The Blue Roan

"It was never my intention to humiliate you! I tried to catch your arm when you were falling but wound up holding your breast. When I stood you back on your feet, I couldn't believe how beautiful you were. I've never seen a woman like you, never mind touched one. If you hadn't looked down at my hand and gotten so angry, I'd probably still be standing there with my hand on you."

"You're claiming temporary insanity?" marveled Christine. "Do you grab every pretty girl you meet? Men are supposed to be in control of their emotions as well as their actions."

"It's never happened to me before. I really doubt that it will again. It was wrong. I admit it."

"You're standing there talking to me with your shirt unbuttoned and feel perfectly safe. Women don't have that luxury. We can be covered from head to toe and still feel threatened because men ogle us and make crude comments. They're usually bigger and stronger. Women like me need a man that makes them feel safe, a man they can trust. It's always nice to be desired and appreciated by that special man, but only after he convinces the woman that she can trust him with everything she has and everything she could ever be. I've yet to meet a man that measures up."

"You're looking at the guy," broke in June from the open door. "You just need to get to know him better. You won't be disappointed. Now, let's concentrate on my love life for a few minutes. What color do I look better in, green or the yellow?"

"That's my cue to head downstairs," replied Blue as he headed for the door.

"It might be a good idea to button up your shirt," observed June as Blue walked by her. "You don't want anyone to get the wrong idea about you and Christine. Make sure you're there to bid on her basket. You don't want her eating lunch with old man Simmons!"

"Did you have to tell him that?" asked Christine. "Now he thinks I'm desperate and he'll be doing me a huge favor by bidding on my lunch."

"You seem to dislike the direct approach, but it works most of the time," responded a nonplused June. "Just don't tell a man that you love him if you aren't sure that he loves you back. That's what I call embarrassing!"

Christine tried not to show it, but she was delighted when Blue was the high bidder on her lunch basket. She and Blue sat with Will and June and enjoyed the conversation and the many jokes that flowed around the table.

"Blue, will you escort Christine to the dance since Luke seems to have disappeared after Christine's assessment of his character," asked June.

"June!"cried Christine. "You shouldn't put Blue on the spot like that. It's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war," retorted June. "I can't stand watching you two dance around every issue. What I'd love to see is you two dance to the music tonight."

"Miss Hamilton, may I serve as your escort at the dance this evening?" asked Blue with a flourish.

"Why, Mr. Rhone, I'd be delighted!" managed Christine before she broke into laughter.

"See how easy this stuff is if you just say what you think?" pressed June.

Blue was the butt of numerous comments as he escorted Christine into the hotel's main room for the dance. He simply smiled and nodded happily when asked about the race, the baby's rescue, and especially the lovely woman at his side.

The men that played the music were not professionals, but they performed a handful of songs quite well. Blue danced with Christine most of the time, but also shared a few with June and even managed one with his mother. During an intermission, Christine mentioned Blue's surprising abilities on the dance floor.

Rachel smiled at Christine before telling her, "If you only knew how many times I had to threaten that boy with bodily harm to get him to learn a few dances! I'll bet he's plenty glad I made him now."

As the evening wound down, Christine asked Blue to walk her back to Judge Lane's house. She leaned into him as they slowly strolled down the street. Once they reached the front porch, Christine turned to Blue and smiled.

"I had a wonderful time tonight. You were the perfect gentleman. Thanks for forgiving me for everything and taking June's subtle hint about asking me to the dance."

"The pleasure was mine," whispered Blue as he moved closer to the beautiful woman standing so close. "Am I forgiven for taking advantage of the situation when we first met?"

"I'm feeling much better about that after this evening," admitted Christine. "I think I'd like to know you better before I agree to forgive you."

"Would you like to visit our ranch? I could show you some beautiful views and a lot of cattle and horses. Mom would love to have a female visit the ranch. June's the only girl that's been to our home in the last few years."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," exclaimed Christine. "Would you mind terribly if Will and June came with me? I know Will would love to see a working ranch and he'd like it even more if June were with him."

