RED HOT RANCH Page 3

  As James took Billy and Johnson’s horses to the stable, he couldn’t help but wonder how much fighting would be going on shortly. There was a part of him that longed for the danger, but also a part of him that knew how many people who didn’t know how to fight, or couldn’t, would be badly injured, even killed. His mind ran to Helen. He realized how devastated he would be if something happened to that woman.

  “Is everything all right?”

  The assertive voice came from behind him and made James jump up in the air like he’d stepped on hot coals. He whirled around with his gun drawn.

  “Don’t shoot!”

  It was Helen. She was dressed for the night, wrapped up in a long cloak, and armed with a small caliber rifle.

  “Helen!” James said. “I’m so glad you’re all right!”

  Without thinking, James strode over to her and scooped her up in his arms. She felt so good to hold. Helen kissed him on the mouth, pushing him back into the stable. James couldn’t believe what was happening. Just when he thought the night was over, Helen surprised him in the best way.

  “You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you!” James said.

  Helen just laughed as she pushed him backward onto a pile of hay and started to kiss him like they had in the stockroom. Helen fumbled with his belt buckle, and James had to take it off for her. James’ hands explored her body, cupping her full breasts, sucking on her nipples like they were the first he’d ever seen. James couldn’t believe how hard he was, and how good Helen looked with clothes off.

  James knew that the bandits were lurking nearby, but the throbbing of his cock had made an encounter with Helen his new priority.

  “My apologies, if this isn’t romantic, ma’am. But lie back and spread yourself wide.”

  Helen smiled at James and lifted her skirt high, revealing no undergarments, she kicked her feet into the air, spreading her legs far apart like a gymnast. It was more than James could take. He grabbed his cock, and guided it to her welcoming womanhood. There was no time to mess around, and he didn’t actually think he’d last very long even if they weren’t in a hurry.

  James rammed himself into Helen and grunted with each thrust, quickly increasing the tempo. Helen responded by spreading her one leg wider and draping the other around his back. She held his shoulders and marveled at their beauty as he moved his cock within her.

  James was getting close. It happened fast. He grabbed Helen’s hips and thrust into her one last time as the orgasm ripped through his body and launched into hers like a tsunami.

  The horses snorted and stamped outside, the noises that James and Helen were making definitely weren’t quiet. At one point James had Helen up against the side of the stable, taking her from behind, and the whole building rocked with them. They weren’t ashamed at all about their tryst; what else were they supposed to do? Neither lived in a place where there was any privacy.

  When they had finished, Helen lay against James’ chest, and he stroked her hair. It felt good to be close to someone, and even better when he respected that person. It wasn’t something he was used to. He knew that Helen could hold her own, and she could also keep his attention sexually, and that was saying something.

  After lying with each other for a spell, they both got up, brushed the straw off of their clothes and went their separate ways after a passionate goodbye kiss. James thought about how lucky he was to have run into Helen out here on the Rusty Spur Ranch. He thought of how much his life had changed in so little time, and how much of it had hinged on Mr. Frederick’s ranch expansion – all to impress a woman.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The next day James got up early and sat smoking on the porch of his bunkhouse, his senses heightened for any sign of the bandits. There was something in his head telling him that this day would be just as crazy as yesterday was.

  Just as he turned, something on the distant hill that stood between the Rusty Spur Ranch and the small town caught his eye. He squinted to try to make out who was up there, even though he knew exactly who it was.

  “Billy!” James screamed charging into the bunkhouse. He grabbed his belt with his guns and ammo, strapped it on and slung his rifle over his shoulder. “We have company.”

  Billy was up in a flash, and ready faster than James. They both strode out of the wooden bunkhouse and made their way toward the fence line. The bandits were most likely to become tangled in, or at least held up by the fencing as they crossed the plain. They were still about forty-five minutes away, and the fence line wasn’t something they likely saw yet. James and Billy had just put it in recently, before the last cattle run, at the request of Mr. Frederick. He’d said that he wanted a little something out there to trip anyone up that would come charging across the country to bear down on the ranch. James and Billy had thought it a somewhat strange request considering how long it had been since the last attack, but had been happy to do it for Mr. Frederick because they knew he was someone who thought ahead. Now they were even happier to have done it because the robbers would topple over the lines of barbed wire about a hundred yards out from the actual property line, and the ensuing confusion would make them easy targets for rifles.

  As they walked out to the property line, James shot off a few rounds into the air to get everyone up and moving. It worked just as he’d thought it would, with Mr. Frederick sounding the alarm to let everyone know all hands were needed to repel invaders. It was something that made James feel strange, to want the fight to come to them so badly. He wasn’t usually one to long for confrontation, but at this point, he knew there was no other way. The people who were riding down the hillside were the same ones who had tried to shoot him in the back the night before. It was time just to end it, and James knew how.

  He unslung his rifle and waited. Billy did the same. They didn’t have long to wait, as the bandits put the spurs to their horse’s flanks. Before James had time to prepare himself, the bandits were headed right to the fence line. But they didn’t charge right over it. Instead, they stopped just short and started trotting their horses back and forth.

