Erin's Life ~ Book 2

Interlude ~ Mary IV

Chapter 26 ~ MF (but very tasteful for a change), Ff

Linda was, like the rest of Floridians had, taking some time to adjust to how much brown there was in Texas.  She had traveled the world extensively, but to leave the Florida humidity and arrive in arid Texas in just a few hours was still jarring.

She held Larry's hand as he led them to the car rental counter without having to follow the signs through the airport, he asked for his tan 4x4, and they obliged.  She smiled at him, he had been so excited in bed the previous night after they'd made love... he was really anxious to get back out here and check on Mary, and he was anxious for Linda to see the ranch, too.  He'd called out here a few times over the months and was assured by the sheriff that everything was fine, he saw Mary every time they came to town, and she was blossoming like a desert rose, were the words Larry had used, repeating the sheriff.  

"I think you want to retire out there," she had said to him teasingly, the night before.

"Only if you come with me," he said, and they'd made love again.

She found that all the hassle of security and crowded flights was easier when you were with someone with whom you were enamored, and she again had to remind herself not to confuse infatuation for love... she was a grown woman, not a teenage girl any more.... but whatever this was, it sure did feel nice.

Chief Larry Hawkins was not traveling in uniform, today.  This was an unofficial trip, the city was not paying to keep tabs on Mary, he was using his vacation days and coming for himself.

They talked on their long drive through the desert, saving a little time by driving directly to the ranch instead of going to town, first.  Larry hadn't considered the lack of gas stations along the way could be a problem, but they arrived just as the fuel gauge light was coming on.  Larry parked in front of the large ranch house, again.  He saw Junior coming from the big barn like he had last time, and he saw Martha come out to the porch in her dress, wiping her hands.  He took Linda's hand who gotten out of the truck and met him, "My god, it's just like last time... does this place ever change?"

"Chief Hawkins, it's great to see you again," Junior said as he approached, offering his hand.  Larry took and they grinned as they shook.  "And who is this little filly?" Junior asked, seeing Linda, taking her hand in his.

Linda smiled, "Linda Marcus, and Larry has warned me about you, you charmer," she smiled at him.

He laughed and smiled at her warmly, "Well, now, I don't know about all that.  The missus keeps the ladies away from me the best she can" glancing at Martha.  "You're Mary's doctor, right?"

"I am."  

"Shoot, there's just no way.  Doctors are old and ugly and their hands are always cold," he grinned at her.

"I'll have you know sir that my hands are never cold," she smiled, and Junior laughed.

"Anyway it's glad to finally meet you, doc.  I think you're in for a bit of a surprise, today."

She gave him a funny look.

Larry waved at Martha, she waved back and went back inside.  He looked around.

"I reckon you're looking for Mary," Junior said.

"I am, is she around?  I'm anxious to see her."

"Purty sure she's in earshot.  I last saw them out behind the stables stretching out their horses...." Junior turned his head to the barn, put his fingers in his mouth, and let out an ear-piercing whistle that made both Larry and Linda wince.

There were two riders out that direction, Larry had noticed them out there raising dust.  They stopped when they heard the whistle, turned toward them, and seemed to be racing each other as they came in at high speed.

Larry admired the vision of it, two riders taking their horses flat out, the sheer power of the animals and the humans so synchronized.

"They must know where Mary is," he muttered to Linda, as he took her hand.

She just looked out there squinting, and used her other hand to shade the sun out of her eyes.  No, it can't be....

The two riders skidded to a halt, pulling back their reins sharply as they approached the yard, raising so much dust that Larry couldn't even see them any more.  He heard two women laughing, "I told ya I'd beat ya!"  The dust was clearing and he saw one of the riders dismount and walk toward him while the other held the reins of both horses and watched, resting forward in the saddle.

Larry squinted.  The approaching rider took off her hat as she closed the distance, her face covered with dust, her brown hair pulled back, and more amazingly, she was smiling.  "My police man," Mary smiled at him.  "It's really great to see you," and he was speechless when he received her fierce hug.

Mary noticed who was with him, and her eyes went wide, she hadn't been expected.  She let go of the Chief, holding his hands briefly and smiling with him, but then she turned to her doctor and approached her. 

Linda wiped a tear from her eye.  "Mary, they'd told me you were blossoming out here, but... you're so tall!"

Mary just looked at her, and reached out her hands, and held them.  "I don't have the words to thank you for what you did for me," Mary said to her simply.

Linda just looked at her, she knew she was going to cry, but oh my god... Mary!  Look at you!

Mary saw her tears, and felt her own, and hugged her, and held her, the first adult in her life that ever really cared for her, even though she was never able to admit it.

"Mary," Linda said into her ear.  "You don't need to thank me.  You did all the hard work yourself.  And I am so proud of you."

They broke their embrace.  They looked at each other crying, Mary's tears collecting the dust on her face and leaving streaks of clean, and they laughed at themselves.  "Just look at you!" Linda said, and they laughed and hugged again.

"Y'all got here just in time for lunch," Junior broke the moment.  "Martha made chicken."

"Oh my god, you guys are going to love mom's chicken.... it's the first thing I ate when I got here," Mary said smiling.  

Larry and Linda looked at each other, Mom???

"Hey, but com'ere first," Mary said changing the subject, taking their hands and pulling.  

They smiled at each other and let Mary pull them.

Mary led them to the horses, "This is Cindy, Dad let's me take care of her as long as I ride her every minute of every day," Mary joked.

They laughed as they looked at each other sharing a thought.... and there's the 'dad....' and she makes jokes!

Mary turned to the woman still on the horse, "And this is Sam.  She's the vet here at the ranch and she's my best friend."

They saw the interesting way Sam was looking at Mary, but then she turned to them and bent down from the top of the horse, holding out her gloved hand, "I remember you Chief," Sam said smiling at him.  "It's really great to see you again, and to meet you, doctor."

"Please, call me Linda," smiling, and taking her hand.

Sam nodded and continued, "I'm probably going to spend about an hour this afternoon thanking both of you for bringing Mary to us, so be ready for that." They both laughed with her.

Lunch was the controlled chaos it always was, Linda and Larry continually looking at each other with surprised eyes as all the hands shared with them stories of things Mary had done since she'd been there.  Junior just sat back and watched it all with an amused expression, holding Martha's hand.

Jimmy had just finished a story about how Mary had managed to rig a bucketful of manure to fall on him out in the barn, and Mary cried out, "You deserved that for putting it in my boots when I was changing socks!" and the table erupted, again.

Larry met Junior's eyes, thank you. 

Junior just nodded at him, smiling.  Of course, hoss.  It's what we do here.

Mary spent the afternoon showing them around, and was unsuccessful at getting her old doctor on a horse, in spite of all the assurances that she would love it.  Mary accepted defeat gracefully.

Mary was happy to answer any and all questions they asked her, it was obvious to them that she loved this place, and for that they were happy.

Finally near sundown they had a quiet moment alone, and Chief said to Mary, "The last time I saw you, I was so worried about you, wondering if I'd done the wrong thing bringing you here.  You and I were both barely holding it together."

Mary just looked at him, "You probably saved my life bringing me here."  And then she looked at them both.  "So you two came together, huh?"

The adults looked at each other, and Mary thought they were almost blushing.

"Yes we did," Linda answered.

"Mom said you'd be sharing a room."

And then they did blush, and Mary laughed.  "Come on, we'll clean up, it's almost time to eat again," and they all laughed.

+++

After dinner Junior, Martha, Mary, Sam, Linda and Larry were sitting in the back as the heat of the day vanished and the stars were beginning to come out.

Linda broke the silence, "Mary, I wonder if there's someplace we can talk, go for a walk, perhaps?"

Doctor Linda Marcus was in analyst mode, just a little.  She watched Mary look at Sam, as if asking what she thought about it.... interesting.... and Sam gave her a little nod that seemed to suggest, 'go on.'  Very interesting.

"Sure, there's plenty of room to walk.  Don't worry, the coyotes almost never attack people this close to the buildings."

Larry laughed as Linda gave him a look.  "Have you noticed?" he said.  "She developed Junior's sense of humor," which made them all laugh.

"No, not really," Martha said.  "Sometimes Mary is actually funny," and they all laughed again.

"Come on," Mary said to her old doctor softly, taking her hand.  Linda allowed herself to be led.

Mary led her through the stables, she had a feeling she knew what this walk was about, and wanted the comfort of being around the horses.

"There are so many, do you take care of them all personally?" Linda asked.

"Oh, not all of them.  I usually take care of a bunch of them with whoever has the job that day, though.  Of all the chores I like this best, I like spending time with them, talking with them."

Linda nodded, she assumed she knew what Mary meant.

They got down to Cindy's stall at the end.  "Oh, this one is your Cindy, right?"

Mary smiled, "Yes, she's my girl."  She calls me little one, she almost said... but stopped herself just in time.  "They taught me how to ride her on my second day here.... they said I looked like I was born to it.  But I was so sore that first day!" and they laughed together.

"Mary," Linda said softly.  "Do you mind if we talk about what happened, before?"

Mary looked away to her horse, taking a deep breath.

Be strong, little one, like I know you are, her friend said to her.

"I don't mind.  I guess you wonder how I'm handling it all," she said.

Linda waited, looking at her gently.

