Everything Happens for a Reason

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Chapter Eight

"I wonder how they're doing out there?" said Laurie, wistfully looking out the back window of the house that morning, into the mountains.

Standing next to her daughter, Julia reached down and patted Laurie's behind, then said, "I wouldn't worry too much, baby girl. John's not going to let anything happen to him, sweetie."

"Does it ever go away, Mama?"

"Does what ever go away, baby?"

Laying her head on her mother's shoulder, Laurie wrapped her arms around Julia and said, "The way that you feel inside when the person that you love is gone, does it ever go away?"

Gently caressing her daughter's cheek, Julia smiled and warmly replied, "No, it never does, but you learn how to deal with it as you get older, sweetheart."

"With a single tear rolling down her cheek, Laurie looked at her mother and said, "I love him so much Mom. I feel like I can't breathe whenever he looks into my eyes and when he isn't here, like now; I feel like my heart is going to burst before I see him again."

"That boy loves you too, my angel, and I promise you that he's gonna keep on loving you like nothing you've ever seen before."

"Do you really think so?"

With her arms still wrapped around her daughter, Julia held her closely and replied, "Search your heart, baby-girl and you'll see it for yourself."

"Mom?" Laurie asked, "What's it like to make love to someone?"

"Well darlin," replied Julia, smiling, "I would've thought that you'd found that out while you were in college,"

"That's so personal, Mom," sighed Laurie, "That's something that you can only share once, and I only want to share it with the man that I love and am going to spend the rest of my life with."

Gently squeezing her daughter, and with tears beginning to roll down her cheeks, Julia looked proudly at Laurie and said, "You are a very intelligent and wise young woman, so much more than I could've ever hoped for, and I'm so very proud of you, baby."

"You still haven't told me what it's like, Mama," Laurie pouted, grinning.

Julia led her daughter to the kitchen table and sat her down. Then, after pouring them both a cup of tea that had been brewing on the stove, she brought the cups back to the table and sat down. Taking Laurie by the hand, Julia kissed it then smiled and said, "When you make love to a man, it hurts the first time." Noticing a slightly quizzical look on her daughter's face Julia smiled and added, "Relax sweetie, if he's gentle it will only hurt for a few minutes and it will only hurt one time, because after your hymen breaks it..." Laurie's laughter interrupted Julia making her crossly asked, "What is so funny, young lady?"

"Mom, Emma and Deirdre bought me vibrator when I was sixteen. I popped my own cherr...err, I mean, hymen so it wouldn't hurt the first time I had sex. I just want to know what it feels like having another person that close to you," said Laurie.

"As if she were looking off into the distance, Julia took a deep breath, then with a long sigh, said, "It feels so wonderfully warm and full, and when his body touches yours; every nerve ending inside of you fires signals to your brain at the same time and it......" Again, Laurie's laugher interrupted her and Julia asked, "Now what are you laughing at?"

Pointing to her mother's chest at how her nipples were noticeably protruding outwardly through Julia's shirt, Laurie giggled and said, "It feels that good, does it, Mom?"

Julia blushed, and laughing, said, "You are so bad....."

Three hours later, everyone was working and tending to their assigned tasks that kept the ranch running. Laurie was in her office sitting at a lab table doing some blood work on one of the horses when, Mike came running in with a highly excited look on his face, and almost as if he were out of breath, said, "Come look! Quick!"

"Daddy, what is it?" Laurie asked, alarmed.

Mike laughed and said, "It's your boyfriend, and you'd better come now." A terrible feeling began to rise from the pit of her stomach, and because of the worried look that appeared on his daughter's face, Mike smiled and added, "It's nothing bad, baby-girl, I promise. But, you're not gonna believe it, that's for damn sure."

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As John and I led our horses down out of the lower foothills of the mountains, the ranch house and complex began to slowly appear; only getting larger as we drew nearer. When we were about a couple hundred yards, or so, away from the back barn and stock house, I saw Mike coming from out of the stables. He looked for a minute then ran back and disappeared behind the stock house. A few moments later, I saw him reappear with Laurie, both of their faces displaying astonishment and shock, as well as excitement beyond belief. About a fifty yards before we got to the gate, I dismounted and handed John Jessie's reins and said, "Would you mind walking Jessi in for me? I think that things would go better for all of us if I walked Mo in by myself."

