The Agreement
7 Cowgirls
“YOU KNOW those pretty new boots are going to get all dirty, don’t you?” I asked. It was a little chillier Saturday afternoon and rain was forecast for the night so they’d dressed appropriately at least. I don’t know what it is, though, about girls and skin-tight jeans. Not that I was complaining. They still looked like twins in matching chambray shirts and their red hats and boots. “Did you shop together for a whole wardrobe?”
“No, just a few things,” Hannah said. “Don’t you like having twin girlfriends?” Oh crap!
“And we talked to the nice man at the Al-Bar Ranch store about the boots. He gave us some special brushes and soap to clean them up and oiled them so they’d be resistant to water and mud. He said they were real cowboy boots and we could keep them looking good and still wear them in the barn,” Samantha said.
“Yeah. They’re not just…” Hannah broke off and turned red. I looked at Samantha and she was red, too.
“What?”
“That girl Mercedes at the drama table?” Samantha said getting close enough to whisper. “She said they were real fuck-me boots.” We all laughed, but we were all beet red.
“Well, I admit they were a real temptation when you two sat on my lap yesterday. But now, with jeans, they’re just cute cowgirl boots. Let’s do some riding.”
We worked with Silk for a couple hours with the girls taking turns in our little corral learning how to sit, hold the reins, and cue their horse for different strides. Hannah had frequently been on Silk with me, but this was her first time alone in the saddle unless I had a lead rope on. She was comfortable and did fine. Samantha was a little more nervous, but the more she rode, the more she relaxed.
Rika was in the pasture, but she kept pacing back and forth along the corral fence the whole time we were working. I finally went over and petted her and gave her a carrot. The poor girl just wanted attention. She was only fourteen years old, a little more than half Silk’s twenty-four. Since Betts left for college, she was really settling down with me. She knew I was the giver of carrots and hay and my hand controlled the brush. As a show horse she was used to being brushed thoroughly every day. It always calmed her right down. I’d been trying to take turns riding the two on different days, but I didn’t ride every day and I really think Rika missed it.
“Do you want to go for a ride, girl?” I asked. “You have to be polite and let us ride double.” She just nuzzled her head under my arm sniffing at my pocket to see if I had more carrots. “Okay, ladies. Let’s cool Silk off and brush her down while I get Rika ready and we’ll go out for a trail ride.”
“There’s only two horses,” Samantha stated the obvious.
“One of you will ride Silk out and the other will ride her back. Whichever isn’t on Silk will ride double with me on Rika.”
“Cool!”
They were enthusiastic about rubbing Silk down after I got the saddle off and Rika was practically purring as I brushed out her mane and tail. I wasn’t about to use Betts’ show saddle, but we had a good trail saddle for Rika, too. I got Silk saddled and led her outside where Hannah and Samantha took the lead while I went to get Rika.
“Okay, who rides Silk first?” Hannah raised her hand.
“Oh, I dropped something in the barn. I’ll be right back,” Samantha said and ran off. I gave Hannah a boost into the saddle. I didn’t have to change the stirrup.
“Can I lead?” Hannah asked.
“If you want to. You know how to get to the stump where we mount?”
“Can I take the long way?”
“We’ve got plenty of time, so just stick to the trails so we don’t get knocked off our horses by low limbs. If you have a question about which way, just shout out.” Hannah turned Silk smoothly and started to walk toward the woods. “Let us get mounted so you’re not too far ahead,” I laughed. She turned in her saddle and nodded. Then she grinned and I just knew she was loving being on Silk. I realized she wasn’t looking at me, though. I turned back to mount up and my mouth dropped open. Samantha was standing by Rika with one hand on the horse’s mane. The other hand was on her thrust-out hip. Above that there was skin.
I don’t mean Samantha was topless, but she’d unbuttoned her chambray and tied it in a knot under her breasts. Really under. It was obvious she’d taken off her bra, too.
“Are you going to mount me?” she asked. “I mean, help me mount?” she giggled and it broke my trance. I laughed as I walked up to her.
“You are amazing! Do you want to ride front or back?”
“Hmm. Do you want me to press my almost naked breasts and hard nipples into your back the whole time we’re riding, or would you like to have them in easy reach in front of you?” Crap! I looked up the trail where Hannah was waiting while Silk grabbed a mouthful of thistle. I lifted Samantha into the saddle and swung up behind her. Rika danced a little to the left and I held the reins firmly, bringing my hand in contact with Samantha’s stomach.