"The nightmares stopped, mostly.  I mean, I'd wake up in the night, and I'd see him there, looking at me.  And I know he wasn't really there..." she glanced at Linda, who gave her an understanding nod.  "It was like his ghost was there, watching... threatening... but it wasn't as bad as..." and Mary's breath hitched.  "It wasn't like the dreams before," glancing at the corner of her eye to her old doctor, the one with whom she'd spent so many night screaming in terror, so many days on her couch, not talking while Linda talked and asked questions, trying to reach her. "One day I'd just had enough," Mary said, almost defiantly.  "I woke up and he was there, and I told him I was done being afraid of him, and that I wasn't even mad any more, because I just didn't care.  I wasn't going to waste any more.... anything... on him any more."  She looked at Linda.  "And I haven't seen him since.  Now I dream about other things."

"Such as?" Linda asked.

Mary turned to her horse, "Riding, mostly."

Linda considered.  "What about Sam?"

Mary turned back to her a little startled, but couldn't hide her small smile.

Linda smiled, relieved.  It seems like she has completely processed her trauma... I think she's really fine.  And finding romance....  She held her hands out to Mary, she took them.  "There's something I could never have said to you as your doctor, but I think it is ok now.  I am so happy for you, Mary, and I am so happy you've found a life here.  You deserve this.  Oh, and Lucy and Nora send their love.  They want to come out with us, next time."

Mary smiled, and they hugged, again.

+++

That night in the bed they shared, they were adults and didn't even have to discuss it, they knew it would be impolite to fool around.  It wasn't even a question, they just wouldn't.  Of course they wouldn't, they weren't hormone-addles teenagers.  But.... when the lights were out, and the house was still, Larry and Linda made love quietly in the night anyway, silently, as they found each other.  Afterwards in each other's arms as they were both near sleep Linda said to him softly, "You were right, there really is something about this place."

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you," she answered.

++++

Two mornings later it was time to go, and Chief Hawkins still sore from Mary's riding lessons the day before.  They were loading their rented 4x4, everyone there to see them off.  "Thank you for coming to see me," Mary said, hugging them both.

"Come back any time," Junior said shaking Larry's hand, and kissing Linda on the cheek.

"I know I'd like that," Linda said, looking at her man from the corner of her eye.  She then met Martha's smirking eye, and blushed.

Chief of Police Larry Hawkins knelt beside Mary and realized he now had to look up at her.  "Sorry, I still can't believe how much you've grown," he said as she laughed at him.  He stood again and then looked down at her, "I'm so proud of you."

Mary just smiled, and hugged him again.

"Next time we'll get you on a horse little lady," Junior addressed Linda, to end the moment.

"Not on your life, mister!" she laughed at him, but then considered.  "Well, maybe...." as she got into the car.  She met Mary's eye through the window and held up her hand, I'm so proud of you, too.

Mary held up hers, I'm glad.

Chief and doc began the long drive through the desert, back toward home.

++++

Two weekends later, Mary and Sam were out at the spring, settling in to stay overnight.  Mary was setting out the hay for the horses and making sure they could reach the stream for water as Sam built a small camp fire, gathered some of the driftwood down on the riverbank, sorted through their packs and bed rolls, and put a rope around where they would sleep.  "Junior doesn't know if it really works or not, but cowboys have always put a rope around their bedrolls when they sleep rough, they say bugs and snakes and other critters don't like crossing over a rope."

"Definitely put out a rope," Mary answered with a smile.

The horses were tucked in and the camp was set.  "We still have a couple hours of daylight, wanna go for a swim?" Sam asked.

Mary smiled, and the girls started undressing.  Sam saw out of the corner of her eye that Mary didn't stop at her underwear this time, but didn't want to stare.  Instead she headed to the water, entering quickly, squealing, as she always did, at the shock of the temperature change.  She got in deep and turned, Mary was in the water up to her thighs.

"Oh my god I forgot how cold it was," Mary smiled.

"Come on, softie!" Sam laughed at her, sending a splash that fell far short.

Mary laughed, and fell forward, submerging herself in the shallows.  She reemerged kneeling, blowing out water out of her mouth and laughing.  "Oh my god cold!" she cried out.  

Sam could tell by the state of Mary's hard nipples that it was so.  Now why did I think that?

Sam moved toward Mary, walking on her feet and then her knees as the water got shallower, hiding herself under the waterline.  "So are you going to learn how to swim, or are you going to stay knee deep for the rest of your life?"

Mary sighed, finally getting used to the water.  "Well I want to learn... but... are you going to teach me?  I never went swimming ever until last time.  I don't know what to do."

It was hard for Sam to be reminded like this that Mary had lived in that hell, before.  It still made her sad.  "Of course I will, honey."  And she took a deep breath and thought about it.  She barely remembered a time when she couldn't swim, herself.  "Ok... well the first rule I guess is to just relax, trust the water to keep you afloat.  Watch."  Sam rolled onto her back, and Mary saw her toes pop out out of the water.  

When Sam dipped her head back, Mary saw her breasts also come up out of the water, her nipples very hard.  Sam had firm breasts, and Mary couldn't help but be reminded of Nora, so long ago, and a brief moment of happiness she once felt.  

Mary was pulled back to the present by Sam's voice.  "See?  I am not even moving.  The water keeps me afloat, I don't even have to work at it.  It's when you fight it, the water fights back.  Ready to try?"

Mary was a little scared, but ready to try.  "Ok... but stay close, make sure I don't go out over my head, ok?"

Sam moved in closer to Mary.  "No problem," she said softly.  She moved to Mary's side, and Mary felt Sam's hand on her back against her bare skin.  "Just lay back, and I will help get you set up and make sure you don't sink or float away.  I'll talk you through it."

Mary gave Sam a worried look.  "Ok, here I go," and she leaned back against Sam's hand.

Sam knew right away that her hand wasn't at Mary's center of balance, that she'd need to adjust for a better position to help Mary float.  Mary was flapping her arms trying to get her legs up, but Sam could tell her hand was now causing the problems, causing her upper body to ride too high in the water.  Sam adjusted her hand down, her she was now holding Mary's bare butt cheek.

Mary's legs immediately floated to the surface, as Mary's wide eyes now looked up at Sam from her back.

Sam knew this was a line, even if crossed inadvertently.  Calm her down... this is ok.... "Ok honey... I've got you... do you feel the water holding you?  I'm barely doing anything...."

Mary blinked at Sam, her eyes never breaking contact.  "Yes," she almost whispered.

"You feel so tense," Sam said, she could see Mary's shoulders straining, and her toes were sticking up out of the water, her feet at hard right angles.  "Just relax, let yourself float, like you are in the world's softest bed."  Sam realized she had a chance to ease things a little, and put her other hand on the back of Mary's knee, and adjusted the hand from her butt to the middle of her back.  Now she wasn't touching Mary so intimately, her body soft yet firm from all the riding she had been doing... Sam began to feel warm in the cool water, but wasn't sure why.  It hasn't been THAT long since I had sex, has it?  And she started thinking, and was actually a little surprised at how long it had been.

"So... I just keep relaxing?" Mary said from Sam's arms, very aware her breasts were now sticking up out of the water so near Sam's face, and she was completely helpless to anything Sam could ever want to do to her.  The prospect was....

"Yes," Sam said, shaking her head a little as if to clear her thoughts.  "Yes... just relax, feel it as I float you around." Sam began walking through the spring water, slowly.  "See how easy it is? Like I said, the water does all the work.  People drown when they panic.  If you don't fight it, you'll naturally just float to the surface."  Sam floated Mary through the water, softly, trying to not look at the younger woman's body, not always being successful.  "Even horses can swim, and think about how big they are.  They don't sink, they let the water do all the work."

Soon Sam slowly removed her right hand from behind Mary's knee, and Mary didn't move, just laid back, safe in Sam's arms.  Sam brought Mary back in a little shallower, and slowly... so slowly... removed her hand from Mary's back.  Mary floated by herself for two breaths, then three.  And she knew it, and got excited.  She looked at Sam, "I'm doing it!" and exhaled too much... she lost her buoyancy and her face went under just as she went to draw a breath.

Her arms flailed as she tried putting her feet down, but Sam was quicker.  She reached down and Mary reached for her at the same time, Sam pulled Mary up, spluttering and coughing.  She ended up holding Mary like a mother cradling a baby, Mary's arms wrapped around Samantha's neck, holding herself to the older woman.  She coughed, still getting the water from her throat, but even then noticing the closeness between them.  It had been a long time since someone had held her like this.  Has anyone, ever?  He was always watching...  She felt her face against Sam's soft breasts as Sam held her, soothing her, "It's ok, I've got you.  Get the water out, I'm sorry... I should have been more careful."  Mary just floated there, in Sam's arms.  Sam's feet were in the sand so this wasn't even any effort for her, she just held Mary's body softly against her, feeling Mary hold her back, wondering what these feelings were.

"You can probably touch now," Sam said to Mary softly, making to put her down.

Mary held on tighter to Sam's neck, "No.... not yet.  This is nice," pulling herself against Sam.

Sam held her, slowly rocking her in the water, so aware of Mary's bare skin against her own.  "Yes it is," Sam said to her softly, and kissed the top of her head.

Mary kissed her back where she could reach, the soft rise of Sam's breast, near her collarbone.  She watched Sam get goose bumps.  "Is that because of the cold water?" Mary asked softly.

"Not entirely," Sam answered.  Before she knew what she was doing she bent down and kissed Mary's shoulder.

