Triggered by a Pink-Perfumed Letter

By EgmontGrigor2021

Chapter 1

On a frosty morning, Rick McKenzie leaned against the mailbox at the start of the half-mile dirt road to his farmhouse and leafed through the nine assortments deposited the previous day by the twice-weekly district rural mailperson, Ma Reilly.

Only one item merited opening at this stage, a sealed pink (sniff) perfumed envelope.

He grinned and thought oh, not another one.

Rick guessed it would unsigned from a local mother with an unmarried daughter aged 17-40 suggesting that he should get married before he became set in his bachelor-ways.

He admired the handwriting of the sender, rather stylish as was her choice of perfume. The writer used his name, which suggested she knew him or of him, but wrote anonymously.

Dear Rick

My husband and I have a daughter that needs to settle down with a compatible male, as I imagine just as you desire in order to enjoy companionship of the opposite sex in your prime and perhaps to produce descendants.

Check around carefully within a 50-mile radius of your farm Rick and you'll find her. You both need each other.

Enough said.

xxx

Rick screwed up the letter thinking that the mother should have acted more positively by sending her daughter to him with a proposal, or at least state her name so he could find her easily if that was his desire. By contacting him this coy way, she was wasting his time.

Driving home in his pickup that hadn't been cleaned since purchased new 18 months earlier, Rick thought back two years ago when his impatient finance Megan Smith, who'd been assisting him building a replacement farmhouse for five months, had callously dumped him without warning, leaving a note that from memory read:

Rick, thanks for practically nothing. I'd come to learn that you say far too little for any woman to find you adequate, although your very close companionship in bed is good enough to leave any female with high expectations more than satisfied.

I have been sneakily engaging intimately with a guy that I met in town six weeks ago. He and I talk all the time and he's not too bad in bed although as yet we've only had quickies. His wife died more than a year ago and he misses a woman beside him, day and night, he said yesterday. And then he proposed to me.

Initially, I thought I should remain loyal to you as we planned to wed, but yet with no date set. His proposal was solid and still I was ready to reject it until he said awaiting me as his new wife was a near-new house in the city, 189 miles from where I'd been living with you. The line 'new house awaiting me' convinced me to go with him.

And so, thanks for some good memories and may you find a good woman with unbelievable tolerance and patience.

Adios.

Megan

The house mentioned by Megan was replacing the 70-year-old basic farmhouse gutted by fire when Rick and his two farmhands were fencing at the back of his 250-acre farm on prime land he'd inherited from his late father, who 38 years earlier had purchased the 37,658-acre farm from his ailing parents, Scottish immigrants Iain and Judith McKenzie. The much larger hilly and less fertile and therefore far less valuable acreage had been divided equally between Rick's older siblings, Duncan and Kate, both now married with young children.

Initially, Rick ran only cattle on his land but gradually began introducing wild Kaimanawa horses whose origins extend back to released or escaped horses that since the mid-1880s for generations have wildly roamed the vast central volcanic tablelands in herds, originally building up to around 2000. However, these days they were reduced by culling on behalf of the Government that owned that part of the tableland down to around 300, as a ecosystems management policy.

Kaimanawa horses' great endurance, some possessing varying degrees of inbred jumping ability and being herd-raised, are excellent when trained for riding. They exhibit natural skill when used for herding farmed horses, cattle and sheep.

Two weeks after receiving that perfumed pink letter, and doing nothing about it, Rick received an early-evening phone call from a female.

"Have you decided not to reply to mum's letter that she sent without my authority?"

Huh?

"Who's speaking?"

"Julia Winton."

"I don't know you."

"But I know you, Rick. As a schoolgirl, I used to watch you ride fearlessly and at times win horse and bull riding events at rodeos and play as one of the best wingers within a hundred miles in amateur rugby for our district competing from teams from our district and other districts."

"Yeah, well a guy has to keep himself occupied when not working on the farm."

"Rick, I originally regarded you as dashing, but too old for me, but now that I'm in my early twenties I find mum's notion that you might be just right for me, probably makes sense."

"I'm thirty-four Julia, so find a guy closer to your own age."

"Don't be so rude."

Rick laughed and said wasn't she rude calling him out of the blue like this and suggesting romance.

