Blue Iris Ranch (Closed for cnuveau)

[sweetlilith]

Layla's heart pounded in her chest. It wasn't out of the ordinary for her cattle to roam the edges of the property line, mingling with other herds across the fences, and there was a small corner that she shared with Luke. She hadn't seen it in any of her cows yet, but she knew it could spread like wildfire through all the farms and ranches if they weren't careful. She'd call her vet the next chance she got to see what her options were. It wasn't a bill she could afford at that point, but that wasn't important right now.

She glanced over at Elis, nodding as he continued to speak. "Luke's been talking with some company that wants to buy his land, a full cash offer. I think this is the thing that's gonna push him over the edge. He's been holding on, trying to keep things together, but..." Elis trailed off, shaking his head. "It's just so damn sad. Luke was one of the best farmers around here. He deserved better than this."

Layla glanced to James at the mention of the cash offer, knowing this was just another piece to a bigger puzzle.

 

[cnuveau]

James sipped his beer, deep in thought, as the conversation between Layla and Elis trailed off leaving only the din of the bar to break the silence. It would have been a whole lot simpler to do some creative sourcing to get around the price gouging that seemed to be going on but that didn't seem to be the only lever that was being pulled on them.

As he finished the last swallow of his beer he turned to Layla. "We should get going."

Layla nodded then finished the rest of hers as James tossed a few bills on the bar.

"Take care of yourself Elis." Layla said as she placed her hand on his and gave him a sympathetic smile.

As the door of the SUV closed behind him James let out a long breath then pinched the bridge of his nose between his strong fingers. He really didn't know what to say. It was obvious that Layla had grasped the ramifications of what Elis had told them and he wished he had some brilliant idea to put a stop to it but nothing was coming to him.

"We should get back." James said as he reached down and pressed the button to start the engine.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla sat silent in the passenger seat as James navigated them back to her ranch. She worried her bottom lip as she tried to make sense of what was happening to her town and her friends. There was something more going on here, something sinister that seemed to be targeting her and everyone she knew. The weight of responsibility felt like a thousand bricks on her chest. She knew she had to do something to protect her cows and her community. But what could she possibly do against an unseen enemy who seemed to be playing a game with their lives?

She glanced over at James, grateful for his presence and his understanding. He was the only one who seemed to care, the only one who was willing to help her unravel this mess. As they pulled up to her ranch, Layla took a deep breath, steeling herself for the battle that lay ahead. She knew that in order to save her farm and her friends, she would have to dig deep and find a way to fight back against whatever forces were arrayed against them.

"I need to go check on the herd." Layla's voice was shaking with determination. She needed to check on them and control their movements towards the middle and front of the pastures. Hopefully it wasn't too late. "Do you think someone did this to Luke?" she asked, turning her eyes on James. She was sure he had the same thoughts running through his head. What sick person would mess with the livelihood of nearly an entire town?

 

[cnuveau]

"It's certainly possible." James admitted not wanting to let on that he thought it was actually more likely than not.

It seemed to him that it was the perfect final nail the coffin of a rancher who was already on the financial edge. As wide open as the land was and no real way to monitor the boundaries of the property the cattle seemed like the perfect soft target to attack.

"I'll go with you." he said as they made their way to the bar to quickly tack up the horses and get out to the herd before the sun went down.

As they reached the top of the hill James slowed Casper to a halt then looked around. A sense of despair washed over him as he looked at the expanse of the land around him and thought about ways to secure it.

 

[sweetlilith]

Before heading out, Layla called Richard Greyson, or Richie as he usually went by. He was one of the few ranch hands left that helped her with the day to day tasks of caring for the animals and land. She let him know there was an outbreak of FMD among Luke's herd and they needed to check hers. Last she saw them, they were in the Northwestern corner of the pasture and hills, the opposite side from where she shared a fence-line with Luke, but they always had a few wanderers. Richie said he was on it and would check the Eastern edge and make sure everything looked good, and close off some gates to keep the herd closer to home.

As Layla and James made their way out at a decent canter, the sky was beginning to paint itself with hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The air was filled with the gentle sounds of the herd moving slowly across the pasture, their soft hooves sinking into the cool earth. Layla couldn't shake the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach as she scanned her cattle. She glanced over at James, grateful for his presence and his support. He seemed to understand her concerns better than anyone else.