Mary took her face from Sam's breast, and looked up at her in the red light from the sunset. 

Sam looked down, suddenly so aware of what she was doing to the poor, young girl.  

Mary felt Sam tense.

"Oh Mary, I'm so sorry I did that.  I shouldn't have..." but Sam's next word was cut off, Mary put her hand behind Sam's head, pulled her down, and kissed her.  Sam thought to resist... but soon couldn't.  Mary's kiss was so soft, and so unexpectedly welcome.  No!  I can't do this with Mary... she's my friend... she's....   Suddenly she wondered why they waited so long.  She returned Mary's soft kiss.  So innocent, so chaste, yet lingering... and she heard Mary sigh softly as she applied almost nonexistent pressure to Mary's lips.  The sound made her whole body shiver.

Mary looked at their camp fire, the wood Sam had stacked was now fully ablaze and looked so inviting.  "Let's go to the fire," Mary said softly.  Sam put her down, never breaking eye contact with Mary.  Mary thought Sam looked so surprised, for some reason.  This time Mary led them out of the water, holding Sam's hand.

Their towels were waiting and Sam stood by the fire as Mary dried her off.  Thoroughly, but taking no liberties, not yet.  In the back of her mind Mary was remembering her times with her friends, the best part of her former life.  The only good part, really.  Finally Sam was dry and the older girl took the towel and dried Mary.  Mary just watched Sam intensely as Sam was intensely focused on her task.  "I think you're more afraid than I am," Mary said softly as Sam finally finished, and they faced each other in the flickering heat of the fire as the dusk cooled around them.

"Did you know this would happen?" Sam asked.

"No," Mary answered simply.  "But... I want to, now... and I hope you do too.  But if you don't I understand."

"I do..." Sam answered.  "I think I do... but... should we talk about it, first?"

Mary just looked at her, beautiful Samantha, as the firelight danced in her eyes.  "No," she said, and embraced her.  

Sam held her and their lips found each other again, but this time the kiss was not chaste, it had a hunger.  Tongues explored and lips parted, their breath became rapid and hands found softness wherever they touched each other.  They fell to their knees together, on the bedding Sam had laid out, inside of their rope.  They fell on their sides and continued to kiss, Sam's body pressed against Mary's smaller, kissing, touching.

Sam felt an ache between her legs that she hadn't felt in a long time, Mary felt a heat between hers that was almost completely unknown.  With her uncle she'd never been aroused, and even when with her friends her old collar still shut out almost all emotions she might have felt.  Here, with Sam, everything was raw, and present, and and almost blindingly insistent.  She didn't know how to control this rising passion within her, she'd never felt it before, so she didn't try.  

Her fingers reached down between their bodies and found Sam's vagina, the older girl moaned and spread her legs as Mary found her, touched her.  Mary had never masturbated so wasn't entirely sure what to do, but she had been with her friends enough times to have a good idea how to make a girl feel good.  

And Sam did feel good... Mary touched her with seemingly genius fingers, feeling how wet she must be by how slick Mary's fingers felt against her skin.  As the pleasure grew so did her own boldness, she reached down Mary's body, their wrists crossing each other in an X, and found Mary's vagina.  The younger girl didn't shave herself, and Sam slid her fingers through Mary's thin, soft pubic hair until she found that spot.... the spot that she knew from experience would make Mary feel so good.  Sam caressed another woman's vagina for the first time in her life, and she realized she loved giving her friend pleasure as she heard the younger girl gasp, softly, into her kisses.  She touched Mary the way she sometimes touched herself late at night when she needed help falling asleep... circles around Mary's clit, and then sliding inside gathering the wetness.  Back on her clit, and then sliding inside.  Soon Mary was moaning and arching her hips against Sam's hand, and Sam realized she was doing the same back at Mary.  The girls broke their kiss and looked at each other as their pleasure built, surprise, shock, and longing in their eyes, but neither of them stopped touching the other, gasping, with soft cries of pleasure.

Mary didn't know what was happening, she'd never had an orgasm before.  The times she had been forced to be with her friends she enjoyed the closeness with them, but the comfort of an orgasm was never able to penetrate the conditioning of collar.  She only knew it was nice to be with them, to be close.  But now... but now.  The pleasure built, it felt like a ball of fire kindling in her lower belly, being fed through an electric wire running from where Sam's fingers were touching her.  Each flick of her clit made that ball of fire grow hotter, bigger.  She was almost afraid as she worked her fingers on Sam's body faster, she heard Sam's cries becoming louder, as her own panic grew.  The ball of fire inside her was so big... she felt it was about to explode.  "Sam!  Sam!" she cried out, right on the edge, suddenly near panic.  

Sam felt her own explosion beginning, "Oh Mary!  Ahhhh!" and she was lost as she cried out, her body moving on its own, receiving pleasure from Mary's fingers.

Mary's exploding star wiped her mind, instinctively she cried out, "Sam!  Heeeelppp meeeeeeee..." as her body convulsed, exploded, squeezed out all rational thought.  Finally, at 15 years old, Mary's body had felt sexual pleasure, and it had made up for lost time.  Mary held Sam close as Sam helped Mary.  Again Sam felt wonder that she was having sex with another girl, but looking at Mary, her eyes closed and crying out in pleasure, it felt obvious that it would be with her.  She suddenly felt like her routine life at the ranch was going to take an interesting turn, in her post-orgasmic euphoria.

Finally Mary put her hand on Sam's wrist, stopping her.  "Oh my god..." she panted.  "Oh my god... too much...." and both girls lay together, holding each other, catching their breath.

After a time Sam sat up and adjusted their blankets, she managed to turn two bedrolls into one, and the girls held each other under the covers in the firelight, looking up at the stars.  Mary snuggled into the crook of the taller girl's arm.

"I've never had sex with a girl before," Sam said softly.

"I've never had sex without being forced before," Mary answered.

Sam was quiet, and held Mary closer.

"Was I ok?" Sam asked, the weight of this, how Mary must feel about it, finally dawning on her.

"I didn't know it could feel like that," Mary said softly, looking into the fire.  "Is that... is that what an orgasm is?"

Sam tried to look down at Mary, but could only see the top of her head.  "That was your first, honey?"

"Yeah.  I thought I was going to die."

Sam couldn't help it, she chuckled, and Mary smiled as she watched Sam's body shake.  "Yeah, sounds like you had a pretty good one.  Thank you for the compliment."

They were quiet for another moment.  Mary finally said, "I swear I didn't know that was going to happen.  But you were holding me so close, and I started feeling... I never felt it before.  And... it was so nice... I didn't want it to end."

"I felt it too, honey.  It was so strange to feel it with a girl, but we're so close... and it felt so natural to be with you."

The fire was getting a little low, Sam sat up and threw on a few more sticks that she could reach.  Mary lay next to her, watching Sam's lithe body in the firelight.  When Sam lay back down, Mary moved back to her side.

"So now what?" Mary asked softly.

After a moment Sam answered, "I think June wanted me to be like a big sister to you.  I guess I failed him again."

Mary chuckled, and then laughed, and finally, laughing, looked at Sam, "Yeah, I guess you did," and Sam joined her in laughing, and soon they were kissing again, and suckling, and touching.

Mary taught Sam how good it can feel when a girl licks your vagina, and after Sam cried out she did the same for Mary until she had her second orgasm of her life, holding Sam's tongue hard against her clit.

After, again in the firelight, Sam said, "Well that's the first time I ever went down on a girl, before," and Mary started giggling again.

They slept together through the night, cuddling for warmth, listening to the coyotes off in the distance.  Each of them kept waking up in the night surprised to find herself with the other... but she would just smile, and snuggle in closer.

+++

Mary woke when the low sun was in her eyes, and she gave Sam soft kisses until she woke up.  "Morning, you."

"What a nice way to wake up" Sam said before she opened her eyes, stretching.  

The girls got dressed, Sam teaching Mary one of the most important lessons of sleeping out in the desert... "ALWAYS shake out your boots before you put them back on," and as if to illustrate her point, a small scorpion fell out of hers as she turned it upright, and it scurried away.  

Mary shivered.  "Yeah, definitely."

They broke camp and ate apples as they started to ride back, they had a last few hours together.  Technically there was no working on Sundays.... everybody needs a day off, Junior said, but Sam had told him they would be back by mid-morning, and she knew Martha would be worried if they were late, this being Mary's first night out, and all.  "We should probably talk about last night at some point," Sam said to Mary, who looked at her and blushed.  Things always felt different in the daylight.

"We should, eventually," Mary said.  "But no regrets, right?" she smiled at Sam.

Sam smiled back, "No regrets."

They rode home together, side by side.

"Should  we cool it around people, until we know what this is, do you think?" Mary asked, honestly curious.  She didn't have much experience with actual relationships.

"That's probably a good idea," Sam said.  She reached out her hand, and Mary took it, enjoying the feeling of their fingers entwined.  "I'm not ashamed, but...."

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean," Mary said.  And then at the same time they both said, "Junior and Martha," and they laughed.

"I mean, not for a second do I think they would disapprove," Sam clarified.  "But... this is just so weird!" she yelled to the sky, and they both laughed.  "You're like their daughter, and.... I mean, well I guess they sort of treat me like their daughter, too.  But you came to them younger, and they might feel weird about this."

"Do you feel weird about this?" Mary asked.

