Romance The Blue Roan

As the evening wound down, Christine asked Blue to walk her back to Judge Lane's house. She leaned into him as they slowly strolled down the street. Once they reached the front porch, Christine turned to Blue and smiled.

"I had a wonderful time tonight. You were the perfect gentleman. Thanks for forgiving me for everything and taking June's subtle hint about asking me to the dance."

"The pleasure was mine," whispered Blue as he moved closer to the beautiful woman standing so close. "Am I forgiven for taking advantage of the situation when we first met?"

"I'm feeling much better about that after this evening," admitted Christine. "I think I'd like to know you better before I agree to forgive you."

"Would you like to visit our ranch? I could show you some beautiful views and a lot of cattle and horses. Mom would love to have a female visit the ranch. June's the only girl that's been to our home in the last few years."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," exclaimed Christine. "Would you mind terribly if Will and June came with me? I know Will would love to see a working ranch and he'd like it even more if June were with him."

"I'd like that. Let's plan on it for Monday, if that's okay with you," replied Blue as he appeared hesitant about something. "Thanks, for a great evening!"

"Are you going to kiss me or talk all night" asked Christine as she threw her arms around Blue's neck and leaned into him. Blue stared into her eyes very briefly before pressing his lips to Christine's. When Blue finally drew back, Christine's eyes were sparkling.

"I'm already looking forward to seeing your ranch!" beamed Christine before giving Blue a quick kiss on his lips. "Goodnight."

Blue was grinning from ear to ear as he stated back to the hotel. The grin only increased when he overheard voices on the porch.

"So?" was all June asked.

"You're right about the direct approach," replied Christine before both women broke into laughter.

Rachel was thrilled to welcome the visitors to the Lazy R. Ben had made the journey with June, Will, and Christine. After a pleasant lunch, the group was given a tour of the parts of the ranch that Blue felt would hold the most interest.

Christine had the opportunity to see Jennings Creek in its new bed. The land on the western side of the surprisingly deep stream was actively being grazed by hundreds of Lazy R cattle. The water in the creek was extremely cold, even on a warm July afternoon, and Christine asked about it.

"The creek's headwaters are in the mountains," explained Blue. "As you can see, many of them still have snow on their peaks. Melting snow makes up the majority of the water that flows out of the mountains to create Jennings Creek. The closer you get to the mountains, the colder the water is."

"That brings me to the reason I rode out here today," began Judge Lane. "As you know, Governor Nye visited Bonnet on July Fourth. It seems that the Winters have contacted him in regard to the boundary dispute created when Jennings Creek shifted its course.

"The Governor is not happy about the situation. Winters told him that they were prepared to fight for the land on the west side of the creek. Their deed clearly states that they can graze to the western side of the stream. No one ever foresaw the creek bed moving as it has.

"I'm convening a hearing to legally settle this matter before there's any bloodshed. Both parties will be instructed to present their arguments. I'll render a decision within ten days of the hearing. Governor Nye is very serious about this. He'll send troops in to enforce my ruling if it becomes necessary. Nevada is on the verge of becoming a state and any sort of notoriety garnered by a range war could ruin that prospect.

Blue was certain that Judge Lane would not be swayed by the friendship he had with Blue and his mother. He was an honorable man that believed strongly in the tenets of law. It was a real possibility that the Lazy R could lose some of its best graze to the Bar M. Judge Lane's news served to dampen the spirits of the group.

"Judge, Luke Winters told me that he and his father don't own the Bar M. How can they force this issue?" asked Christine.

"They manage the ranch and have the owner's full support. The Winters gave Governor Nye a personal letter from the Murphy family. They feel that they're legally entitled to the land and they insist that they get it."

Will looked at his sister and arched his eyebrow in question. Christine shook her head slightly and Will remained silent. She needed time to consider the situation. If Judge Lane ruled in favor of the Bar M, the value of the ranch would increase more than a little. The problem was how badly it would affect the Lazy R. How did things become so complicated?

The group returned to Bonnet before sunset. Christine had a troubled sleep that night. By the next morning she had made a decision. She would ride along Jennings Creek to the point where the spring floods had altered its course. Perhaps there was a way to divert the stream back to its original path.

