The Adventures of Ranger Ramona Ch. 01

"That's this trickle. Joins the North Branch of the Wiscapasett over by the park. One of many little runs that give it the name Headwaters State Park.

They filled their empty bottles. The water was crystal clear and surprisingly cold. Ramona cupped her hands under the pipe and splashed it under her arms and on the back of her neck.

Neither spoke much as they made their way back down the trail. Just before they reached the turnoff toward Aaron's homestead, they saw a middle aged couple ascending toward them. They greeted them as they passed. When the couple was out of earshot, Ramona smiled at Aaron and said, "If they has set out a little earlier, they might have gotten a surprise."

"I got a bit of a surprise myself," Aaron replied.

"Really? You said you knew I wanted it."

"I said I thought you did."

Aaron seemed lost in thought as they turned onto the side trail. After a few minutes he spoke.

"You didn't take this job because you are running away from something, are you? A bad relationship, something like that?"

Ramona laughed. "No, Aaron, I'm running to something. I've wanted to be a ranger as long as I can remember. This is where that has led me so far."

"When I first saw you, I thought, she's beautiful, but she is probably either gay or is not interested in sex at all."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because you came to live in a place where you couldn't expect to have much of a sex life."

"Well, I've done alright so far. I'm not looking for a committed relationship. For one thing, I don't know how long I'm going to be stationed here, and well, it's just not my thing."

"You don't think you'll settle down with someone someday?"

"Who knows," she said with a shrug. "I don't expect it to happen anytime soon, if ever."

They emerged from the woods into Aaron's yard. Towering cumulus clouds were hovering in the west.

"You were right about a storm coming," Ramona said.

Aaron nodded and frowned. "This road gets damn treacherous in a downpour. Washouts are common. I think you either need to get going or decide to stay the night."

"I'm leaving first thing in the morning for Ellsworth. Going to pick up some things at my mother's house and do some shopping."

Aaron wrapped his arms around her. "That's too bad, I was hoping the answer would be stay." His hand slipped down and fondled her ass.

Ramona laughed. "Oh, honey, my pussy feels like someone smacked it with a baseball bat. I think we are done for the day."

Aaron looked disappointed, but nodded. "You mentioned shopping," he said, "That reminds me of something. Hold on a minute."

He went into the house. Ramona felt the urge to follow him in, to stay despite the coming storm. She had fantasized about sucking his cock, why not do it now? No, she thought, save it for the next time.

He came back out of the house carrying a paper grocery bag.

"The other day, I said I'd bring you back something on my supply run," he said with a smile. "I couldn't decide what to get, so I picked up a few things."

Ramona took the bag and looked inside. "What is all this?" she asked.

Aaron pulled a red box from the bag. "This is the best cocoa in the world. It's Dutch. There's some other goodies in there, some cheese, some cookies. Nice stuff you can't get at the Superette."

"Thank you, that's very sweet of you." She kissed him as the first rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

"You better go."

They kissed again and Ramona put the bag in the jeep and climbed in. She waved as she pulled away. A few raindrops splattered on the windshield as she drove down the ridge, but she was nearly to town when the downpour began. When she got home, she ran to the cabin, but was still soaked by the time she got inside. She stripped and took a hot shower. When she washed between her legs she realized just how sore and tender her pussy really was. You have truly been fucked, Ramona, she told herself, giggling.

She got out of the shower, put on her robe and went to the kitchenette. She started to make coffee, but remembered the cocoa Aaron had given her. She did not have milk, but she had cream, and that ought to be even better. She made a cup, then sat down on the couch to watch the storm. She took a sip of the cocoa. It truly was the best she had ever tasted. Even if he hadn't given her one of the best fucks of her life, she thought any man who bought a woman cocoa that good deserved to have his cock sucked.

CHAPTER SIX

Ramona returned to Saw Whet late Friday night with two boxes of clothes and one of books; some dishes, pans and kitchen utensils and four bags of groceries. She had left Ellsworth with a Tupperware container of her mother's chocolate pecan brownies, but they were gone before she reached Skowhegan.

Despite her late return, she was at the station on time Saturday morning. The forecast was for gorgeous June weather, so she had every expectations that it would be a busy weekend.

