The Rancher Ch. 06 - The Plot Thickens

As soon as I woke up my mind was racing again. I knew I had gotten myself into a predicament more complicated than I was prepared for. Before last night everything had seemed complicated, but now that all seemed like nothing. I had wanted Casey, and I just needed to figure out how to make that happen. But after what happened last night with Amanda, I didn't even know what I wanted anymore. I still didn't even really know Amanda, but the sex had been unbelievable. One thing I did know, was that I wanted to fuck her again. But I still hadn't talked to Casey yet.

I shook my head in frustration as I got dressed for the day. I had told Casey how much I wanted her, but she said no. Well, she didn't say no, but she said not now, which didn't feel very different than a no. I had basically broken it off with Amy, which was probably for the best, although she did demand that I find her someone else. But that was a problem for another day. Right now I had to figure out where my head was at. I had expected Amanda to be a stupid little city girl. I figured since she was Derrick's sister she would be awful too. But I enjoyed every second I spent with her. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to think now. I knew I needed to talk with Casey, but I had no idea what to say. I walked downstairs with my head spinning. I didn't even look around as I walked toward the door.

"You aint gonna have breakfast?" Daddy's voice said, snapping me out of it. I stopped walking, and looked over to see daddy and Jenny both sitting at the table eating. "Your momma made pancakes," daddy said, and nodded at the food on the table. I didn't say anything, but walked over and sat down. I began piling food onto my plate, and tried to keep to myself. But I could feel the way daddy was staring at me. I looked up, and he frowned at me.

"So what happened with the city slicker," daddy asked, taking a big bite of pancakes. "The one that hit that nice girl?"

"What nice girl?" Jenny asked, sounding alarmed.

"Howard's daughter," daddy said through a mouthful of food. "The one your brothers sweat on."

"Someone hit Casey?" Jenny said, her eyes going wide as she looked from daddy to me.

"Ya," I nodded. "A guy she knows from back home, or wherever. Their dads are friends. I guess she's known him since they were little."

"Why did he hit her?" Jenny asked. "Casey is the nicest girl ever. Why would anyone hit her?"

"I guess he tried to get a little handsy with her," I said, trying not to lose my temper as I spoke about it. "And she stopped him. I don't know all the details, but he slapped her in the face, real hard."

"Oh my god, is she ok?" Jenny asked.

"Ya, she's ok," I sighed, cutting into my food and taking a bite.

"And you aint done nothin', right?" daddy said seriously.

"No," I said. I knew I couldn't tell him about what I had done, or any part of the plan. If he knew I fucked another rich city girl he would lose it.

"So what are you gonna do?" he asked, taking another big bite.

"I don't know," I said. "If I hit him I'll get in trouble. Too much trouble. And I'm not sure how else to handle it. I'm still thinking. But I'll do something."

"Casey really likes you," Jenny said with a smile. "She talks about you all the time."

"Jim knows he can't go runnin' off with that girl," daddy said, giving me a look that practically dared me to contradict him. "They can like each other all they want, but until they're older that's all they're gonna do."

"Why," Jenny asked. "They're both single, and its not like they're kids or anything."

"Of course they are," daddy said, and Jenny quickly looked away. "But that aint the point. You two work for that man. If he finds out Jim is runnin' around town with his daughter what do you think he'll do?"

"I don't know," Jenny shrugged. "Maybe nothing. Jims a good guy. And Mr. Howard seems to like him. So does Mrs. Howard."

"Well they aint gonna like him if they find him with their daughter," daddy said angrily. "And that man can make life very hard for all of us if he wants. Jim doesn't get to ruin things for the whole family cause he's sweet on some city girl that aint even gonna be here after summer."

"Well I think its nice that they like each other," Jenny said, and dad put his fork down with a loud clank. He glared at Jenny, but she didn't stop. "And I think they would make a nice couple."

"That's enough Jenny," mom said as she walked over. "Your father doesn't want Jim to mess around with Casey."

"That's right," daddy nodded, and resumed eating.

"Well what about what Jim and Casey want?" Jenny said. I appreciated what she was trying to do, but she was just going to make things worse for me.

"Right now I just want to go to work," I said before daddy could start yelling at Jenny. "And I want to figure out how I can get Derrick back for hitting her."

