Triggered by a Pink-Perfumed Letter

"Omigod," Gwen cooed. "Fancy you remembering that."

"Well, it was featured in our local newspaper and on that fifth consecutive championship win, when being interviewed on regional TV, you announced your retirement. I remember the relief that showed on your face upon uttering those words."

"Well yes, it had been a grind and Julia was at primary school and needed greater care and attention from me. I'd had a great run and it was sensible to retire at my sporting peak."

Rick heard Eric mutter, "Bloody oath."

"Let's drive Rick around the farm a bit; he'll be interested," Eric said. "I've loaded wine, water and beer in a chilly bin (cooler) into the Highlander SUV, plus nibbles."

"Good boy, I just need to get my sunglasses," said his wife.

Later, before leaving after an enjoyable visit by Rick lasting almost four hours, Gwen said, "Come Rick and I'll show you my roses. Clear the lunch dishes please, Julia."

Uh-uh, Rick thought. Time to be lectured.

Disturbingly, he heard Eric call from the terrace, "Julia, fetch me yesterday's newspaper."

She snapped back. "Get it yourself, you lazy sod."

Rick's eyebrows lifted as he speculated was that Julia revealing she possessed a tough streak.

Gwen said as they strolled around the expansive lawn, "There are only a few early roses out but this area of the garden will begin to look glorious in another fortnight. I wanted to tell you I'm thrilled that Julia seems to have taken to you so well and you to her. You need to know she can be a little temperamental."

"A little?"

"Yes, I'd describe that as fair comment and it appears the reason why she hasn't held for long to boyfriends who have dated her, despite her becoming competent in displaying her feminine charm. I'm thrilled she will be living with you on your horse farm and she's a highly-regarded horsewoman."

"I want you to know that Eric is not her father. He married me when I became pregnant shortly before I turned nineteen. The father was an irresistible French medical student in a party of French male students touring our country mainly for skiing and, obviously, chasing skirt. I was in a party of girlfriends at a café where the French guys joined us uninvited and later in the evening, we obligingly lifted our skirts."

"How exciting for you," Rick smiled.

"For an evening but thereafter I landed up with a guy out of necessity who was not my ideal choice of a husband."

"I'm sorry."

Gwen she really wasn't that bad off because fortunately she possessed a high degree of tolerance and her husband really loved her.

"I thought of making a pitch for you on behalf of Julia, and without her knowledge, as I thought she needed an older and likeable man and I recalled the grief I experienced when first hearing on the grapevine that you had been dumped by your fiancé and had disappeared from the social scene."

"And two and two..."

"Exactly, and aren't I a conniving woman?"

"Either that or a caring mother."

"Top marks for thoughtful counterpointing, darling."

Julia joined Rick in his vehicle for some light canoodling before he drove off and asked, "What did mum talk to you about worthy of noting?"

Rick had expected to be asked that and had already decided to reply frankly.

"She spoke about her love of roses, warned me that I should tread carefully if you ever became hot-headed and revealed that Eric is not your father."

"Thank god for that. I was wondering how to tell you that he married mom five months before my birth and wasn't my father. Mom told me when I was fifteen that my father was a young Frenchman touring this country with a group of fellow university students during winter on a skiing holiday. I told her I was delighted to be told that as I'd long sensed that dull Eric could not be my father as he was basically unsuited to my vibrant mother."

"Christ!"

"Yes, I took the news in delight with self-satisfaction of knowing I had been right, just as I know my mother is right about you in most respects."

"Uh, in most respects?"

"Yes, we have no knowledge if you really know how to treat a lover as a lady and whether you are generous or a skinflint with your money, whether you are fertile and if you can be a real arsehole at times."

"Oh, is that all?" Rick said grinning. "For a moment, you scheming bitches had me worried."

Julia sank her tongue into his mouth while reaching toward his groin but before she could finger her target, her arm was seized in an iron grip and its progress halted.

"Stop it, you're hurting me."

"Then back off, Julia. We are strangers and therefore should work into a relationship slowly to ensure it develops beautifully and thoughtfully. Are you with me on that, or not?"

"Yes, I'm capable of being patient and understand where you are coming from after being dumped on the verge of marriage."

"I appreciate that."

"Aren't you going to really berate me?"