"I haven't suggested romance -- yet."

There was a long silence until she said, "Why haven't you cut my call?"

Rick sighed and said he'd been quietly thinking. But it would only make her mad if he replied to her question truthfully.

"Try me."

"You appear to be rather like the wild, head-strong Kaimanawa horses that I break in, especially the young mares."

"And?"

"I don't mean to suggest that you look horsey."

"I know that, Rick. You need to know that I have a soft and well-modulated voice and..."

He interrupted.

"I believe I may know your mother, now that I know her married name is Winton. In my first year at high school, your mother was in her final year. I can say with certainty that no daughter of the Gwen Malcolm that I knew would be sluttish or allowed to grow fat and lazy."

"Omigod."

"Therefore, I assume that your look rather like your mother in her youth, meaning that you look fetching and possess high ideals."

"That roughly describes me," Julia said, struggling to control her breathing rate.

He caught her excitement and said, "So you think something could develop between us?"

"Yes."

"Julia, feel free to tell your mother anything from this conversation. I remember her as beautifully-bred Gwen Malcolm who could run almost as fast and me and I became high school sprint champion from my first year at that school. In those days, she regarded all boys as morons."

"A couple of times I had the passing thought of attempting to date Gwen, although knowing she was way out of my league. She was a senior and may have been head girl but my memory is hazy about that. I remember her as being impressive and well-liked, and that why I said in confidence that no daughter of Gwen Malcolm-Winton would have been raised to be fat, sloppy or sluttish."

"Oh charming. I'll tell her that when we are having pre-dinner drinks with dad and my brother. We may have hysterics."

"Okay, do that and enjoy. Now back to this about the possibility of us getting together. Are you good with a hammer and saw and working with correct techniques to specifications?"

"I used tools proficiently when recently helping dad build a large hen house with fenced run that also incorporated a garden shed/storehouse for mum to replace the near collapsing structure she had used for years."

"Excellent, then this is the proposal. Since Megan departed, I've done nothing more on the replacement farmhouse she was assisting me to build before our wedding."

Julia said, "I know that, everyone living within 100 miles from here probably knows of that dramatic event of your being dumped. It made mum cry."

"Christ!"

"That was out of joy, rather than anguish. She believed that Megan was far too common and untalented and lacked sufficient passion for you."

"Err, back to my proposal, Julia. I recently decided to finish the final almost 60% of the house and will need an assistant. The structure of the house and the electrical and plumbing work have all been signed off by the local territorial council. The framework of the house was pre-fabricated off-site and erected by certificated fabricators. I brought in a registered plumber-electrician-drain layer, so all that work passed council inspections which means the finished building should be assured of council signing off completion approval."

"So, you want me to work alongside you as a 'chippie' and painter?"

"Yes, I've had experience in bathroom and floor tiling. The master bedroom and bathroom are completely finished."

"And where would I sleep, with you?"

"No, ma'am. You go home at nights. I'll include mileage in your pay rate."

"Please don't call me ma'am. Also. I live a long torturous drive on windy unsealed roads from you."

"Then forget this proposal."

"No, I'll be resigning my job in our nearest town as manager of a law office to come to you and I'll share your bedroom."

"No way."

She snorted and challenged. "Try stopping me."

"Err, compromise?"

"Let's hear it, and don't attempt to outwit me, Rick."

"I'll buy a bed for the unfinished designated main guest bedroom for my use temporarily and it will be placed it under a dustcover by day to protect the bedding from construction dust. You'll have the comfortable and competed main bedroom for your exclusive use."

"Accepted. I knew you were a reasonable guy. Mum told me she saw you at Megan's wedding. We agreed that it was astonishing that you accepted her wedding invitation."

Rick mumbled that he was an easy-going guy and felt the need to acknowledge the hard work that Megan had done working alongside him, albeit for pay. He went unaccompanied to just the church service, and gave the married couple a coffee machine like his one that Megan had coveted.

"Good boy."

"That's a mature and encouraging thing for you to say in that context," he said.

"Rick, I'm 23 which means I'm no longer a girl, far from it and I've been working as manager of a small law office. I have to give them four weeks' notice of resignation but will try to get that reduced to two weeks, so can't come to you until that finalizes."