She checked her mail slot and found a flyer announcing next week's specials at the Superette and a small pink envelope that smelled of roses. Sure enough, when she opened it, a pair of petals fluttered out. I can guess who this is from, she thought as she stooped to pick them up.

She took a card from the envelope. On the front was, of course, a painting of roses. She opened it up and read the message, written in an elegant hand.

Ma belle R,

I must insist that you return my glass at your earliest opportunity. Failure to do so will make me cross and I may have to give you a good spanking.

Tender Regards, I

Ramona laughed, but cocked one eyebrow. It was a joke, obviously, but she wondered if Isabel might really try to carry out such a silly threat. She was surprised to realize that the idea was actually kind of exciting.

She tucked the notecard in her back pocket, and gathered up her gear for the day's shift.

She was as busy as she had expected. She spent most of the morning at the state park, helping the park staff handle the large volume of incoming traffic, and mediating the usual disputes over the best campsites.

As soon as that mess was cleared up, she got called out to Reed's Corner to deal with a car-deer collision. A passenger in the car was slightly injured and she administered first aid. Once the ambulance arrived, she headed to the General Store to get a cheeseburger for her lunch.

She had just finished eating and gotten back in the jeep when Martha came on the radio.

"We've got a call from out Merganser Pond," she said, "Report of a picnic table floating in the lake. Who wants to take it?"

As soon as she heard that the call was from Merganser Pond, Ramona pressed her response button, but Piney beat her to it.

"I'm just a mile out," he said, "I'll check on it."

Ramona sat back in her seat and exhaled loudly. All morning, her thoughts had strayed to Isabel. She might have had time to at least drop in on her if she had taken the call. She wondered if there was an equivalent term for a female getting cockblocked, because that was what Piney had just inadvertently done to her.

By the end of her shift, she had made runs to check out a reported brushfire-it was a false alarm, a bear rummaging in the trash behind the Superette-it had wandered off before she arrived, and a drunken camper dancing naked in the Jackman Road-that one was for real, although Ramona was skeptical about calling what the fellow was doing dancing.

She was on her way home when her phone rang. She pulled to the side of the road and answered it.

She recognized Isabel's voice without her identifying herself.

"Do you have a dress you wear when you are not in your ranger regalia?" she asked.

"I've got a couple of summer dresses I brought up," Ramona answered.

"Put one on and come out to my house this evening. I'm having a few friends over for cocktails, and they are all anxious to verify the rumors of a lovely new rangerette."

"They aren't anything fancy."

"Wear one anyway. Or don't. Come naked if you wish. I'm sure that would be fine with everyone."

"What time..." Ramona realized that Isabel had hung up.

She thought about Isabel on her drive home. She was awfully forward; in fact, most people would probably find her overbearing. But Ramona sensed a playfulness in her that made her behavior more amusing than annoying. And she was sexy as hell. Her only hesitancy about going to the cocktail party was that she had to work early in the morning. But it never entered her mind that she should call back and decline the invitation.

When she arrived back at her cabin, she took a quick shower and changed into what she thought was the nicer of her two dresses, a yellow cotton sundress that showed a fair amount of cleavage and stopped a few inches above her knees. She wants sexy, I can show her sexy, Ramona thought. She realized that she had no makeup. There was nothing she could do about that now, thought, and a larger concern was that the only shoes she had brought to Saw Whet were her Nikes and her work boots. She thought about dashing up to Lucinda's house or calling Martha to see if either of them had something she could borrow, but the odds that either of them had anything appropriate that would fit her were slim. She decided to just wear the Nikes and take them off when she arrived. She couldn't imagine that Isabel would mind.

She almost had second thoughts about the dress as she drove out to Merganser Pond. She was willing to play along with Isabel's flirtatious games, but she had not considered the first impression she would be making on the other guests. But it was too late to do anything about it now, other than bail out completely.

There were already three cars in the driveway when she arrived at Isabel's house, and she had to park on the side of the road. She got out, kicked off her Nikes and strode up the drive. The pavement was cool beneath her feet and she realized that the evening was growing chilly. Should have brought a sweater, she muttered to herself.

