Carol Lynne

Kate was putting up hay in the field. The problem, Ben thought, was that she was doing it all by herself. She’d drive the truck and pick up about five bales and then stop and climb up onto the truck and stack them. It would take her forever at this rate. Ben could see about a hundred acres worth of hay here. So far Kate had only done about twenty acres. Ben shook his head. “Too much heavy work for a woman.”

Jake laughed and pointed toward Kate. “Don’t let her hear you say that. That right there, my friend, is the hardest working woman I’ve ever met. She does everything by herself on this ranch and has for the last five or six years since her dad and mom were killed.” Jake took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Cree and I both have offered to help but she’s too stubborn for her own good.”

Ben looked across the field as they drove toward the hay truck. “Well, maybe she’s had enough of this hard life by now and will agree to sell.” Ben watched Kate stack more hay on the truck. As they got closer it appeared the bales were almost as big as she was.

Jake pulled his pickup beside the hay truck and got out. Ben was getting out of the truck when Kate stopped what she was doing and turned around. The air seemed to leave Ben’s lungs. Before him stood the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Kate was a tiny thing—only about five two. She wore old faded jeans that fit her ass to perfection and a long-sleeved chambray shirt that snapped up the front. In her struggles with the bales of hay the top three snaps had come open. A bright red bra greeted Ben’s eyes. The suntanned globes spilling out of the cups made Ben’s mouth water.

Immediately he was rock-hard, which for a man of his size was definitely not a good thing. Ben had to turn back toward the truck and reposition his cock to run down the leg of his jeans. If not the damned thing would be sticking up out of the top of his pants for everyone to see. Ben’s ten-inch cock had always been the bane of his existence.

Kate took the old straw cowboy hat off her head and wiped her brow. A cascade of golden curls fell to her waist. “Hi, Jake. What brings you out here today?”

Jake smiled at Kate and motioned toward her open top. Kate looked down and turned just one shade lighter than the fancy bra she was wearing. She quickly turned away and refastened her shirt.

Turning back around, Kate shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry about that, Jake. Not a very good first impression to make on your friend I’m afraid.”

Jake chuckled and took off his hat. “I’d like to introduce an ex-Seal buddy of mine.” Jake heard Ben clear his throat. “Actually he was my Commanding Officer. Kate Crawford, let me introduce you to Ben Thomas.”

Ben walked, a little stiff-leggedly, up to the hay truck and held out his hand. Kate bent slightly to shake his hand. The moment her small hand was enveloped in his large one, a zing raced through Ben’s body straight to his cock. Ben looked into her eyes and was left speechless. Her eyes were so dark a brown they appeared almost black. Ben swallowed around the lump in his throat. “It’s very nice to meet you, Miss Crawford.”

Kate swallowed visibly. “Please call me Kate and it’s very nice to meet you too, Ben.” Kate looked into Ben’s eyes and smiled.

Their mutual trance-like state was interrupted by Jake. “The reason we came by, Kate, was to see if you’d be interested in selling Ben your ranch. I’m sorry if it was a little presumptuous of me but I’d heard in town that you’d been thinking about it.”

Kate broke eye contact with Ben and straightened. “Sorry, Jake and Ben,” she smiled down at Ben again, “but I’m not leaving this ranch until they throw me off. Which if things keep going the way they have been around here won’t be that much longer.”

Ben narrowed his eyes. “Exactly what kind of things have you been having trouble with, Kate?” Ben shifted his stance a bit to make more room for his cock.

Kate looked out over the lush hay fields. “Typical stuff I guess. Tractors breaking down almost daily, leaks in my holding tanks, and my windmill on the south side of the ranch stopped working last week. I know breakdowns are a part of owning a ranch. I just can’t figure out why it’s suddenly happening daily.”

Jake and Ben looked at each other. Jake put his hat back onto his head and sighed. “It doesn’t sound like normal wear and tear, Kate. Do you have any enemies? Maybe someone else is trying to buy you out?”

Kate shook her head. “It’s hard to make enemies when you never leave home. I only go into town when I have to and only for as long as I need to. Although with things breaking down the way they have I’ve been to Junctionville more in the last two weeks than I have in the last two years.” She seemed to consider the rest of his question. “As for anyone wanting to buy the ranch the answer is no. Besides Ben no one has even asked about it.”

Ben withdrew a card from his wallet and handed it to Kate. “Here’s my card with my cell phone number on it. If you need anything or change your mind about selling please give me a call. I’m staying with Jake for now over at the Triple Spur.”

Kate nodded and slipped the card into her back pocket. “Thank you for the offer, Ben, but this is my home. It may be getting too much for me to handle but it’s still my home.”