Everything Was Perfect

Christine sat quietly, looking out the window of their bedroom window.

She loved the quiet times in the morning, her husband Dale off to working meant she could sit and think.

It was close to a full mile to the road down by the river, she knew that almost the moment Dale got in from the field he was clearing, he would want to go down there. The big Salmon were running, and the government had opened the river so people could catch some.

Owning a section of the river bank was great. Not only was it one of the very best spots to catch the big fish on the entire river, but private too.

That was also their very special place, it was where she and Dale had lain on a blanket hidden a bit back in the bushes. He had touched her intimately for the very first time that day. Her orgasm from his gentle touch had been blinding, it was something she knew she would never forget.

Christine had helped Dale carry the boards down there to build the tiny cabin on the bank years later, chaining the platform off solidly to some huge trees that grew there.

The higher tides might carry it off otherwise, and Dale had wrestled some large logs down there to create a float for when the tide was high.

Life was fine on their huge ranch, Dale had inherited what turned out to be 25 years of neglect from his parents. They both were elderly and just could not keep up with everything, and finally they didn't even try.

The engines were rusted solid in both tractors, the huge baler, built in 1939 had worked perfectly the day it was stored but it was never going to ever bale anything again. There was a big 12' self propelled Heston mower, all of the pulleys were rusted, the belts and drapes rotten.

Replacement equipment was hugely expensive, but Dale searched and found what he needed. The old machinery he cut up for scrap and hauled that to town and sold it all.

Even the monstrous barn was failing, but Dale cut some young Fir trees and peeled those, swinging them up and into place for support.

Those times were very hard, everything cost a lot and for several years the two of them lived off of what they could grow or manage to catch.

But now two dozen fat black Angus cattle grazed the fields with their young at their sides, the berry vines were gone from acres and acres of flat land that had been overrun and the prices the hay crops brought were good.

Big trucks brought in loads of fat Sheep, the pasture income from doing that paid the taxes. The little home Dale's grandfather had built to live out his life in was now a rental, bringing in a stipend every month.

Dale told her that one day timber would once again bring good prices, when it did they would be set because over 200 acres were heavily timbered and mature.

But so far things simply stayed tight, Christine became quite good at canning food and smoking meat. Deer were plentiful, in the Fall Dale slipped out after dark, dropping a young Buck for food.

Christine never went with him as he strapped the big flashlight to his Father's old rifle. She did help cutting up the meat, though.

Life before had been far easier, sometimes she missed just being able to buy something if she wanted it.

Her man was so good to her, so kind and loving, she would have lived with him under a bridge if it came to that.

Dale being good in business had done well before, made some capital and bought out his wayward brother Franklin. Franklin had done almost 6 years in a federal prison for growing and selling things that was frowned on by government. When he was released, he had nothing so Dale paid him $100,000 of their own life savings for his share of the big ranch.

I was worth more than that, but it was all they had, and the surprise was that Franklin took it.

The truth there was that Frankiln would never have made a farmer. Working with Cattle and Sheep, operating tractors just was not his thing.

Franklin preferred partying, and trying to figure out a way to make a fast buck. When he was around, he made Christine nervous, always looking at her like she was something he wanted to eat.

He never said or did anything, so that was just a feeling she got.

+++

Dale had been great from the beginning, Christine met him in high school. She was a cheerleader at the games, but Dale was on the track team. He wasn't tall at just 5'9" or even big anywhere.

Too short for basketball, too light for football really, he did have one thing he could do.

Dale could run like the wind.

The cheerleaders didn't go to the track meets, not to cheer them on anyway. But one of her girl friends told her about this guy who had the world's fastest legs, so curious she went to one of the meets at their local field.

Her friend was not kidding, not one bit. The boy could run, he was 30 feet in front by the first straight stretch and pulled away for all four laps around the field.

So when Dale crossed the finish line almost directly in front of her, she leaped to her feet and did what she did at the games.

She cheered.