"Good girl, keep in touch."

Julia said, "Hey wait, am I to get a contract for working on your unfinished house?"

"No, but I'll sign a document confirming your pay rate and guarantee insurance cover and sick pay. Get one of your legal friends to draft a document to your satisfaction."

Persisting, Julia said, "Why don't you want to place me under contract?"

"Why should I? You wish to marry me, don't you?"

"I have thought about the possibility should I find you okay and agreeable."

"Well, then?"

"Hmm. So far Rick, I've found you're okay and agreeable. Therefore, forget a full contract, just pay me the going rate and provide written confirmation when you have arranged accident insurance n

"Fine."

"Fine."

"I can't wait to get to you to see what you are really like, Rick."

"Likewise, in me checking you out, Julia."

"I don't require mum's permission to invite you to lunch. Write down these address details and come early for leisurely lunch this Sunday, and don't chicken out. Dad will to show you around our sheep and cattle farm."

"What if your mother objects to your invitation, Julia?"

"She's not crazy. The first thing she will think is she'll need a new dress and must get her hair done."

"Really? Then great, Sunday it is, Julie. Meanwhile, think of our age gap."

"Fuck the age gap, Rick. Just concentrate on how you intend to impress me and not to disappoint my mother."

He laughed and said she obviously was quite a charter and flushed when Julia said she'd sometimes remembered him from rodeo and football days and had wondered what it would be like living with him, or had he turned into a bitchy old man well before his time.

"Bitch."

She giggled and cut the call.

Rick checked his phone. Christ, thirty-two minutes. He'd never spoken to anyone that long on the phone, not even to his sister and sister-in-law who liked to mother him.

* * *

Rick and his men worked eight to nine hours weekdays and on Saturdays for four hours usually tidying up, working on equipment maintenance and mucking-out the stables and the holding/training yards.

On this particular Saturday, Rick assigned the younger guy, Teddy, to vacuum the inside of the Ranger pickup and to clean the outside thoroughly.

"What, are you about to trade it?"

"Nah, I wish to impress a female I'm about to meet."

"Christ, Rick, that's awesome. Kevin and I were beginning to think that you'll be a bachelor for life by the way you are going without a girlfriend and not even visiting Ma Reilly's selection of females."

"I guess I'm suffering a touch of spring fever, Teddy."

"Right," laughed the 25-year-old long-time orphan who'd had been a local layabout until Rick cajoled him into joining the 2nd grade rugby team that he was coaching. Weeks later he hired likeable Teddy to replace a farmhand who was off to join an off-shore commercial fishing boat crew.

"I'll write your name on the driver's door with marking pen as you won't recognise your pick-up once it's been cleaned," Teddy joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Just make a good job of it and then join Kevin and me down at the stables when finished. Drive down so we can give you a pass or fail on your work."

Chapter 2

Rick drove up to the Winton's rather fancy brick and tile farmhouse and eyed the slender blonde with flowing hair who burst from the house, ran across the deck and leaped over the four or five steps down to land athletically without losing pace or balance.

Impressed, Rick braked to a stop wondering if he should kiss Julia gingerly to indicate he was interested in possible friendship, or perhaps something more.

He didn't have to bother. Julia had made the decision for him.

He stepped down from the vehicle, heard her cry in delight "Omigod" before she de-accelerating crashed into him, and gave him a big, fat moist kiss on the lips and wriggled her boobs across his chest, three or four times in quick succession.

Rick reeled, never in his life having experienced such an arousing first kiss and that made him think she'd rehearsed that reception to knock off his socks off.

"Holy shit."

"Don't be disgusting, Rick," she chided.

"Sorry."

"Actually, I was flattered. I wanted to make a big impact Rick, to show you that I was fleet-footed and, um, all-woman because I have a big favour to ask."

"What, to keep well away from you?"

She ignored that remark probably thinking that it was more-suited to a yokel.

"Our senior women's hockey team for which I play on the right wing, is languishing second to bottom in our league and I know the reason. More than half of the team eat pies and drink larger beer and lack motivation. I want you to become our unofficial fitness coach for four weeks to knock us all into shape and deliver the edict you want strict healthy food and drink consumption, which means no beer, no pies, cakes or sugary biscuits and no pizza until after the finals in eight weeks."

