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Date Posted: 17:17:26 11/03/09 Tue
Author: Larnsturt
Subject: Hi Guys!

Hello everybody! I have some great news, in that I quit one of my horrible old jobs and got a better one! Whoo! This means I may actually have time for personal things again at some point in the future!

To celebrate my first day off in a very long time, I wrote something! Exciting!

Now, I must off and away to Free Museum Tuesday! Horray! Exclamation points!

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[> Stuff in here! -- Larnsturt, 17:20:29 11/03/09 Tue

This is early in their Getting To Know You phase. Emma's been on the ranch about a month, and trying hard not to notice how much Mike likes her. She can't decide if the feeling is mutual yet. They are out in one of the big pastures, repairing a barbed wire fence.

I handed him the pliers and pulled the coil tighter, leaning almost all of my weight against it.

"Relax it just a little," he said.

I stood up a little straighter, giving him a tiny amount of slack.

"So you left Kentucky for the greater world outside?" he asked, twisting open the barb that was holding us up. It sprang open and sent a ripple though the fence line. I quickly leaned back to keep the tension up, but the barb had let out more length that I thought and I stumbled back a step before the wire was tight again. Ripples of movement were ricocheting up and down the fence, causing the wire bundle on my hands to twitch and jump as if it was alive. It nearly pulled me off me feet. Mike dropped the pliers and latched his arms around me, his gloved hands pulling the dancing wire tight, adding his strength to the tension. It took a few moments, but finally the ripples reseeded and he was able to let go.

But he didn't.

He was a breathing rock, all around me, my back pulled against his chest. With his arms around me like they were, it was almost like a hug. The warmth from my work jacket suddenly became unbearable and I started to sweat. I could feel his breath on my neck. It seemed to come closer and closer. I felt his nose in my hair.

"Kentucky was too close for me," I said, readjusting my aching hands around the bundle, moving my arms away from his as best I could.

Mike let go and stood away from me. He reached down for the hammer and the box of fence staples. I ignored the slight flush across his neck and kept talking.

"Everybody knew everybody. Everybody knew my mom and my sister, knew what I was going to do with my life. Settle down, marry my high school sweetheart, pop out kids, you know the drill. My sister did it. She loves it. And her kids are wonderful. Even her husband is ok. I think she managed to find the one good apple in a barrel of rotten fish."

Mike hammered the staple home. He tugged on the wire a few time to make sure it would hold, then signaled me to move on to the next post. Unwrapping carefully as I went, I walked backwards step by step, keeping the wire tight and praying there were no more snags.

"I wasn't so lucky. My so-called sweetheart went to UK Bowling Green and got himself an educated woman, meaning some whore bag with a degree in Women's Studies. By that time, Mom was already on her fourth husband, my sister was having her fifth kid, and I just wanted out. So, when I heard my cousin Ashley needed some help with her cutting horses, off I went. Stayed there till she wanted to try her hand at soybean farming."

Mike hammered another staple into place, then waved his hand again.

"Went to Tennessee for a while. Got an associate's degree."

"With the Walking Horses," he said, fitting another staple.

"You must have been talking to Andy."

"Actually, I read your resume," he paused then smiled slightly. "Never seen one quite like it. You ever stay in one spot for long?"

"No. What's the fun in that? Everything stays the same."

"I dunno," he said, looking around. "You get to love a place. And as for being the same," he pointed towards a grove of aspen trees growing beside the creek about half a mile away. "Those were nothing more than seedlings when I first came here. Jerry, the head wrangler, he was gonna bush hog them so we could have another stream access. I asked him not to, said the horses would need the shelter if we were going to split the pasture. And look."

I watched as a small band of horses worked their way out of the sun and into the trees. One horse stopped to scratch his rear on one of the sturdy trees.

