One Last Sunset (The Long Ranch Series Book 1) (14 page)

With one soft kiss to his lips, she looked ahead on the road, then tugged his jeans down just enough the zipper wouldn’t scrape his shaft. Her head dropped to his lap.

Her mouth covered him in a long warm stroke down and his spine melted, sending his hips forward. When her tongue traced back up his shaft his eyes crossed for a moment. With a hard suck to just the tip his head pressed against the headrest.

“You good?” she asked with a growl.

“Good isn’t the word for it.” He sucked in a breath.

She swallowed him again.

Her head bobbed up and down, and he tried to play off to the cars passing that he was a very attentive driver. His hand rested on her head. When her fingers wrapped tightly around his shaft he couldn’t remember a better feeling. Her lips were led by her fingers, as they glided up and down. Hurried powerful sucks had his asshole clenching and his balls tightening in prayer for release.

Sweat beaded his temple as he slipped a bit more down the seat. When her fingers covered his tip, then split, and he was once again surrounded by her lips, his eyes closed for a moment, then he felt the truck drift. Bringing it back into the right lane, he caught sight of slower car and didn’t know if he had the ability to maneuver passing even though they were on a four lane interstate. Opting for slowing down instead of the pass, he settled in ready to keep this up as long as he could.

When she moaned he looked down and saw her other hand releasing the button on her shorts and working its way under her panties. Panting, he watched as she pleasured herself while sucking him into oblivion. Her body convulsed as his load shot deep in her throat.

She turned and fell against his chest. Her hand stilled between her legs and her eyes closed as a smile crossed both their faces.

* * * *

The next time they stopped, Sunny found the edge of parking lot at the most abandoned rest area. It was quick but satisfying and should help them “pass the test” at her cousin’s. She was happy to see JT. It’d been since Christmas. Growing up with JT around all the time, she thought she’d eventually grow tired of him, but when he joined the rodeo a part of her had left with him.

A white house with a wrap around porch greeted them when they pulled into his farm. Nowhere near the spread out buildings at the Long Ranch, JT’s barn was less than a hundred feet from the house. Being summertime, the sun stayed out late enough she could see the land lush and green.

Tina would be in heaven.

“Mellie,” JT cried as he ran down the steps and scooped her into his arms, swinging her around.

The smile on his face made her day. When it came down to it, his happiness was all they ever needed. He’d been content on the ranch, but here he seemed happy. When he put her down, she took in her cousin with his five o’clock shadow, a bit more kept than Sunny’s.

“I miss you guys,” he said.

“Come and visit.”

“Once everything is settled I’ll try, but I don’t have any extra help right now.”

“You have a bit,” a woman’s voice called from the porch. “Hey Melody.”

Betsy was a beauty. With a light tan, blue eyes, and auburn hair pulled into a ponytail, she was amazing as the first time Melody met her. “Hey Bets, something I should know?”

She covered her left hand with her right, but it was too late. JT had put a rock on her finger.

All Melody could do was look at his best friend Sunny with child like hope. JT was a romantic, always had been. Just because he’d been a moron because of Sunny didn’t mean he’d lost that part of him.

“How about we unload my babies, then get some food?” JT suggested.

Spot flipped out nuzzling JT when he unloaded him. They’d been best buds since the moment her dad’s mare had given birth. Spot had been the first horse he’d been allowed to do more than watch the birth. He got in there and helped the foal along.

“You miss me?” he asked, scratching Spot’s nose. “I missed you too buddy, they gave me some broke down horses over the years to ride. They should of let me play with you.”

“I’m stiff from driving all day,” Sunny said. “You know your princess of a cousin wouldn’t get behind the wheel.”

“More like you wouldn’t let me behind it,” she chided back. “Seriously, the whole, ‘I’m a man I drive’ grunting you do gets old.”

“How about after dinner Mel and I take out the horses,” he suggested, not affected at all by her spot on impression of him. “They need to get out too. I’d like to see your property.”