Rick said whatever for? She appeared to be lusty and a little headstrong and she had no idea of his likes and dislikes and his temperament at this early stage. They had begun the ascent of a learning curve that would eventually take care of most things for them.

"So, you are not concerned that I might be a bit of a goer when it comes to sex?"

"I'm prepared to see you as you, and to allow you to be you as our relationship continues."

"Fair enough Rick; you appear to be the man I need. Please, get the fucking age difference out of your head. I best let you go. Please kiss me lovingly."

Rick drove off, watching her standing motionless looking in his direction until the rising dust from his accelerating vehicle on the farm access road totally obscured his rear mirror vision of the female with potential to be the love of his life.

Christ she was tough and would be a real handful if they really got it together, he thought. Grinning, he yelled, "Why the fuck would I want a wimp for my potential wife!"

Julia called him at 8.00 the next two nights. On the second evening her news was the partners at the law firm had decided she may leave on Friday week.

On the third evening, Rick called her at 7.55.

"Oh hi, why are you calling; is something wrong?" she asked, sounding a little tense.

"I just thought it was my turn to call you."

"Omigod, is that confirmation that as a guy, you believe in shared responsibility in a relationship?"

"Are we in a relationship already."

"Of course. Fuck, Rick. I'm thinking of you on and off all my waking hours."

"Christ."

"Does that mean you are lucky?"

"Aye, incredibly lucky."

"The day I'm permitted to hold your dick will make me feel incredibly lucky, says lusty Julia."

"Christ, Julia.?"

"Remain calm, Mr Conservative. I'm on my bed with the door shut. What's up?"

"Don't be so personal."

She giggled and said she loved his dry humour and was pleased when he said the new bed and bedding had been delivered that day and assembled in the guest bedroom as instructed. She was surprised to learn that arriving to an empty unlocked house with the delivery, the two delivery guys made the bed as a gesture of goodwill and then each helped themselves to a bottle of beer from the fridge.

Julia said in awe. "I bet delivery guys in cities and large towns would never exhibit goodwill like that, never have access into a dwelling while the occupants were away working."

Rick said, "Yeah, but it's a trade-off. Do you want that kind of home delivery service in rural living or living in the city and having pizzas delivered by young females with great boobs riding a scooter or moped?"

Julia said slyly, "Ah, so you are sufficiently experienced to know the difference between boobs and great boobs?"

The conversation continued for another twenty minutes, both of them aware upon termination that their fledging relationship has taken a firm step forward. Sex had been established as a conversation topic.

* * *

On the Friday that Julie would be finishing working at the law office, two female cleaners arrived to 'spring clean' Rick's farmhouse.

Rick had secured their service through Ma Reilly (actually widow Elizabeth Reilly), proprietor of seven small service businesses including employing a small group of married women working as call girls eager to make spending money.

He grabbed a couple of hamburgers and ate them on the way home, tired after earlier in the day riding two wild horses being saddled up for the first time after initial training, shifting stock and then heading off to perform maintenance in the main pumphouse that served two-thirds of the property.

He flopped on to his bed at 11.45, aware he'd ending up having a heck of a day and groaned, "What the fuck, anyone would think I preparing for the arrival of a princess."

Rick didn't work with his two farmhands next morning, Saturday. Instead, he picked flowers for his bedroom to be occupied by Julia, filled vases for flowers for the kitchen that also served as the temporary dining room and placed a small vase of flowers in the only working bathroom/toilet.

Then he prepared a cold lunch and a roast dinner. And waited and waited.

Finally, Nick heard a car arriving at 9.20, raced off to comb his hair once more and went out to meet his new employee/new girlfriend, aware that he was pumped up.

"Hi," he said, smiling broadly as he opened her car door.

"Darling," she cooed.

"Err, I meant to say hi darling," he lied and received a knowing smile.

They kissed enthusiastically and she simpered, "So this is where it happens for us? The house looks even more attractive than in the photos and phone video that I viewed."

"Um, what did you mean when you said this is where it happens for us?"

"This is where we finally get to having sex and with you spending most of your waking hours wondering when we will have sex again."

"Ah, okay, but what about working on the house?"

"Oh, that too. Give me a quick show-thorough and I'll change into riding clothes while you bring in everything from the car."

Rick peered into the car and joked, "I wonder is the house is large enough to take all this stuff."