Sam just looked at her.  "Well, I mean, a little, right?  We're in a very unorthodox romantic relationship here, you have to admit," and she smiled.

Mary smiled back, and said almost to herself, "I'm in a romantic relationship."

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"I was just kind of marveling... I'm actually in a romantic relationship with someone.  I never have been, before," and she beamed at Sam, who couldn't help but smile back... Mary looked so happy when she smiled, and it made her happy when Mary was happy.

"Yeah, I think we probably are."

"We really have to camp out again next weekend," Mary said very seriously.

"I think we absolutely do," Sam responded... and they both laughed, and held hands as much as they could as they rode.

++++

The thought occurred to both of them to do so, but they didn't play in the night with Junior and Martha just down the hall.  It didn't feel... respectful.  Instead, when she was about to fall asleep, Mary walked through their shared bathroom, into Sam's room.  She peeked her head in the door like Sam had done to her every night since she'd moved to the ranch.  "Are you awake?" Mary asked softly.

"I am," Sam replied.... afraid.... hoping... Mary would come to her.  

"Today was incredible," Mary said to her.  "Get some sleep... tomorrow is going to be a great day."  They smiled at each other in the dark, and slept in their own beds.

++++

They managed to keep their secret, even when the tension got too thick in the middle of the week and Sam asked for Mary's help up in the hay loft.  They stole a half hour together, smothering their moans with their hands over their mouths as they took turns going down on each other while the other leaned against a scratchy bale of hay.  "We need to stash a blanket up here" Mary said as they pulled their pants back on, and both girls laughed.

They rode back out to Sam's Rocks again the following Saturday, a little earlier, this time.... with plans to stay a little later the next day.  Mary enjoyed showing Sam some of the naughty things she had learned over the years of her slavery, and Sam introduced Mary to her vibrator.  The horses were nervous about the strange buzzing sound at first, but soon relaxed as the humans moaned softly as they pleasured each other.

Sam helped Mary to feel more comfortable in the water by holding her up by her butt, Mary floating on her back, legs over Sam's shoulders as Sam licked her vagina.

Mary taught Sam the wonders of the sixty-nine.... none of Sam's previous neanderthal boyfriends, all two of them, had wanted to go down on her, so it was a wholly new, and well loved, experience for her.

During the next week Mary was embarrassed, but asked Sam to show her how to groom herself, shaving her legs and other areas.  She'd never been shown by anyone, and didn't know how to go about it.  Sam gladly taught her, and they broke their own rule in the bath tub as Sam shaved Mary's legs, and then began trimming her pubic hair.  Mary wasn't thick, and it was confined to her pubis so there wasn't much to trim, but Sam couldn't help it...  She touched Mary in the bathtub when she was finished, and gave her a small orgasm with her fingers.

Sam was a friend and a lover and Mary felt complete trust in her, and was always looking forward to the next time they could be alone.... and yet she still loved spending hours with her just riding their horses here and there, going nowhere in particular.  The best part of her day was the time she got to spend with Sam, and Sam had confided in her as they stole kisses in the hay loft that she felt the same way for Mary.  Mary had never been in love with someone, but began wondering if this state of constant happiness and surprise and amazement was what it felt like.

++++

The months seemed to be flying by.  Sam was now tutoring Mary for an hour every morning, following home school guidelines set by the state of Texas.  Mary was a little behind on where she should be... her dead uncle hadn't bothering sending her to school at all in the last two years of his life.... but Mary was a fast learner and they found she could recite nearly verbatim the various subjects she'd researched in the encyclopedias when something specific had interested her.

Junior and Martha had sat down with Mary one night and asked her how she'd feel about them adopting her, officially.  Mary smiled, and cried, and hugged them.  She liked the idea very much.

Junior called the Sheriff on the radio.... the new cell tower on the far mountain was under construction, but still not expected to come online for a couple more months.... and told Tom to please make the phone calls they'd discussed.  The Sheriff called Junior's friends in the state house and the adoption was expedited, they would meet at the county courthouse that very weekend.  Mary was excited when Junior told her. 

"Would you like Sam to come?" Martha asked her one night in her room, putting clean clothes away.

"Well, sure.  If she wants to," Mary replied, smiling, as she always did, when she thought of Sam.

"I'm sure she'll want to," Martha said.  "We know how close you two have gotten."

Mary stopped putting her socks away, and turned to Martha, suddenly afraid.  "You.... know?" Mary asked softly.

Martha came close, and hugged her.  "We weren't sure at first, but it became obvious eventually, you two always smile at each other, all the time.  We aren't even sure if you realize you're doing it."

Mary just let herself be held, eyes wide.  She hadn't been aware of the smiling.

"You have our blessing, but we appreciate your being discrete about it.  We love you both but we're old and we're prone to have heart attacks when we see something new and different like two girls holding hands."

Mary looked up at her new mother, as if to argue about her being old....

Martha just laughed, "Oh sweetheart, I'm just kidding.  We were born in the 60's, free love made it to Texas, too.  We've been around, we're hip!" 

Mary laughed, and hugged her again.  "I'm so glad you know.... I hated keeping a secret from you."

Martha hugged her one last time.  "I don't have to ask if she does, I know Sam makes you happy.  And we can see you make her happy.  That's all we ever wanted for either of you."

"Have you talked to Sam yet?" Mary asked.

"Not yet.  I have some clothes for her, next.  Want to eavesdrop in the bathroom, see if I can scare her as much as I did you?"

Mary grinned a wicked grin.  "Ok, but don't scare her too much."

Martha looked down at her new daughter, and kissed her forehead.  "Sam is lucky to have you."

Mary grinned, thinking, I'm the lucky one.  "I love you, Mom."

++++

Mary and Sam rode in the back on the way to town, talking, laughing, holding hands, sharing a bottle of water.  The ladies were in dresses and Junior was in a suit.  "You look very nice Dad," Mary had said to him as she straightened his tie and fixed his collar while Martha watched, smiling.  They were going before a judge, today, the same one who had once sentenced Samantha's brother Jimmy to Junior's ranch.

Mary was getting comfortable thinking of them as her parents.

Sam took the news of Martha and Junior knowing their secret pretty well.  She had blushed when Martha revealed that the secret was out, she immediately thought of all the intimate things she and Mary had done together, wondering how much Martha knew.  But whatever she knew or didn't know, she hugged Sam, and admitted that she'd always seen her as a daughter, and she was glad she'd found someone to care about.  "We've always seen you that way, even if we never admitted it to you... you have your own mother, and we didn't want to overstep.  But we love you, and we've always hoped you'd find someone.  Be gentle with Mary, she's new to this."

"We both are," Sam responded, and she and Martha hugged again, at which time Mary slid into the room.

"Surprise!" she mouthed silently when Sam's eyes found her behind Martha's back, and they smiled at each other without realizing it, like they always did when they saw each other.

++

They were scheduled to appear before the judge at 2 o'clock, and Sheriff Tom and Samantha stood by as witnesses.  The sheriff thought back to when he first met Mary, broken, barely in control of herself, terrified of Junior, and now standing there with her arm in his.... and he knew which of them held the other's heart.  She's an amazing girl.

The judge opened his folder and announced that the Court would recognize them all, and he listed them by name, and they all replied with, "Present, Your Honor."  He looked back down at his folder.  "I understand a little lady wishes to be adopted."  He looked over his glasses at Mary, "Is that true?"

"Yes, your honor," Mary said with a serious face.

The judge examined her for a long moment.  "You couldn't have made a better choice.  They don't make them much better than Junior and Martha."

Mary felt Junior shift in her arm, she knew her new father was uncomfortable receiving praise.  "I know that, your honor.  I feel quite fortunate."

Sam smiled, so happy for them.

The judge read the folder one last time, saw there had been some challenge of custody with her biological parents in federal prison in the State of Florida... but they had been persuaded to release parental rights.  Junior knew a lot of powerful people whose children were riding his horses. Something about the girl that Junior and Martha had taken in intrigued him, and the judge and his clerk had done some digging over the last few days and he found Mary's doctor in Florida.  One phone call with her was enough to satisfy him that those people in prison had no business raising children.  He turned his stern face and looked at all of them, one by one, and looked back to Mary.  Then he smiled.  "I hereby approve this adoption.  Bless you all," looking Mary in the eye, and banged his gavel.

There were hugs and tears.

++++

Junior took them to a mid-day lunch/dinner at the town's only steak house, a local place with a 15 foot tall neon steer on the outside of it.  "I sell them their beef, so I know it's good," he smiled as they walked in.  They had a huge, unnecessary mid-afternoon meal, Sam and Mary holding hands under the table thinking they were being sneaky, but Junior and Martha shared a secret smile about it when no one was watching.  They were much more experienced at being sneaky and stealing kisses, after so many years of practice.

As they left the restaurant Mary asked politely if she could call her friends before they left town and got out of range, and Junior shook his head in incredulity.   "Honey.... of course.  Of course you can."  He looked around...  "How about dessert at McDonald's?" Knowing they could sit and have a good phone signal, there.  They all laughed and walked over.

Junior and Martha sipped a coffee while Mary sat next to Sam and dialed Lucy, hoping she was available for this unplanned call.

Lucy answered, she had just been spending the afternoon with her mother and Ashley, talking and enjoying the day.

"Guess what!" Mary said, when Lucy answered.