  That was when all the hands at the Rusty Spur Ranch opened up with everything they had. Billy shot off all of his rifle rounds, then started dumping revolvers full of pistol ammunition at the figures scurrying around in panic. Several horses went down, and James saw a few men go down as well. But then the air become so thick with the smoke from Mr. Frederick’s musket, which he’d used because he was the only one who knew how and they were short on firearms. There were also a few really old shotguns, more like a blunderbuss than a proper gun, that poured smoke into the air.

  “Cease fire!” Mr. Frederick shouted. He wanted to conserve their ammunition and to allow the smoke to clear. When it did, they could see again the bandits were gone. When James and Billy rode out to check if there were any wounded, they didn’t find anything but a few horses that had been shot during the exchange, and unfortunately now lay dead. Everything else was gone. There was nothing left on the horses, not even reins.

  “What kind of people are we fighting?” Billy wondered aloud.

  “I’m not sure,” James said. “But I think we need to watch our asses from now. These people ghosted out of here like real warriors, and I can only hope they won’t be back. We’re damn lucky to have had Mr. Frederick tell us to put this little fence out here. When we did it, we both wondered what had gotten into him. Now look at us.”

  Billy nodded. James could tell that it had already been on his mind. Was there something that Mr. Frederick wasn’t telling them? James couldn’t help but wonder that night, during the celebration feast. Johnson was drunk, and all over Josephine. They seemed to be getting along well, though. The rest of the hands drank, and Mr. Frederick gave a short, but moving speech about community and how proud he was that all the members of the Rusty Spur had come together as a family. It shamed James for thinking that Mr. Frederick might be doing something on the sly. He also had the feeling that the celebration dinner was a bit premature.

  �
�These two boys here,” Mr. Frederick said. “They’re like sons to me, just like Johnson is my son. And if it weren’t for Billy and James, the Rusty Spur Ranch wouldn’t be here right now. They’ve been by my side for many moons now, and I’m excited to have Johnson join us now as well. The Rusty Spur Ranch is becoming more powerful, and is a threat to these horrid men. They see us, and they know their time of lawless reign is coming to an end!”

  Everyone cheered, and old Mackenzie whipped out his fiddle, a lively jig filling the air. The old church was full of music and dancing for the first time in a very long time. James and Helen danced together and kissed openly, not caring if anyone saw them. The West was a hard place, now he saw it a little differently.

  As the night went on Johnson and Josephine danced up a storm on the floor, and Mr. Frederick clapped and hollered like none of them had ever seen. There seemed to be no shortage of booze, which surprised James. It wasn’t like the old days when no one had a smoke or a drink or even ammunition to spare. Now there were people here, and the kind of individuals who took care of themselves and those around them. It was the kind of place that made James feel at home.

  James took Helen to bed that night, and their sex was passionate and slow. He planted kisses all over her body. She moved to try to conceal her rolls but he held her hands firmly and kissed her healthy midsection. He moved down and buried his face in the warmth between her legs. She tasted incredible. He wasn’t moving from between her legs until her felt her shudder and moan from an orgasm. It didn’t take long, Helen arched her back and he felt her body tense up as she screamed out into the night. She collapsed into an exhausted heap and James curled up in behind her, holding her shuddering body tightly.

  Maybe there was an entirely different world out there, one where he wouldn’t have to wear a gun and constantly be on guard. James knew he’d have to talk more to Billy about it, but he felt like he should go see the rest of this big world out there. Although he wasn’t sure how much bigger it could get than the desert plains.

  The next day James and Billy rode back to the torched town early in the morning. Their horses were heavily laden with guns: rifles, pistols, shotguns, and even a small string of razor wire to be used as a trap if needed. They didn’t expect trouble, but at the same time, they wanted to be able to unleash hell on anyone who got in their way.

  When they got to the town’s ashes, they found what they’d expected to find—a bunch of people camping out on the outskirts of the destroyed speck of humanity. James rode to the middle of the small group of tents and dismounted.

  “Who’s in charge?” James shouted at the tents.

  Slowly, one of the tent flaps opened, and a young man with a bandaged arm came out.

  “I guess that would be me,” the man said.

  “I’m here to tell all of you that you’re all welcome at the Rusty Spur Ranch. It will be an all-day walk, but if you start now, we can make it back by nightfall. We’ll ride with you so if any of those cowards try anything we can put up a real fight. We brought plenty of guns and ammunition to pass out if need be. What do you say?”

  The young man looked at him like James was some kind of savior from above, and James knew that all of the towns survivors would end up coming as well. They had been a proud little community, and maybe that’s why they had been so stubborn to leave it. James decided not to ask if the town had ever been working the bandits and instead bring it up to Mr. Frederick after the fact. They’d have to keep an eye out for any funny business, but James thought that if there was any way to teach a people how life worked, it was by befriending them after their own designs ended in ruin.