They approached the herd cautiously, making sure not to spook the animals. As they neared, she noticed that several of the animals were gathered near the fence line. She dismounted, allowing her mare to graze nearby while she walked among the cattle, checking their condition and looking for any signs of injury or distress. They all looked healthy, thankfully. She dismounted Luna and let the mare graze and approached them carefully. When she reached the fence, she saw that it had been cut in several places, allowing the cattle to move freely beyond the confines of her land.

"Shit," she hissed under her breath, running her hands through her hair in frustration.

 

[cnuveau]

James guided Casper over to the fence line then down it ushering the cattle away from the fence as he craned his neck looking towards the other side to see how many had gotten through. With a quick glance over his shoulder he noted the star shaped brand with an H in the center that marked Layla's cattle then made his way toward one of the breaks and rode through.

Making his way to the other side of the few wandering stragglers he confirmed they were hers then started cutting them back toward the heard. Within a few minutes he had them back within the confines of Layla's property and away from the broken fence.

"When was the last time you were out here?" he asked wondering if they'd be able to nail down just long ago this might have happened.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla pulled a bundle of rope from one of her saddle bags and set about making a temporary fix to the fence till they could get back out in the morning with the proper tools and wire. "Maybe a day or two ago?" She glanced over at James, worry etched deep in her features. She pulled up the handheld radio she had hanging from her belt and called to Richie, "Found a hole in the fence over here... Someone cut it. We'll need to repair it in the morning."

Richie acknowledged the information and at least put her heart a little more at ease hearing the rest of the perimeter looked okay and he closed off some if the inner gates to keep the herd contained.

Grateful for his assistance, Layla and James worked together and tied the fence back up. "That should hold till morning..." she said, though her voice wasn't hopeful. She looked back at the herd and chewed her bottom lip while her thoughts worked. "We should try to get these guys pushed down the hill a bit tonight, just in case... maybe they'll be safer."

 

[cnuveau]

“Yeah, makes sense.” James said as they mounted their horses.

They worked the herd back down the hill just as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the distant hills.

Back at the barn they untacked and hosed down the horses in silence, both deep in thought about the events of the day. Layla put out some grain and hay for them before turning to James. The exhaustion and concern on her face was evident and it killed him to see her like that.

“It’s going to be ok.” He said reassuringly before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight to his chest.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla took a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her, taking in the scent of him and the warmth of his body. She leaned into him, pressing her cheek against his chest as she listened to the steadiness of his heartbeat. She usually wasn't one to lean on others, so used to doing and figuring everything out herself, but tonight... tonight she needed the comfort and reassurance that everything would be alright. She felt a shudder run through her as she thought about what could have happened to her herd, and the knowledge that someone had done this weighed heavily on her.

"I just don't understand why," she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion. "I mean, we're not exactly rolling in money out here, but we take care of our land and our animals. Why would someone do this to us?" James stroked her hair gently, offering no words, but his presence was a comfort nonetheless. There were no easy answers. There weren't any answers at the moment, just assumptions from the little bit they'd been able to dig up.

With another deep breath, she pushed herself back and wiped at the frustrated, angry tears that hadn't spilled just yet. "I'm sorry..." She gave a forlorn laugh, shaking her head at the entire mess that was now her life. "This isn't what you signed up for. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to get out of this and left..."

 

[cnuveau]

“We’re going to find out why. Don’t worry.” James said. The determination in his voice was unwavering. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

Though he was determined to see this thing through to whatever end may come, the change in circumstances did change the nature of of his work there and was well outside the scope of what his firm typically did. It also didn’t seem right for his firm to bill her for something that had become about more than just her.

As they walked back to the house he decided to take an indefinite leave from Oncor until his focus was able to return to just Layla’s business. Maybe by that time she wouldn’t need him at all.

“We should get cleaned up.” James said as they walked in the door and took off their boots. “Then maybe we can spend some time looking into who’s buying up properties and maybe that’ll give us an answer to the question “why?”

They walked together, with their fingers interlaced, down the hall toward their rooms. When they reached James’ door he hesitated for a moment, looking into Layla’s eyes, before releasing her hand.