"Don't get yourself in trouble," daddy said seriously.

"I cant believe someone hit Casey," Jenny said sadly.

"Ya, well, he did," I said, getting up from the table. Mom took my plate, and walked back to the sink. Daddy gave me a look that said not to fuck around, and I nodded. I gave Jenny a little smile of thanks, and then left. I walked to my horse, and started off to the Howard ranch. When I got there, I saw that both Amy and Casey were home, but I rode off to the fields, purposefully avoiding them. I didn't know what to say to either one of them. I made sure to stay far away from the house as I worked. When lunch time came around I kept on working. Eventually I had to go in though. It was close to three in the afternoon, and I had to eat something. I couldn't help thinking I should have brought a sandwich or something along as I rode down to the big ranch house.

As I rode up, and got off my horse, I saw that Amy's car was gone. I tied my horse to a post, and headed inside. I didn't hear anything at first, and hurried into the kitchen. There was no sign of Casey, and I quickly went about fixing myself a sandwich, hoping I could get back out without seeing her. It felt weird trying to avoid her. I had spent the last few months trying my best to be around her as much as possible. But I knew what she was going to ask me, and I didn't know how to respond. Just as I was finishing up, I heard someone come in behind me.

"Hey," Casey said. "Where have you been all day?" I turned around, and saw her standing there, looking as beautiful as ever. She had on a tight white t shirt, and she was wearing her daisy dukes again. Right away my head bent back into a pretzel. I still wanted her more than anything.

"Out in the fields," I said, trying not to sound weird. "There's a lot to do at the moment."

"How did it go last night?" she asked, giving me a confusing smile. I couldn't quite tell if she was jealous or not.

"Uh, it was good," I said awkwardly. I had no idea what or how much to tell her. Even though it had all been her idea, it still felt like I had cheated on her.

"So did you sleep with Amanda then?" she asked. Her expression was still unreadable to me, and that just made it harder. I remembered the act she had put on at the bar, and how real it had felt to me. And then I remembered what Amanda had said about her, and I had to wonder how fake it all was.

"Uh, ya," I said, not quite meeting her eyes, "I took her out to a nice spot in the woods, and, uh, well, you know."

"You took Amanda Gaines out in the woods?" Casey laughed. "And she didn't freak out?"

"No," I said. "I mean I think she was a little weirded out at first. But I took her to this nice waterfall, and she liked it."

"What about you?" Casey asked. I wasn't sure what exactly she was asking. This was all a lot more uncomfortable than I wanted.

"Uh, what about me?" I said.

"Did Amanda like you?" Casey asked. Her expression was slowly changing, but I still couldn't get a read on it. I didn't know if she was mad or not, or what she was thinking.

"Uh, ya, I think so," I nodded. "I mean, we, uh, we had sex."

"Was it good?" Casey asked.

"Ya," I nodded. I didn't want to tell her just how good it was.

"How many times did you do it?" she asked. This was not where I wanted the conversation to go.

"Well, uh, three times, I think," I said.

"Wow, good job," Casey said, and turned away from me. She walked over to the refrigerator and took out a small container of leftovers. "I guess the plan really worked then."

"Casey, I still just want you," I said. My night with Amanda had complicated things, but just being around Casey made it clearer. I would give up anything or anyone to get to truly have her. But she still didn't want that from me.

"I know," she smiled, "and you will. You don't think I'm jealous of Amanda Gaines do you?" She let out a laugh that I could tell wasn't as genuine as she wanted it to be.

"I don't know," I said. "This is all a lot more confusing than I thought it would be. I didn't know you two had a history, especially with guys."

"Did she say that?" Casey seemed genuinely surprised at that.

"Well, ya," I nodded, wondering if I was saying things I wasn't supposed to. "She said you two liked the same guy a few years ago, and you got him."

"She was just in high school back then," Casey said, more to herself than to me. "I didn't know she still cared about that. I had forgotten all about it."

"Ya, she, uh," I started, and then hesitated for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should say what Amanda had said about her. But I didn't want to keep things from Casey. She was the one I really wanted, which meant I should be honest and open. "She said that you don't see her as an equal, just as Derrick's little sister." Casey stayed silent for a moment, as if she was really mulling that over.

