Travis's Tale Ch. 06

I never would've suspected it but somehow JoAnn and Kevin's wife Rosa met and became friends. I didn't think they had anything in common and other than being at the party at the same time, I didn't think they had ever seen each other. JoAnn was touched by Rosa's plight and even though she was still hurting herself, she decided to start a shelter for abused women. She came to me one day and asked for my help, both emotional and financial. I didn't have a problem with either one and set her up with time to talk to Lewis who could give her some business advice. Our company had been doing philanthropic work over the years so it wasn't difficult for her cause to become one of our charities to support. I didn't want the publicity, we tried to do as much as possible anonymously and although JoAnn knew where the money was coming from, she never said anything publicly and we were able to help her establish a home with a capacity for 24 women. I know she was doing good work, the home was usually filled close to capacity. That was also bad, it meant that there was a definite need for something like that and to me that was unfortunate.

Lizzie was also coming by later this afternoon. She had met her true love a number of years ago even though she had her doubts about whether that would ever occur. It was a fairytale romance, a whirlwind of emotion and 3 weeks after meeting Neil the 2 of them were married. Neil was an investment banker who lived in Tucson and he and Lizzie met each other at a seminar. Just like in the storybooks, it was love at first sight and the 2 of them were inseparable. Once married Lizzie left to move in with him in Tucson although she had to give up part of her business here in Texas. She was able to maintain some of her clients long-distance and she worked hard to build the business back up to where it had been before she moved. She and Neil were each career oriented, and although she had told me at one time she wanted children they had been so busy working on careers that had never happened. Still, she told me she couldn't be happier and although she had missed out on having a child of her own, being able to come and visit us and see Alexandra and Jared had helped her overcome any reservations she might have had about not having her own child. She visited us 2 or 3 times a year when Neil was away on business and each time she stayed in our house, she managed to spend one night in my bed. I think it was some sort of throwback to the inner wild child she had when the 4 women had been younger and doing crazy things, but Courtney understood and there was never a problem with what we did. I loved her just like I love the others and satisfying her need for my attention was something I looked forward to. In fact, I was looking forward to it again tonight.

Right around the same time Lizzie found her true love, so did Alex. Aaron was from an old oil family, actually almost a rival to our family's business. They were old money from Houston and had met through business. Alex didn't want to get hurt and took things slowly, they dated long distance for 6 months before she decided to go to Houston with Jared and move in with him. She and I had gone south for a couple of days to discuss the situation before she made a decision. Just as she had done with me several times in the past, we talked about our feelings and how each of us felt about the circumstances. I couldn't find anything specific that I didn't like about the guy, he was nice enough and I didn't get the same shaky vibes from him that I did get about her boyfriend George a couple of years earlier. I had a little twinge in my gut but just wrote it off to an overprotective brother worried about his sister. When she left there was an emptiness in our house, even though Courtney and I had our daughter to devote our time and attention to, being without Alex and Jared left us missing something. I talked to Alex several times a week and in the beginning she seemed very happy. In fact, they lived together for 12 months before deciding to marry. They had been married for almost 6 months when I got the phone call.

"It's time Travis." Was all she said but that's all she had to say. She hadn't said anything directly to me but for the past few months I had been picking up signals from her that things weren't quite as happy as she was trying to let on. I drove all night to get there, it was a long ride but I would've driven twice as far if I had to. I got there early in the morning and Alex and Jared were there waiting for me, nothing was said. I helped her to carry out several suitcases of their clothing and a few of Jared's toys while Aaron stood there glaring at us but not saying anything. Once we had loaded just about everything Alex went into her bedroom and opened a drawer and pulled out a large manila envelope. She took the wedding ring off of her finger and dropped it into the envelope and handed it to Aaron as she walked past again, not saying a word.

We had driven for more than an hour before she said anything.

"Thanks Travis I knew you'd be here for me." She didn't have to say anything else, I would've been there for her any time.

"That's what big brothers are for Alex." I answered, I could see the tears in her eyes that were starting to form but she was refusing to let them flow. Jared was asleep in the back seat and we tried to talk quietly so as not to wake him.

"I don't understand it Travis, I tried so hard..." It was the same sort of thing I had heard from JoAnn when she first started going through her marital problems. I didn't want Alex to go through the same thing, to have the same feelings of self-doubt and self-pity. I knew my sister a lot better than I had known JoAnn and there was no doubt in my mind that any problems between them had not been of her doing.

Alex told me that the envelope she had given Aaron had been the divorce agreement, everything had been finalized several days earlier. All he had to do was sign it and file it with the courts, she had taken care of everything she needed to. She also left word that she would send for the rest of her things, she was going home and would be staying there.

I knew she didn't want to talk about it and I wasn't going to push her but after a few more hours of strained silence in the car, she started to open up. Again, the tears were there but I could see her fighting to hold them back.

"We wanted a child Travis, something the 2 of us could have together." She said sniffling back her tears.