 

[sweetlilith]

And then there was that complication too. Layla felt her cheeks heat as memories from earlier that day ran rampant through her mind. The way he'd kissed her, the way he'd touched her... It was a great distraction from the weight of everything pressing down on her. But it was also a distraction from figuring a way out.

Maybe it would be best if they separated for a bit, Layla thought, even if just for a few minutes to change and clean themselves up. She knew she needed to focus on finding a way to save her land and her animals, and James...well, she wasn't entirely sure what James needed or wanted. "Meet you in the living room in a few, yeah?"

She made her way down the hall to her room, her mind still reeling from the events of the day. Layla changed into a comfortable pair of sweats and a loose tank top, and pausing in front of her mirror, she ran a hand through her tangled hair, trying to push away the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her. She needed to be strong, she needed to be smart. And she needed James, she realized, even if she wasn't entirely sure what that meant.

With a deep breath, she left her room and after a short detour to the kitchen to grab a couple glasses and a bottle of wine, she found herself sitting on the couch in the living room. Laptop open on her lap, she began to search for information on land owners around her and Emerald Falls in general, trying to find some common thread.

 

[cnuveau]

James entered his room and closed the door behind him making sure that it latched properly this time. With everything that was going on, his desire for Layla should have been the furthest thing from his mind but as he looked at her as they parted ways he found himself having to fight back the urge to lead her back into his room.

He took a few minutes to collect himself than changed into some shorts and a tee shirt. He knew he could probably also use a shower but he also knew he need to get refocused on the problem at hand and start to fill in the long list of blanks that seemed to be continually growing.

When James emerged from his room with his laptop under his arm he found Layla on the sofa already at work on her own laptop with a glass of wine beside her. James grabbed the glass she'd poured for him then took a seat next to her, pulling in close so that he could see what she'd found.

"Find anything interesting yet?" he asked as he opened his and worked his way past the login screens.

 

[sweetlilith]

As James took a sip of his wine, Layla glanced up at him before returning her focus to the computer screen. "Not really," she said, shaking her head. "I've been searching for any pattern in the land purchases, but so far there's no rhyme or reason to it. Some are buying up huge tracts, others just a few acres here and there. It's like they're just picking and choosing randomly."

She tapped her fingers on the keyboard thoughtfully, her mind racing as she tried to think of another angle to approach the problem. "I've also been looking into the new owners, trying to find out who's behind all of this, but it's like they're all LLCs and the names attached seemed to be fake..." She took a large sip of wine from her glass as she stared at the screen, as if the answer would just jump out at her. "It's like the more I try to figure it out, the less sense it makes."

 

[cnuveau]

James thought for a moment trying to come up with a different angle.

"What about this? What if we forgot for a minute about who and focus on the why?" he said as he placed his closed laptop on the coffee table then leaned in over Layla's shoulder so he could see her screen.

"See if you can get into the County's website and find any permit applications for the LLC's that have bought the land. If they're planning on building or whatever they'd have to file for permits I'd think." It seemed like there was at least a reasonable chance there might be something there.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla considered James' suggestion as she tapped away at the keys, accessing the county's website and searching for permit applications. It was a good idea; she hadn't thought of that before. As she scrolled through the documents, she noticed that several of the LLCs had indeed filed for permits, but they were all for minor construction projects: utility lines, septic and sewage systems, and small buildings. Nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. She glanced up at James, who was still perched over her shoulder, watching her screen intently. "I'm not seeing anything that seems to indicate what they're really up to," she sighed, unable to resist leaning into him, finding comfort in his presence. "The permits are all for pretty standard construction stuff. Nothing that would explain why they're buying up so much land."

After clicking through what seemed like an endless number of permits, she found something interesting. One of the LLCs, named Blackwood Holdings, had filed for a permit to build a large underground storage facility. The proposed location was just outside of the city limits, near the outskirts of the forest. Included with the application was a copy of some blueprints so she zoomed in on the plans, trying to make sense of all the lines and numbers that covered the page.

 

[cnuveau]

James continued to watch over Layla's shoulder as she clicked from one permit application to the next. The whole process was gruelingly slow and he probably could have helped speed it along by opening his laptop and dividing the work but he found himself too content, feeling the occasional brush against her.