The joke fell flat, and Julia said a touch icily, "Mum and dad are coming for lunch tomorrow in the Highlander and a tandem stock trailer complete with a wire netting cargo holding frame with much more of my other 'stuff' as you call it dismissively."

"Julia, please don't act pissed off when I say anything that you dislike. Let me be me."

"Fair enough," she said, scratching nonchalantly under an armpit. "The same goes for you when I mention anything that alludes to sex."

"Yeah, sure. You know I accept that sex has its place."

"Do I?"

Rick grinned and said there were acting like a couple of boxers sizing each other before getting down to it.

She laughed and said, "Very funny Rick. You may watch me change if you wish."

"Um, my priority it to bring in your stuff."

"Good, otherwise I'd have nothing to change into. May I suggest you start with the two soft travel bags that contain my farm clothing."

Chapter 3

Rick drove Julia's aged BMW down to the stables and said, "This car drives okay."

"Yes, dad had quite a bit of work done on it before it was handed over to me when mum got her new car."

The two farmhands, Ollie Cameron and younger Will Marsh were having morning tea, slumped on deckchairs under the shade of trees between the barn and the stables when the boss and his new girlfriend drove up.

They hadn't asked for any details about her and so hadn't been given any information other than she would be working on the house with Rick.

When they saw Julia's long legs slither from the car and her pretty face and splendid looking torso appear together with the long blonde hair, both guys clambered to their fee and politely removed their Akubras (wide-brim Australian felt all-weather hats).

"Jesus, what a beauty and she's my age," Will croaked.

"And athletic-looking," Ollie muttered.

"Guys, this is Julia Malcolm-Winton, my new employee who'll work with me to finish the house."

"Julia, the bearded on is Ollie Cameron who began working for my late father on his farm several years before it was split between myself and my two older siblings. Ollie is a horseman and as it was my intention to gradually turn my acreage into principally a horse breeding farm, I snapped up Ollie to work with me. I'd persuaded Will, who I'd come across in town, to play for the rugby team that I was coaching at the time three years ago and when my other farmhand left to go commercial fishing, I snapped up Will to join the team that I trained and managed."

"Hi guys, nice to meet you," Julia said. "Don't figure that I'm anybody special because I work up at the house with the boss. We are all part of a team."

"You look sporty and as if you play sport."

"Yes Will, and if you run at say 6.00 I the morning, invite me to join you."

"What, unaccompanied?"

"Yes, providing you trust yourself to behave acceptably when alone in the company of a woman, no problem."

Rick, appearing uncomfortable at the way that conversation was going said, "Will, get the mare that we three have collectively selected for Julia."

Julia flared, "Give me the chance to select my own challenging mount rather than a what a lame panel of men thinks is appropriate for a female who probably panics even if breaking a finger nail and who doesn't accept being roughly treated by even a horse."

"Okay, Julia, we hear you. But first get the 3-year-old newly broken-in mare, Will."

Ollie poured freshly made coffee for the boss, Julia and himself, winking at her as he poured her drink and Julia was unsure of how to interpret that wink.

Will led from the stables a long-legged, free-flowing ungroomed mare, causing Julia to suck in breath and mutter "Omigod."

"She's ready to be named," Will said. "Her temporary name given when recently acquired by the boss on order remains as Daisy."

"What a stupid misnaming," Julia cried. "I see thorough-bred lineage in her cross-breeding. She's mine."

"The boss can't give you a horse without a proper name," Will taunted.

"Her name is Tess and I require that to be registered in the name of this property," Julia said. "Will, please saddle up Tess and Rick's horse as we are about to tour the farm. A light all-purpose saddle for me, please."

"Yes, Miss."

"Will!"

"Yes, Julia. A light-weight saddle is available."

Rick strolled up to Julia and place an arm around her waist possessively, for all to see, and said, "Wasn't it impressive that a panel of three oafs managed to carefully select an appropriate mount for you to possess for as long as you stay here?"

"Yeah, unbelievable, darling. It was an inspired choice, I believe. I knew the moment that so-called Daisy was led to us that she was the supremely ideal horse for me. She'll run freely as she was born to do with awesome endurance."

"Splendid but remember, deep down Tess basically remains a wild horse though she will want to adopt to her new and much smaller family of horses and now humans and, given time, above anything else, she'll relate best to you."