"Ya, I guess she's right," Casey said thoughtfully. "The older we get the more she's in the same social groups as me. Maybe it was wrong to use her to get back at Derrick."

"Probably," I nodded. "But it's done now."

"Do you think she'll want more from you?" Casey asked. She was looking at me again, and again I had no idea what she was thinking. Honestly, I didn't even know what I was thinking. I had been considering that same question all night and morning. Not only was I not sure if Amanda wanted more from me, I wasn't sure if I wanted more from Amanda. The sex had been great, and she seemed nice and fun. If it weren't for Casey the answer would be a very resounding yes. And if Casey would just commit to me the way I wanted her to the answer would be an easy resounding no. But as it was, I had no idea what the answer was.

"I don't know," I said truthfully. "I mean I think she really liked our, uh, time together. And I'm sure it could happen again if I want."

"Do you want that?" Casey asked, still not giving me enough to know what she was thinking.

"I want you Casey," I sighed. "But you keep telling me I have to wait, for years apparently. If you're going to be down at your fancy college sleeping with other guys, then I guess ya, I wouldn't mind seeing Amanda again." I could see that Casey was feeling conflicted too. She normally seemed so confident and self-assured, but I could tell she was thinking this over as much as I was. Maybe this was what we needed, a way for Casey to realize she couldn't just toy with me forever without me moving on, at least in the temporary.

"I have to go back to school Jim," she said, and I could hear in her voice what I had just seen on her face. She was finally feeling what I've been feeling.

"You don't have to do anything Casey," I said, as earnestly as I could. And I meant it. If she would commit to me, I would commit to her, and then whatever else needed to happen would happen. We would figure it out. But first she would have to make some tough decisions.

"Jim, my whole life my parents have paid for me to go to private school, and now college," she said. "They've spent so much money, if I just drop out now, it would be the biggest slap in the face ever."

"You cant just live your life for your parents though," I said. "At some point you have to be able to do what you want with your life. And I know you don't really want to be a lawyer."

"You don't know that Jim," Casey said. "You know that you don't want me to be a lawyer. But its not even about that. I cant just go against everything my parents have done for me. I mean, I know our parents are very different, but can you disobey your father?" That did make me stop and think for a moment. I definitely did disobey my father, maybe more than I should, and it was almost always stupid and risky.

"If I never disobeyed my father then we would never have been together, not once," I said seriously. "He forbade me from even flirting with you. But I do it anyway. Partly because I want to be my own man, and make my own decisions. But mostly because I don't care what kind of consequences might come from being with you. It's what I want. You're what I want. You're all I want. And I'll make whatever sacrifices I have to to be with you?"

"Even if that means being celibate while I'm away?" she asked.

"Well that depends," I said, staring down at her seriously. "Would I be the only one being celibate?" Casey blushed, and turned away again. Things were finally going where I wanted them to. I felt like I was finally breaking through the wall she had put up all summer.

"I'm going to be at school for at least two more years," she said, and I could tell she was saying it to herself more than to me.

"Casey, if you'll wait for me, I'll wait for you," I said. "I'll do whatever you want me to, as long as we're together. But if we're not together, or if we're in some kind of weird holding pattern while you're away, then you can't ask me to do what you won't. You cant eat your cake and have it too darlin'."

"And if we're not together you'll see Amanda again?" Casey asked softly.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "She'll be going back to school too I guess. If we're not together, then I guess I'll do what I do, and you do what you do, and hopefully we can pick back up where we leave things, without it being all screwed up. But you know that's not what I want."

"I hadn't planned on any of this Jim," Casey said, still sounding very conflicted. "I didn't plan on falling in love with a cowboy you know."

"My grandad used to say that plans are for fools," I said, smiling down at Casey. "You can make 'em, and you can even try to stick to 'em. But if you expect 'em to happen, you're just gonna miss out on life."

"Did he really say that?" She asked. "Or did you just make that up?"

"It was something like that," I laughed. "Maybe not word for word. I was pretty little when he died. But he was a smart man."

"Well my grandpa planned on being rich," Casey said. "And he planned on his kids being rich, and their kids too. And his plans worked out."