She decided to tell no one about her idea since she knew both Will and June would try to talk her out of it. Renting the same horse she had ridden the previous day, June was on her way shortly after sunup. The weather was considerably cooler than it had been with heavy dark clouds preventing the sun from making an appearance.

Christine followed the trail they had ridden the previous afternoon to Jennings Creek. Once she reached its banks, she turned her horse upstream. After riding for several hours, the distant mountains appeared to be almost as far away as they were when she began riding toward them. She became concerned about reaching her destination before she would be forced to turn back because of darkness.

There was no sun to gauge the time, but she felt that she could still ride a couple more hours before she would have to begin the ride back to town. The temperature slowly dropped as she gained elevation, and Christine found herself pulling her coat collar tightly to her neck as she wondered how cold it could possibly get in mid-July.

Blue had seen a rider moving along Jennings Creek in the early afternoon. He was on a high knoll a several miles from the rider, but he was still able to identify the horse. It was the same horse Christine had ridden the day before and that troubled him.

The weather had turned cold, and he knew from experience the area was in for a heavy, cold rain. It would be extremely uncomfortable for an experienced rider to be caught out in, and even worse for an unsuspecting traveler.

Blue decided to try to intercept Christine before she reached the mountains. He knew full well that the weather conditions would be far worse in the higher elevations. He pulled his collar up against the wind and kicked Deuce into a mile eating trot. It was going to be a long afternoon.

When he reached the point that he had expected to catch Christine, she was nowhere in sight. Blue studied the damp earth for tracks and soon found them. Christine's horse was now trotting and he'd have to hurry to catch her. As that thought crossed his mind, it began to rain.

Christine felt the drops hit her face and became concerned. She was in the foothills and the temperature had dropped even lower. She wasn't prepared for cold weather, especially if it rained hard and her clothing became wet. She saw a small shack not far from the creek, but it was on the other side of the stream! She made the decision to continue until she found a likely place to ford the creek so she could take shelter in the building.

Christine discovered an area that looked promising about fifteen minutes later. It was now raining and a strong wind had come up. She dismounted from her horse and walked to the water's edge to determine how deep the channel was. She had no desire to make her horse try to swim in the strong, cold current.

As she reached the edge of the bank to check the grade, her footing suddenly gave way! In less time that it took to consider it, Christine was plunged into the frigid waters of Jennings Creek.

Her coat quickly became waterlogged and made swimming almost impossible. She struggled mightily to keep her head above water. Her arms were rapidly growing heavy and her efforts became less effective. Always a realist, Christine knew she was quickly weakening and could quite possibly fail to survive the ordeal.

"Grab on my hand!" was the first indication that she was not alone. To her eternal surprise Blue was bobbing in the water next to her, offering his hand. Christine latched on to it as tightly as her depleted strength allowed. Blue bulled his way to the creek bank and somehow managed to stand up. His head and shoulders were above the water as he pulled Christine closer and then heaved her onto the muddy bank!

Cold as she was, Christine felt a chill when she saw Blue slip, and he was swept away by the current. Forcing herself to stand, she moved as fast as she could along the bank. She found Blue clinging to a small tree growing on the edge of the bank. As he struggled to pull himself up, a tree limb struck him in the face! Blue managed to keep his grip on the bush, but his feet were unable to gain any sort of purchase in the mud.

Christine reached down and grabbed Blue's collar, pulling with every ounce of strength she could muster. She felt him slowly making progress and kept tugging on his collar. It seemed to take forever, but Blue was finally sprawled next to her in the mud.

Sitting up, Christine saw the same shack that she seen earlier, but now she was on the right side of the creek! She knew they had to get out of the rain and dry off. The wind had increased and the driving rain stung her face.

Turning to get Blue's attention, Christine was shocked to see him lying face down, his face almost buried in the muddy bank. She grabbed his arm and rolled him onto his back. That was when she noticed the swollen, bloody lump on his forehead!

She'd never know how she was able to drag Blue's inert form into the small shack, but she somehow managed. It was fully dark by the time Christine pushed the door closed and dropped the bar that would latch it. The rain had finally stopped and the moon made an appearance, casting a pale glow through a small window-like opening. Christine had worked up a sweat dragging Blue into the small building, and was beginning to shiver as the temperature continued to drop and cold enveloped her.