"Big hit with the locals." He smiled at me, then reached a hand out to test the sturdiness of the next post. "I helped Jerry put up this very fence. Years ago. We changed the land, just a small part of it, but...I don't know what I'm saying, but I guess it's..." He took a deep breath. "I wanna see what the next twenty-five years will bring. I wanna see how big those aspen trees will grow, if the dam we made in the Silver Fork will hold, how long it takes for that old cedar tree hanging across the Salt Lick to finally give out and collapse. It don't sound like big things, but they mean something to me. I couldn't imagine leaving and not knowing."

"I suppose Margie could call you," I said, attempting a joke.

"Where would I go? Why would I go? This is home. It always will be. And I'm ok with that."

"There's nothing that could make you leave? Nothing at all?"

He looked sideways at me.

"I left once. It was the worst seven months of my life, so I came back."

"You missed the aspen's graduation party? They were probably furious at you."

He smiled, but stayed rather serious.

"I tried to lead I life I wasn't meant for, go to a steady job, live in the city-"

"The teeming metropolis of Buffalo?"

He laughed genuinely this time.

"You should see it at rush hour. There's almost thirty cars!"

He swung down hard on the last fence staple, then reached for the bundle of wire. He wrapped it twice around the post then used a line of bailing wire from his pocket to secure the extra barbed wire to the fence. The small amount remaining would be more useful left out here for quick on the spot repairs than sitting in a shed somewhere.

With a final twist of the pliers, Mike stood to his full hight and stretched. I did the same, giving my somewhat numb arms a generous shake. No longer needing the protection, I took off the work coat and tied it around my waist for the long walk back to the truck.

"I wasn't meant for the city, Emma. And I don't think you are either."

I nodded in the middle of my back stretch.

"But what I don't get," he said, as we started back along the fence line, "is how you managed to wind up here? HR isn't exactly advertised on prime time tv."

"It was a friend of mine in Wisconsin. Abby. We went to a lot of the same horse shows when I was on the reining circuit."

"Abby Westfall?"

"One and the same. She used to come out here with her parents when she was a kid, but you probably knew that. Said it started her love of riding. And given the amount they forked over for her high class horse and entry fees, I'm thinking her parents regretted it."

"Hardly. If I remember right, the Westfalls were loaded."

"Still are. But Abby did good in her own right. Built a fantastic stable on a corner of her parent's property. Turned out decent cutting horses. I rode for her when she was getting started. Lived right over the barn."

"Sounds like a good place. Why'd you leave?"

"Abby was getting married and her husband was from Chicago, so no more horses, at least not in Wisconsin. It was a shame, she was just starting to make a name. Men always ruin things."

"Thanks."

"Oh shut up, you know what I mean. Abby's deliriously happy and likely to remain so. She'll get an overpriced horse, board it at an overpriced stable outside of Chicago and go to horse shows every couple months and consider herself an active horsewoman. And that's fine."

"But not for you."

"No."

"What do you want, then?"

Oh don't ask me that, I thought. I always hated that question.

"What do you mean?" I asked, buying myself some time.

"I mean, where do you see yourself in twenty years?"

"Well, Mr. Guidance Counselor, I think...I'll be still traveling. Crossing the globe with my life in an old suitcase, full of stories and postcards from exotic places."

"Exotic places like Alabama?"

We both laughed, me more so to drive out the bleak feeling growing in my chest.

"You'd never consider settling in one place?"

"Maybe. Though I did that for a while too. It's called the first nineteen years of my life. No thanks."

We arrived at the truck. Mike emptied his pockets of staples and tools while I threw my jacket in the cab and got out two cups for water. I filled them to the brim from the cooler that was tied to the tailgate and handed one to Mike.

After a few sips, I continued, wanting to get something off of my chest.

"I think...I think the reason I move around so much is, I don't know, maybe cause people are always disappointing me. I go to a place, get settled, then everything changes. They sell their business or move locations or just give up. Sometimes people lie to you, promise they'll take you with them on the road to fortune and then they leave you in the dust. I used to stay at places till the very end, get my dreams stomped on, then have to pick everything up and start all over. It's so much easier to quit while I'm ahead."