Dale looked up at her, panting while he walked off his efforts. He was soaked in sweat, his intense brown eyes met hers.

Then he smiled.

Christine was lost at that moment, and from then on. All the way home that evening, her head was full of Dale's look, that steady gaze.

She woke up in the middle of the night, her dream clear, those eyes looking at her.

The next Monday at school she was struggling with her locker, the thing always gave her fits. The door stuck at the top, and the lock would then jam. To get it open required jerking and hitting on it so that was what she was doing.

"Hey. Let me take a look." A masculine voice said from behind her. She glanced back, it was him!

Dale reached past her, pushed the locker door in slightly at the top, gave it a tug and it opened.

"Thank you." Christine managed.

He stood there with that same smile, she felt a blush cross her face. He reached out as she went to close the locker door, grabbed the top and bent it downward, then he pressed in at the top and out at the bottom. The door now swung freely, slid right in and out of place.

"Oh! Great! Thank you so much!" She told him.

"I'm Dale. I saw you at the races. Are you coming Friday? We have another meet after school."

"I...OK. Sure, I would love to."

"How about after we go to Charlie's Deli, get a sandwich and a soda?" He had that same slight and confident smile.

"I would like that. Yes." Christine smiled right back.

The entire rest of the week was terribly slow, the big clocks on the walls in every class went "click" as a minute passed, then another.

Finally the final bell on Friday rang, Christine had no idea at all what any of the teachers had said all week.

The race was fun, this time one of the runners from the other school challenged, she was screaming as they rounded the last turn, Dale in the second lane and a half step behind.

The other runner was very tall and muscular, Dale's much shorter stature meant his legs were a blur in comparison.

As she jumped up and down in excitement, the other boy's legs began to wobble, Dale moved ahead and by the line he was a step out in front.

A half hour later he walked up to her.

"Wow, you look nice." He said.

Christine had ran all the way home after school, changed clothes and fixed up her hair, even applied traces of makeup.

"Oh, this old thing." She answered shyly at his comment.

Dale just grinned and took her hand. They walked the nearly one half mile to the little Deli.

That was the start, there were several dates, then Dale asked her to go steady. She was pleased with that, by then she had already given up on dating any of the other boys.

Over time they both became more familiar with each other, kissing a lot. There was even some petting but just through their clothing, Christine's head swooned when Dale touched her, cupping her breast over her blouse and bra.

Her instinct was to stop him but she didn't, that made her feel warm and good. That is all Dale did, but after that he did it a lot.

It was mid summer after they had graduated when one afternoon they lay together on a blanket down by the river. Christine wore her one piece swim suit, Dale had on his trunks and that was all.

There was a small clearing a few feet back in the bushes, an animal trail led back there.

"Want to move?" Dale grinned, nodding that way.

Holding hands, they moved the blanket back where it was far more private, out of sight from any boats in the river.

That afternoon was the first time Christine touched Dale intimately through his clothes, she felt the hardness of him and her body was trembling in excitement.

When he slipped his hand inside her top, she allowed that, it was like tiny little shocks passed through her body. Then he asked her for permission to look at her, she nodded, unable to say anything since her heart was now in her throat.

Dale reached up and tried to pull the upper portion of her suit downwards but it was too snug.

"You need to unzip it." She whispered to him shyly, her face buried in his neck.

He did, Christine kept her eyes squeezed shut, aware from the sudden coolness that her upper body was naked. Dale leaned down and suckled her crinkled up nipple into his mouth, sending shock waves through her again.

No boy had ever seen her, or even touched her bare skin there although some had tried when she was dating.

Somehow Dale's trunks were down, she felt him and saw him. She knew about males from her sex education class but had never actually seen or touched one.

It was the most exciting and delightful experience she had ever had as her warm fingers encircled his erection, almost by instinct.

Then his fingers moved the crotch of her suit aside, the zipper in the back was already all the way down so it was easy.

Christine climaxed nearly instantly at that first touch of her bare flesh. She knew already about touch, she often did that herself quietly at home, her head full of fantasy.