Taking Jessi's reins, John smiled and said, "Not only are you ve'notaxeo'o but my eyes have seen that you are also a great mo'ehno'ha hetane, my brother!"

"What is that?" I asked.

"It means horseman. But it also means that you can speak to them and they to you, both understanding the other," then looking to the sky he added; "Now it can not be denied that our great father has sent you here."

I simply smiled and said, "Go ahead and walk Jessi and Sultan on in ahead of us. Then get everyone back away from the gate while I walk Mo on through and then I'll take him to the corral." After I'd untied Mo, John took Jessi and led her and Sultan through the gates and on to the stables. As I slowly began to walk him closer to the gate, I felt Mo becoming very apprehensive and jumpy. I stopped and slowly exhaled a soft breath into his nostrils, giving him my full scent. As I gently rubbed his neck and head I told him, "Easy boy, nobody here is going to hurt you. I promise you that I won't let anyone ever hurt you again." Mo slowly leaned his head against me and softly whinnied, letting me know that he trusted me fully. Together we walked through the gate and as I passed her, Laurie stood a few yards away, proudly grinning from ear-to-ear. I managed to get Mo through the gates and into the corral without incident. Once the corral door was closed, I took the lead rope from around Mo's neck and led him to the water trough so he could get a drink. While he was drinking and becoming familiar with his new surroundings, I climbed the gate and landed directly into Laurie's arms the moment I set foot on the other side of it.

"Hi Baby, I sure missed you," said Laurie, wrapping her arms around my torso and feeling the linen bandages. Then, with alarm in her voice, she rubbed her hands around my back and then returning to my front, said, "What happened to you and why are you all bandaged up?" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw John appear out of nowhere and then he spoke to Laurie in Cheyenne for a few moments. When he was done, Laurie looked at me smiling, and to John, said, "Is that right? Well, it looks like this call's for a celebration then."

"What're you talking about and where did you learn Cheyenne?" I asked.

Laurie looked at John, both of them grinning conspiratorially, and then back at me and replied, "When we first moved here and I was a little girl, John began to teach me to speak Cheyenne as a way of keeping my mind occupied and off of you and I've been speaking it fluently ever since. Tonight we are going to go into town and celebrate your being mo'ehno'ha hetane!"

"Is that right?" I asked, smiling and bringing Laurie close to me once again.

"Yeah, it is," replied Laurie, kissing my lips and smiling proudly at me.

Suddenly, an apprehensive feeling that concerned Mo began to invade my heart and I looked at John and said, "I think we ought to put Mo in the stable until we get back from town. What do you think?"

In his ever understanding way, John walked up to me, and patting my shoulder, said, "You're right to feel that way, my brother. When word gets out that you've captured the wild stallion, the survivors of the men that died because of him will come looking for vengeance, not to mention those animals that call themselves the men who preside over the Montana Cattlemen's Association. They will all come seeking his head. I will hide him in the stables with the other horses, Ve'no'taxeo'o." I just smiled as Laurie and I turned and walked toward the house holding hands.

As we were walking back to the house, Laurie leaned up and kissed me then said, "I'll bet I know some thing that you don't."

Oh yeah, and what might that be?" I asked, grinning and squeezing her around the waist.

"I'll show you when we get back to the house," she replied, breathing sensually into my ear.

However, the moment I walked through the door, Julia flew into my arms crying, "Are you alright, sweet boy?" not letting go of me.

I gently eased her back and held her at arms length, and with a soothing smile, said, "Yes, ma'am, I'm just fine!"

"When Michael came in here and told me about the stallion, I was certain that you'd been injured and I just wouldn't have been able to forgive myself or be able to face your mother," said Julia, with an obvious expression of relief clearly written across her face.

Before I could respond, Laurie began peeling my shirt off of me to reveal the linen bandage that John had put on me early that morning. Until Laurie had previously taken notice of it; I had forgotten all about it. With a fearful look on Julia's face, Laurie smiled, and speaking to her parents, she said, "Watch this, you guys." Then, after my shirt was gone, she began to remove the linen that was wrapped around my torso. Once the bandage was completely off of me, I was astonished to discover that, where there once were huge and bloody claw marks across my entire torso this morning; now there was only clear smooth, unblemished skin and it looked as though nothing had touched me.