She found a small cot along a wall. It held two dirty blankets. There was a small stove, but no firewood in the building and she could find no matches. Christine could see Blue trembling and shaking and was very concerned about his chances of survival.

Dragging him over to the cot, she peeled his muddy, wet clothes from his body and somehow pulled him onto the small bed. She tucked both covers tightly to his cold body, but his shivering appeared to worsen. Feeling the cold more, herself, Christine realized that she needed to raise her core temperature as well. With that in mind, she pulled the wet clothes from her body. Naked, she used her own shirt to wipe the mud from Blue's face and then climbed under the blankets in an attempt to find warmth.

The sun was shining through the small opening when Christine opened her eyes. Remembering where she was and who she was with, she considered her surroundings. Blue had received a blow to his head and was unconscious! She lifted her head and looked around. Blue's eyes were open and he was looking at her!

Christine felt tremendous relief, until the situation they were in became more apparent. She was lying on Blue, and they were both naked! Her first instinct was to jump up and flee, but where would she go? Forcing herself to remain calm, she spoke.

"How are you feeling? I was worried about you."

Blue had an obvious swelling on his forehead, but his blue eyes were clear and focused. "Why don't you tell me how I feel and I'll tell you how you feel?"

"Okay, if that's the way you want it," replied Christine with a sly smile. "You feel all strong and hard, especially the part of you that seems to be poking into my stomach. How do I feel to you?"

"I'd have to say you're smooth and soft, except for the two items that feel like pebbles that are poking my chest. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"That's only because I'm naked and you're a man," chuckled Christine. "My hair's full of mud, I'm sweaty, dirty and tired. It wasn't easy dragging you to this shack."

"You being naked may influence my opinion a little, but I knew you were the most beautiful woman I ever saw the first time we met," admitted Blue. "I don't know how you were able to drag me in here, but I owe you my life. I can remember how you practically pulled me out of the creek."

"I just helped a little. You did most of the heavy lifting. You were the one that jumped into the freezing water to help a stupid girl that had slipped and fallen in. You lifted me out and saved my life. I thought I was going to freeze, or drown, or both. How did you even know I was in the creek?" asked Christine. "I didn't think there was anyone within miles."

"I saw you riding alone and was worried about you getting caught in the weather. I tried to catch up with you sooner, but you started trotting your horse, so it took me longer," replied Blue.

As Christine listened to Blue's explanation, it dawned of her that she was nude and having a normal conversation with a naked man. The truly amazing thing was how she felt no fear. Blue's desire was as obvious as it could possibly be, yet he made no effort to take advantage of her in any way.

"I thought you were always one to take advantage of a situation," teased Christine. "You're actually quite well mannered, considering the circumstances."

"I hope you know that I was joking about that. I'd never deliberately touch you in any way you didn't want. It's going to be a lot more fun when you're encouraging me, rather than slapping me."

"Really? You think that day will come? Just be very certain that it's what I want or we'll have a real problem!"

Christine surprised herself with her next decision. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, giving Blue a close look at her unfettered breasts. She delighted in the involuntary twitch she felt beneath her as Blue gazed at her blushing chest. His desire was obvious, but he made no effort to touch her, which caused Christine to feel more empowered. She somehow knew that she was perfectly safe and totally in control.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to use one of these blankets. You may want to cover that thing up with the other blanket," observed Christine as she nodded at Blue's erection. "We need to place our clothes in the sunshine so they'll dry, unless you want to go home like that."

"I'd jump in that damn cold water again before I walked home like this," proclaimed Blue as he gathered the blanket around his shoulders and arranged it so it covered his groin.

As they gathered their various articles of clothing, Christine managed to let her blanket slip a couple of times. Each time, she'd hear what sounded like a growl coming from Blue, which in turn made her smile. She had never felt so reckless before, nor could she remember enjoying a situation more. She had never felt so safe with any man, except her father and brother, and they didn't really count since they were such close relatives.

It was almost noon by the time their clothes were dry enough to wear. Once they were dressed, they began the long walk back to the ranch. They had only walked half an hour when Blue saw the roan grazing across the creek.