But this was nothing like that, this was intense, amazing. Tears filled her eyes.

"Are you OK?" Dale stopped what he was doing, concerned.

"I'm fine. I love you so much!" She told him.

They didn't go all the way that day, the truth was that Christine was quite ready and would have, but Dale told her they needed to wait, make things right.

She did get to experiment with his hardness, her hand at first tentative, then she began a furious motion, wanting desperately to see him orgasm.

After that, they were doing that at every opportunity. Then one evening they were parked down by the jetty, she could see Dale's penis barely in the moonlight, so she leaned down to see even better. She loved to look at him, touch him, it made her feel wonderful when his member lurched in her hands.

This time without even thinking about it, she slid her lips over the end of it. The taste was salty, she felt it throb in her mouth. Dale groaned loudly, encouraged she began to suck on it.

She was by now well aware of what was going to happen and she wanted it to, when he moaned and filled her mouth she had nothing else she could do but swallow it.

That caused her own body to be set off, without Dale even touching her.

"You are the most wonderful woman on Earth, I love you so much." Dale told her.

But still, they did not engage in intercourse.

+++

That Fall they married. Their first time together was that evening, and it was everything Christine had hoped for.

There was no pain at all that first time, in fact it was rather easy. Dale's regular investigation of her insides with his fingers likely helped a lot with that, he brought her to crashing climaxes many times during their dates.

It had gotten so that she looked forward to it, and had even begun to join him on dates with no panties on.

Now it was the real thing, and Christine was trembling with anticipation.

He did try to be careful by going very slowly at first, but when he paused only part way inside her for too long, she reached down and grasped him, thrusting firmly.

Dale let out a groan of pleasure and there was no further need to be cautious.

With both of them totally naked together for the very first time, they took turns inspecting each other, giggling the entire time.

Then Dale made love to her again, and after they slept for perhaps an hour she woke up to his touching her and she was almost instantly ready.

They did go down to the continental breakfast the hotel put on, ate and went right back to their room. The staff of course knew very well they were just married, over the weekend they never even saw a maid.

+++

Christine had just turned 30 when the phone rang. Dale answered, his eyes flooded with tears and she knew. Their comfortable life living in the city was now going to change. Dale had worked so very hard, saving everything he could, knowing one day it would be his job to take over the huge ranch.

A couple of months later they were living in the main ranch house.

After a half dozen years, Christine was used to farm life. The constant work kept her body in shape. No children arrived although they tried, lord did they try.

At one point, in frustration, they went to the local clinic for testing. The results were what she had begun to suspect, her own body was fertile, Dale's sperm counts were very low.

At an early age he had been extremely ill, actually close to death at one point.

For most of an entire school year he had been bed ridden, part of why he was a full year older than his classmates. Once he had healed up, he took up running, and he was very good at it by the time he was in high school.

"It is possible I guess, but you might want to consider adoption since you probably will win the lottery first." The Old Doctor told them flatly.

Dale did get a pained look on his face, but he didn't say anything.

Things changed after that. The regular love making, the giggles and sheer fun of doing it came almost to a stop. Dale became too tired, he became moody and Christine had no idea at all of what to do about it.

For the first time in their married life, Christine realized she was unhappy. She did everything she could think of to please her man, cooking his favorite foods, always being eager to pitch in with the work.

She tried teasing him, one day they were out in the barn and she lifted her long dress and flashed him as he was picking up a bale of hay.

That actually worked and they ended up making love right there in the hay stack, finally ending up with her having to brace herself as the bales slid aside and she all but fell in between them.

They lay there cuddled up, enjoying just being together when a voice rang out.

"Anybody home?" It was Dale's brother, Franklin.

Christine looked up and there he was, she was naked and so was Dale. She jumped up and grabbed her dress, pulled it over her head as Franklin just stood there with a silly grin on his face.

"You could have at least turned your back!" She accused him.

"And miss out on that? No way!" He laughed.