John came into the house a few moments behind us, and seeing that my bandage was gone and that also gone were the wounds he'd born witness to this morning; he looked at Mike and Julia, and grinning from ear-to-ear, said, "He is the chosen one. He is the great ve'notaxeo'o my people have been waiting for, my brother and sister.

Mike gave a knowing smile, and astounded at John's statement; Julia gasped and asked, "Do you really think so?"

John began to regale them with everything starting from the time we first went into the forest until I became friends with Mo. As soon as John began to speak, Laurie grabbed my hand then and led me upstairs, only this time, we went into her room instead of mine. She made me sit on her bed and then turned and locked the door behind her. The look in her eyes was, again, that of nothing but love in its purest form. I felt the hair on the back on my neck beginning to rise from my skin as she took my hand and made me stand. Placing the palm of her right hand against my cheek, she smiled and then while softly running her left hand down my bare chest, she wantonly breathed, "I want you to close your eyes for me and keep them closed until I tell you to open them, okay baby?"

"Okay! I replied, and closed my eyes.

I heard the rustling of fabric against skin as well as the opening and closing of what I guessed was her dresser drawer, and then after hearing her take a deep breath, she softly said, "You can open your eyes now!"

What I saw standing before me literally took my breath away. Laurie stood before me bare chested and wearing only the shortest pair of shorts that I'd ever seen. Before I could say anything, she pressed her body against me. The feeling of her bare chest against mine was indescribable. I'd felt a naked women against me plenty of times before in my life, but this was like nothing I had ever felt before. I didn't just feel her against my skin; I felt her in my heart and in my soul. I could feel her in every molecule and cell in my body and in my mind. As she softly placed her lips against mine and we began to kiss, my arms went around her and my hands soon found their way to her butt. It fit my hands perfectly and I pulled her crotch tightly against me, eliciting a soft and sensual moan of approval. We began to kiss deeper and were soon grinding our clothed genitalia against one another. We broke the kiss and looked into one another's eyes and it was then that I knew that, here in my arms, was the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with.

Laurie stood on her toes so as to place her lips directly beside my ear and half whispered, half spoke, "I love you Tommy and I wanted to ask you if you thought I was pretty enough for you?"

I gently but firmly pulled her away from me, and holding her at arms length, gently but sternly replied, "I don't ever want to hear you say something like that to me again. Do you understand me?"

Laurie looked at me sadly and replied, "But, you've been around the world and have been with women that are more exotic and beautiful than me and...."

"No!" I said, interrupting her and before she could say anything else, I gently continued, "Make no mistake when I say that you are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I've ever seen anywhere and I love you."

"I know that you love me but, are you absolutely sure, about me, I mean?" she asked, looking back at me with uncertainty and a touch of fear in her eyes.

I surprised her by quickly leaning down and taking her left nipple into my mouth and gently but firmly swirling my tongue around its tip. I felt it's soft rubbery texture become erect and her hand went to my head, gently pulling me tighter to her breast while simultaneously producing a corporeal moan that emanated from very deep within her.

The moment I heard Laurie moan, I stopped and stood up straight to look into her eyes that were now nothing more than half open slits and the smile on her face left no doubt that she had enjoyed what I had just done. I slowly pulled her back against me, and after quickly but softly kissing her lips, said, "Does that answer your question?"

She leaned back slightly, and with a sly grin, replied, "Yeah, I guess it does but I still wanted you to tell me. And, just so you know, I'll love you forever if you'll let me." I felt my eyes begin to fill with moisture, but before I could react in any further way, Laurie smiled and smacked me on the butt with her hand and said, "Now get out of her and let me get dressed. I want you to shower and clean up. We're all going out tonight."

After one last deep kiss and pressing as tightly together as we could, I turned and left but not before I turned my head back to get one last look. "My God, she's beautiful," I thought to myself before finally leaving.