“I can go with you,” JT said.

Mel’s heart sank a bit. Damn Sunny. He should just say, “
I’m with Melody and we want a romantic evening ride
.” Instead, it’s all about sneaking off. Although that did have its rush of excitement from the secrecy. “He’s not the only one itching to ride,” Mel chimed in.

Betsy gave her a strange look.

“Well, this is past my bedtime.” He yawned. “The property line is pretty well defined. You can just ride to the pond and back. That should be enough exercise.”

After dinner, Sunny grabbed a few bottles of water and some fruit before saddling up the horses.

Mel took Songbird. Both horses were impatient and since she knew Songbird enough she let her take off once they were in the pasture.

Sunny wasn’t about to be outdone and soon was riding as fast by her.

A smile stretched across both their faces as they turned and cut through the higher grass. Soon, they were both short of breath and Melody was happy to see the pond that would be considered a lake anywhere but Minnesota.

It was breathtaking. The trees dotted around the edge reflected off the smooth surface and as the sun was setting yellow, purple, pinks, and blues painted the lake.

Sunny got off Spot first and wrapped his harness around a limb on a weeping willow whose leaves almost touched the surface of the pond. Then he turned and helped her down from Songbird and tied her next to Spot.

“This is beautiful.” Mel sighed as Sunny stood behind her and wrapped his arms around body. Although the day had been warm, there was a coolness to the air.

“The second most beautiful thing in the world,” he purred and kissed her neck as the sun crested the horizon.

“We better head back before we can’t see anymore.”

“I don’t wanna,” he whined, squeezing her tighter.

“Okay, two year old, but it’s getting darker. That sun doesn’t seem to want to stay.”

“I’ve got an idea.” Sunny let go of her and pulled a bottle of water out his satchel. He chugged it in an impressive four large gulps.

Mel wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or scared.

He then pulled out multi tool and punctured the bottle a half dozen times. Then like a kid, he started chasing fireflies. Without smashing the bugs, he stuck them into the bottle and by the time the sun was gone, they had a firefly lantern with just enough light to outline his firm jaw and tight muscles. “This enough to see by?”

Mel didn’t answer him. Instead, she found his lips and they fell to the ground. This time there wasn’t the hungered rush…their kisses were long and lingering. Her hands felt the firm muscles of his stomach as she straddled him. Taking off his shirt when there was a break in their embrace, she trailed her tongue down his torso. His abs were clearly defined and with only the glow of a firefly she couldn’t make out if the bruising on his ribs had healed or not, but the way he was acting she assumed they had.

With a curl to his arms, he caught her and brought her back to his lips. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. Then her wrist. Then the bend in her elbow. Unsnapping her shirt, he kissed along her collarbone down to her shoulder, then back up to pull her bra strap down with his teeth.

Fingers glided down her arms, removing her shirt, then coming back up to unclasp her bra.

Now free from confines, her engorged breasts ached.

Sunny healed them. With his lips, he surrounded her perked nipple while his hand massaged the other breast.

Her head lolled back as her fingers clawed at his back. Suckling her nipple, he swirled his tongue around the hardened areola before blowing lightly on the sensitive flesh. His hands were in competition with his mouth to touch every inch of her, and she was glad to be the recipient of his attention.

With a pop, she felt her shorts being unbuttoned and she pushed up on her knees as he pulled her legs up one at a time until she was naked from head to toe.

“Now this is the most beautiful sight on the planet,” he said as his hand glided up from the top of the little bit of trimmed hair, to between her breasts, then around her neck. Pulling her back to his lips, his other hand cupped her ass. He moaned and began grinding the swollen flesh against her. Even with the denim, she was so wet the rough touch sent a shock from her clit to her stomach.

Once again, she sat up on her knees and worked his pants off. He dug through his back pocket and retrieved a condom, sheathing himself before she surrounded him. They both moaned.

