Boundaries (closed)

wideeyedone

Baby did a bad, bad thing
Joined
Jan 5, 2007
Posts
7,070
No one was surprise when Jared McClendon brought home a beautiful bride from back east. He always wanted to have the biggest, newest and shiniest things. He went back east to sell off some cattle, and returned home with a little stunner. Laura was a little thing. She barely reached Jared’s shoulder. Some of the women in town had taken to calling her Snow White behind her back with her shiny dark hair and porcelain skin. Laura seemed especially innocent and wide eyed with her big brown eyes.
Jared was proud of his wife and loved to show her off. He brought her to town every Sunday to make sure that they were seen walking arm in arm. But that was all done now. It had all been shattered. Jared McClendon had been shot dead out in his own pasture land. Seventy five head of his cattle was missing as well. He died owing a small fortune to the bank, so his land was going up for auction. The sheriff had been fetched when Laura had come to her neighbor's house, her pretty dress covered with blood. She was sobbing and wild eyed.


Every one knew that outlaws had gotten him. The sheriff only had one more thing to settle. What to do with Laura? As the men gathered for the auction, Laura was sitting in the sheriff’s office. The parson’s family was willing to take her in, but the parson’s wife wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of having a pretty widow under her roof. Her parents were gone, but there was an uncle in Boston. Sheriff Pete Tanner just wanted the whole thing settled and done. Pete hoped one of the single fellows in town would speak up and offere to marry her.


Laura smoothed the skirt of blue cotton dress. It had been Jared’s favorite. Her hair was tied back off her face with a blue satin ribbon. As the auction opened, she stepped out from the sheriff’s office to see who was going to end up with the land Jared had been so proud and the little house she had tried to make into a lovely home. She had sewn curtains and white washed the fence around the house.


She looked at the men gathered around the sheriff wondering what was going to become of the ranch and her. Laura tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. She smoothed the dust around her feet with the toe of her boot as the men talked about the cattle, acreage, and the crops.
 
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Jason Short had enough of the business world. He had worked for the last eight years in international trade dealing mostly with the Far East; mainly China and Japan. During that time he had made an incredible amount of money.... in fact it was more money than he could spend in several lifetimes. In addition to making a lot of money he had invested it very well. He would not have to work another day in his life.

Jason decided that he wanted to get away from the hectic life. He was going to buy a ranch and move away from people. He would establish relationships with his neighbors and become comfortable with them and their lifestyle. As he was researching properties to buy he came across a ranch that was up for Sheriff's Sale. Jason was never one to walk away from a deal, and if he could get that ranch for under market value he was all for it.

Jason got on a plane to go to the sale. Of course, after getting off the plane he had to rent a car and drive out into the middle of nowhere. Once there, he went in to check in with the Sheriff. When he went inside he saw the locals looking at him. They were all wondering who the out-of-towner was. Jason was not concerned about the fact that the locals were talking about him and pointing at him. His only concern was whether he was going to be able to get the ranch. He was determined to get it.. after all, he had just traveled all this way and he didn't want it to be for nothing.

He took his time with the bidding. It was not important to be the first bidder, or even the second bidder. What was important was to be the last bidder.... and that he was. There were a couple of people who kept bidding because they did not want Jason to get it. There was one guy that actually pretty pissed that jason won the auction, but Jason could have cared less.

Jason discussed the transaction with the Sheriff. He told the Sheriff he would have the funds wired to a local bank as soon as he could find a local bank to open an account. The Sheriff told him about the two local banks, so, Jason chose one, went there, opened an account and had money transferred into the account. He completed the transaction with the Sheriff and became the proud owner of a large ranch.
 
Laura stayed in the sherif's office but she listened to the auction. She heard her husband's dream sold. She had no idea what to do. She had no where to go. The out of towner who bought the ranch came in to make financial arrangements.

Laura watched him. It wasn't his fault Jared had been killed with half of a herd missing. Laura looked at the sheriff.

"I have my things packed. As soon as the money clears the bank the house will be ready to move in. I made an inventory of the stable, with the horses and tack." Laura did her best to sound confident and strong as if her world hadn't shattered, but she had to blink hard to keep the tears at bay.

The sheriff smiled at her. None of this was Laura's fault. He decided he might ask his wife if Laura could stay with them for a few weeks, just until she got on her feet.
 
Jason listened as the woman gave an inventory. He had no idea what most of it was. She was talking about tack. The only tack he knew about was a thumb tack. He didn't even realize there were cattle or horses on the ranch. He was extremely naive when it came to being a rancher... in fact, he really didn't care about any of that. However, now he needed to. He owned cattle and horses and would need to figure out how to take care of them.