"Mary!" Lucy knew immediately.  "Hi!  What?"

"They adopted me!" she said too loud, with a big smile on her face.

Lucy laughed out loud, and took Ashley's hand.  "Mary.... that's so wonderful, you sound so happy."

Mary looked across the booth at her new parents, and looked at her Sam, with whom she just this moment realized that she was in love.  "I am happy, Lucy.  I really am.  Who'd have thought!" and they laughed, and cried together.

Lucy and Mary talked for a while, and Lucy had wanted to ask... but didn't want to put a damper on Mary's day... she wanted to ask, Have you heard from Erin?  She's gone... she's just gone.... but she didn't, and she finally said goodbye to her dear friend, the one she'd been so worried about when she last saw her, so many months ago.  A part of her that had always been twisted in worry slowly relaxed, and dissipated, and Mary smiled, and squeezed Ashley's hand.

++++

They returned to the ranch at supper time, and Mary whispered to Sam that if they left now they could get to the Rocks just before sundown.  Sam smiled, and they changed clothes and quickly packed a light meal for later.... they tended to work up an appetite, out there... got their saddlebags with the camping things, and saddled up.  The horses sensed they were in a hurry so they gave a pace a little faster than usual, and they made love in the spring under the full moon, by the light of the fire, and for the first time Mary said to Sam, "I love you."

"I love you," Sam whispered back, Mary could see the tears forming in her eyes, in the moonlight.  They held each other, and later the coyotes would echo their cries of pleasure as they howled at the moon.

++++

They rode back together on Libby, Mary behind Sam, her arms around her, holding her tight.  Cindy following alongside as Sam held a lead rope.  When they were nearly back at the ranch Mary got it in her head to feel Samantha's breasts, which caused the older girl to sigh, and Mary started getting other ideas about the other fun things that could be done on the back of a horse... but stopped, they were too close to home.  "Maybe next time," she whispered in Sam's ear.  She felt Sam shiver.

The girls got home and took care of their horses, went into the house and showered, and got dressed to enjoy a lazy Sunday together in hammock in the back, in the shade, reading and talking.

A call on the radio ruined their day.

"Junior, Martha, you out there?  This is Tom, over," they heard through the open window.

After a moment, "This is Martha, Tom.  Do you need Junior?  over."

"I surely do, Martha.... and if you could please hurry.... over."

Sam called out, "We heard, Martha.  We'll find him!" and the girls jumped up and ran to the barns and outbuildings.  They heard some hammering coming from the big barn, found Junior there, and told him it sounded like an urgent call on the radio from the Sheriff.  All three ran back to the house.

"This is Junior, what you got, Tom?  over."

"Junior.... it's the Thompson place.  Hank Hudson went out there to make his scheduled hay delivery, and... well, he said it's a disaster.  That's the word he used.  Jed Thompson is dead in the yard, and his animals... he says it looks like they haven't been tended in weeks.  It's bad, Junior.  I'm on my way, but you're 90 minutes closer than me.  Can you take a mess of .22 rounds, and get Sam... and her euthanasia kit... and get out there?  See if anything can be done?"  

Junior knew Tom was distraught when he forgot his radio etiquette.  "Tom... he has over two hundred horses there, over," Junior said with dread.

"I know it, June... I know it.  Can you hurry?  over"

"We're already gone.  See you there.  Junior out."

Mary had seen Sam's face when she heard and knew this was bad.  She didn't get in her way when Sam went running to her room for her bag, and then ran out to the stables to the refrigerator where the drugs were kept.  Mary only put on her boots and got her hat and waited by the truck until Junior came out with a rifle and several boxes of ammunition, and Sam came with her veterinary kit.

"Sweetheart," Junior said as he came to the truck.  "I don't think you want to see this.  There's not going to be many happy endings out there."

Mary just opened the back door, as Sam glanced at her.... she looks so scared, Mary thought.... "I'm coming, Dad.  You two will need help."  She climbed into the back seat of the truck and closed the door.  Junior gave Sam a worried look, and they climbed into the front seats.

They were quiet as Junior sped down the dirt road, a road Mary hadn't been on yet, as it didn't go to town.  Junior grabbed the radio from under the dash, "We're 30 minutes out, Tom, over."

After a moment the Sheriff's voice came over the speaker, "Roger, my ETA is 90 minutes.  Over."

"Junior out," and put the receiver back on it's hook.

They sped down the dirt road leaving behind a dust cloud miles long.

"I hate this part," Sam said, looking out the window.  "I hate when I have to put them down."

Mary watched Junior reach over and take her hand.  "I know you do, sweetheart.  But this is a kindness, if they can't be helped then we help them along."  And after a pause.  "But some days are certainly better than others, out here."

Mary leaned forward between the seats and took their hands in hers, Sam looked at her and gave her a worried smile.

A few minutes later, Junior said, "Sam, if Mary's going to help, tell her what to expect."

Sam looked at him, then turned forward, and closed her eyes.  She began, "The sheriff said it looks like the horses have been untended for a couple weeks.  If they've been without water for that long, I expect half of them to be dead when we get there.  The other half will be dying, and most of them will be beyond saving."  She opened her eyes and turned to Junior, "I was only there once, does he let them range, or keep them in all those different paddocks I saw all around his buildings?"

"They don't range," Junior answered.  "He kept losing animals to sinkholes, because he's so near those limestone cliffs.  He'd lose five at a time."

Sam continued, "That means we're walking into a field of death."  She turned around, "It's going to be bad, Mary. I'm not sure how we're going to do this," looking at Junior. 

"Mary, hand up water bottles.  We'll all have a couple in our pockets.  Sam, if you find an animal you think we can save, pour some water on it's tongue.... we have to start them out slow."

"Water intoxication," Sam said.

"Right.  How many IVs did you bring?" Junior asked.

"All we had, there are 15 in my bag, and one bag of electrolytes for each.  It might keep them going another few hours, but they'll need much more, very soon," Sam answered.

Junior grabbed the radio again.  "Tom, this is Junior.  We are ten minutes out.  Who else is on the way?  over."

Soon there was a squawk, "I have the county fair livestock officials coming out, they were closest and have the most medical equipment for taking care of distressed animals.  I'll call whoever else we need once we assess the situation, but for immediate triage they are the best we have at hand.  They're the only ones who will be able to make a difference in time, over."

Junior thought it over.  "Smart thinking, Tom.  I'll let you know what we have once I see the situation, over."

"Acknowledged, Sheriff out."

Mary could see it was bad before they pulled onto the drive, a half mile out.  She could already see the animals all over the ground.

The semi truck delivering the hay was still there, Junior parked next to it.  The driver, Hank Hudson, came around from the other side, the side out of sight from the catastrophe.  He met Junior as he got out of the truck.  "Jed's over in front of the house, Junior.... I think he's been shot, but it was a long time ago.  He's already drying up in the heat."  He glanced at Sam and Mary, getting out, Mary helping with Sam's second heavy bag of supplies, "Oh, I'm sorry ladies..."

"Are any of the horses alive?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Hank answered.  "Some.... they're real bad off.  I filled the trough back with water, but they're too weak to get up," and tears came to his eyes.  "I'm so sorry, I aint never seen anything like this.  I didn't know what to do."

"You did the right thing calling it in, Hank," Junior said softly, putting his hand on Hank's shoulder. "The trough was dry?"

"As a bone, June."

Junior made a decision.  "Sam, I know what a horse beyond saving looks like.  Don't mind what you hear," he lifted his rifle, started loading it with brass bullets.  "You and Mary start helping the ones that can be helped.  Hurry."  Sam didn't think she'd seen Junior ever look so grim.  Junior watched his girls race to a paddock on the right side of the barn, he walked to the opposite paddock on the left.  He looked around, walked into the bodies.  He saw maybe one animal in 15 could be saved, which would be approximately 30 horses, total.  He ran back to his truck, grabbed the radio, "Tom, tell those county people to get here.  We don't have enough medical supplies, over."

"How many you think will make it? over."

"Maybe 30.  I have to run.  Junior out."

Twenty five miles away, the Sheriff put his transmitter back on the hook, as he sped through the desert.  "30 out of 250.  Dear God," he said softly.

Mary was upset for the horses, but more upset for her Samantha.  This was hard on her, they went from one emaciated animal to the next, some already crawling with flies.  They stepped over the legs of the fifth one thinking it was dead, flies were already at its eyes, nostrils, and tongue... when it flinched, and grunted weakly.  Sam cried out at the animal's obvious agony.  She knelt beside it, quickly unwrapped a syringe from a wrapper, and filled it half way from a large bottle of clear liquid.  Without hesitation she plunged the syringe into a hollow in the horses neck, and pressed the plunger.  "I'm so sorry, girl... I'm so sorry," as Mary saw the animal take one more deep breath, and exhale for the last time.  She wanted to cry for Sam, but had to be strong for her, instead.

Mary looked away for a moment to clear her eyes, and saw movement.  "Sam, over here," and Sam was quickly up, racing to the next horse.  This one looked less far gone than the last.  "Come up here near her head, slowly pour some water on her tongue," Sam said quickly as she opened her bag near the thin horse's belly, unraveling an IV kit.