"I'd like that. Let's plan on it for Monday, if that's okay with you," replied Blue as he appeared hesitant about something. "Thanks, for a great evening!"

"Are you going to kiss me or talk all night" asked Christine as she threw her arms around Blue's neck and leaned into him. Blue stared into her eyes very briefly before pressing his lips to Christine's. When Blue finally drew back, Christine's eyes were sparkling.

"I'm already looking forward to seeing your ranch!" beamed Christine before giving Blue a quick kiss on his lips. "Goodnight."

Blue was grinning from ear to ear as he stated back to the hotel. The grin only increased when he overheard voices on the porch.

"So?" was all June asked.

"You're right about the direct approach," replied Christine before both women broke into laughter.

Rachel was thrilled to welcome the visitors to the Lazy R. Ben had made the journey with June, Will, and Christine. After a pleasant lunch, the group was given a tour of the parts of the ranch that Blue felt would hold the most interest.

Christine had the opportunity to see Jennings Creek in its new bed. The land on the western side of the surprisingly deep stream was actively being grazed by hundreds of Lazy R cattle. The water in the creek was extremely cold, even on a warm July afternoon, and Christine asked about it.

"The creek's headwaters are in the mountains," explained Blue. "As you can see, many of them still have snow on their peaks. Melting snow makes up the majority of the water that flows out of the mountains to create Jennings Creek. The closer you get to the mountains, the colder the water is."

"That brings me to the reason I rode out here today," began Judge Lane. "As you know, Governor Nye visited Bonnet on July Fourth. It seems that the Winters have contacted him in regard to the boundary dispute created when Jennings Creek shifted its course.

"The Governor is not happy about the situation. Winters told him that they were prepared to fight for the land on the west side of the creek. Their deed clearly states that they can graze to the western side of the stream. No one ever foresaw the creek bed moving as it has.

"I'm convening a hearing to legally settle this matter before there's any bloodshed. Both parties will be instructed to present their arguments. I'll render a decision within ten days of the hearing. Governor Nye is very serious about this. He'll send troops in to enforce my ruling if it becomes necessary. Nevada is on the verge of becoming a state and any sort of notoriety garnered by a range war could ruin that prospect.

Blue was certain that Judge Lane would not be swayed by the friendship he had with Blue and his mother. He was an honorable man that believed strongly in the tenets of law. It was a real possibility that the Lazy R could lose some of its best graze to the Bar M. Judge Lane's news served to dampen the spirits of the group.

"Judge, Luke Winters told me that he and his father don't own the Bar M. How can they force this issue?" asked Christine.

"They manage the ranch and have the owner's full support. The Winters gave Governor Nye a personal letter from the Murphy family. They feel that they're legally entitled to the land and they insist that they get it."

Will looked at his sister and arched his eyebrow in question. Christine shook her head slightly and Will remained silent. She needed time to consider the situation. If Judge Lane ruled in favor of the Bar M, the value of the ranch would increase more than a little. The problem was how badly it would affect the Lazy R. How did things become so complicated?

The group returned to Bonnet before sunset. Christine had a troubled sleep that night. By the next morning she had made a decision. She would ride along Jennings Creek to the point where the spring floods had altered its course. Perhaps there was a way to divert the stream back to its original path.

She decided to tell no one about her idea since she knew both Will and June would try to talk her out of it. Renting the same horse she had ridden the previous day, June was on her way shortly after sunup. The weather was considerably cooler than it had been with heavy dark clouds preventing the sun from making an appearance.

Christine followed the trail they had ridden the previous afternoon to Jennings Creek. Once she reached its banks, she turned her horse upstream. After riding for several hours, the distant mountains appeared to be almost as far away as they were when she began riding toward them. She became concerned about reaching her destination before she would be forced to turn back because of darkness.

There was no sun to gauge the time, but she felt that she could still ride a couple more hours before she would have to begin the ride back to town. The temperature slowly dropped as she gained elevation, and Christine found herself pulling her coat collar tightly to her neck as she wondered how cold it could possibly get in mid-July.