"So I guess it would be useless to offer you a winter contract?"

I paused, cup halfway to my lips, and looked Mike straight in the eye. He was serious.

"Yes," I said, then finished off my water. "When October comes, I'll be headed elsewhere."

He reached out and took my cup, stacked it inside of his and jerked his head towards the cab.

"We should head back. Rides will be coming in soon."

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[> [> I like >>>> --

susiej, 19:35:27 11/03/09 Tue

I would never have pegged you as a horse person, Larn. I had a horse when I was in 5th grade, but my parents weren't thrilled about it and with their discouragement, I eventually quit riding.

OK enough about me. This was great. It read very well, very smooth. Only two little comments- the bit about the horses in the aspen grove uses the word tree two times too close together. And there's a typo when he say's "a life I wasn't meant for" its actually says "I life I wasn't"

But that's all I could find to nitpick. Good job!

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[> [> [> Glad you like! -- Larn, 21:38:18 11/04/09 Wed

>I would never have pegged you as a horse person, Larn.
>I had a horse when I was in 5th grade, but my parents
>weren't thrilled about it and with their
>discouragement, I eventually quit riding.

I actually rode all the way up till college, could have gone pro if -yadda-yadda-yadda. Still not ruling out horseperson as a life decision. I was very lucky that my mom and dad both rode (though only very casually) and were very supportive. I miss those horsey days!

>OK enough about me. This was great. It read very well,
>very smooth. Only two little comments- the bit about
>the horses in the aspen grove uses the word tree two
>times too close together.

I have a nasty tendency to do that, use a word repetitively. Did the same thing with "ripple" in the beginning. Both are fixed. Good eye!

>And there's a typo when he
>say's "a life I wasn't meant for" its actually says "I
>life I wasn't"

Fixed. Another eagle eye moment.

>
>But that's all I could find to nitpick. Good job!

Thanks for the nitpicks. Those are what I need the most!

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[> [> Hooray Larn! -- Debi, 22:58:21 11/03/09 Tue

>
>This is early in their Getting To Know You phase.
>Emma's been on the ranch about a month, and trying
>hard not to notice how much Mike likes her. She can't
>decide if the feeling is mutual yet. They are out in
>one of the big pastures, repairing a barbed wire
>fence.

Cool, these are always interesting, seeing two characters learn about each other.
>
It took a few moments, but finally the
>ripples reseeded recededand he was able to let go.
>
>But he didn't.

Hmmm....;-)
>
My so-called sweetheart went to
>UK Bowling Green and got himself an educated woman,
>meaning some whore bag with a degree in Women's
>Studies. Love this! By that time, Mom was already on her fourth
>husband, my sister was having her fifth kid, and I
>just wanted out. So, when I heard my cousin Ashley
>needed some help with her cutting horses, off I went.
>Stayed there till she wanted to try her hand at
>soybean farming."
>
>Mike hammered another staple into place, then waved
>his hand again.

Sometimes, all you need is someone to listen. Mike seems good at this.
>
>"No. What's the fun in that? Everything stays the
>same."
>
>"I dunno," he said, looking around. "You get to love
>a place. And as for being the same," he pointed
>towards a grove of aspen trees growing beside the
>creek about half a mile away. "Those were nothing
>more than seedlings when I first came here. Jerry,
>the head wrangler, he was gonna bush hog them so we
>could have another stream access. I asked him not to,
>said the horses would need the shelter if we were
>going to split the pasture. And look."
>
>I watched as a small band of horses worked their way
>out of the sun and into the trees. One horse stopped
>to scratch his rear on one of the sturdy trees.

>made in the Silver Fork will hold, how long it takes
>for that old cedar tree hanging across the Salt Lick
>to finally give out and collapse. It don't sound like
>big things, but they mean something to me. I couldn't
>imagine leaving and not knowing."