"We tried, we tried for months and nothing. He started to suggest that it was me, that I was the one who couldn't get pregnant but Jared proved him wrong. Then, he started implying that maybe Jared wasn't my biological son. Heaven forbid there was anything wrong with him, he was the Studley oilman who could make anyone pregnant with a mere glance. Finally we went to a fertility clinic and they proved it was him. His body had no sperm and there was no way he could impregnate anyone. All his suggestions and implications that I was the problem and in the end he had been shooting blanks. Once he found out he couldn't have children, he started to resent Jared. I knew it was only a matter of time and I knew we had to get out of there. Why can't I seem to find someone Travis?"

"You've got someone Alex, you have me. You have Courtney. You have your son and we have a family together. It's not your fault and you don't need to be worried about this right now. Why don't you try to get some sleep and we'll be home in a few hours."

We drove home and got back to the ranch, Courtney rushed out to greet Alex and it was then that Alex broke down. She was crying nonstop and despite our efforts, we couldn't comfort her. Meanwhile, Jared and Alexandra had rushed into each other's arms, each was deliriously happy to be back with the other. Alexandra had seemed lost the entire time Alex and Jared were away, and I had gotten the sense that the same was true for Jared as his mother and I had talked during the ride back. Courtney and I took turns holding and trying to console Alex, she was despondent and was insisting that the problems were hers. I had heard this from JoAnn and I refused to hear it from Alex, there was no way she needed to have the same feelings.

Alex cried for the better part of a week before she started to calm. It had been difficult, difficult for me and Courtney as we tried to do whatever we could to cheer her up and difficult for the children who didn't understand what had caused Alex to feel this way. The mood in the entire house was somber and depressing. After that week though, Alex was starting to come out of it slowly. She was more talkative and the children recognized that things were getting better. She was still upset and still trying to insist that she had been responsible for the issues between them but neither Courtney nor I would allow her to think that.

In an attempt to help her I suggested she and I go for a ride. No, not a ride in the truck down to the town in southern Texas where we had shared some good times but rather a ride to Eli's ranch.

"We're going to get on some horses and we're going to camp and we're going to get this sorted out and we're not going to come back until we do." I informed her, there wasn't any room for debate. I was a little surprised she didn't object at all, I'm not sure she thought she would convince me otherwise if she did. I said goodbye to Courtney and we kissed the kids goodbye, then Alex and I got into the truck and started off. It was about 3 hours to Eli's ranch before we got there and we said very little to each other during the entire ride.

"We need some horses Eli, can you help us out?" I started as the truck pulled to a stop in front of his house. He came over to greet us with a big smile, although he could sense that Alex wasn't in a particularly good mood. He didn't say anything although I think he wanted to.

"No problem Travis, how long do you plan to be out?"

"I'm not sure Eli, maybe 8 or 10 days. I think we're going to need a pack horse too." I saw Alex open her eyes a little wider when I had said how long we planned to be away but I ignored her.

"Anything you need Travis, just let me know."

2 hours later we were on the horses and riding toward the open range. We had a pack horse with us loaded down with food for ourselves and the horses as well as bedrolls and a tent just in case we might get caught in the rain. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do once we got there but I wasn't about to let Alex pull into herself and go into the same depression that JoAnn had. We rode for 5 hours before coming to a spot in a grove of trees. The horses needed to stop for rest and water and there was a stream running through just as there had been several years earlier when Alex and I had been out riding to inspect our herd. Here, the stream had cut a small pool into the side of the bank that looked like it might be good for fishing and maybe even swimming if we decided we might want to cool off. We tied the horses up after watering them and then we took off the saddles and fed them. They were used to this type of activity and quickly settled down, quietly grazing on the grass as Alex and I set out some of our gear.

We spent the next 4 days talking. I wouldn't let Alex slide into depression, nothing that had occurred had been her fault and there was nothing she could've done to make things any better. I wasn't going to let her start to think that and there was no way she would end up thinking any less of herself before I was through. We did a lot of talking and spent a lot of time together just sitting in the warm sun but remembering things that had happened in our lives. It was intense and we each laughed and cried and got even closer. We hadn't brought a phone with us or anything other than our wits and the horses. We were here out in the middle of the range in southwestern Texas and we were going to work this out or we weren't going back. Alex knew this and I think that knowledge helped her to make the decision, she wasn't going to let these past months dictate what she did for the rest of her life. It had been a mistake and I felt equally as guilty, I probably should've said something more when Alex asked me what I thought about Aaron, but in retrospect I don't think I could've said anything that would change things. Back then I hadn't found anything that struck me odd about him so perhaps he was just good at hiding his feelings or his intentions. In any case, I couldn't let my guilt haunt me anymore than Alex's doubts were haunting her. On the 5th day when we woke up, each of us felt the weight of the world had been lifted from us. We didn't even feel like talking about past events, rather just enjoying the time the 2 of us had together. It was another time for brother sister bonding and we were going to make the most of it. We got up and had breakfast, and once done with that decided to go swimming. The pond wasn't huge but was big enough we could get in and submerge to our chests and we did just that. We each stripped off our clothes and went into the water naked, gliding around and getting to laughing and splashing each other and in general having a good time. After a time of fun and frolic, we got out and decided what the heck, why bother getting dressed. We spent the next 3 days naked and not worrying about anything. During the day we would swim or sit and talk or lay in the sun and at night we made love until early in the morning. We got even closer to each other than I thought was possible, but I'm glad we did it. I know it took some bad experiences to bring us this close, but in the end the result was worth it.