As the business was being transacted Jason thought about what he was going to do to take care of the animals on the ranch. "Sheriff, do you have any idea who I could get to help teach me how to take care of the cattle and the horses. I had no idea of animals. I thought I was just buying the land."
 
Laura spoke up. "I could do it. I have learned a lot. And I have worked with the horse vet and the cattle vendors. I can exercise the horses. Teach you how to feed the cattle."

Laura's voice was confident but her hands were shaking. "I could work for a small salary and a place to stay. I could also cook and take care of the house."

She watched the Sheriff and the buyer. She was anxious to see if they would go for it.
 
Jason looked at the woman. She did not look like she really knew anything about working a ranch. She looked like she was someone who was used to being pampered.. not someone who worked with animals or was familiar with hard work.

Then he looked at the Sheriff with an inquisitive look. He wanted to see what the Sheriff thought. The Sheriff just shrugged his shoulders. Jason did not have much of a choice.

He walked over to the woman. "Hi. My name is Jason Short. If you are willing to do it you have a deal. I have not seen the place, but I am sure that there is plenty of room. You don't have to worry about doing the cooking. we can work that out, and as far as what I would pay you.. you tell me what is fair."
 
"I can do it. The ranch has been my home for almost a year now."

She offered her hand to Jason. "I will take good care of your ranch." She smooth her dress. "Let's get out to the ranch and I will take you around and show you what you bought."

She walked out the office and sighed deeply. She wasn't going to have to go to her uncle, or move in with the pastor of the small church in town.

She waited on Jason. Some of the townsfolk were still milling about, leaning against pick up trucks and talkinig about the cost of cattle feed and pretending they weren't gossiping about her.

Laura just held her head high.
 
Jason followed the woman out of the Sheriff's office. She certainly was easy to look at. He wouldn't mind having her around, that was for sure.

As he followed her he noticed all of the townspeople looking in their direction. The conversations stopped as they watched the new owner and the wife of the former owner walking out together.

Jason pointed toward his rental car. He opened the door for her and let her in the car. After getting in he said to her, "So, the first thing I need you to help me with is how to get to the ranch."
 
Laura got in the car and smiled at him. "We are going to go 12 miles north of town. Out the main road, you will see the sign. When we get there, i will put on some jeans and boots and we can saddle up and I will give you a tour."

She pointed to the main road. She smoothed the skirt of her blue dress.
 
His eyes moved down and he watched her smooth her dress. Her legs were toned and they were spectacular. He pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed out of town.

"So, how did someone so beautiful and petite get to be an expert in ranching?" He looked over at her after asking the question to gauge her reaction. He looked back at the road and followed her directions.

When he pulled up to the ranch house he was impressed with what he had just bought. He got out of the car, went to the trunk and grabbed his overnight bag, and he grabbed some of her stuff too. He followed her to the door, and when they were inside he sat the bags down. "So, where is my room and where is your room?"
 
Laura smiled. "I met Jared when he was selling off his cattle. I was working for my uncle's trucking company. And he swept me off of my feet. I learned about the ranch from being on it every day. I already knew horses, but the cattle and the land, that was all new to me."

She showed him through the house. She showed him the master suite as his room, and she picked the pretty guest room as her own.

Laura tossed her suitcase on the bed. "I am going to get changed. Make your self at home."
 
Jason went into his room and changed his clothes. He put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He didn't have work boots, so, he put on a pair of sneakers. He walked out of his room and down the hall.

He roamed slowly through the house, exploring slowly. Then he walked out the back door and stood on the porch and looked out over the land. He couldn't believe how beautiful it was, and it was his.

He turned and went back inside to wait for Laura so that she could give him a tour.
 
Laura emerged from her room, dressed in slim fitting dark jeans, and a dark t shirt. Her hair was up in a ponytail. She was wearing riding boots.

She found Jason out on the porch.

"Let's get you saddled up. We have eight horses." Laura lead him to the stable and began saddling up two horses.

Her frame was petite, but her strength showed as she hefted the saddle and then cinched it into place.
 
Jason looked at Laura as she walked out on the porch. The t-shirt showed off her firm chest and the slim fitting jeans showed over her tight ass. She told him to follow her and that she would get him saddled up.

He had never been on a horse before, and he was somewhat reticent about getting on one now. However, he decided to act like a macho guy and just go for it. He followed Laura into the stable and watched as she started to saddle up two of the horses.

He was impressed with the way she handled the saddles. Such a petite woman yet so strong. He had a feeling she was going to be able to teach him a lot about being a rancher.
 
Laura showed Jason the steps he could use to mount up. She lead a lovely chestnut mare up to the platform.

"This is Roxy. She loves men. Just sit easy in the saddle." Laura held the reins steady and handed them up to Jason after he got his seat.

