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AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

by Leigh Smith


Melody had just finished a most grueling work schedule, and she never wanted to repeat the process. An exciting adventure for sure, but she didn't think she would have the stamina to do it ever again. What she wanted most was to sit back, relax, and try to enjoy life. The last eighteen months were non-stop - working, traveling, and waking up in a new place practically every day. She imagined it as being like a lab rat in a maze, and it was finally over. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as they had all expected, it was a tremendous let down, but it was over. Her candidate hadn't won.

She decided she was going to take her sister's invitation to spend some time with them. Penny, her husband Cole, and their two kids lived on a ranch in Montana. They raised horses and bison. Cole Nelson's family had settled in Montana somewhere during the last century, and the ranch passed from generation to generation. Right now, Cole and his brothers and their families lived on 10000+ acres. In the summer and during the Christmas holidays they operated a dude ranch, so at this time of the year there were cabins available and plenty of time to visit without interfering with anyone's life.

Penny had been trying to get Melody to visit for years, but she had always been too busy or wanting to go somewhere sunny where she could laze around on a beach. Now she finally had the time. Penny was thrilled; she would have her sister for a long-term visit. Silently, Penny was making all kinds of plans and a list of all the eligible bachelors she could think of to keep her sister Melody entertained. Cole told her to keep a lid on the matchmaking, but this was her sister - she was thirty-three years old and needed a life other than work.

Melody had been to the ranch many times before but only for a few days at a time. Her last visit had been over the Christmas period when the dude ranch was open to guests. Penny coerced her into helping out with a teenage activity, and she vowed to never do that again. Things should be quieter from now until Christmas, and she planned on either being gone by then or absolutely refusing to get involved, no matter how much Penny begged. She looked forward to having an empty calendar and asked Penny to give her a few days of downtime before she planned any activities that included her.

Penny honored Melody's request and even insisted that she stay in the main house for the first few days so that she and the kids could spoil her. During the first couple of days Melody caught up on a year's worth of missed sleep. She allowed Penny and the kids to wait on her, so that all she did was eat and sleep. Then, on the fourth morning, rested and starting to feel antsy, she was ready to start living life again. She woke early and wandered outside. Her niece and nephew were over by the barns getting ready to go for a ride.

"We're going for a ride, Aunt Melody. Come with us," her nephew called to her.

"You know, I'd love to. You'll have to take it easy on me though. It's been a while. Give me five minutes and I'll meet you at the corral," she called back.

She quickly went to the house to change out of her robe. Dressed in jeans, a shirt and boots she headed downstairs, grabbing a ranch jacket, gloves, and a hat, and headed outside. The kids were almost finished saddling up their mounts and she had started to saddle her own when a tall, lanky cowboy sauntered over and asked if she needed any help.

"I could use a hand. I'm pretty rusty."

He made some adjustments, and when he had finished cinching up her saddle she started to raise her leg to fit in the stirrup, but couldn't get it up high enough. She tried and tried and finally made it, but then raising her other leg over the back of the horse presented a different problem. The kids started giggling when, after her third try, the cowboy just gave her butt a good push.

"Maybe the next time you should try wearing looser jeans," the cowboy told her. Though embarrassed, she settled into the saddle and told the kids to go on ahead and that she would be right behind them.

"Cowboy, I didn't realize you were an expert on women's jeans," she told him sarcastically. "I guess I should check with you the next time I go shopping."

"Miss, it was only an observation and a suggestion, nothing personal."

Melody made a mental note to talk to her sister about this ranch hand. Penny and Cole needed to know, because if he made disparaging remarks to guests it could cause them to lose business. Melody turned her horse around and went off to catch up with her niece and nephew. The three of them rode as far as the river - the kids pointing out deer and elk along the way. They stopped at the place where Brady had spotted a fox's lair last week and wanted to see if any of the kits were around. After about two hours of riding, her butt was beginning to get saddle sore.

"Kids, I'm getting ready to head back. Do you mind?"

"No, Aunt Mel, I'm ready too," Kerry Sue said.

"I'm starving," Brady said.

"You're always hungry, Brady."

"He's a growing boy and growing boys need to keep up their strength, Kerry Sue," Melody offered.

When they got to the barn they started unsaddling the horses, rubbing them down, putting up the tack and so forth. The cowboy was not around.

After fixing lunch for herself and the kids, she headed toward her room. To relieve some of the soreness from the ride she soaked in a hot tub until the water had chilled, and then laid down and took a short nap. She was surprised to see the sun had almost set when she awoke. She dressed in clean clothes and went downstairs to help Penny get the dinner ready.

