Round Robin Story

I apologize, it's been a while since I posted. For those of you waiting, here's the next bit of the story:

About six months earlier, his parents had died in a car accident and he'd taken over the ranch at the young age of twenty-five. Emily expected he'd always wanted to ranch, but never had a chance to ask him back then. For the two weeks she'd stayed with Uncle Nate he worked from dawn to dusk and each evening they'd check in with him, a glass of water, and some small talk. From what her Uncle told her he made a pretty good go of that ranch. Luke hadn't taken his eyes off of the ranch six years ago and the way he looked right now, he still worked too hard at it. What time he could spare, he helped Uncle Nate out in his garden.

"Thanks," at the sound of her voice he momentarily froze and each muscle tensed. He then reflexively turned and grabbed for his clothes. As he tried desperately to cover himself he nearly fell over on that near-perfect posterior. She stifled a giggle, "Don't get dressed just for me," and nearly lost the battle, "Uncle Nate just made a pot of coffee, you want a cup?" He stopped and stared at her as he held the pile of wet clothes in front of his manhood. 

"Well I'll be," and he stood up a bit straighter taking his free hand to try and tame his wild main and shield his eyes, "Emmy, is that you?" The last time he'd seen her she'd looked different, way too young. Today she looked, well, all grown up. She wore a simple pair of dark leggings and a sky blue tank top with a hot pink sports bra on underneath. Her entire outfit spoke volumes about her level of fitness and left very little to his imagination making him thankful for the pile of cold, wet cloths. 

"Yes. Good to," she smiled, "see you," and she toasted him with her coffee cup, "again."

"Mind?" and he motioned with his finger for her to turn around. His half-smile and slight blush triggered something deep inside her.

Round Robin Story

This is the straw I have started that I have not finished. I thought it might be fun to post a few snippets here and see where people would like to take it.

He dropped the hose at his feet letting the water pool at his boots as he shook his head and the water droplets flew out in all directions from his thick, brown hair leaving it standing wildly on end. Luke switched off the water and then brushed his hands down his body pushing the excess water down to the band of his boxers. It would take all of five minutes to dry if he did it right. He then bent and wrapped his hands around one leg and then the other stripping the water from each leg. Luke stood up placing his hands on his hips letting his body air dry for a few more minutes before getting ready to leave, fully enjoying the caress of the sun on his tanned skin and the tingle as the water evaporated. He took in a deep breath closing his eyes and turning his face into the sun enjoying the moment and what he considered the best time of the day. 

He heard the sound of the door opening behind him. It mixed in with the chirping birds and the hushed whispers of the wind through the desert brush. Nate must have been up.

"Morning Nate," never turning around, and he didn't even open his eyes, "Hope you don't mind but after that gully washer last night got completely muddied up when I fixed the fence," he paused then stressed the next word, "again."

Emily walked out onto the porch, coffee cup in hand, meaning to enjoy the quiet start of the day before the  temperature made it impossible to go outside. She hadn't expected to see, right there, in front of her Uncle Nate's house, a nearly naked man hosing himself down at the end of the porch. It surprised her even more when she realized she knew this man, Luke, and my how he'd changed. 

She’d had a crush on him six years ago, but this man looked nothing like the younger version of himself. This man had years of work under his belt, if he’d worn one. His sun tanned skin and bleached hair mixed together to make it nearly impossible to look away. She could imagine the clean scent of freshly showered male and it stirred something deep inside her.

Emily'd seen naked men before, not in quite as good shape and so she didn't bother to interrupt him at all. Selfishly, she took a couple of minutes to enjoy the view and sip at her coffee. She took in each and every part of his well chiseled and honed body, a result of all the ranch work, after all she saw almost all of it. His boxers however, even wet and clinging to him, hid the fact that he might have a nice, tight backside. If he'd been a tighty-whitey type of guy then her imagination wouldn't have needed to work so hard. Shame. 

Years of work on the ranch and the sun on his bare skin had agreed with him. Emily regretted not visiting her Uncle Nate for six years now, almost to the day. She remembered her last visit, just finished her sophomore year in college back then and needed some time off. Luke, six years ago, took very little notice of her, dismissing her as a silly young girl that had no experience with life. He couldn't have been more wrong back then but he never took the time to find out. 

Round Robin Story

This is the straw I have started that I have not finished. I thought it might be fun to post a few snippets here and see where people would like to take it.