That night found Laurie and I back in 'Buffalo Bill's' restaurant on Old Historic Montana Avenue, sitting and having dinner with her parents, Mike and Julia, as well as her friends, Deirdre and Emma. Normally I don't drink a whole lot and I never really have, but this night; I'd decided to have a glass of wine. Besides, one or two glasses weren't going to kill me. Laurie looked even more beautiful to me tonight than ever before, and everyone was in a great mood. Like the first time Laurie brought me here, the food was excellent, but I was hoping to see Emma and Deirdre with dates, if for any other reason; they wouldn't try and embarrass me tonight. That hope was dashed when Emma looked at me and said, "So, tell us Tommy; how do you like it here so far?"

"I like it fine," I replied, holding Laurie's hand with both of mine openly and on the table.

I looked across the table to see Deirdre smiling brightly at me with tears threatening to spill down her face and before I could ask if she was alright; she said, "Tommy, I wanted to tell you how glad Ems and I are that you're here."

"Oh really, and just why would that be?" asked Laurie, looking at her two friends with poison daggers in her eyes.

Emma giggled and replied, "Well, the three of us made a promise to one another a long time ago that the first one of us who got married would have the other two of us as bridesmaids. Now that you're here, it looks like Laurie is going to be the first to fall."

And before anyone else could say anything further, Deirdre chimed in and said, "Yes, so, have you asked Laurie to marry you yet?"

"Will you two shut the fuck up?" Laurie said, angrily.

"Laurie!" scolded Julia.

Laurie rose from the table, and with angry tears beginning to run down her face, stormed out of the restaurant.

"Uh oh, I think we just messed up big time," said Emma.

"Yeah, I think we did, too," added Deirdre.

"For once, I agree with you two," I said, in an angry but calm tone of voice, my displeasure with them apparent to both. Then, looking at everyone at the table, I rose to my feet and said, "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check on Laurie," and then went to look for her.

I found her standing next to her car, leaning with her back against it, her arms crossed and crying profusely. I walked up to her, and gently putting my arms around her, I held her closely and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. It's just that, those two bitches make me so mad sometimes," she replied, sniffling against me.

"I'm sure they were only kidding," I said, trying to ease the situation a little.

Laurie leaned back in my arms to face me and said, "No! They weren't kidding, and that's what pisses me off so bad about those two. They can be so embarrassing sometimes."

"I wasn't embarrassed so, why should you be?" I gently asked.

Laurie looked at me sadly and said, "You haven't even been here a week and they're already trying to run you off."

"What're you talking about?" I asked, giving her my handkerchief.

After she wiped her tears and blew her nose, Laurie looked at me and said, "The quickest way to make a man run away is to start talking to him about marriage and, that's the last thing I want to do to you?"

I made her stand up straight, and then after looking her in the eyes, I informed her, "Now listen to me, sweetie, I want to be with you for the rest of my life so; it's going to take more than the ramblings of two silly-assed girls to run me off. I love you. Do you understand me? I love you Laurie Watson and I will for the rest of my life."

Laurie threw herself into my arms and cried, "I love you so much, Tommy."

"I love you, too," I replied, holding her tightly against me.

The she leaned back to look at me and said, "Will you take me away from here?"

I smiled, and as I gently caressed her cheek with my hand, I softly replied, "Sure! You start the car while I go back inside and pay for the food we ate."

When I got back to the table, Emma and Deirdre were looking at me as if they were about to be executed. The tension between the three of us was thick enough to cut with a knife, making it worse by the silent but angry glare I was giving them. My attention was taken away from them when Julia asked, "Is she alright, sweet boy?"

I looked at Julia then smiled and replied, "She's alright." Then turning back to furiously glare at Emma and Deirdre, I angrily added, "She just didn't expect something so childish to come out of the mouths of two people that she loves so much."

As I placed some money on the table to pay for our food, Mike smiled and said, "Your money's no good here, son."

"Aw, Mike, you don't have to do that," I pleaded.

Mike rose from the table, and gently placing his hand on my shoulder, said, "Look here, boy! Laurie's mother and I love you like the son we never had so, yes, I do have to do this." Then he gave me a devilish grin and added, "Besides; my heart tells me that, before long, you're gonna be mine and Julia's son-in-law!"