Sheeple Ch. 08

The music stopped and the dancers separated. Kate started back towards the table when Jake caught her hand for another dance. This went on two more times. The last one was a fast two-step that left them breathless.

"Oh.... Jake, I think I need to sit for a bit."

"Me too," said Josie as she moved back to the table. She noticed that Max and Henry were nowhere to be seen. She wondered where they had gotten to. Josie could swear that they had been there only a minute ago.

"Kate? Do you see Max or Henry?"

Kate looked around. "No, but they were here just a minute ago."

"Maybe those two fine males found themselves a little female company," Jake said.

"I wouldn't worry about those two. Looks like they could take care of themselves," added Bill as he put his arms around Josie once again before she could sit down.

"Um.. ," Josie started to say.

"You know you are one fine looking lady," Bill said.

"Thank you dear, but..."

"Wouldn't you two ladies like to visit us up at the dude ranch? We have our own bunk space and no one to bother us," Jake said as he moved closer to Kate.

Kate realized that they had better put the brakes on this conversation real fast. Question though was how to do it so that these two cowboys would get the point. It was pretty clear that they figured a few beers and a dance or two lead to bunking with them. "I don't know. We barely know you two."

"Ah, but if you come up to the ranch, you could get to know us a lot better," Jake said as he put one arm around Kate.

Kate was just about to say something when Jake dropped his arm and yelled.

"That damn dog pissed on my leg!" Jake was hopping about next to the table and trying to look at his jeans which were showing a large dark stain starting from just above the back of the knee. Max was standing behind him looking very pleased with himself.

"Oh! I am so sorry Jake! I don't know what came over him. I apologize." Kate tried to sound as sincere as she could and trying not to laugh at the same time.

"Dogs are strange sometimes," said the barkeep. He had come up behind them with a mop for the puddle on the floor. "Looks like they think you two cowboys done trespassed on their territory."

"I think we probably aught to take the two of them out to the truck. I am so sorry about the mess," Josie said.

"No problem. Happens all the time," said the barkeep. He smiled to himself as he walked back to the bar.

"Jake, Bill, sorry about this. The dancing and company was really nice," Josie said as she and Kate headed out the door with the two wolves.

*

The two of them barely got clear of the bar before the giggles hit. They let the two wolves off of the leashes and they sped off down the street.

"Oh my! Do you think they knew? Or, was it just sheer luck?" Kate asked.

"Knowing those two, just sheer cussedness. Although it was pretty good timing."

"Yeah, five more minutes and those two would have been drooling on our shoulders."

"The cowboys or those two?" Josie said pointing towards the shadows where she knew the guys were.

"Either set."

Both women laughed and were still laughing when they got to the Subaru. It only took a moment for the two men to walk out of the shadows carrying a collar in their hands.

"Did you two enjoy yourselves?" Kate asked.

"Oh yes. Especially the part where Eric peed on the guy. He sure was a bold one."

"Now Henry, what did you expect?" asked Josie.

"Well, I expected it to take more than a few beers and a dance or two before they decided to make a play for you."

"I can understand that. How were the biscuits and scraps?"

"Oh man. Same brand as Doc Fremont's. And the scraps were steak," Eric said, remembering the taste of the scraps.

"So, what made you pee on the guy? You could have just growled or something," Kate said.

"He just set my fur on edge. Besides, I didn't think you liked things that smelled of horse shit."

"Ooohh,... A little jealous?"

"Well, yes," Eric admitted. "Besides, I wanted to dance with you."

"I didn't know you danced."

"I don't much, but... " he hesitated. "You looked so good out there that I didn't want to share."

Kate smiled and wrapped herself around Eric. "I do love you. Even if you are silly enough to pee on a rival's leg."

Henry laughed. "Hell, you aught to see what we did to their truck!"

"What?" both women said in unison.

"Yeah. Can't wait to hear that conversation," said Eric.

"What did you two do?" Josie asked.

Henry scuffed his boots in the dirt. Eric looked up at the stars, whistling slightly.

"Henry, fess up!" said Josie.

Henry looked at her and then Kate. "Well, we noticed a change in the smell of the two and decided that they had other plans."

"What smell?" Kate asked.

"Testosterone," said Henry. "So, we went out and found their truck. Peed on the tires, and left something else on the ropes in the back."

"Don't forget that you tore up the seat covers Henry."

"Oh yeah. Almost forgot about that."Henry smiled.

Kate just shook her head. Josie smiled and then turned back to the guys. "Are you two in the mood for a beer?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" said Henry. Eric nodded and the four of them moved back towards the bar. As they got nearly to the entrance, they could hear Jake singing his woes to a pencil thin blonde. His voice drifted and they heard him complain about the big ass dog that peed on his best jeans. Henry slipped his arm out of Josie's and walked up to the bar where Jake stood. He ordered beer, and while he was waiting for the beer to arrive, he leaned towards Jake.

"I'd have done more than piss you your leg," he said softly and smiled a very fang filled grin at the cowboy. Then he picked up the beer and headed off to where Eric sat with the two girls.

*

The music stopped and so did Eric and Kate. Kate leaned into his shoulder and took a deep breath. They had been dancing for at least four or five dances in a row.

"Eric, I think I need some water or a beer."

"Me too." He lead Kate from the dance floor. Henry and Josie were already at the table. They had stopped dancing a few minutes earlier. On the table were two tall glasses of iced tea.

"Thought you might be a bit thirsty what with all that twirling and whirling," said Josie.

"You are so right. I'd forgotten how much fun it was to actually dance with a beautiful woman." Eric smiled over the top of his glass at Kate.