When she pulled up the permit for an underground storage facility it sent a chill through him. He could really only think of one thing that would require and underground storage facility. Though he was certain there were less benign uses for them the only reason he could think of was the sequestration of toxic materials. The realization left him with a queasy feeling at the bottom of his stomach. James looked at his watch noting it was well past business hours. Especially on the East Coast.

"I know some people at the EPA that I can call in the morning." he said, trying not to alarm Layla too much until they knew more. "It seems like they'd be aware of anything in the works that you'd need an underground storage facility for."

He thought for another moment about what other threads the could pull at the moment but couldn't think of anything obvious.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla ran a hand through her hair as she tried to process everything, her mind starting to spin at the mention of calling the EPA. This was far deeper than someone or some company trying to monopolize the land for livestock or other agricultural venture. Why her? Why Emerald Falls?

She took another sip of wine, as if the deep red liquid would help melt away the heavy feeling sitting at the bottom of her stomach. They sat together in silence for a while longer, both lost in their own thoughts. Layla went about saving the permit and blueprint files before closing her laptop. "We can talk about it more in the morning, when we're both fresh," she finally said, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. What more could they do at that point anyway?

In the morning, they would call the EPA. They would hopefully find out more about what the hell was going on and maybe figure out something they could do to change the course. For now, though, she needed to focus on something normal. Something mundane. Something that would help push the growing sense of unease to the back of her mind, if only for a little while.

"Do you want anything to eat?" she asked as she stood up, stretching her arms over her head, the movement causing the tank top she wore to ride up around her waist and expose the smooth skin of her lower stomach. "We've got leftovers from last night, or we could do sandwiches again? And we could throw on a movie if you want?"

 

[cnuveau]

Though the wine did a decent job of squelching James’ appetite, he couldn’t deny that he was a little hungry. He also needed to shut his mind down for a while and focus on something else less stressful.

“That sounds great.” He said as he sat up from the couch. “I’ll open another bottle of wine and find something to watch while you heat things up. Is it ok to eat here?”

“Sure, that sounds great.” Layla said getting up behind him.

James scrolled through the options as Layla put a couple plates in the microwave. Not finding a lot, James settled on a RomCom to put on and freshened up their wine glasses just as Layla emerged with a couple plates.

They ate as the movie started then stacked the plates on the coffee table when they finished.

“Thanks, for that.” James said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder then pulled her into him as the light from the tv flickered in the dim light of the room.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla settled into James' side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. It was a welcomed distraction from everything else going on, and she found herself relaxing into him more and more. She let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the warmth from his body and the faint scent of his cologne filling her senses. The RomCom on the screen was predictable and cheesy, but still had its moments that drew laughter from both of them. It was nice to have someone to share the small moments of peace with, to not feel so alone in the world.

As they watched the movie, James' hand found its way to her hip, tracing lazy circles over her skin. The benign movement and sensation of his fingers against her skin sent shivers down her spine and made her heart race. She glanced up at him, catching him watching her out of the corner of his eye. There was a heat in his gaze that made her feel a bit breathless.

She swallowed hard, unsure of what to do or say in that moment. It felt as if the air around them had been sucked out of the room. Images of earlier filter through her head, the way they had given into passion and desire. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, though she could probably make a decent guess by the look in his eye.

 

[cnuveau]

The movie was just what James needed at the moment. Something mindless with an occasional laugh helped take his mind off things and not agonize about every worst case scenario that managed to pop into his head.

"What are you thinking about?" Layla asked looking over at him.

He wasn’t quite prepared for the question and honestly he couldn’t quite pinpoint what he actually might have been thinking at that particular moment. His thoughts at the moment were more abstract than concrete as he sat there enjoying feeling her body there against his.

“Just how nice this is.” He finally said. “Just being here with you and taking a break from everything else.”

James lifted his hand to Layla’s chin then pulled her closer until their lips met in a tender kiss.

 

[sweetlilith]

The press of James' lips against hers sent her heart fluttering wildly in her chest. She turned to face him fully, the kiss slowly deepening as they explored each other's mouths. His hands slid down her back, cupping her bottom, pulling her closer. Layla's hands found their way behind his neck, tangling in his hair as she lost herself to the moment.