She knocked on the door, and waited for a response. She was about to knock again, when it opened. Isabel looked her over before stepping aside and letting her enter. She was wearing a long, sheer silver dress and, once again, her silver bracelets and strands of pearls. God, I'm underdressed, Ramona thought.

Isabel smiled though, and said, "My dear, you look delicious." She leaned forward and kissed Ramona on the cheek.

"But you aren't wearing any shoes, " she scowled.

"I didn't have anything that went with the outfit," Ramona said.

"Are you wearing underpants?"

Ramona looked at her with a startled expression. "Yes, of course."

Isabel shook her head. "Next time, wear shoes and not underpants. Come my lovely, and meet the other guests."

As she led her through her spacious house, Isabel put her hand on Ramona's back and asked, "Did you bring my glass?"

Ramona squeezed her eyes shut in frustration. "Damn, I forgot."

Isabel gave her a light swat on her bottom. "We are going to have to deal with that, sweetheart."

Ramona laughed nervously. Isabel ushered her into a large, well appointed room. There was an arrangement of large couches in the center, and a fully stocked bar to one side. On the far end of the room, french doors stood open, letting the cool night air into the room.

There were three couples in attendance. Isabel took Ramona's hand and led her to the center of the room.

"As you can see, my friends, the reports are true. I'd like to introduce you to a delightful new addition to our community, Ranger Ramona Greentree."

Isabel guided Ramona around the room to introduce her to each pair of guests. The Kaplans, Ben and Elaine, sat on the couch. They were from New Haven. He was an optometrist, she was involved with a range of charity projects that Isabel listed so swiftly that Ramona could not follow them all.

The Dufours, like Isabel from Montreal, stood near the french doors. Ramona thought Natalie Dufour could have been Isabel's sister. They had the same slender figures and the same air of elegant detachment. The only real distinction was Natalie's jet black hair. Her husband, Martin, was clearly a decade or so older than her. Isabel gave them each tender kisses on the mouth when she brought Ramona to greet them. Something seems to be up there, Ramona thought with amusement.

Isabel led her the bar. Carl Dwyer was behind it, mixing a pitcher of mojitos. His wife, Deena, was on one of a half dozen bar stools. Previously from Chicago, they summered at the pond and wintered in Miami Beach. After introducing Ramona to them, Isabel pointed at a painting hanging above the bar.

"My darling friend Deena is a fabulous artist. She painted my portrait." she said.

Ramona's eyes widened when she saw the painting. It portrayed a blonde woman, recognizably Isabel, reclining against a colorful bank of pillows, covered sparsely with a translucent sheet of white fabric and wearing a strand of pearls. Her legs were spread far apart, with knees raised and her vagina prominently displayed.

Isabel nudged Ramona's shoulder with her own."It's a marvelous likeness," she said with a smile.

Carl poured them all mojitos and everyone gathered around the couches. Ramona noticed that everyone there was part of a couple, and as she sat down and Isabel sat intimately close to her, realized that she was as well.

The guests peppered Ramona with the usual questions she had grown accustomed to answering. What made her want to be a ranger? What did she think of Saw Whet? Had she seen any bears? Eventually, the talk shifted to gossip about the residents of the little community by the pond; who had shown up for the summer with a new partner, who had "gotten work done", how much did so-and-so's house sell for? Ramona had nothing to contribute, so she relaxed and sipped her drink. Every now and then, Isabel would pat her hand or briefly rub her back. Ramona appreciated that, it made her feel comfortable in a situation in which she was clearly an outsider.

After about an hour, Ramona got up to use the bathroom. When she returned, she stopped at the bar to refill her glass.

"Would anyone else like another mojito?" she asked.

Carl Dwyer jumped up from his seat. "I could use another. And I'll bet it's time to make another batch."

He put his hand on the small of Ramona's back and leaned in close as he passed her on his way around the bar. "Glad to see you're enjoying them," he said.

"They are very nice, thanks," Ramona said, ignoring his obvious flirting.

"So, Ramona," he said, before she could break away and go back to her seat, "I would assume that you enjoy outdoor sports? I am an avid hiker, myself."

"Sure. I just did the hike up to the Stone House recently," she said, smiling at the memory.

"That is one of my favorite hikes. Have you done the Quaker Hill or West River trails?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't had time yet."