Mary took a bottle of water from her pocket, knelt beside the bay colored horse and did as she was told, pouring water on the animal's cracked, dry tongue.  "Here you go, honey... here you go," Mary said soothingly.  The horse rolled her eye to Mary, help me, please, it hurts, and I'm so tired.  A tear dropped from Mary's eye, onto the horse's head.  "I know honey... we're trying... please hold on... be strong..."  Sam worked quickly, she inserted the long needle in a vein in the horse's foreleg, saw that the gravity drip had started, taped it, and placed the bag on top of the animal.  "That's all we can do now... where's the next one?"

Mary looked.

They put two more down, and were putting a second IV on an animal when a gunshot rang out, and they both flinched.  It wasn't the last time, there were so many more.

They worked their way around to the back of the barn and met Junior in the middle.  "Am I needed on that side?" he asked Sam, who just shook her head, she had done what she could do, and what she had to do.

Way in the back, behind the barn with no other horses, Mary saw one on its feet.  Barely, its legs splayed out.  "There's one back there," Mary said, pointing.

Junior looked back, his eyes darkened.  "If it's on its feet, it has to wait.  Sam, there's 11 still alive over here.  How many IVs do you have left?"

"None," Sam almost sobbed, but keeping herself together.

Junior hugged her, he knew Sam was hurting.  "I gave the ones that were left enough water to wet their tongues.  Why don't we refill water bottles from the troughs, give them a little more.  They can't drink enough that way to seize.  Help's coming.  More people and IVs will be here in less than an hour." He pulled away and looked at Sam, "You're doing so good, I'm so proud of you.  Let's help the ones we can."  Sam nodded, and wiped a tear from her eye.

Looking back at the horse that was still standing, Mary ran with them to refill water bottles, and help the ones still fighting.

It seemed like it took a long time, but finally Mary heard more cars pull up the gravel drive, and Junior ran to meet them.  He heard her father talking to the men and women who had arrived, each carrying large bags and cases.  Junior pointed them to the side where the 11 horses didn't yet have IVs, and most of them ran that way while one other came in her direction.  She saw a man examining horses where Sam had started IVs, and she watched him replace spent, emptying bags with fresh fat ones.  One horse, he didn't bother changing the bag.

"Are there any more over here?" he asked Mary, who shook her head.

"That's all of them."

"Whoever started these bags did a good job," he said.  "I think they saved the ones that could be saved."

"Sam did," Mary said.

The man looked to her, and nodded, and headed to the other side of the barn.

Mary filled her water bottles one more time, and headed back to the horse that was still standing, way in the back.  She saw it hadn't moved.

Junior had a feeling he knew which horse that was in the back, even though now it looked dead on its feet, its ribs showing, its head hanging nearly to the ground.  Jed Thompson got it into his mind that he wanted to switch from Mustangs to Arabians.  He bought a purebred stallion from an actual prince in Saudi Arabia and had the horse flown across the ocean.  He had told Junior at the feed store one day it was worth the cost because its progeny would more than pay for the investment.  Junior had his doubts but clapped Jed on the back anyway and wished him good luck, and meant it.

Jed called him on the radio a week later and asked if had time to come out, he was having a problem with the Arabian.  It was Sunday so Junior made the time.  

It turned out the unbroken horse had killed his two main breeding Mustang stallions in order to establish its dominance in the herd.  Back then it was one of the most magnificent animals Junior had ever seen, so big and sleek, a dark red coat and brown mane, the colors of a desert sunset.  He tried his trick on it, looking into its eyes, understanding it.  This animal was having none of that, Junior could sense its rage and it took Junior's lack of fear as another challenge.  Junior just barely cleared the top of the metal fence before the horse would have smashed him into it with his shoulder.  That Saudi prince must have been laughing pretty hard as he loaded this horse onto a plane for Texas, Junior thought to himself, as to not hurt Jed's feelings.

"You need to separate him if you don't want to lose the rest of your stallions," Junior advised Jed... and Jed agreed.  Junior never touched horse whips, but he picked one up now for self defense.  With Jed funneling it with his truck and Junior on foot driving the horse with the whip, they managed to isolate him in the rear corral, where he apparently still was.  Junior hadn't heard what Jed had decided to do about the Arabian, though he heard at the feed store that Jed had stopped calling it "Sundown" and started calling it "Satan."

Mary walked her way through the field of dead horses trying not to look at them.  She would have time to be sad later.  Her eyes were fixed on the red horse in the far corral, and she walked toward it.  It needed help.

Junior was working with Sam and the other veterinarians, the first animals were beginning to try to regain their feet when he felt his daughter's absence.  He looked left and right, not seeing her.  "Sam, was Mary going to the other paddock?" he asked.

Sam looked up, "No... well, she was already on the other side when I came over here."

Something didn't feel right to Junior.  He looked to the back corral.  "Oh my god."

++

Mary was already inside the metal fence, approaching the red horse.

She approached it slowly, she sensed something beyond fear and hurt, what she had felt in all the other horses they tried to save.  It was clearly suffering... but she felt... she felt its anger.  She stopped, 20 feet away from it.  She could actually hear the desert horse's labored breathing, she could sense it was watching her, even though it was just barely holding on.  It looked so weak, she could see its ribs, its legs were so thin, the joints looked round and knobby.

"I know you hurt, I have water for you."  Mary wasn't sure why, but she knew to not get any closer.

Go away, broken one.  Go away or kill me, I care not which.

Mary cocked her head.  "I'm not broken, not any more.  Stop being so angry and I can give you water, and there are people here who can help you.  I know you hurt.  Let us help."

The horse raised its head, Mary could see it shake with the effort.  People never help, they always hurt.  She heard it wheeze as it drew a slow breath, and it cried out a challenge that could be heard a mile away, even in its weakened condition.

All eyes that were there turned to the back corral, even the horses still on the ground turned their ears toward the sound that touched them so deeply in their racial memory.

"Mary!" Junior cried out as he ran, Sam following, not understanding why Junior was suddenly scared.  It's too far... it's too far... "Mary!  Get away from there!"

Mary heard someone shouting behind her, but she was too busy right now to see what was happening with the other horses.  Mary knew the sound she had just heard.  Come, broken one.  Come to me and fight, if you can.  The horse took an unsteady step toward her.

Mary took a step toward it, in response.  The horse met her gaze, surprised.  "I'm not afraid of you, and you aren't going to hurt me.  I'm going to give you water."  Mary took another step.

Still Junior ran.

The horse waited, conserving its strength.  Its rage was filling it with adrenaline, he felt he had one last fight left in him.  He let the small girl approach.  He fought for each breath, felt his heart beating hard one last time.  She took another step, and another.  Its muscles began to quiver, anticipating the attack.

Junior was crying as he ran.  He knew he'd be too late, it was too far.  "No!" he cried out between labored breaths.... "No!"

Mary stepped forward, now in the horse's shadow.

That was a mistake, broken one.

The horse reared over her, ready to smash the girl with its hooves, smash her into the ground.

"The mistake is yours for not trusting me," Mary said, watching it rise over her.  She took a single step back.

Junior watched the horse rear, and then fall, and Mary was down.

The animal struck, and its hooves missed by centimeters, Mary felt the wind on her nose.  It front hooves instead smashed down into the ground.   With momentum of its fall and its weakened state, he was not able to check his downward motion.  Mary watched it try to land on his feet but saw his legs buckle, and she caught his head in her arms and he dragged her down with him, laying on his side.  Mary performed a controlled collapsed with the still significant mass of his head but went down with her legs crossed, and the wheezing animal's head resting in her lap.  It tried to raise it's head to bite her face, Mary was able to easily push it back down.  "Stop that," she said, as if scolding a toddler reaching for a cookie.  The horse fought to breath.  Kill me or go away, I care not which.

"No, I choose option three.  Have some water."  Mary opened the bottle next to her feet and poured some slowly onto its tongue.  It did its best to swallow, he was silent as he watched her.

Junior finally jumped the fence and ran to Mary, stopped short as he saw her sitting there pouring sips of water on its tongue.  He dropped to his knees, "Mary... are you ok?"

Mary looked up at him, "Yeah dad, this one is really mad for some reason.  I had to make him behave," and she looked back down, pouring a little more water on its tongue.  "This one will need an IV, did Sam bring one?"  Sam was now jumping the fence, catching up.

"What's going on?" she said with one hand on her knee, out of breath after her long sprint.  In the other hand she had an IV kit she had been about to start in one of the horses, to give it fluids twice as fast.

The horse rolled it's eye and quivered, I know you're there, whip man.  Fight me.  Fight me.

Mary looked down at it.  "Why are you so angry?" she asked it.

In an instant Mary had a vision of all the men who had beaten this animal, from when he was a young and rambunctious colt until the time he matured, fully grown, now so bitter and angry he was uncontrollable.  Faces of 100 men with whips and clubs, in a desert so different from the one she had grown to love, went through her mind in an instant.

"Oh," Mary said softly.  "Oh, I'm so sorry.  I didn't know," and she caressed the horse's head, which was quivering again.  

Stop doing that.  Fight.  I will... fight....  It's fury weakening.

Junior knew this animal was still dangerous.  He knew it still wanted at Mary.  "Honey.... please, get away from that animal."

Without looking up, Mary said, "It's ok, dad.  He's just really sad, and doesn't know anything else."  And then softer, to the horse.  "I know how that is.  But let me help.  I'll make sure no one else ever does that to you again.  I promise.  I know how you are," and she sent her own thoughts to him, as well as she could... images of hurt and rape and bondage.  Just memories, now... they had no more power over her.  "From now on, your life gets better," repeating something someone had said to her, once.