"Fair go, Julia. You tell them what to eat and drink. You appear forceful enough."

"Nick I've tried, but most of them are older than me and live and work hard, and I get no apparent status for scoring 40% of our goals so far this season."

"So, you think they need to be bullied? Bloody hell, Julia. I have to work all day, spend three hours in return travel and run around with a bunch of lusty rural females during an hour's training session who'll think I'm an arsehole for demanding that I separate them from beloved choices in drink and food for an entire month and for the month beyond that to the play-off finals."

"I'll look after the diet ban after you announce it, Rick, and I'll suggest great healthy alternatives. I suggest you wear sexy shorts and you'll have their minds practically in your palm, though there are bound to be exceptions. Travel time will be halved because I've found a disused training ground at the village of Aspen that we are free to use with toilet still working in the old changing shed. Aspen in on the main road, with fast secondary road connections for all of us and for you."

"Um, well if you insist."

"I'm waiting for your volunteered enthusiastic reply of acceptance, Nick."

"Okay, Tuesday and Thursday evenings for one hour, beginning next Tuesday. I look forward to the challenge."

"Thanks, darling."

"Um..."

"Let it rest, Nick. I'm part-way in love. I felt the electric tingle in my nipples when I rubbed my boobs over your chest. Only twice have I ever felt that before despite scores of test runs."

"I need a cold shower."

Julia giggled and taking Nick by the arm said, "Come inside and meet mum and dad. I requested that they wait inside so I could introduction myself to you without distraction."

"Great. Um, does your mother know of your boob-rubbing test?"

"Yes, she made my aware of that handy little indicator when I turned nineteen. We know nothing about the science involved."

"Good one," he said and added recklessly, "I suppose the male version is to rub his pants-covered flaccid dick against a target female's upper thigh in the hope of receiving an electrical sensation?"

He sighed silently in relief when she laughed instead of accusing him of burbling utter nonsense, but she wasn't quite finished.

"Would you like to test out that theory with me right now?"

Shocked, he looked ready to bolt and the horsewoman said firmly, "Steady Nick. That was just a piece of my occasional quirky humour that I don't get much opportunity to exhibit."

"Nice one, I loved it," he mumbled, faltering,

She said, "Nick, I have a few rough edges so don't make the mistake of believing that I'm heavily endowed with angelic tendencies. Say you believe that."

"Yes, I accept your explanation absolutely. Please understand that I'm a little nervous being in your company as a new acquaintance with a declared expectation of us possibly becoming romantically attached."

"Change the word 'possibly' to 'probably' and I'd totally agree with your take on our situation."

"You are appealing to me more and more, Julia."

"Likewise, and that indicates that we don't muck around, eh?"

"Definitely," he oozed as Julia led him into the farmhouse, swinging her hips to presumably capture his attention.

"Nice butt," he blurted, unable to control that thought and she didn't comment.

Walking into the front lounge, Julia said happily, "Mum, dad here is my new friend and my new employer, Rick McKenzie."

"New employer?" Eric Winton said a little sharply.

"Yes, I've been recruited to assist him complete building his replacement farmhouse."

"Rick, darling," Gwen said, the 40-year-old ignoring the employment comment that appeared to have seized the mind of her older husband. "How lovely to see you again in person after all these years since you rode at rodeos all over this region including a rodeo incorporated in our district's annual A&P (agriculture and pastoral) Show. Though we live reasonably close to each other as the crow flies, our centre of local community lies to the nor-east of here while yours on the other side of a mountain range lies to the west of where you live."

"Indeed Gwen, it's great to catch up and you have retained your beauty well. And you sir, it's the first time we have met. May I say you two have raised a beautiful and charming daughter of considerable intellect and I guess, considerable athletic skills."

"Enough of the sir nonsense boy, call me Eric. "Have you agreed to be fitness coach for Julia's hockey team?"

"Yes, she virtually overwhelmed me with her well-presented case for me becoming involved to assist saving her A-team from total humiliation at the end of this season's regional hockey championships. I was aware, although it was not stated, that her mother as captain led the women's A-team to a record in its division's regional annual championships with five consecutive wins in the finals."