"Well, I would certainly enjoy keeping you company on the trail when you do get a chance."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Ramona said. She wondered if she was going to start thinking that "taking a hike" was a sexual euphemism.

Carl topped off her glass from the fresh pitcher and she returned to her spot next to Isabel. The conversation had somehow drifted into the subject of Canadian politics. Ramona feigned respectful attention, but she was constantly distracted by Isabel's fingers playing in her hair. Every once in a while she would glance at Carl, and in every instance, caught him looking at her legs. Natalie DuFour seemed particularly interested in her as well. Several times, Ramona made eye contact with her, and each time, Natalie held it and raised one side of her mouth in a grin that Ramona interpreted as libidinous.

Eventually, the talk returned to local gossip. Ramona wondered if she had already become part of it. When Isabel flagged her down at her mailbox, she had mentioned rumors of a "lovely lady ranger."

When the conversation became punctuated with increasingly longer silences, Isabel stretched, stood and said, "Perhaps it's time we call it an evening, my dear friends." Ramona started to stand, but Isabel put her hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back into her seat. The other guests all rose, and one by one each hugged and kissed Isabel, and shook Ramona's hand, expressing their pleasure at meeting her.

Call held her hand slightly longer than the rest and said, "I hope to see you out on the trails soon." Natalie added a kiss on the cheek to her handshake.

Isabel then walked them all to the door. Ramona felt a little jittery at the thought of the two of them being alone, and quickly polished off her mojito as she awaited her return.

When she came back, Isabel moved directly to the couch. She did not sit, so much as drape herself across it, leaning close to Ramona and laying her arm on the back cushion.

"I hope you had a lovely evening," she said, dropping her hand to Ramona's shoulder. "You seem to have made a good impression, especially on Carl."

Ramona chuckled. "Yeah, he was pretty clear about that."

"Are you interested in men?"

Ramona nodded, looking down into her empty glass. "I'm bisexual, I am about equally interested in both."

Isabel smiled and made an approving murmur. "Over the years, my interest has gradually shifted more toward women," she told Ramona, "Although I do still enjoy a robust encounter with a gentleman now and then. I certainly never want to live with one again."

"I'm not..." Ramona hesitated. "I have never felt the need to tie myself to one person." She shrugged. "Maybe I will one day, but it has not appealed to me."

"Oh darling," Isabel exclaimed, "You act as if that is something to be ashamed of. No, no, as women, we are trained from the youngest age to repress our erotic feelings, to conform to social standards, to feel guilty to be creatures of passion."

She gently slapped Ramona's arm. "You must stop hanging your head down. Be proud. You are a free, wild woman. Be who you are meant to be. A woman who fucks who she wants, when she wants, without guilt or shame, is a treasure to be sought and cherished. She is a rare find, indeed."

Ramona chuckled. "More elusive than Hank McLellan's wolves."

"Yes!" She picked up Ramona's hand and shook it back and forth. "That is who you are. A wild she-wolf."

They both laughed, and when they stopped laughing, found themselves looking into each other's eyes. Isabel placed her hand on the back of Ramona's head and leaned forward until their lips met. Ramona returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around Isabel's slender frame. Their lips parted and their tongues found each other. Ramona could taste the lime and mint of the mojito in Isabel's mouth.

As they kissed, Ramona could not help but make comparisons to Aaron. His kisses were forceful, insistent; she felt an almost bruising power behind them. Isabel's were light, almost liquid, the impression was not that she was possessing Ramona's mouth, but that their mouths were merging, flowing into one another.

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, they slipped into a reclining position, side by side on the couch. Ramona felt Isabel tugging down the zipper of her dress. She shrugged her shoulders and the top sagged, exposing her breasts. Isabel squeezed the right one, then lowered her head and began flicking the nipple with her tongue. Ramona responded by placing her hand on the inside of Isabel's knee, then sliding it along her thigh, pushing the hem of her dress up to her hips.

Isabel shifted her weight, pushing Ramona on to her back. Her mouth moved from breast to breast, licking, sucking and occasionally gently nibbling at them. Ramona caressed Isabel's ass, then slipped her hand down between her legs. She smiled to herself when she found the older woman's wet slit and realized that she was not wearing panties. At least she takes her own advice, Ramona thought.