Tess attempted to dislodge Julia the moment she hoisted herself into the saddle, but soon settled down as the rider demonstrated uncompromisingly her ability stay put in the saddle despite the and wicked bucking and that she was in charge.

They rode for 11/2 hours with Rick pointing out farm boundaries and geographical features and they inspected the other 27 culled Kaimanawa horses that now formed the foundation of Rick's breeding stock with the addition of two part-Arabian stallions purchased from other breeders.

"Tess is the standout of those selected Kaimanawa horses," Julia said as they arrived back at the stables.

"Yeah, and you know horses," Rick said approvingly.

Although Will usually didn't work much past noon on Saturdays, he was waiting patiently to unsaddle the horses and walk them to cool them down and before taking them to water.

"Tess spends most of her time outside that obviously is her preference, been born and raised wild," he told Julia. "But at times she is brought in with the advent of coming stormy weather that includes snow at this altitude or for regular vet inspection of horses. I have painted her name on a stall door and your name in smaller writing beneath that and your riding equipment will be stored nearby."

"Thanks, Will, much appreciated. I'm inviting you guys to have dinner with us every Sunday night unless we have non-family guests."

"Julia..."

"I shall advise Rick of my decision. Arrive at 6.00 tomorrow night sober, dressed tidily for drinks."

"Thanks, Julia. Speaking also for Ollie, we appreciate your invitation. Nothing like this has happened before. Your arrival appears to be setting a new beginning."

"That's perceptive of you, Will. I hope that Rick is similarly perceptive."

Rick was nowhere in sight, and nor was Julie's vehicle.

She walked to the house that was 250-plus yards away and found Rick just finishing washing her car.

"You loitered for quite some time down at the stables. Were you getting to know Will intimately?"

"Do you want me to remove one of your front teeth," she snarled.

"Omigod, sorry. I was attempting to be humorous."

"I was attempting to be friendly. Will said the former wild horses prefer to remain outside but were brought in ahead of arriving stormy weather or for the routine veterinarian inspections. He then took me to a stall where he'd painted Tess on the door with my name in smaller writing below that."

"That was great of him to do that. He was orphaned at fifteen, you know."

"No, I didn't know that. Omigod, that explains why he seems so happy around me."

Rick scratched his head and said he didn't understand that comment.

"Although he probably doesn't admit it, he misses his mother and I'm a friendly female and that's all there is to it. Now hear this loud and clear, Rick. If you don't trust me with the men or trust them with me, then get rid of them."

"Christ, Julia, back off. I had just made a flippant comment, being a smart-arse. I'm not the simmering jealous type or a guy who sulks when he thinks things are not going his way. Believe that or... or bloody well leave."

"Okay, darling Rick. I hear you loud and clear. We allowed that to blow up out of all proportion and for your information I'm pleased to have learned that you can display sensitivity. I have no intention to seduce anyone but you, right?"

"Yeah, right and thanks for sorting that misunderstand out. As my late grandma told me a few times, I need to treat some females like I would frisky mares."

Julia laughed, Rick laughed and she backed off at pace yelling, "Don't touch me with your wet hands."

"I ought to toss you in the mud where the run-off from washing your car is pooling for being so precious."

"Attempt that and you'll come of second-best, buster," she warned with a fake scowl.

Rick entered the kitchen and Julia said she'd intended making something for dinner and found cold lunch waiting and a roast with vegetables ready in the oven.

"Well, you can learn from that I'm not a hopeless case in the house. Let's start with a beer."

"Please shower and change first."

"Okay."

"Good lad."

Ten or so minutes later, bare-foot Rick returned and Julia gasped, almost dropping the apple pie she had just finished making, ready for baking for dinner when the roast was removed from the oven.

Rick wore a clean white tee and jeans, both slightly too small for him. His upper body was wiry and muscular, emphasized by the tee-shirt and Julia guessed from the width of his shoulders and his tapered waist that his arse would look gorgeously miniscule. She shocked herself by mildly feeling a desire to reveal her body to him.

"You look lovely and fresh and have even rushed a comb through that wad of unruly hair. I go easy on drinking beer so please fetch me a whisky and water, no ice or preferable vodka, but I didn't spot any when looking through cupboards."