And a philosopher! Quite the Aristotle, isn't he? I knew I liked him for a reason!
>

>
>"You should see it at rush hour. There's almost
>thirty cars!"

Good comeback!
>
>He swung down hard on the last fence staple, then
>reached for the bundle of wire. He wrapped it twice
>around the post then used a line of bailing Is it baling wire? I'm honestly not sure, but this spelling looks funny to me. wire from
>his pocket to secure the extra barbed wire to the
>fence. The small amount remaining would be more
>useful left out here for quick on the spot repairs
>than sitting in a shed somewhere.
>
>After a few sips, I continued, wanting to get
>something off of my chest.
>
>"I think...I think the reason I move around so much
>is, I don't know, maybe cause people are always
>disappointing me. I go to a place, get settled, then
>everything changes. They sell their business or move
>locations or just give up. Sometimes people lie to
>you, promise they'll take you with them on the road to
>fortune and then they leave you in the dust. I used
>to stay at places till the very end, get my dreams
>stomped on, then have to pick everything up and start
>all over. It's so much easier to quit while I'm
>ahead."

This explains a lot. Cut and run can be less painful, but it can awfully lonely too.
>
>"So I guess it would be useless to offer you a winter
>contract?"
>
>I paused, cup halfway to my lips, and looked Mike
>straight in the eye. He was serious.
>
>"Yes," I said, then finished off my water. "When
>October comes, I'll be headed elsewhere."
>
>He reached out and took my cup, stacked it inside of
>his and jerked his head towards the cab.
>
>"We should head back. Rides will be coming in soon."

He's disappointed and not hiding it well.

Really, really enjoyed this. I love Emma and Mike and the ranch and can't wait to read more.

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[> [> [> Hooray Beer! (just because) -- Larn, 21:51:07 11/04/09 Wed

>Cool, these are always interesting, seeing two
>characters learn about each other.

Mine, too!

> It took a few moments, but finally the
>>ripples reseeded recededand he was able to
>let go.

Yep, actually caught that after posting. D'oh!

>>But he didn't.
>
>Hmmm....;-)

Uhhuuuuuh!

> My so-called sweetheart went to
>>UK Bowling Green and got himself an educated woman,
>>meaning some whore bag with a degree in Women's
>>Studies. Love this!

Happened to a friend of mine for real. Damn you, University of Kentucky and your low class maneaters!

>Sometimes, all you need is someone to listen. Mike
>seems good at this.

>And a philosopher! Quite the Aristotle, isn't he? I
>knew I liked him for a reason!

He's a simple kind of guy. We'll get into his life later in the book, but he's not had the greatest experiences, either.

>>"You should see it at rush hour. There's almost
>>thirty cars!"
>
>Good comeback!

Oh but he's clever!

>>He wrapped it twice
>>around the post then used a line of bailing Is it
>baling wire? I'm honestly not sure, but this spelling
>looks funny to me.

It is. Fixed it.

>> I used
>>to stay at places till the very end, get my dreams
>>stomped on, then have to pick everything up and start
>>all over. It's so much easier to quit while I'm
>>ahead."
>
>This explains a lot. Cut and run can be less
>painful, but it can awfully lonely too.

Agreed.

>>He reached out and took my cup, stacked it inside of
>>his and jerked his head towards the cab.
>>
>>"We should head back. Rides will be coming in soon."
>
>He's disappointed and not hiding it well.
>
>Really, really enjoyed this. I love Emma and Mike and
>the ranch and can't wait to read more.

And more there is, soon and very soon! We need to get a little more into Mike and his story, I think. We already know so much about Emma, time for a little Boss Man backstory, I think.