She grinded against his hips and her clit felt every motion. His cock was pressed against her G spot and he lay back holding her hands as she rode him into a climax. The walls of her core clenched as her head shot back and she let out yell while squeezing his fingers tight. Below her, his stomach was hard and she felt him pulse against her body. With both of their bodies lightly misted in sweat, she fell against his. He held her tight as they both fell into a blissful slumber.

Chapter Ten

The muzzle of a horse followed by an amplified whiney because it was right by your ear is a bit unnerving and not the type of thing you can just smack away like a cat. Like a cat, they’ll keep nuzzling you, but unlike a cat, even in your deepest slumber a part of you says…there’s a horse by your head and their hooves really hurt.

Jumping awake, Sunny caught sight of an animal he’d never met being ridden by Betsy.

She stared down with her arms resting on the horn of the saddle. “I waited up for you,” she said.

Sunny took in the time of day and the situation. Behind Betsy the sun was rising.

“You might need to do a tick check, they’re not too thick right now, but you do look you were a smorgasbord for a few skeeters.”

Sunny looked down for his pants. In the night, he’d pulled on his drawers and snagged a blanket, but Melody was wrapped in it with his shirt on. Pulling on his jeans, he looked for his boots as Betsy smiled down at his stumbling.

“It’s not—Bets, I swear—”

“JT thinks you’re still sleeping. I said you guys had a long ride up here…” She glanced at her nails, then over to the horses. “But when he goes to the barn he’s going to notice he’s two horses short. I doubt the whole ‘I got lost’ thing will work.”

“He’s going to kill me.”

“Probably. How long?”

“Long?”

“I could tell when you asked to ride the horses, Mel and you had been together a time or two.”

“Yeah—it kinda happened.”

“Well—” Betsy began.

They both turned at the sound of a galloping horse.

JT’s face was filled with a rage Sunny had seen a time or two. The last being aimed directly at him.

Melody stirred at the sound and woke quickly when JT jumped off his horse then tackled Sunny around the waist. The freight train of cousin hate knocked them both to the ground and he had to wrestle to get JT underneath him.

“John Thomas!” Mel cried. “Stop, let him go.”

“You shut up! This is between me and him. Get dressed,” he growled.

“JT, I promise this isn’t what you think,” Sunny defended, using all his strength to keep JT’s wrists pinned to the ground.

“I think you fucked my cousin! My cousin!” JT shifted his hips and was able to send Sunny flying to the side. “Give me one reason to not kill you right now.”

“I love her,” Sunny spat the only words that could calm JT, because they were the truth. “I do.”

“You love her?” he asked as if it couldn’t be true. The problem with best friends was they are the last to accept you’ve changed. “You giving up the rodeo? Settling down? Because it was less than a month ago when you tried to everything you could to stop me from being with Bets.”

“Maybe I understand what you were doing now.”

JT walked over to the horse he’d been riding. “I can’t.” He guided it over to the pond for a drink. Must have ridden it pretty hard. “Melody, go back to the house.”

“JT,” she pleaded.

He turned to her.

She immediately gathered her clothes and rode back with Betsy to the house.

“I’m not one to talk about secrets right now,” JT said, looking mournfully over the placid water. “I still haven’t called home about Betsy.”

Pain seared Sunny’s chest as the lump he was trying to swallow strained his throat.

“When did it start?”

“When I got back to town. Some guy was…” Sunny shivered at the memory of how the man touched her. “It doesn’t matter. We tried to fight it. I did at least.”

“You saying my cousin came on to you and you had no choice?”

“No.” Sunny caught himself before he told too much of what he’d learned from Melody and her feelings. “I can’t read her mind, but I didn’t want you to think I seduced some little girl. She’s not a little girl anymore. She’s a woman.”

“You usher her into womanhood?” he snapped.

“She’s a Long and sexy as hell. If you think I’m the first you’re damn moron.”

JT turned and swung.