The horse shivered.  Go away... go away or...

"Shhh.  You're going to let me help, and then we'll talk about it later."  She turned her head.  "Sam... I watched you do those IVs... I don't think you should come over here.  Can you toss it to me, please?"

Sam looked down at Junior, still kneeling, eyes wide.  He felt the animal.... changing... he took a deep breath and closed her eyes.  "Toss it to her," he said to Sam, resigned to letting this happen.

"Someone is going to have to explain this to me later," Sam said, and softly tossed the IV over to Mary, who caught it.

The horse looked at what Mary had in her hand, she felt his fear.  "No, it isn't a hurt.  This is medicine, it will make you strong again." 

"So, unravel the..." Sam started, but Mary was already unraveling the hose from around the bag of saline and electrolytes. 

"Now take the cap off of the... " but Mary had already exposed the needle.  The horse's foreleg was right next to her, and Mary saw the vein that Sam had used in every other horse, right under the skin.

"Ok so slowly insert the needle into..." but Mary already had, and removed the pre-cut piece of tape from around the bag, cut it in two using her teeth and the hand that wasn't holding the needle steady, and taped the needle and some excess hose firmly to the animal's leg.  

Mary looked to Sam with a smirk to see if she would tell her to place the bag up higher than the needle so the gravity would cause it to flow into the vein, but Sam just shook her head and raised her hands, I guess you got this, baby.  Mary smiled and placed the bag on top of the horse's shoulder.

After a moment, I feel it.... I feel it.... and his breathing grew steady, it lost its ragged edge, and he was still.

"Is it ok if I start giving him the other bottle of water?" she asked Sam, softly.

Sam looked, "Uh, yeah, they only get in trouble if they immediately gulp gallons at a time, too fast.  Keep his mucous membranes... errr, his mouth... moist.  I'll make sure someone brings out some hay and more water, he should be on his feet soon."

"Can you bring me an apple when you come back?  I had one in the back seat."

"You got it!" Sam said as she jogged back toward the fence.

"How are the other horses?" Mary asked her father while holding the horse's head, caressing him between his ears.

Junior just looked at her, and blinked.  "They are all getting better... one of them didn't make it, she was too far gone even with the IV.  But the rest were starting to move, trying to get to their feet when I came out here.  That's a good sign."

"Did you have to shoot a lot of them?" Mary asked softly.  She had to stop paying attention to the gunshots, Sam had been having a hard time using her needle on so many of them.

"Too many," he said softly.

"Are you ok?"

"I will be, honey."

"I love you, dad."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

She looked at him, "Why did you come running out here like that?"

"Honey," he said, "That animal tried to kill me about six months ago.  He's wild.  He's angry.  I know...." he chose his words carefully.  "I know you know he's angry."

"He really is," Mary said to the horse soothingly.  "But he's broken too, and I'm going to help him."  She thought about it and looked to her father.  "I may need to stay here with him tonight, it's going to take a while before he can travel back to the ranch, right?"

Junior just looked at his daughter, eyes wide.

+++

By dark most of the veterinary people had gone, but besides Sam two of them stayed behind with one of their trucks full of supplies to monitor the remaining animals, leading them slowly to a temporary corral they fashioned next to the house.  The live horses couldn't be kept with the corpses.  The sheriff called the county and a bulldozer would be arriving at first light for cleanup.  After he made that call, he started investigating the crime scene, it did indeed look like Jed Thompson had taken two barrels of buckshot in his chest.  They found his hired man in the otherwise empty stable... he had been shot in the head, it was a much more grisly scene and the flies were thick.  Jed been in the sun for about two weeks, which fit with how many horses had died.  Some critter or another had been at his eyes, the bird shit nearby hinted at a crow.  It had been hot these last two weeks and he was already mummifying.  The wind had scoured any tracks, after Hank had found the body he knew well enough to steer clear of it, so the Sheriff wasn't able to find any other footprints within 100 feet of the body except for those who were on site, right that day.  By the grouping of the buckshot he knew whoever shot him would have to have been from 8-10 feet away, and there just weren't any tracks, here.  He decided this was too much of a cold crime scene than the county could handle, and called the Texas Rangers.

++++

Someone had brought two buckets of water, a hay bale, and an apple on a 4-wheeler, and left instructions, "Just give him one bucket of water now, and the other in an hour."  The horse was now back on his feet and he and Mary regarded each other, silently.

Mary walked over and pulled the first bucket through the fence and carried it to the horse, standing a little taller than it had been before after three bags of saline.  She put the bucket before him, "Drink, I know you're thirsty."

The horse regarded her for a moment, and dipped his head into the bucket.

Junior still wasn't comfortable with this, but he had heard the horse coming around to her.  He couldn't believe it, but he'd seen it.  He still had so much work helping Sam with the other horses, but he had a pair of binoculars and watched Mary as often as he could.  He muttered to himself in disbelief, watching her feed him hay from her hand.

"Eat, you need your strength."  The horse ate, regarding her, and then she shared her apple with him.

After he finished the first bucket of water and ate until his shrunken belly could take no more, he snorted at her.  Why were you were not afraid of me, broken one?

"Because you were almost dead and I knew you weren't really mad at me."

That is wrong.  I would have fought you.  I would win.

Mary looked at the animal.  "I don't know.  I guess it was just instinct."

That, I understand.

+++

It must have been past midnight.  She'd given the red horse the second bucket of water, and he ate the rest of his hay.  Mary was leaning against the side of the fence with her arms wrapped around herself watching the horse, and sometimes watching the activity back at the house.  She could see they had moved the horses, and someone had set up bright lights, and there were police cars back there.  Samantha and the men were moving among the horses, taking care of them.  She was so proud of Sam.

She heard footsteps, and the horse came out of its doze with a snort... someone approaches, a female.  

Mary turned, and saw Sam walking out of the darkness with an arm full of blankets.

"Junior ordered me to rest, he told me to come out here and keep you company.  He also told me to stay out of the corral, and you should get out of the corral right now, and get away from that horse before he brutally kills you.  Why?"

Mary held up her finger to Sam, one sec.  She turned to the horse.  "She is with me.  She is my...." and Mary didn't know how to explain it in a way he would understand.  She thought about... my friend... my companion.... my sister... my mate.  

The horse snorted.  So be it.  I will not fight her.

She turned back to Sam, "It's ok, you can come in.  He will not fight you," and she yawned.

"He won't what?" Sam said, tossing the blankets through the fence, and then climbing after them.

"It's complicated," Mary said, and she embraced Sam and held her tight when she climbed down from the fence.  Sam held her back, and for a moment they were still.

Junior watched through the binoculars, saw Sam jump the fence and they hugged, in front of that devil.  "Oh good lord," he muttered.

"Today has been a really terrible day," Sam said to Mary as they held their foreheads together.

"It really has," Mary said softly.  

Mary knelt down and fixed the blankets, she laid one out on the ground and took Sam's hand, pulling her down.  "Sit with me."  Sam did, almost collapsing, her fatigue catching up with her.  She leaned against the fence and Mary sat against it next to her.  The girls held one blanket around their backs as Mary fixed the third across their fronts.  Mary was feeling better already, she had been getting quite cold.  They leaned against each other sharing heat and finding comfort.

"But you saved some of them," Mary said softly.

"Not enough," Sam said, a hitch in her voice.

"It's ok, Sam... it wasn't your fault.  The ones who made it made it because of you."

"I know it wasn't... I know... it's just...." and it started small, Sam let out a soft sob... but it grew, and suddenly she was weeping, crying so hard, holding Mary.  Finally letting out the pain she had kept in all day.  Mary held her, crying with her, taking it in as Sam finally let it out.  Her heart breaking for Sam, but it was filled with so much love for her that Sam could feel it, and was comforted by it.  She cried for a long time, until there weren't any more tears.

The horse watched them.  Why does she weep?  They were not of her herd.

"She weeps for them because they counted on us to take care of them, and we failed so many."

Sam looked at Mary.

But she was not the master of this place.

"It doesn't matter with her, she cares for and helps all things."

That makes her strong, and he was silent.

"Honey," Sam said.  "Am I asleep and dreaming, or are you talking to that horse?"

"You're sleeping, Sam.  I love you."

"I love you too," Sam said softly, already falling into sleep.  "Someone is going to have to explain all this to me later."

++

He saw Sam and Mary bundle up with that crazy horse right there, and dropped his binoculars.  "Oh lord," he muttered.

A tall, thin man in boots, a white hat, and a gold star on his chest that said "Texas Ranger" approached Junior.  "You look to be the man in charge, here," and held out his hand.  "I'm Pete Rollins."

Junior shook it and looked the man in the eye.  "Nah, don't make me responsible for this mess, I was just here first.  They call me Junior."

The Ranger nodded.  "You kept the immediate crime scene clear, that was good thinking."

"Well," Junior took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, he knew Pete was asking for his story.  "We got here and we saw Jed, but he'd been dead a while and we had to get to those horses.  I kept half an eye on the windows to the house, but I never saw anyone... Jed lived alone so I was pretty sure no one was here, and I saw his hired man in the stable, and we had to get to work."

The Ranger stood and listened, eyebrows raised.  "These look like good animals," he said.  "It's a damned shame."

"It surely is," Junior said.