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[> [> [> Text Fix! -- grammarfairy</b>, 04:06:59 11/07/09 Sat

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[> [> grand to have you back, Larn! -- dea, 09:48:24 11/04/09 Wed

i'm glad that things are going well for you. i really like this scene. i like Emma and Mike, as well. something tells me Mike is all a woman could wish for: strong, responsible, trustworthy, gentle, one of those big, quiet men who know how to keep a woman safe. for Emma it my feel a little suffocating, at first. for a woman my age, that would be... impossible to find, because them good guys are in love with girls in their twenties... rant over, that's not what i feel about Emma, because i identify with her, oddly enough; only now, in my forties, i'm beginning to feel the urge to pack light and leave. bad timing� anyway, i'm babbling. but maybe that�s a good thing. see how many emotions you have awakened in this humble beta reader� it feels real and it flows. thanks for sharing! keep coming back!

Last edited by author: Thu November 05, 2009 09:28:45 Edited 1 time.
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[> [> [> And it's grand to be here, dea! -- Larn, 21:56:29 11/04/09 Wed

>something tells me Mike is all a woman could wish for:
>strong, responsible, trustworthy, gentle, one of those
>big, quiet man who knows how to keep a woman safe.

Mike is all that, but he's got a few skeletons in his closet that keep him from really stepping up. But we'll get to that later...

>for
>Emma it my feel a little suffocating, at first.

She does chafe a bit at his coddling, but I think she'll learn to like it.

>for a
>woman my age, that would be... impossible to find,
>because them good guys are in love with girls in their
>twenties...

And all the good guys my age are gay. I feel ya.

> i identify with her, oddly enough [...] see how many
>emotions you have awakened in this humble beta reader�
>it feels real and it flows. thanks for sharing! keep
>coming back!

I'm glad you're resonating with the piece. This was one of the more personal sections, about running from things and whatnot, that I've written in a long time. So good to see it strike a chord. There shall be more to follow!

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[> [> Super news about the job!! Congratulations! >>>> -- Page, 14:22:09 11/05/09 Thu

I'm so glad things seem to be looking up for you! And on a purely selfish note, I'm glad you're finding time to write so I can read it! *G*

>It took a few moments, but finally the
>ripples reseeded and he was able to let go.
>
>But he didn't.

Oh, I like that. Very simply put, but so much meaning!
>
>He was a breathing rock, all around me, my back pulled
>against his chest. With his arms around me like they
>were, it was almost like a hug. The warmth from my
>work jacket suddenly became unbearable and I started
>to sweat. I could feel his breath on my neck. It
>seemed to come closer and closer. I felt his nose in
>my hair.
>
>"Kentucky was too close for me," I said, readjusting
>my aching hands around the bundle, moving my arms away
>from his as best I could.

Hmm. Double meaning there? She could feel him surrounding her, leaning closer, and then, "Kentucky was too close..."

>"Big hit with the locals." He smiled at me, then
>reached a hand out to test the sturdiness of the next
>post. "I helped Jerry put up this very fence. Years
>ago. We changed the land, just a small part of it,
>but...I don't know what I'm saying, but I guess
>it's..." He took a deep breath. "I wanna see what
>the next twenty-five years will bring. I wanna see
>how big those aspen trees will grow, if the dam we
>made in the Silver Fork will hold, how long it takes
>for that old cedar tree hanging across the Salt Lick
>to finally give out and collapse. It don't sound like
>big things, but they mean something to me. I couldn't
>imagine leaving and not knowing."

I wish I could feel that way about a place. I've never lived somewhere I wanted to stay, especially not where I am now. Mike makes me yearn to find a place like that.

>"What do you want, then?"
>
>Oh don't ask me that, I thought. I always hated that
>question.

So did I! I understand Emma perfectly here!
>
>"Exotic places like Alabama?"

*snicker* Yeah, I've lived there, and exotic it isn't.

Even though Emma is uncomfortable with the conversation, and Mike is working to hide his disappointment that she'll be moving on, there's still an ease between them that spoke to me. The fact that he doesn't feel the need to comment on everything she says is nice, as is the way his silences urge her to continue.

Can't wait to read more!

Hugs,
Page

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