But just as quickly as she began to lose herself to him, she pulled back slightly. Hesitation and doubt hovered over her, knowing if they continued...whatever this was between them, it would only complicate things further. Layla looked into his eyes for any sign that he was feeling the same hesitation she was. Maybe she was overthinking it all, maybe they could just enjoy each other and this moment.

He pulled back just enough to look at her face. There was a question in his eyes, a curiosity that she found both reassuring and unnerving at the same time. She could see the want in his expression, the need to touch her, feel her skin against his, and knew that it mirrored her own desires.

"Fuck it," she said, repeating his words from earlier. It was a surrender of sorts, an acknowledgment that there was no denying what was happening between them.

 

[cnuveau]

James could sense the hesitation in Layla as he kissed her. It was the same hesitation he’d felt earlier in the day and it crumbled just as quickly as she gave in to what they both seemed to desire.

James’ hand slid beneath her tank top feeling her warm skin beneath his fingers as they leaned further into the back of the sofa. His heart raced as his tongue danced across hers.

“Why don’t we pick up then go to bed?” Layla said through heavy breaths as she pulled away for a moment.

Nodding and grudgingly, James released her before getting up, collecting his plate and wine glass then followed Layla. They entered the dimly lit kitchen and Layla placed the plates and glasses in the sink. The light from the porch filtered through the bay window casting a glow around her silhouette as she rinsed the dishes.

As she reached across to turn off the water James’s arms wrapped around her pulling her tight to his chest. His hand glided across her breasts then higher until his fingers wrapped around her delicate throat pulling her to his lips that burned kissed into the back of her neck.

 

[sweetlilith]

Layla inhaled sharply as his fingers wrapped around her throat and pulled her back to him, the kisses he pressed to the back of her neck sending fire straight to her core. James' hands moving over her skin with such familiarity it was almost unbearable. His breath was hot against her ear, his words husky and low as he murmured praises of how perfect she felt in his arms.

His touch was unyielding, possessive, and it made her want to give in completely, to lose herself in the feel of him. The way he held her, the way he made her feel like she was the only person in the world, made it impossible to resist him. She gripped the counter in front of her, pressing back into him as he continued to touch her, feeling the unmistakable hard length of him pressing against her backside.

She let out a shuddering breath as his lips trailed up her neck, sucking gently at the skin, then nipping at her earlobe before he turned her head to nearly devour her lips. "I thought we were going to bed?" she breathed.

 

[cnuveau]

“Sorry, got a little caught up in the moment.” James said as his hands continued to roam Layla’s body.

Taking her hand he led Layla to her darkened room and led her in. With a single motion he gripped the back of the collar of his shirt then pulled it over his head tossing it aside before pulling her to him and kissing her. His hands raked up her sides gathering the fabric of her shirt as they moved up then pushed it over her head. Backing her to the bed she climbed with him following shortly after as his heart raced in anticipation.

James hovered over Layla, kissing her breasts and teasing her nipples before hooking the waist of her sweats and panties with his fingers then sliding them past her hips as his lips followed them down.

Layla’s fingers clutched as his hair as his tongue parted her folds then zeroed in on her swelling nub.

 

[sweetlilith]

"...Oh! James!" Layla cried out as his tongue flicked over her in a rhythm that was both agonizing and blissful. She gripped his hair, digging her nails into the soft skin at the nape of his neck. Tendrils of pleasure coursed through her like a wildfire, consuming every nerve ending, every thought in its path.

As he continued to feast upon her, his hands moved up to her chest, palms flat against her skin, his thumbs brushing teasingly across her hardened nipples. She gasped, her back bowing off the bed as the sensation sent a jolt of desire straight to her core. Her hips bucked of their own volition against his mouth and hand, her body craving more of his touch, his mouth, his presence. Without hesitation, James slid his arms under her thighs and gripped her legs tightly, pulling her down to the bed, holding her open to him. She could feel the wave of release building, growing more intense with each thrust of his tongue and caress of his fingers.

And then, with a cry that seemed to come from deep within her, she came undone. Her body convulsed in a series of spasms as pleasure coursed through her like a raging river, leaving her breathless and spent.