"Anyway, I wasn't entirely sure of your ETA, and when the animals started getting to their feet we had to get them away from the ones who weren't gonna get up, so I set us up this temporary corral where they are.  I figgered it was far enough from Jed so if there was anything to be found, we wouldn't trample it.  But I didn't have a lot of options or time to think about it."  Suddenly Junior reached to his pocket, "Oh, I almost forgot.  Before anyone else got here I took a few pictures of everything, just so you'd see how it was before everybody started kicking up dust," and he held up his flip phone to the Ranger.

The tall man in the white hat just looked at Junior, and laughed, once.  "Nah, you're the man in charge, here.  If you please?" reaching for Junior's phone.

"Absolutely," Junior said, handing it over.  

"Martinez," he called, and a man in a dark blue jacket and ball cap which read "CSI" ran over.  "Please copy the photos from this phone immediately, and return it to this man."

"You got it, boss."

The two men looked over the scene, each of them seeing two different things.... the law man a crime scene, and Junior a tragedy.

"So you got any ideas on who done in Jed?"

The Ranger sucked in some air through his teeth.  "We have an idea, but this close to the border, when something like this happens, there's always one bet safer than most."

Border jumpers, Junior thought to himself.  His eyes went back to the corral his daughters were probably asleep in, by now.

++++

A couple hours before daybreak Junior walked softly out to the back corral, but the soft night breeze was blowing toward his path and he knew the horse would be aware he was coming no matter how quiet he was.  As he walked he pondered his gift... he'd stopped bothering to so many years ago, but now he saw it in Mary.  He'd always wondered about how he seemed to be able to hear a horse think.  As a child he just accepted it, but as a younger man he pondered it.... am I actually hearing their thoughts?  Am I just picking up on cues and body language, and assigning words to it, in my head?  The fact that all horses always spoke English to him, no matter where they came from, made him think it was just his brain doing the translation from visual cues.  But now Mary seems to have this same gift, or empathy, or whatever it is.  The thought didn't make him sad.

I know you're there, whip man.  I smell you.  Do not come here, I will fight you and win this time.

"I'm here to check on the girls," he said to the horse.  

They are with me, the horse snorted, giving it's head a small shake.  You will not harm them.

"I will not harm them.  I am their sire, they are my daughters."

The horse wasn't sure what to make of that, he liked the females but hated the man, yet they and the man had a bond stronger than his.  And herds did not mix without a fight.  Why did you fight me? the horse inquired, though while still so weakened, already becoming tempered by Mary's calming influence, not automatically resorting to rage.

"I regret that," Junior said.  "You were killing the other horses, that was wrong.  I tried to tell you but you just wanted to fight."

The horse considered.  I was very angry.  The broken one told me that I don't need to be.

Broken one... Does he mean Mary?  "And you're not angry now?"

I hurt, but the broken one has helped me.  
She says I do not need to be angry.  
I am considering it.  
Are you going to fight me?

"I am not.  Are you going to keep an eye on them for me?  There are coyotes out, and with all the bodies they'll be getting brave."

I can smell them out there.
The females will not be harmed.
The strong one snores.

Junior laughed, "That she does."

++++

Some time in the night someone had brought another bale of hay and two more buckets of water, but they slept through the sound of the 4-wheeler, if that's what had been used.  As the sun was coming up Mary fed and watered the red horse again while Sam stirred in the blankets.  "How do you feel this morning?" she asked him.  "You look better."

I hurt.
But it is better than before.

Mary slowly touched his face, and the horse stayed very still. "You're a nice boy."

The horse shook his head,  I am not a nice boy.  I like to fight.

"We'll see," Mary smiled at him.

Sam was getting to her feet and Mary admired her form as she reached up to the sky and stretched.  "How is he?" Sam asked.

"He feels better than yesterday," and walked over and gave Sam a kiss.  "It was very romantic sleeping with you under the stars last night," Mary said.

"With our clothes on for a change," Sam answered, and the girls laughed softly.  "I need to get back over there.  Are you ok here?"

Mary smiled.  "I am.  I love you."

Sam smiled, "I love you," and she climbed the fence and went back to the rest.  "I'll bring him some oats if I can find some, he needs the calories," she called as she left.

I approve of your choice of a mate.

"Thanks, so do I," watching her walk away.

++++

When Sam got back to the others she found that someone had taken poor old Jed away, and there were all kinds of police things here and there.  Tape marking off certain areas, little yellow cones all over the ground with numbers.  She saw Junior leaning against the hood of a car with a tall man with a white hat, both of them holding a cup of coffee, and she waved to him as Junior nodded at her.  She went right to the horses, the other two veterinarians were beginning to feed and water the rest, doing them individually so no one of them drank too much water from any other.  The possibility of water illness was now lessened, but not entirely impossible.  "Do you need any help here?" Sam asked.

"No maam.  In the night one of them started wobbling, we gave her two more bags of electrolytes, she seemed to need a little more than the rest."

"Which one?" and she was shown.

Sam examined the horse, talking to her softly.  "What's wrong, pretty girl?" she said soothingly, running her hand along its spine, its flanks, its withers.  "Is there something else wrong with you that we missed?"  Under her tail, she felt something.  She went back and lifted, standing to the side.  "Over here," she called out.  

The other vets came over, "Abscessed anal gland," they both said, as they saw.

"It might be infected... it smells like it is.... and it's making her weaker.  Let's start her on a course of antibiotics and keep an eye on her.  Let me know if she seems weak, again.  I'm sorry, I should have caught this yesterday."

"I don't think I would have caught this at all," one of the men said, "not in this mess.  You did great, Sam."

Sam gave them a smile and shrugged, walking out of the corral and toward Junior, who watched her with a small smile on his face.  He heard what had just transpired.

I am so proud of her.  "Sam, I'd like you to meet Pete Rollins, of the Texas Rangers.  Pete, this is my vet, Samantha Taylor.  She was with me first on the scene, and I don't think any of these animals would be alive without her."

Pete Rollins took off his hat, and held out his hand to her.  Sam shook it.  "Maam, it is an honor.  I have seen animals in better shape than these and I was told they never stood a chance.  You did great work, here."

"Thank you for your kind words Mr. Rollins... but there were just so many we couldn't help."

"Take any win you can get, maam.  There are never enough of them."

Sam gave him a small smile, "Please, call me Sam."

"Pete," and he finally let go of her hand.  

Sam leaned against the car, next to Junior.

"Is Mary ok?" Junior asked, his eye turning toward the back corral yet again.

"Define 'ok.'  She's physically fine, but I think she's having a conversation with that horse," with a small smile on her lips.

"Oh?" Junior asked.  "What are they talking about?"

Sam just gave him an exasperated look, Oh, not you, too.

++++

The bulldozer arrived on a flatbed an hour later, and Sam stood with Junior and Mary as a long trench was dug and the dead were pushed and dragged into it.  Mary held Sam's hand as tears rolled down her face, but she was steady.  Sam didn't want to see this but thought the least she could do was bear witness as they were buried.  When they were finally covered she turned to Mary, who said simply, "I am so proud of you," and they hugged for a long while, not saying anything to each other.

Finally Sam collected herself and they walked away with Junior.  "So what's the plan?" she asked.  "Is anyone going to come take care of these horses, or is it on us?"

"It's on us," Junior said.  "I guess I pretty much volunteered us.  When do you think these animals will be fit to travel in a trailer?" he asked his veterinarian.  

Sam thought, her mouth crooked.  "Tomorrow at the earliest, possibly the next day, if they are still wobbly on their feet.  But maybe tomorrow, if they drive slow and easy.  Are we taking them home?"

"We are.  We'll keep them in the back paddock for a while in case some heir steps forward, but Tom doesn't think anyone will.  Jed never married nor had kids and they've already checked, there's no Last Will and Testament filed with the deed down at the courthouse," Junior frowned.

Sam knew that was a standard practice in case of events just like this.... if a landowner died, and had animals, someone had to get out there taking care of them.  In Jed's case no one had known he had been dead for weeks, so the outcome would not have been different, but still.  Sam started to wonder how a contingency watering and feeding system could be designed... with a deadman switch, as it were.

He turned to Mary, "Honey, your mother says hello, and don't try to do too much.  She's been sending her love every time I radioed checking in to her, but you were out there and I was over here."  He hugged his daughter with one arm.

Mary put her arm around his back as they walked.  "Where will we put Satan?  I haven't talked to him about it yet, but I don't know how he's going to feel about other stallions.  He still has some issues."

Junior looked down at her, and sighed.  Nothing a father won't do to make his daughter happy.  "You really intend to help that animal?"

"Yes daddy," and she smiled up at him.

He rolled his eyes.  "Oh lord.  Well, tell him that we have a stall in the stable for him, but he has to behave himself.  If he can't settle down... well, we'll have to think about what we'll do, then."

Sam was just looking at them like they were crazy.  "You two are talking like you can communicate with horses.  June, I know you're good with them, but come on."

"Satan says you snore," Junior said to Sam, and he and Mary laughed.

"I DO NOT!" Sam cried, shocked to her core, but then she laughed.

Chapter 27

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Copyright 2016: "Marissa Banks." Rights reserved. Not for reuse without express written consent of the author. All content is purely fictional; any similarities to actual persons or events is pure coincidence. Reader must be of legal age in the judicial area he/she resides. Reproductions of the fiction contained herein or linked from here may not be used in whole or in part without express permission from the author.