Blue had seen a rider moving along Jennings Creek in the early afternoon. He was on a high knoll a several miles from the rider, but he was still able to identify the horse. It was the same horse Christine had ridden the day before and that troubled him.

The weather had turned cold, and he knew from experience the area was in for a heavy, cold rain. It would be extremely uncomfortable for an experienced rider to be caught out in, and even worse for an unsuspecting traveler.

Blue decided to try to intercept Christine before she reached the mountains. He knew full well that the weather conditions would be far worse in the higher elevations. He pulled his collar up against the wind and kicked Deuce into a mile eating trot. It was going to be a long afternoon.

When he reached the point that he had expected to catch Christine, she was nowhere in sight. Blue studied the damp earth for tracks and soon found them. Christine's horse was now trotting and he'd have to hurry to catch her. As that thought crossed his mind, it began to rain.

Christine felt the drops hit her face and became concerned. She was in the foothills and the temperature had dropped even lower. She wasn't prepared for cold weather, especially if it rained hard and her clothing became wet. She saw a small shack not far from the creek, but it was on the other side of the stream! She made the decision to continue until she found a likely place to ford the creek so she could take shelter in the building.

Christine discovered an area that looked promising about fifteen minutes later. It was now raining and a strong wind had come up. She dismounted from her horse and walked to the water's edge to determine how deep the channel was. She had no desire to make her horse try to swim in the strong, cold current.

As she reached the edge of the bank to check the grade, her footing suddenly gave way! In less time that it took to consider it, Christine was plunged into the frigid waters of Jennings Creek.

Her coat quickly became waterlogged and made swimming almost impossible. She struggled mightily to keep her head above water. Her arms were rapidly growing heavy and her efforts became less effective. Always a realist, Christine knew she was quickly weakening and could quite possibly fail to survive the ordeal.

"Grab on my hand!" was the first indication that she was not alone. To her eternal surprise Blue was bobbing in the water next to her, offering his hand. Christine latched on to it as tightly as her depleted strength allowed. Blue bulled his way to the creek bank and somehow managed to stand up. His head and shoulders were above the water as he pulled Christine closer and then heaved her onto the muddy bank!

Cold as she was, Christine felt a chill when she saw Blue slip, and he was swept away by the current. Forcing herself to stand, she moved as fast as she could along the bank. She found Blue clinging to a small tree growing on the edge of the bank. As he struggled to pull himself up, a tree limb struck him in the face! Blue managed to keep his grip on the bush, but his feet were unable to gain any sort of purchase in the mud.

Christine reached down and grabbed Blue's collar, pulling with every ounce of strength she could muster. She felt him slowly making progress and kept tugging on his collar. It seemed to take forever, but Blue was finally sprawled next to her in the mud.

Sitting up, Christine saw the same shack that she seen earlier, but now she was on the right side of the creek! She knew they had to get out of the rain and dry off. The wind had increased and the driving rain stung her face.

Turning to get Blue's attention, Christine was shocked to see him lying face down, his face almost buried in the muddy bank. She grabbed his arm and rolled him onto his back. That was when she noticed the swollen, bloody lump on his forehead!

She'd never know how she was able to drag Blue's inert form into the small shack, but she somehow managed. It was fully dark by the time Christine pushed the door closed and dropped the bar that would latch it. The rain had finally stopped and the moon made an appearance, casting a pale glow through a small window-like opening. Christine had worked up a sweat dragging Blue into the small building, and was beginning to shiver as the temperature continued to drop and cold enveloped her.

She found a small cot along a wall. It held two dirty blankets. There was a small stove, but no firewood in the building and she could find no matches. Christine could see Blue trembling and shaking and was very concerned about his chances of survival.

Dragging him over to the cot, she peeled his muddy, wet clothes from his body and somehow pulled him onto the small bed. She tucked both covers tightly to his cold body, but his shivering appeared to worsen. Feeling the cold more, herself, Christine realized that she needed to raise her core temperature as well. With that in mind, she pulled the wet clothes from her body. Naked, she used her own shirt to wipe the mud from Blue's face and then climbed under the blankets in an attempt to find warmth.

