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Kelly
Something’s up with these two this morning. But I don’t know what. Seeing them come from the back of the field down between the barns, I watch as they climb off their mounts, laughing and walking up to the porch.
“And where were you two last night?” I ask, my arms crossing my chest as I stand in inquisitor mode. I see Owen’s face turn a slight shade of red and quickly back to normal. “Come, come, I need to know for the investigation’s sake.”
I follow the two into the big house and around to Trent’s office. He turns to me and says, “We thought it’d be a good idea to stake out the place in the fence to see if anything would turn up. A missing cow, a thief,” he shrugs his shoulders, “Something, anything.”
“But nothing came of it,” Owen says. “Except a peaceful night on the range,” he smiles over to Trent who laughs at his statement. “What? It was a peaceful night.”
“Yes, it was. Only the sound of crickets and a crackling fire,” he says, putting his boots on the corner of his desk. “How are things with you and what have you been up to?”
“After I left you two yesterday, I talked with a few of the ranch hands that were goofing around for a minute,” I say retrieving my notepad. Flipping the pages, I find the notes from that meeting. “I asked if anyone knows of someone from Bull’s Eye trying to get revenge, to which they said they didn’t.”
“That’s an interesting angle,” he says, removing my boots from the desk top and sitting up in my chair. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Yeah, stands to reason that one of his henchmen could be getting us back,” Owen says from his usual stance on the wall. “But I haven’t heard or seen anyone resembling any of his ogres.”
“Yeah, I crossed that notion off my list, but here’s something interesting. As I went to grab some dirt samples from the recently destroyed field, the guy that helped me told me that some of the men were complaining of tingling in the fingers or hands,” I wait for a moment and watch as Trent waves his hands as if to say ‘so what?’.
“What would that mean? They are older and have worked a hard life,” he asks me and looks at Owen. “What do you make of it?”
Owen shrugs his shoulders but answers, “It could be nothing, yet on the other hand it could be something.”
“Well,” I start looking at my notes again, “Either way, I overnighted three samples from different places of the field and went in search of your sign.”
“And?” Trent asks.
“Nothing yet, but I could use a day off,” I tell them.
Owen stands from his position on the wall. “Why don’t we all get away for the rest of the day?”
Trent smiles heartily, clapping his hands together. “Hot dawg! Let’s get on outta here. I’ll put some people in charge and give them a list of some things I want done.”
Once they finish getting things in order, we climb into the truck and take off. “I know just the place to go.” Trent steers the truck down some winding roads until we reach a large lake replete with a boardwalk, shops and restaurants that line the edges. Down further is a rotunda with a few kids rides and some benches.
“What a fabulous place!” I exclaim, stepping off the truck. Seagulls and other birds fly around, squawking and searching for crumbs. A light breeze flows throughout, bringing with it a variety of differing smells from the food bars. The sound of the waters lapping the shore carries with it the giggles and screams of children playing around. Somewhere, I hear a mother yell at her kids to stop doing whatever they’re doing.
As we walk along checking out the offerings from the boardwalk, we taste samples of the fare being offered. Trent disappears for a moment and returns with huge long tubular drinks that the establishment calls ‘The Whale Bone.’ It actually was quite yummy and absolutely full of liquor!
Grabbing some grub, we head down to the beach and cop a squat on a blanket that I lay out from our bag. After eating, I strip down to my suit, watching the guys turn into ravenous wolves and lay back, soaking in the rays from our beloved sun.
“I’m going all in,” I hear Owen say to Trent. “Ready?”
I open my eyes to see both guys acting like boys, running into the crystal-clear waters, taking turns splashing and dunking each other. I laugh at the two of them thinking to myself about our relationship and how much I have come to love them. I can’t imagine my life going forward and them not being a part of it.
Yes! Idolove them. Oh, my gosh, I’ve got to tell them.
Following their example, I take off running into the water, splashing it around. It feels cool on my sun-warmed skin and I can see clear to the bottom of the lake. I meet up with the guys being completely childish and splash them both.
Before I can tell them, a scream escapes my mouth as Owen picks me up and tosses me under the waters. “Hey! You made a mess of my hair!” I splash him back and Trent takes his turn, only he puts his arms around my waist and takes us both beneath the plane of the lake.
Once we come up, I’m still in his embrace. He leans his head on mine and whispers, “I love you, Kelly Stuart.”
With a look of surprise, I turn to him and Owen gets closer to the two of us. “You know what?” I ask them.
“What?” Owen questions me.
“Watching the two of you goofing off, the realization of how much I love you guys hit me like a tidal wave,” I admit to them.
Owen looks at me and then Trent, “I’ve got my own confession to make. Trent, I’ve known you almost my whole life, and I’ve loved you in a different way. But now, I can see how much more I want you to be my lover as well as Kelly’s,” he says.
Trent smiles and tells Owen, “I love you too man,” he gathers Owen and me into a group hug and adds, “I don’t ever want to be without my two best friends, who are now my lovers.”
“Friends with excellent benefits,” I say and they both dunk me under the water, laughing.
“I think we’re in need of a room for the night,” Trent says. “One night where it’s just us.”
I smile broadly, thinking about what’s to come.