Sunny leaned back and the momentum sent JT in a full circle. “She’s not a slut,” Sunny barked. “But Jesus, she’s not a child. I protected her in a bar, but I didn’t know who she was at first. All I saw was hips and ass and a guy trying to get her to leave him and he wasn’t using charm.”

“Someone in Tender Root tried to force…” JT shook.

Sunny hoped his anger was being redirected.

“I can’t even thank you for stopping that because I’m so damn pissed at you. How could you sleep with my cousin? Is that all it is? Tell me the truth.”

“I did. I love her. I fell in love with her.”

“You know how to be a man, and you haven’t in this whole thing.”

“I didn’t know how to go to Henry and ask for permission.”

“He wouldn’t give it. Not a chance.” JT turned to his friend. “End it.”

“But—”

“I said end it. You’re good at that and I expect you to do as I wish. Whatever it was, it’s over. Now.”

* * * *

The ride back was silent. When they stopped at a motel, Sunny got two rooms and wished Melody a goodnight without so much as a kiss.

Melody was stunned.

He’d said he loved her. Declared it to her family. Well, JT at least. Not needing to stop as much and without the weight of the horses in the trailer, they were home hours before she expected and he dropped her off at her house.

“What happened?” she asked when he tossed the truck in park.

“I got a call from the rodeo. They need me to help behind the scenes.”

“You’re just leaving?” she asked and the tears she’d been holding in for two days trickled down along her cheeks. “The rodeo? You’re going back out on the road?”

“I’m a wanderer, your dad said so. It would be wrong to ask you to wait for me. Plus, you know how things are on the road.”

“How are they?”

“Mel, I’m not one to settle down. I’ll always feel like a part of me should be somewhere else. JT reminded me of that and it’s better we end this before…”

He was lying. She could tell by the fact he wasn’t looking at her.

“Please get out, I’ve gotta unhook the trailer and get out to the cabin to crash.”

“When are you leaving?”

“In a week.”

“Make it sooner.” Mel slammed the truck door and headed into her house. Peeking through the small square window of her door, she saw Sunny sitting with his head buried in his hands.

“You home already,” her mother said.

Melody turned to fall into her arms. Heartbroken, she sobbed on her mother’s shoulder.

She patted her head. “It’ll be okay, baby. Whatever it is it will pass.”

But she didn’t want it to pass. She wanted Sunny and she knew he wanted her too. JT did something. She was supposed to be declaring she was with Sunshine to her family right now. Not holding on to her mother, afraid she’d collapse if she didn’t.

“Is this about the ranch?” her mother asked after Mel didn’t stop crying.

A knock at the door made Mel’s heart stop.
Did he come back?

“Now who on earth is here at this hour,” her mother, said patting Mel’s back a few times before letting her go from the embrace.

When she opened the door, MeMaw was there with a frantic look on her face. “Is my baby girl here?” she asked, pushing past Loretta to find Melody. “Oh, thank the Lord Jesus you’re here.”

“MeMaw, how did you get here?” Mel asked, looking out the door to see the old Lincoln parked cockeyed in front of their house. “You know you aren’t supposed to be driving, especially at night.”

“I tried ringing folks, but then he went down again.” She stood in her housecoat and slippers wringing her hands.

“Who went down, Theresa?” Loretta asked.

“That damned dog. I told you I didn’t want the damn thing,” she cried as tears filled her eyes. “Now I’ve gone and—go…I hate that damn shit eatin’ sooner, but damn it.”

Melody had never seen her grandmother so distraught. Her heart, already in pain, wasn’t sure she could take another blow. Not now. “Where’s Lester?” Mel asked.

“I carried him to the car.”

Mel ran to the car and opened the passenger door. The mutt was lying on his side. She pulled back his eyelids. “Did he have a seizure, MeMaw?” Mel asked as she laid her head on his chest to locate a heartbeat and breath sounds. Again, she opened his eyes. They shimmered with life, but he was unresponsive.