Penny told her that Cole's brother, Jess, and his family were coming over for dinner too. She said that Ellie's brother was visiting and he would be joining them. He was here looking over some local stock for his horse breeding operation. Melody had always liked Cole's family, and Ellie was a special favorite - she found it hard to believe that she had never met her brother before.

"I'm looking forward to meeting him. I love Ellie."

"I can't believe you've never met him before," Penny said.

"I was thinking the same thing but I don't think so. He wasn't at your wedding was he?"

"No, I believe he was out of the country at the time doing something for the government. Ellie's family is very politically connected. He's a sweetheart, you'll love him. Maybe the two of you can even get something going," Penny said.

"Don't start Penny. I'm just here for a visit," Melody told Penny. She saw that Penny had that look in her eye, and whipped the towel she was holding, catching Penny's butt.

She was in the kitchen when they arrived and had missed greeting the Burke's, all five of them. Melody was carrying a bowl of chips and salsa into the living room when the tall guy turned around, and she saw his face. The chips and salsa almost ended up on the floor. Ellie stopped her conversation, went over, hugged her, and dragged her over to her brother.

"Melody, I'd like you to meet my brother, Kendall," she said

Kendall piped up and said he believed they had met earlier in the day. Melody blushed. "Yes, I saw him in the barn this morning, and he helped me saddle and mount the horse. I didn't introduce myself, and neither did he."

"Melody said she was a little rusty but she did fine. I added the finishing touches," Ken said and he smiled.

Melody blushed at his comment. "By the way, please call me Ken, Kendall is much too formal for me," he said grinning while extending his hand. "How did you enjoy the ride?" he enquired.

Melody blushed again before answering.

"I was sore after the ride but since I plan to be here a while I'm sure I will toughen up."

Ken grinned, thinking to himself that her butt seemed tough enough when he hoisted her up earlier in the day - it also seemed to fit pretty well in his hand.

After dinner, Melody and Ellie started clearing the table while the kids and men went into the family room. They told Penny to sit and watch - she had cooked and they would take care of the cleanup. Ellie immediately began asking how Melody liked Ken and began giving her a rundown of all his admirable attributes. Melody started to think this was a set up, and it was okay with her. He seemed nice enough; he was handsome and she needed to begin to have a life outside of Washington DC and politics, even if he wasn't exactly her type. When they had finished in the kitchen they went to join the others in the family room. After a rip-snorting game of charades, it was time for the kids to get to bed.

Before Ken joined his sister's family at the door, he turned to Melody.

"I'm going to visit some nearby ranches tomorrow to check out some stock they have for sale. Would you like to join me? We could stop for lunch afterward."

"What kind of jeans should I wear?" she asked him sarcastically.

"Sass, she's giving me sass. I like that," he told her.

"Believe me, I'm good at sass," she replied. "but I'm not sure I could ride again so soon."

He laughed. "I meant a ride in the truck not on horseback."

She laughed back. "In that case, sure. Of course, bumpy dirt roads aren't involved, are they?"

He laughed again. She has a great sense of humor, I like that, he said to himself.

When she got in the truck the next day, he had placed a pillow on her side of the truck seat. She really laughed when she saw it and commented that she hadn't remembered how much horseback riding could hurt.

"I'm not sure what hurts worse, my thighs or my butt," she told him.

"Haven't been spanked lately then, I guess," he said.

"Not since I was about ten years old. Wait, I remember getting a Sweet 16 birthday spanking from Denny Kling."

"Well, then I guess you have been a really good girl," he replied.

"Maybe so, maybe not. Why - how many bad girls have you spanked lately?" she asked.

"A few now and then, some of them weren't even bad," he replied with a grin

"This is the strangest conversation I've ever had," she said, and he gave a little chuckle.

They visited several ranches, and he purchased two mares and a stallion. He told Melody they would blend in well with his current stable. He arranged with the owners to have the horses picked up and taken to his ranch.

"You ready for lunch?" he asked.

"Yes," she told him. "There is something about this Montana air. If I keep it up, I'll need larger jeans," she said with a smirk on her face and in her voice.

"I'm not saying a word. I got in trouble the other day. A wise man knows when it is most eloquent to remain silent as Clint Eastwood once said." Melody giggled.

They found a little cafe in a town along the way and spent the next two hours getting to know all about each other. They talked about family, horses, and politics.



© Leigh Smith
Not to be reposted, reproduced or distributed, in part or whole.