  The people from the old town gathered their few remaining possessions, packed up their tents, and started walking. Billy and James rode by them and kept watch on the hills. Everyone was skittish about the possibility that they would be attacked, but no one cried or complained about the walk. There were a few times James was sure he saw the flash of a white horse’s flank on the hillside, and he even called out to Billy at one point, but nothing ever happened. James was certain they were being watched, though, as was Billy. There was no way the same people who they’d shot so many rounds at yesterday, who had retreated from their failed charge with all the grace of a trained military, were just going to give up.

  When the Rusty Spur Ranch was in sight everyone started to walk faster. That was when the first of the shots rang out from behind them. Whoever it was knew the land well, and had ridden up behind them using ditches created from the rainy season. James and Billy whipped around and fired back. Neither were willing to charge the attacking force, and there wasn’t time to hand out the weapons. So instead they shot as much as they could in between trotting their horses to keep up with the small caravan of people carrying tents and other belongings. Everyone was jogging now, and James was having trouble with how much smoke some of the shotguns released when they discharged. The smoke stung his eyes and made him cough. Billy was having similar problems, but somehow, they managed to make it back through the Rusty Spur Ranch front gate.

  “Holy cow,” Mr. Frederick said. “I can’t believe they attacked again!”

  “I can.” James said as he hopped down off his horse to stand next to Mr. Frederick. “It makes me wonder what their real intentions are. Something isn’t right about this attack.”

  Instead of standing around worrying about it, James and Billy ran another fence about knee high, in between the old trip wire and the property line. His thoughts were constantly running to Helen and her big firm ass.

  “I don’t understand why more people aren’t out here helping us run a wire over the plain. I realize everyone is a little shook up, but at the end of the day, we need more protection, not less.”

  Later that night, in Helen’s arms, he sorted through what was happening at the ranch. Now, not only were there new buildings but there was also a small tent town as well. And that meant more mouths to feed but even more hands to help with the work. That was something James was thankful for. He started to devise a plan about putting together a protection force for the ranch, perhaps that’s what the old man had in mind when he sent for his marine son.

  James looked at Helen as she slept next to him, her milky breasts pressed against his tanned skin. He was so happy to have a girl like Helen in his life. They talked about how she would have to leave to go back to teacher’s college, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t be here for each other in the here and now. James thought that it was very mature of Helen to understand his intentions with her were pure, even if they weren’t so sure of the future.

  James made time to take Mr. Frederick aside and express his concerns about how the people from the small town that was just torched could have been working with the bandits. Mr. Frederick nodded and said he’d figured that they had at least struck some unholy bargain—but was then quick to sympathize because they couldn’t defend themselves.

  Billy and James sat down together and figured out a new route for the cattle that would allow the herd to graze, but wouldn’t take them far from the ranch. They also decided that the Rusty Spur Ranch needed a telegram machine to be able to communicate with the outside world. And when they brought those things up, Mr. Frederick couldn’t have agreed with them more.

  James was happier than he’d ever been, and couldn’t remember why he’d thought that he’d want to see the big city. The new Rusty Spur Ranch was more than enough for him now, and he was a real part of it, a leader. And he had a girlfriend now, and an army to build.

  Life had changed so much for the better; he wondered what would happen next.

  BONUS BOOKS

  THE RANCHER’S LAKE HOUSE

  Chapter 1

  Izzy Sanders and her best friend Roberta Hall were busy analyzing the designer colors for this fall. She’d have to get her orders in for specialty paints and window dressings before the company she ordered from became overwhelmed with orders after the summer season, she tried to stay ahead of everyone else.
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  She ran a very successful decorating and party business for rich clients in the Hamptons, all the way up Long Island and even as far as New York City for special clients.

  Her only problem was that she was a plump woman who had ordinary looking brown hair and brown eyes, she didn’t exactly stand out in a crowd. She dressed plainly because she didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention to herself. She tried to dress like a business woman, but that meant her clothes didn’t do her figure justice.

  Izzy liked food a little too much and didn’t apologize for that fact. She knew that some men liked curvier women, so she didn’t feel the need to try to be something she knew she couldn’t be happy as. Starving herself to lose weight made her cranky, and she wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted to work out nonstop.

  She had no problem walking on the beach, going for hikes, or other normal activities but would not set foot on a treadmill. The treadmill and Izzy had a mutual agreement, she agreed to stay away from the treadmill and it agreed not to throw her off again. Izzy learned that she didn’t get along well with gym equipment the hard way, with a broken ankle. She had metal pins in her ankle because of that blasted treadmill and the gym owners had specifically asked her not to come back, worried about a lawsuit.

  Izzy relied on Roberta, her best friend and assistant to help promote her company and get new clients.

  Roberta loved to schmooze with rich people; she was more than happy to be the face of the company and to help promote the company’s services. Many people thought Izzy was the non-descript assistant, and would flirt and talk shop with Roberta while Izzy did all the work. That was usually just fine with Izzy, as she didn’t really like traveling in the same circles when it came to her social life. She was a fairly private person whereas Robbie loved to lay it all out there.