mijo," she smiled, placing her arms around my neck and giggling, "You'll notice that your Uncle is in a better mood this morning, too. It's because I tore him a new ass right after you left last night," making me laugh.

Then suddenly remembering the conversation that took place between Marlee and me on the beach the night before, I cringed and said, "I think I really pissed Marlee off pretty bad last night."

"Yes," Aunt Rita knowingly replied, "That's what I heard."

"Damn, Aunt Rita," I grinned, "Does she tell you everything?"

"Almost," she laughed.

~~~~~~

As soon as Uncle Jake arrived back at the house, we all sat down to breakfast; and it began to rain outside the moment we began eating.

"Hell," Uncle Jake said, "I wanted to work with the horses today and now we can't."

"Why not," I asked, winking at Aunt Rita, "Are you afraid of a little rain?"

"I think you know better than that, boy," he laughed, "It's just that the rain makes the horses a little skittish, that's all."

"The rain has nothing to do with it Jacob, and you know it," Aunt Rita giggled, "It's because you spoil those horses worse than you would a child."

"Maybe so," Uncle Jake replied grinning, "Don't forget that I spoil your pretty little ass, too."

~~~~~~

"Hey Mikey," Uncle Jake called to me, from his office in the stables where I'd been working that afternoon, "Come quick!"

"What's up, Uncle Jake?" I asked, as I walked into his office "Is something wrong?"