Reluctantly we put clothes back on and rode back to Eli's, returning his horses to him and getting back in the truck. When we got back to the ranch everyone could see the change in Alex immediately. It was as though she had never gone away and her life was back to the happy way it had been before she left. Knowing what had happened, I legally adopted Jared to give him my name just so no one could call him a bastard. Really he wasn't, but we were looking out for him and the experience Alex had gone through showed us just how mean some people can be.

I looked up from my musing as JoAnn came around the corner of the house, just as she usually did when she serviced the pool. Just as she usually was, she wasn't wearing a top but rather just the bottoms of her bikini. She fit right in, none of the other 3 women was wearing a top either. I looked at her with fondness, we had become good friends over the years and I was glad she had been able to find her niche in life after all the problems she went through earlier. She looked older now, she had lines and Crow's feet around her eyes and with all the time she had spent out in the sun, her skin had that weathered look to it. She was still in great shape with all the physical labor she did, her waist was thin, her legs looked strong and her breasts had almost no SAG to them even though she was in her early 50s now. She gave me a brief hello as she walked past before taking a chair at the table with the other women, easily falling into whatever gossip they had going.

I took a look at my daughter Alexandra, she was tall, blonde and had large breasts like her mother, although she got her dark eyes from my side as well as the dark nipples and areole that were very similar to Alex's. She was home from school now, she was almost 21 and would be going into her final year of studies at the University of Texas in the fall, majoring in petroleum engineering. She had told us at a very early age she planned to go into the family business which made me very proud. She must've gotten a lot from my father, she wanted to learn the business from the ground up and even at 15 she was working on a drilling rig out on the range just like the other roughnecks.

"A couple of the guys were giving me a hard time about being the daughter of the boss out their dad." She had said to me one day when we were sitting together.

"I'll take care of it honey." I had told her.

"No need to dad, I took care of it myself." She answered me with a grin.

"Really? What did you do?"

"I knocked them on their ass!" I had no doubt that's exactly what she did, she didn't take any crap from anybody and I know she would go far.

She had also inherited a lot from my father even though she had never met him. She had been project manager of a drilling venture when she was 19 that had brought in a very productive well in an area everyone swore had been pumped dry years before. Just as people used to say about my father, they started thinking she could smell the oil in the ground. I was very proud of her and I knew she would make a fine addition to the company.

Her brother wasn't here, he was in bed. Not his bed, some girl's whose name I didn't know yet. He had only recently ended a relationship with some other girl whose name I hadn't had a chance to learn before he had hooked up with this one. Actually, his sister had hooked him up with one of her friends and there was no doubt in my mind what they were doing now. I thought it odd, he and Alexandra had some sort of arrangement between them where she would find him a new girlfriend anytime one of his relationships ended. It was some sort of strange symbiosis, the girl would be close enough to Alexandra to tell my daughter everything that went on which then became common knowledge in our house as Alexandra explained in explicit detail exactly what had happened between Jared and his latest girlfriend. She would tell us how long it took him to get her into bed or where they had gone or what positions they had tried, things that would embarrass the heck out of me if she was talking about me. Her brother on the other hand, seemed proud of having her relate his exploits to us and all it did was make me jealous. He was getting a heck of a lot more pussy than I was at his age. He would be starting his sophomore year at SMU in the fall, he was majoring in business. I asked him if he wanted to follow along with his sister into our family company, but he wasn't sure so decided to keep his options open. There would be a place for him there if that's what he wanted but he could make up his own mind when the time came. He had always been a good kid and a hard worker and in fact had even worked for JoAnn a couple of summers helping her with the pools. As I looked over at JoAnn sitting with the other women while I was reminiscing about my son, a thought came to me that I had wondered about before. I was pretty sure although I hadn't asked and no one had volunteered, that JoAnn knew what his cock tasted like. I guess I couldn't worry about that, he was 19 now and she knew what mine tasted like too.

We had told the kids about the relationship in our family when we thought they were old enough to know. Jared had just turned 12 and his sister would be 14 in a few more months. We all got together in the kitchen around the table, and I started explaining how I loved Courtney but I also loved Alex who was my sister. I explained this was a deeper love and that one way to express that love was to make love to her which is how Jared came to be. I told him I was his father and his reply was "I know."

I thought he was simply referring to me being his adoptive father, perhaps I hadn't explained things well enough to him.

"Yes, but I mean I'm your biological father. Your mother and I made love to each other and you were the result of that act."

"I know dad."

Before I could continue, his sister broke in. "You don't have to say any more dad, we each know the truth. We've known for a long time and we're okay with it."

"That was it, it wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be and although I had no idea how they knew, like she said it never bothered them and we never had to mention the subject again.