"I have to admit that you surprised me. I thought you were just joking earlier when you said you danced."

"Well, I'm not sure if 'Cowboy Bob' over there thinks much of my dancing."

"Yes Eric, tell me just how did you manage to step on his feet so many times?" Henry asked with a smirk.

"Ah, that was easy. The hard part was not stepping on the blonde's feet. Those high heels of hers were a very tiny object to avoid."

They all giggled, because Eric had made it almost a game to step on the feet of the two cowboys that had been flirting with Kate and Josie earlier in the evening. Each time it had happened, it had looked like an accident. The cowboys had finally retreated from the dance floor and left the bar with dance partners in tow.

"Wonder what they thought of their truck?"

"Oh. You missed that. While you were out on the dance floor, the sheriff went by and they were hollering about someone trashing their truck. Tried to blame it on two dogs, but couldn't explain to the sheriff how the dogs had opened the truck doors, made a mess and then relocked the doors.," Henry said with a smile.

Eric laughed. He sat his empty glass down on the table and stretched. "Think it's about time we went home?"

"Yeah. I think so," said Henry as he stood up.

Kate and Josie linked their arms with the guys and waved their good nights to the barkeeper and the band. They walked out to the Subbie and headed home.

*

Kate and Eric waved from the driveway as Henry and Josie left the next morning. It had been a short but lovely visit. When they had gotten home last night, they recounted the tale of the trip to Andy, Zach and Anne. Everyone laughed about Eric peeing on the cowboy's leg.

Henry and Josie took Andy's offer of a bed for the night and Kate had giggled when Josie asked later for the aloe lotion. Henry's sunburn was more tender than he cared to admit in public. Jamie of course had been disappointed when there were no extra dogs in the morning for Luna and Gretchen to play with. Henry promised that he'd bring them back next time they came to visit.

Kate and Eric went back into the house and started to look around to see what needed done for the day. The repairs to the house were adequate enough for the time being. Kate still needed new curtains for the doors in the dining room, but that would have to wait for one of their out of town shopping trips. Mark and Jamie were finished with their homework, so they all decided to go out to the park for some family time.

Everyone had been very careful to not let the children know what happened at the house. While the work was being done, Pat and Tammy kept them out in Levette. The only explanation they got was that Kate wanted new doors and her house cleaned up. Luckily, Mark and Jamie were young enough for this to work.

At the park, Kate and Eric sat while the children played in the tall grass. After a few moments, Kate realized exactly what Jamie was doing. "Look, Jamie is stalking Mark," she whispered in Eric's ear.

Eric turned and watched the two of them for a moment. Sure enough, Jamie was down in the grass on all fours while Mark wandered from plant to plant picking up bugs or something. Jamie zigzagged behind him and then pounced.

"Gotcha!" she hollered.

"Stop it!" Mark yelled.

"But I gotta hunt you Mark. You're a rabbit and I'm a wolf!" she said, with her hands on her hips.

Eric clapped his hand over his mouth trying not to laugh. Kate couldn't help but giggle. Both of them gave up and fell about laughing.

Jamie came over to her dad and with hands on hips. "Daddy, you gotta tell Mark to let me hunt him."

Eric smiled. "Okay. Now, let's do it this way." Eric waited until Mark had gone back to gathering bugs and then started to crouch low in the grass. Jamie matched his every move, a tiny shadow to his big one. Eric stopped a time or two and gave her pointers. She followed his directions and then Eric moved aside and let her finish the hunt. A moment or so later, Jamie was wiggling her butt back and forth in anticipation of pouncing on Mark. She pounced and brought him down flat on the ground. Sitting on his back, she raised both hands in victory.

Eric and Kate cheered. "I think Henry is right you know."

"I agree. I think we aught to buy an ice cream for Mark for being such a good rabbit too."

"Yes, although, we can do it when he gets done trying to run Jamie down for dropping him so well." Kate watched Mark trying to catch Jamie. The moment Jamie had gotten up off of his back, Mark had run after her in hopes of pummeling her for treating him like a rabbit. He was woefully slow in comparison with no hope of catching her.

They finally got the children back in the car and into town for an ice cream. Jamie wanted rabbit flavored ice cream, but settled for strawberry. Mark had chocolate. Both of them reminded Kate and Eric that the Spring program was next week. It fell on the same day as Ostara. Kate had to get into town to buy candy and egg dye. It had been years since she had done so. Jon had outgrown egg dying at about ten.

After Spring Break, there was the honor awards and then 8th grade graduation. The time was just flying past. Jamie also reminded Eric that they had summer school this year.

"What is so special about summer school Kate?" Eric was still finding the children's school a surprise with all of it's family style activities.

"It's half a day of school with all kinds of nature walks, special projects and a big hike up into the mountains. My boys all loved it. In fact, they wanted the whole year to be like that. For me, it's a chance to run away to the mountains for the morning. It just isn't worth the gas to run back and forth."

"Ah, and do I ever get to go up with you?"

"It depends on whether your boss will let you off for the morning. It's a month long and every day, just like school." Kate could see Eric trying to figure out how to wrangle the time off. She had already discussed it with Suzanne and had cleared her time.

"I guess I'll have to see what I can do." Eric made a note to ask his boss for the time off.

*

Kate got the kids through the shower and into bed. The alarm would be ringing way to early, but she knew that everyone needed to get back into a routine. Especially herself. She was still having trouble sleeping if Eric wasn't in bed. She knew he'd had his share of nightmares as well. It would just take time to heal.