Laura stepped up into her horse's stirrups and swung into the saddle.
"This is Maeve. She was a wedding gift."
 
He mounted Roxy and tried to get comfortable in the saddle. Roxy was a beautiful animal and he began to rub and pat her neck.

"Both of these horses are gorgeous. That is a very nice wedding gift. Your next husband will have a hard time matching what you previous husband gave you as a gift."

He started to play around with the reins and led Roxy away from the platform. He was very hesitant and unsure of himself, but he wanted to learn about riding and handling a horse. He wanted to become comfortable with them.

"Ok, Laura. Lead the way. I am going to follow you. Don't go to fast though. let me get comfortable."
 
Laura allowed her horse to amble down the trail from the house. Laura pointed out the windmill to generate electricity, the well and the stocked fish pond.

"There are two hundred cattle left. It is not a large herd, but they are valuable. The land has been in Jared's family for generation. It is a pretty big spread."

Laura was at ease in the saddle but it was obvious that she wanted to please her new employer.
 
Jason followed Laura down the trail. He was not comfortable riding the horse. In fact, he was very uncomfortable. He was trying to pay attention to what Laura was saying but he was having a hard time, because he was worried about falling off the horse.

"This is an incredible spread. It is much more than I expected. I thought I got a great deal before I saw the place. Now, I think I got an incredible deal." Then he thought about who he was talking to. "Oh, I am sorry Laura. That was really wrong of me to say."

He watched how comfortable Laura was in the saddle. She looked like a natural. She looked like she belonged on the farm. She was the perfect one to help him get acclimated to his new surroundings.
 
Laura smiled at Jason. "It isn't as if you killed Jared. It wasn't your fault that this happened. I don't hold any ill will towards you. I would rather you have the ranch than some of those gossips in town. They always had something rotten to say about me or about Jared."

Laura began leading them back to the house.

"So, why were you looking for wide open space? You seem like a city guy." Laura asked softly.
 
Jason continued to follow Laura... watching her bouncing softly and easily in the saddle. "I am a city guy. Well, I was a city guy. I spent a few years working in the city. Dealing with people in cities in other countries."

He thought about how comfortable it felt out here on the ranch, and he had just arrived. "I decided that I no longer wanted to be in the city. I wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle. I wanted to get away from it all."

They rode back to the barn. He dismounted the horse and awaited Laura's instructions on how to remove the saddle and what to do before returning the horse to the barn.
 
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Laura showed Jason how to undo the cinch. She reminded him to only walk in front of the horse. She showed him where to stow the saddle. She removed the bit and bridle from each horse. She showed him how to clean and stow them. Then she tossed him a brush.

"Just follow the grain of her coat. She loves to be brushed." Laura began brushing her horse. The horse knickered in pleasure.
 
Jason stood in front of the horse and rubber her neck. He then began to run his hand on her head and up between her eyes. He was impressed with the beauty and power of the horse. He had a feeling he was going to like Roxy. He only hoped that Roxy was going to like him.

He took the brush from Laura and began to move it over Roxy. He followed Laura's directions and followed the grain of Roxy's coat. He was unsure of himself, but Jason was enjoying himself. This certainly beat the hell out of what he had been doing in business.

"So, Laura, tell me... how long did it take you to get comfortable out here? When you came out here with your husband were you as nervous around the horses as I am?"
 
Laura smoothed the forelock of her horse.

"I grew up riding, but I rode English style. He taught me how to use a western saddle and how to be comfortable on the open plains like this.. It took me a while to get used to going to town to get groceries and having two restaraunts to choose from"

Laura tossed the brush back in the basket.

"Jared had a few hired hands. We could call them up and offer them their jobs back if you think you might want help with the livestock and upkeep."
 
He finished brushing Roxy and placed the brush back in the basket. "I am going to be totally honest with you, I don't know what I want, and I know even less what I need. This is all completely new to me."

Jason looked at Laura with a look that showed that he was in way over his head. "I expected to come out here and have a lot of land with nothing on it. I didn't know anything about livestock, or horses, or ranch hands, or anything else."

They began to walk back toward the house. "I am not sure if there is any food in the house. So, why don't I take you to dinner and we can discuss what you think I need to do to run this place."
 
Laura smiled. "We will figure it out. We can go into to town and grab a bite and hit the grocer's. It takes a good 20 minutes to go to town. Let me wash the horse smell from my hands... then I will be good to go."

Laura took her dark hair down and raked her fingers through it.

She brushed her jeans off and went in the kitchen to wash up.

Then she was leading Jason out to the rental car.

"I think you might want to buy a truck. It will be good when the roads are bad and when you need to be out with the stock."
 
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