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“I would want to but I’ve never found a willing subject,” Hoss said. “I’m a great admirer of Gregory Whiting. Do you know of him?”
Hoss did not look at her while he spoke.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t,” Stephanie replied.
“He painted nudes.”
“Oh,” Stephanie said, her eyes widening.
The idea of a nude painting of herself appealed to her. Still, it was a little much if someone who knew her saw her private bits.
“I don’t know about that,” she said to Hoss. “I’m not sure I would want people seeing my…”
“Oh, we would do something about that. There are ways to pose that you know, leave a lady’s modesty intact.”
“Alright, why not?” Stephanie said.
She took a few steps back and shut the door. She faced Hoss, blood coursing through her veins. She hadn’t felt as excited as she was in a long time. Carter could go to hell! It was his own fault anyway, going off to wherever without a word.
Hoss had turned his chair around. Stephanie gazed into his eyes and without shifting them; she pushed down the strap of her dress, exposing a bare shoulder. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Hoss’s Adam’s apple move as he swallowed hard.
Stephanie swayed her body lightly, and shook off each item with flair. She stopped when she was only left in her chemise and camisole.
“Will this do?” she asked Hoss in a husky voice.
He shook his head in rapid movements.
“Then you’ll have to help,” Stephanie said.
She watched him wrestle with himself, his features looking strained. Then he stood up and walked uneasily towards her. She looked at his hands. His long fingers were trembling.
Chapter Four
Carter had gone to see a cattle breeding system at a farm in Wyoming. He wanted to adapt similar system in circle ranch. Eager to fill in his brothers, he went looking for them before entering the house. He found Hoss in the shooting range.
“Hey, you’re back,” Hoss said in a dry tone.
“Carter, good to have you back safe and sound,” James said warmly and pumped Carter’s hand vigorously.
“Yes, it’s good to be back,” Carter said, his back muscles aching.
“How did it go?” James asked.
“Very well. I must say that I was impressed by the breeding system. A few of us from Montana, including the Governor, all went down together. We want to push for a similar system that will benefit all ranchers and farmers in Montana.”
“Why did the Governor go?” James asked.
Hoss was idly kicking a stone.
“It’s too expensive and it requires a lot of expertise which the Governor can provide, if he agrees that is,” Carter explained.
He then went on to tell them about the cattle ranches in Wyoming and the great breeding rates they were getting with “artificial insemination”. James whistled.
Carter was about to ask Hoss his thoughts then decided against it. Already he felt irritated at his brother’s attitude.
“Can we go back to our shooting?” Hoss asked James.
James looked from one brother to another and then nodded. Carter stood behind his brothers and watched. The target was one hundred and eighty paces away, a charred piece of board with an ‘X’ marked in the center. Hoss took the first shoot and completely missed the target, his bullet bouncing off the huge oak tree that supported the target. If he spent as much time practicing shooting as he did on his paintings, he would be a decent marksman, Carter thought.