"Making plans for your kids is one thing. Making plans for your grandkids is taking it a little far if you ask me. I say we stop listening to our parents, and anyone else for that matter. I know what I want outta life Casey. I'm just waiting for it to want me back."

"I do want you," she said, looking up at me in a longing sort of way that I hadn't expected.

"How much?" I asked.

"I don't know," she sighed. "It isn't as simple as you want it to be."

"I'm a simple man," I said. "From a simple town. Complicated things are for rich city folk."

"I am a rich city girl though," Casey said. "My life and my family have always been complicated."

"So simplify it," I said. "I'm not saying you can't be a lawyer, or that you have to drop out of school. I'm just saying that I want you Casey. It's as simple as that. It may be complicated on your end, but on my end it's just that simple."

"What about Amanda?" Casey said.

"You tell me," I responded. I was putting it all on her. I knew it wasn't fair, but that's the way it was. I would be with her if she would be with me, but she would have to commit.

"Fine," she said, looking at me with clearly conflicting emotions. "I want you too, is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes," I nodded. "But that's not all. I need to hear more Casey."

"I want you," Casey repeated, looking up at me with eyes sparkling with a hint of tears. "But I cant do an exclusive long-distance relationship, not now. I'm too young, we're too young. When I come back, we'll be together again. But while I'm away, I'm away."

"And I'm here," I sighed, staring down at her sadly. It had felt like she was on the verge of actually saying it. I could tell she wanted the same thing I did. She was just scared of it. And at the end of the day all I was asking from her was to not have sex with anyone else while she was away at school. I do appreciate that she's being honest enough to not just lie and do it anyway. But I wish she would commit. It wouldn't be easy for either of us, and honestly it might be harder for me. While she's away I'm going to have to deal with her mom, and possibly Amanda too. I don't know what her life at school is like, but I know I resent it more and more each day.

"So you're going to sleep with Amanda again?" Casey asked.

"I'm a single man Casey," I said, trying to keep my tone even as I teetered between jealousy and heart break, and longing. "I'll do as I please, just like you."

"Well I'm not gone yet," Casey said, taking a step towards me. "Right now I'm here, and you're here, and we're all alone." I still couldn't quite tell what she was thinking as she looked up at me, but I knew what she wanted, at least right now. I stepped up to her, and took her in my arms. She leaned in to kiss me, and I kissed her back. It felt good, and warm, and right. But it also felt off. It didn't feel the way it had, the way I wanted it to. It felt like something was missing, which it was.

We kissed for a long moment, pressing our bodies against each other. I brought my hands down her back, to her perfect ass, and cupped it with both hands. I lifted her up easily, and she wrapped her arms and legs around me. I walked us over to the counter, holding her by her butt, while we continued to make out. When I reached the counter, I placed her down, and her hands immediately went down to my pants. I brought my hands to her shorts, and we went about undressing each other.

I unzipped her shorts, and then lifted her up again, and she quickly pulled them off. She pulled my pants down, and took my cock in her hands. She stroked it a few times while we kissed, and then I felt her pulling it to her. The head of my cock found her pussy, and moved along it, letting her get it wet. When it slid in we both moaned in unison. We broke the kiss as I started slowly pumping into her. Her arms were wrapped around my back, and her legs were spread wide. I took her hips in my hands as I gently fucked her.

As I sped up, and we both got more into it, I lifted her up again. She let go of me, and placed her hands behind her on the counter. I held onto her ass as she hung in mid air. It was hard to go fast, or get any kind of proper rhythm like this, but it also felt awesome. Something about holding her up while I fucked her made me feel powerful. I could tell she liked it to, as her moans were getting louder, and her hips were wriggling about, which made it harder to hold her up. She began squirming about so much as I fucked her that I got worried I might drop her. I placed her back down on the counter, and went back to plowing away.

Her pussy felt as good as ever, and I could tell I was getting close already. I looked at her, and she looked back up at me. Our eyes met, and I knew this was all I wanted. Her gorgeous blue eyes were telling me everything I wanted to hear from her. Her mouth wouldn't say it, but her eyes were. I felt myself cumming, and quickly pulled out. I reached down just in time to start shooting my load onto her stomach. The first shot got on her shirt, and she lifted it up as I continued shooting ropes of cum onto her.