Nate retired there almost thirty years ago which made him somewhere near eighty he’d guess. He had a small garden, which Luke helped him water and harvest for the last five years. Over the last few years Nate had needed more and more help from Luke. Nate learn how to ranch, small holding style, and as the years went by Nate turned more to gardening. Over time, Nate had reluctantly accepted more help from Luke as he slowed down in the last few years. 

Luke made a no brainer decision. A five minute walk up the hill to hose off at Nate's and with any luck get a cup of coffee to officially start his day or he could take a twenty minute walk in mud encrusted clothes back to his house where he’d still need to make coffee. Nate's it was and he set off.

As he got closer he noticed the closed curtains. It looked like his cup of coffee may not happen, not a problem if he lost five pounds or so of mud. Nate had gotten a lot slower in the last year and a half. Not that Luke would ever tell him and risk getting a tongue lashing, no he had too much respect for the man. 

The hose lay where he had left it two days ago. He grabbed the hose holding it over his head as he turned the tap. Water burst out full force as he held it above his head pounding down over his face he allowed the water to rush over him. As the cool liquid worked its way under the crust his free hand scrubbed the dirt from his face and rubbed it from his hair, leaving him with a rather wild look as he smiled, eyes closed, to no one. The cold water washed away the work of the morning and felt good, too good as the sun beat down on him. The more the water ran down his body pushing the dirt everywhere he realized he’d get farther if he stripped down. 

The idea of the cool water refreshing his weary muscles too delicious. With a quick glance, and not hearing anything from the house yet he decided to strip down to his boxers. He'd walk home in his boxers if he needed. No one out here to see you. With a renewed zeal he worked to really get rid of the rest of the filth.  

It took only minutes for him to happily peal off the wet shirt and jeans, throwing them in a muddy pile off to the side. Luke knew nothing but ranch work and he was proud of it. His life choices, hard at times, had made him, shaped him, and left him hard, lean, muscled, and a much better man. At a little over thirty he knew more about himself than he did at twenty-five.

As he bathed in the cool water, taking his free hand and stroking down the various parts of his body to brush away the dirt, the hot rays of the sun glistened off his tanned skin and warmed him. The movements of each and every muscle visible under his skin and creating a rippling effect over his hard core. He moved the hose up his body and as the cold water hit his core it reflexively tightened. The water above his head flowed down his body once more as he lifted his face into the spray. The caress of the water encouraged him to again slowly lower the hose down his body teasing his muscles, for one final rinse. 

Round Robin Story

This is the straw I have started that I have not finished. I thought it might be fun to post a few snippets here and see where people would like to take it.

Luke pulled the last string of wire taut, sweat dripping from every part of him even at seven-thirty in the morning as his muscles strained in battle with the wire. Once done he released his breath and with the palm of his hand he wiped the mud from the beat up old watch. Yup, to check and fix this piece of fence it took him less than an hour, a new record for him. 

After the thunderstorm last night he'd knowingly gotten up early to walk the fence line. Even though open range meant cows roamed wherever they chose without consequence, if no fencing existed to stop them it also meant more work for small land holders. If they roamed onto a fenced piece of land the owner then had the joy of getting them off of that land and back to the open range. Over the years the amount of open range had dwindled significantly, however that didn't mean the amount of cattle had. 

Armed with extra barbed wire, a hammer, pliers and a wire stretcher he walked out ready to repair any damage done by the storm. Luke started out at about five-thirty in the morning just after sun up. It only took twenty minutes to find the one and only place, the same place, where a large branch got the better of the barbed wire as it rode the currents. The wash, or arroyo as Luke had always called it, turned into a fast moving stream each time the rains started and just as fast as the stream started it stopped. By this afternoon, if it didn't rain again, the top layer of mud would have crusted in the sun covering up and hiding the soggy goop below it. This made it particularly dangerous for younger, more curious calves. 

Luke knew where to look, after all he'd fixed this piece of fence three or more times every year during the monsoon season and the sooner he had it done the better. Summer's searing hot sun and temperatures left little time to get hard work done, and today the sun promised another scorcher.

He brought up his arm preparing to wipe the crusting mud off his face only to realize that his sleeve, in fact his entire shirt, his pants and other parts of him he didn't want to think about, had far more mud on them than his face. With a slight sigh he glanced around and saw Nate's place nearby and then smiled. 

Children

Some days, as my children grow older I feel as if we drift farther apart.

Beginning - End

It starts as it stops.
A few words here
Cascading into more
And then slipping
Back into what
It was before.

Poetry in Morning

The day begins,
A promise new,
The world is painted
In a brilliant hue.

Time passes
Colors fade
Until they slip
Gracefully away.

The moon so bright
Holding dear
The promise of
New days light.