He called to the horse and it came over to the edge of the stream and walked parallel with the couple until they came to an established ford. It required some coaxing, but Deuce finally waded across the stream to reunite with his rider.

"Let me help you up in the saddle. I'll walk while you ride," offered Blue.

"Are you saying that I'm too heavy for that big strong horse to carry double?" demanded Christine.

"I didn't know if you'd mind riding double," replied Blue. "Would you prefer to sit in front of me, or behind me?"

"I don't trust those big hands of yours," teased Christine. "I think I'd better ride behind you."

Blue climbed into the saddle and then gave Christine a hand up. As she settled in behind him, she pressed her breasts against his back and wrapped her arms around his chest.

"Am I squeezing too hard or something?" asked Christine in her best little girl voice. "You seem to growl all of the time since you've banged your head."

Blue directed the roan back across the creek and then pointed him toward the ranch. In another few miles, they came upon Christine's horse. It had stepped on a rein and broken it, but Blue simply knotted the two sections together and Christine climbed on her own horse.

"We'd better separate here so no one sees us riding together. They'll be asking questions about last night and where we stayed," reasoned Blue. "My idea is to tell anyone that asks that I was at a line camp we have on the eastern boundary, sitting out the storm. You can tell them that you were in the one you were at, but all alone. Nobody will think twice about it."

Christine agreed that a little lie would be much easier than explaining the truth to everyone. She still needed to determine what she wanted and how she felt about Blue. He was beginning to occupy her thoughts a great deal.

June was excited to see Christine step up on her porch late that afternoon. "Will and I asked about you all over town. We finally thought to question the man at the livery stables. He said that you rented a horse and rode out early yesterday morning. Where did you go, and where did you spend the night? Your clothes look like you were caught in the storm!"

"I thought I'd ride Jennings Creek to see where the spring flood made the new channel. The storm caught me by surprise, but I found a small shack up in the hills and spent the night there. My clothes were soaking wet so I had to dry them off in the sun this morning. I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, but I'm okay."

"You rode all the way up to that line shack by yourself and spent the night there?" repeated a dubious June. "Why would you even do that? It doesn't matter to you how, or why, the creek changed its course. It's a matter between the Rhones and the Winters.

"After last night, things aren't looking too good for Blue. Luke Winters said that Blue shot him in the back when he was riding home last night. He claims he was knocked off his horse by the bullet, but he saw Blue and his roan riding away. He managed to get back on his horse and rode back to town. He's in the hotel with a hole in his back and swearing that Blue did it."

"That's ridiculous!" dismissed Christine. "No one's going to believe that story. Luke Winters is a liar!"

"I'm glad that you're so confident, but the sheriff rode out to talk to Blue first thing this morning and Blue wasn't around. Rachel didn't know where he was, but she told the sheriff that she'd have him ride be into town to tell his side of the story as soon as he showed up. Blue would never shoot anyone in the back, but it'll be his word against Luke's. That hearing is coming up in nine days and if this isn't cleared up, the Lazy R might lose some of its best range."

Christine immediately realized the implications of June's statement. Blue actually had an alibi! All he'd have to do is tell the sheriff that Christine Hamilton had been with him that entire night and she'd have to corroborate it. Luke Winters would be proven a liar, and it would probably improve the position of the Lazy R in the hearings.

The other side of that coin was that everyone in town would believe Christine was some kind of common whore, sneaking out to sleep with a local cowboy in a dirty shack in the hills. How did things get so bad, so fast? Christine made the quick decision to pack her bags in the morning and catch the next stagecoach for Virginia.

She had made some friends in Bonnet and really enjoyed living in Nevada, but the specter of being considered a common whore by the locals was something she'd never be able to endure. She was saddened by the need to leave Bonnet, but felt some relief in having made a reasonable decision to avoid the disappointment and possible ridicule of the entire town.

"I've got some more news for you," continued June. "Will's made arrangements for your father and sister to visit! They should be here the day before the hearing. I'm pretty excited about meeting your family. Will told me that he's never taken a girl home to meet his dad and sisters before. Do you think they'll like me?"

Christine was now reeling from June's information. Her father and sister would arrive in Bonnet in time to hear what a horrible slut she was. She had ruined her family name!