The sun was shining through the small opening when Christine opened her eyes. Remembering where she was and who she was with, she considered her surroundings. Blue had received a blow to his head and was unconscious! She lifted her head and looked around. Blue's eyes were open and he was looking at her!

Christine felt tremendous relief, until the situation they were in became more apparent. She was lying on Blue, and they were both naked! Her first instinct was to jump up and flee, but where would she go? Forcing herself to remain calm, she spoke.

"How are you feeling? I was worried about you."

Blue had an obvious swelling on his forehead, but his blue eyes were clear and focused. "Why don't you tell me how I feel and I'll tell you how you feel?"

"Okay, if that's the way you want it," replied Christine with a sly smile. "You feel all strong and hard, especially the part of you that seems to be poking into my stomach. How do I feel to you?"

"I'd have to say you're smooth and soft, except for the two items that feel like pebbles that are poking my chest. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"That's only because I'm naked and you're a man," chuckled Christine. "My hair's full of mud, I'm sweaty, dirty and tired. It wasn't easy dragging you to this shack."

"You being naked may influence my opinion a little, but I knew you were the most beautiful woman I ever saw the first time we met," admitted Blue. "I don't know how you were able to drag me in here, but I owe you my life. I can remember how you practically pulled me out of the creek."

"I just helped a little. You did most of the heavy lifting. You were the one that jumped into the freezing water to help a stupid girl that had slipped and fallen in. You lifted me out and saved my life. I thought I was going to freeze, or drown, or both. How did you even know I was in the creek?" asked Christine. "I didn't think there was anyone within miles."

"I saw you riding alone and was worried about you getting caught in the weather. I tried to catch up with you sooner, but you started trotting your horse, so it took me longer," replied Blue.

As Christine listened to Blue's explanation, it dawned of her that she was nude and having a normal conversation with a naked man. The truly amazing thing was how she felt no fear. Blue's desire was as obvious as it could possibly be, yet he made no effort to take advantage of her in any way.

"I thought you were always one to take advantage of a situation," teased Christine. "You're actually quite well mannered, considering the circumstances."

"I hope you know that I was joking about that. I'd never deliberately touch you in any way you didn't want. It's going to be a lot more fun when you're encouraging me, rather than slapping me."

"Really? You think that day will come? Just be very certain that it's what I want or we'll have a real problem!"

Christine surprised herself with her next decision. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, giving Blue a close look at her unfettered breasts. She delighted in the involuntary twitch she felt beneath her as Blue gazed at her blushing chest. His desire was obvious, but he made no effort to touch her, which caused Christine to feel more empowered. She somehow knew that she was perfectly safe and totally in control.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to use one of these blankets. You may want to cover that thing up with the other blanket," observed Christine as she nodded at Blue's erection. "We need to place our clothes in the sunshine so they'll dry, unless you want to go home like that."

"I'd jump in that damn cold water again before I walked home like this," proclaimed Blue as he gathered the blanket around his shoulders and arranged it so it covered his groin.

As they gathered their various articles of clothing, Christine managed to let her blanket slip a couple of times. Each time, she'd hear what sounded like a growl coming from Blue, which in turn made her smile. She had never felt so reckless before, nor could she remember enjoying a situation more. She had never felt so safe with any man, except her father and brother, and they didn't really count since they were such close relatives.

It was almost noon by the time their clothes were dry enough to wear. Once they were dressed, they began the long walk back to the ranch. They had only walked half an hour when Blue saw the roan grazing across the creek.

He called to the horse and it came over to the edge of the stream and walked parallel with the couple until they came to an established ford. It required some coaxing, but Deuce finally waded across the stream to reunite with his rider.

"Let me help you up in the saddle. I'll walk while you ride," offered Blue.

"Are you saying that I'm too heavy for that big strong horse to carry double?" demanded Christine.