She stomped up to the house, leaving Dale there to talk to his brother. Later, they came in for dinner. Dale didn't act like he was particularly upset, Franklin kept smirking at her which pissed her off.

That night, she came to bed and Dale reached out for her. That was actually a surprise, lately Dale sometimes went over a week of showing no interest in sex at all, now here he was wanting it twice in one day?

Still, it was wonderful and she enjoyed it very much.

Franklin was gone the next afternoon, he had came by to ask Dale for a loan, but they had very little to give. Dale did give him a couple of hundred of their precious dollars though.

It was a few days later when Dale shocked her.

"You have never been with anyone else but me, have you?" He asked, right in the middle of her serving some mashed potatos.

"What? No, of course not. You know that." She answered.

"I did once." He told her, taking a bite of food.

"What? Who? When? What are you talking about?" Christine asked.

"It was way back, remember Margaret Watson?"

"You mean from school? You are kidding me."

"No, I'm not. She came over that Summer after we graduated, wanting to use our pool so I told her OK."

Christine just stared at him. She knew all about Margaret Watson, that girl had a terrible reputation.

"One thing led to another, she was teasing me, wearing a bikini that didn't cover anything. Then she asked me to put some lotion on her, and...well...we did it."

"You mean...while we were going out?"

"Yea, I'm sorry. It just sort of happened."

"That was what, 17-18 years ago and you are telling me now?" Christine felt a tear brimming, fought that off.

"Yes. It was just once and didn't mean anything, not really. Not like it is with you and me." He said.

Christine had no idea at all of how to respond.

"It's not like we have a lot of time left." He said.

Her face flushed, she knew what he meant.

"Anyway, what I am trying to say is...I want you...you know, to get pregnant. Since I...can't...then I was thinking...?"

"Dale, what are you trying to say? Do you want me to go to some clinic, maybe end up with 5 or 6 babies at once? Is that it?"

"No. You know we can't afford that unless the timber?...not much chance of that in this economy."

"What are you saying, Honey? I don't understand?"

"You could..maybe find a partner? It wouldn't be like sex, just to get pregnant." Dale was having trouble meeting her gaze.

"Dale, there is no way in God's green Earth I am going to bed with some other man!" Christine said loudly.

"Calm down, honey. It's just a thought, I figured you might react like this. That's why I told you about Margaret, it wouldn't really mean anything."

Christine realized she should be furious with him about Margaret, but what he was asking was far more serious.

"I suppose you have someone in mind already, right?"

"Not really, it would have to be up to you. But I was thinking, maybe Franklin?"

"Oh, my God. You have to be kidding me! Him? That jerk?"

"He isn't a jerk, he is just...different than me but he does have the same genes."

"Different? No kidding, he did time in JAIL!" Christine yelled.

"That was a mistake and he did his time. Just forget it, forget I said anything." Dale pushed back from the table, went into the living room leaving his meal mostly untouched.

The rest of that evening was very quiet. Dale was asleep when Christine slid into bed. She lay there for a long time, thinking.

Did her man want a child around that bad? Enough to actually allow his wayward brother to do THAT?

Things had not been going all that well between them since Dale had found out about his low sperm count, but she had hopes that over time he would get over it, and things could go back to normal.

She had come to love the hard ranch life, and she loved Dale more than anything. She had thought she could and would do anything he wanted, but that?

Sex with someone, allow some other man to impregnate her? There just was no way at all. And what in the world was that about Margaret Watson? She knew her from high school, she was known as being one of the on the loose side females.

Was Dale just making that up, perhaps to justify to her actually doing it herself?

This was all completely confusing.

+++

It was nearly a full month before Dale brought it up again, this time they were sitting down by the river with lines in the water, waiting for a bite.

Christine had actually been hoping her husband would want sex, since this was their special place but Dale showed no signs.

"So, have you given any thought to what I told you?" He asked.

"Honey, I would love to have a child, give you one but not that way. I just couldn't."