"I'm really tired. I need to get a good night's sleep," insisted Christine as she turned and went inside.

Christine tossed and turned all night, unable to think of a solution to the mess she had created. As she watched the sun come up from a chair on the porch, she decided that she needed to discuss her situation with someone. Only one person came to mind. She would explain everything to Will. Perhaps he could cancel her father and sister's trip to Bonnet. Then she could return to Virginia and hope that word of her indiscretion never reached her father's ears.

Will was having breakfast alone when Christine dropped into the seat next to him. It only took a glance for him to determine something was very wrong with his sister.

"What's wrong, Christine? You look exhausted and upset. Tell me about it," insisted Will.

"I can't talk about it here. Can we go up to your room where we'll have some privacy?" asked Christine as she fought to hold back tears.

Will simply placed money on the table, stood, took his sister's hand and led her upstairs. Half an hour later she was still sobbing as she finished her story.

"Wow, Chris, I have to admit I'm really surprised. I can understand how it all happened, but it's so unlike you. There's more to this than being wet and cold, isn't there? You've fallen for Blue, haven't you?"

"What should I do? He's going to hate me when he finds out that I own the Bar M. He'll force me to publicly admit that I spent the night with him. If I deny his story, the Bar M would probably gain the disputed land and he may go to prison. If I tell the truth, everyone will think I'm a loose woman and I won't be able to stay in Bonnet."

"We have over a week to try to get this straightened out. I'll think of something," promised Will. "You did nothing wrong. Everyone likes and respects you. They'll believe your story."

"Really? Blue and I have been dancing around this since I got here. A lot of people have heard us at dinner. I was naked and lying on top of him, Will! Maybe I am a slut. No lady would ever do that. Rachel will hate me," sobbed Christine.

"From what I've seen, Rachel's hoping to have you in the family," stated Will. "She's very fond of you and she likes how you're such a perfect foil for her son. You need to have faith in people."

"I let my guard down once and wound up naked with some cowboy that's going to swear under oath that we spent the night together. He'll probably even tell everyone I was naked. Dad's going to be so disappointed in me. I should leave before he and Becky get here."

"That's not going to happen. Hamiltons don't run. We'll circle the wagons if we have to, but you're going to stay and see this through," insisted Will. "Just trust me to take care of everything."

"Oh, Will. I always argued with you and teased you mercilessly, but you're the best brother in the world. Thanks for listening to my tale of woe and for not calling me the names I deserve. I'll do whatever you think is best. I promise."

Later that day, Will was more than a little surprised when Blue Rhone approached him as he strolled down the street. Even more surprising was the fact that Blue wanted him to represent him at the upcoming hearing.

"Judge Lane's going to settle the dispute with Bar M as well as listen to arguments that I shot Luke Winters in the back, all at the same hearing. It's going to be a tough day for me. I didn't shoot Luke and I hate like hell to give up some of my best graze, but I'm worried about the outcome."

"You have every right to be worried," agreed Will. "I'll do my best for you, but you've got to be totally honest with me."

"We'll have one of those client-lawyer relationships where you can't tell anyone what I tell you, right? I have to be sure of that," insisted Blue.

"Of course!" agreed Will. "That's essential in order to practice law. I can never repeat what you tell me without your permission."

"I'll tell you right now that I didn't shoot Luke Winters. You need to find out who did. If I'd shot him, he'd be six feet under right now."

Blue stopped at June's later that afternoon and asked June if he could see Christine. "I'm sorry Blue, but Christine isn't feeling well and is resting. Maybe tomorrow would be better."

As he made his way down the walk, Blue caught a glimpse of Christine watching him from behind a window curtain. It was obvious that she had no interest in seeing him.

Blue had been suffering pangs of guilt after spending the night in the line shack with Christine. He should have realized that she was not her usual self. She had almost drowned and then came close to freezing. Under normal conditions, she never would have shown her body as she did.

Now that she had time to consider her actions, she was embarrassed and hurt. She had trusted him and he had encouraged her to lower her inhibitions. She knew he couldn't have shot Luke, but she had come to realize that she was not able to trust him. He had failed her. She deserved much better.
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