“I gave him that fancy water, but I caught him lapping from the toilet a few times. This is why I didn’t want a dog.”

Mel looked at MeMaw being consoled by her mama.

“They’re like children. I’m too old for children. I can’t watch him every minute of every day.”

“This isn’t your fault, MeMaw,” Mel said as checked the heartbeat again. “I’m going to drive him to the clinic.” She got up from her knee and took MeMaw’s hands.

“I love that damn dog.” She sniffed. “He’s a pain, but he’s my baby.”

“I know.” Melody gave her a kiss on the forehead, then got in the car. Retrieving her phone, she called doc who said he’d meet her there.

Loretta brought MeMaw home where they both would stay until Mel had answers.

* * * *

Sunny took the truck to the edge of the county road, so he could be sure he’d have a signal. His cell phone lit up the cab of the truck as he called. He prayed there was work, so he could leave. JT made it clear. He wasn’t good enough, best friend or not. He was still a trailer trash Parker. “Hey Danny,” Sunny said when Danny Tuck picked up. “It’s Sunshine.”

“Sunny, well, how are you doing? You healing up?”

“The best one could in a few weeks. Hey, is there anything I could do with you guys? I need to get out of here.”

“I wish I had something for you, but my admin crew is already to the limit thanks to my old lady’s family all needing a job. The only spots I have are for competitors.”

“Alright, thanks.” Sunny hung up and rested his head on the headrest.

There were a few other rodeos, but it would be the same thing. He had savings, but where could he go with barely a high school diploma and nothing but years of rodeo experience? He was stuck and he’d just got kicked out of the only home he’d ever had.

He thought of kicking himself for stupidity, but he had fallen in love. Just like getting drunk, it was a damn mess. Worse yet, he remembered every moment of it. He knew it would haunt him for years. Throwing the truck into drive, he went back to the main house and got his gator. Once back at the cabin, he pulled his notebook out of his duffle and began sketching. This time it wasn’t a poem, but a face. Melody’s face. When the sun crept in the window, he looked to see the new day with exhausted eyes.

Going outside, he got the ladder and got ready to pull off the old roof. He’d spend the next seven days making this cabin amazing. Working to exhaustion would keep him focused enough to not think of the way Melody felt. The only goal he had was keeping his mind occupied and his body sore from a good days work.

There wasn’t a real base under the tin roof. He was surprised it hadn’t leaked over the years. That did explain why it had been so loud when it hailed. Stopping for moment, he gathered himself trying to put the memories out of his mind. In the cabin, they had an old boom box and tapes from when they were all in high school. Retrieving it, he blared the music that echoed along the canyon walls. Anything to keep him focused as he pounded the plywood onto the beams of the house before he started in with the shingles.

The days melded together and he lost all sense of time. He wasn’t going back to the main house since he had enough food for the week. Instead, he kept the music going and his mind gone.

Music vibrated through his body. The mix tape made by one of the guys was the perfect example of the bipolar nature of the Long family members.
Metallica, Randy Travis
, then
Guns and Roses
. When
Welcome to the Jungle
cut off mid Axel Rose scream Sunny became disoriented and barely caught himself from falling off the ladder. He’d been adding a gutter since the roof no longer had the natural drainage.

“Sunshine Parker,” Henry called out.

Sunny leaned his head on his arm ready for the fight, but without the strength to do anything about it. “I just need till the end of the week to finish up the house, Mr. Long.”

“You leavin’ us?”

Lifting his head, he peered over the ridge of the roof to see Henry’s truck, but not him. It was then he noticed he did a damn good job putting up the shingles. Coming down the ladder, he inspected his paint job. Maybe it was the delirium from no sleep, but it looked professional with its soft blue coloring and tan trim. As he rounded the corner, he found Henry standing with his hand on the freshly painted column. In jeans, boots, and his old
Stetson
he made other cowboys look like metrosexuals.