“I’m sorry, Samantha, but you do know that I’m going to have to put my arms around you in this position and might sometimes touch you a little, right?” She turned far enough that she could pucker her lips toward me, which I took as an invitation to kiss her.
“Brian, I give you explicit permission while we’re on this ride to touch me anywhere above my waist outside or inside my clothes.” Oh, damn! I’d just heard those words last night from Rose and wondered if the girls had worked on the wording together.
“You know,” I said as I wrapped my arm around her and placed my hand on her bare stomach, “some of the guys really objected to the explicit permission thing because they’ve always been told that you just try something and if you don’t get pushed away you keep going. But what you just said has to be the sexiest thing a girl could ever say to a boy.”
“We’d never be brave enough to say it if it weren’t for the agreement. For the most part, our moms have told us that if we let a boy hold our hand, he’ll want to kiss us. If he kisses us, he’ll want to touch our breasts. If we let him touch our breasts, he’ll put his hand in our panties. If we let him touch us there, well, we were going to end up pregnant and out in the streets. Now we know that we can experiment and you won’t go any further than we agree. And, Brian, I gave you permission because I really want you to touch me.” I took the hint and Rika fell into step a few yards behind Silk.
We spent over half an hour, making out in the saddle. I got hard and Samantha did her best to rub me with her tight butt. In the process, she found some spots on the saddle that rubbed her the right way, too. I even had her hold the reins for a while as I cupped both of her breasts inside her shirt and rubbed her nipples. Rika came to a sudden halt as Samantha stiffened in the saddle and came. She leaned back into me to kiss me again and handed me the reins. I kept one hand caressing her tummy while we rode.
“Your stomach is as smooth as your breasts,” I said. “You are amazing, Samantha.”
“I use that hair dissolving cream on my tummy, too,” she said. “I mean, how gross is it to put on your bathing suit and have dark hair running all the way up to your navel. I just come from a hairy family.”
“I didn’t notice that at the beach on Labor Day. Of course, I was really looking at something else.”
“I dream about you kissing me there. Not right away, but someday I’ll give you permission to do that again.” My cock jumped.
“Uh… speaking of your family,” I said to change the subject, “thank you for getting Lexi to make friends with Judy. Judy is having a great time in junior high.”
“When I told Alexandra what you told me about Judy, she started to cry. She said she didn’t know and she’d been so mean. Turns out she was one of the girls who had teased her. She’s really a sensitive girl most of the time, but she just didn’t realize she was hurting someone by going along with the crowd. Now, she kind of leads the crowd and even suggested that they needed a friendship pact.”
Hannah finally got to the mounting stump out in the woods. I still didn’t like to look over to the tree where Cassie and I kissed so much and then broke up and then I saw her with Geoff. But how could I complain when I was pulling my hands out of the shirt of one of the prettiest girls in school. I hadn’t seen Cassie at school and wondered if she was okay.
I got Samantha mounted and said to just follow the trail and we’d be right behind her. Hannah jumped up in front of me.
“Brian, um… I give you explicit permission to… um… have your arms around me while we ride,” she said. I got that message loud and clear. “I’ll bet that wasn’t the same as the permission Sam gave you,” she giggled. I groaned. “Am I the best girlfriend ever, or what?”
“What? Did you put her up to that?”
“Well, I might have suggested that I’d be riding wa-a-ay out in front of you and wouldn’t be able to see or hear anything that you two were doing.”
“For a preacher’s kid, you are sure evil.”
“Isn’t her skin soft and smooth?”
“Well, yeah. But there were two cute girls who sat on my knee Friday and gave me permission to touch their legs. Yours were just as smooth and silky and sexy as hers.”
“She told me about the cream she used and said I had to do my legs if we were going to dress like twins.” Hannah dropped her voice and leaned back to whisper in my ear. “I didn’t… you know… put it on my crotch, though. Eww. Gross.” I laughed. Not that I was ever likely to see that.
“She even used it on her tummy,” I said.
“And under her arms and on her upper lip,” Hannah said. “She’s very pretty, but I really don’t understand the whole attraction. It’s just skin.”
I didn’t know what to say. I knew that if Hannah had given me the same permission Samantha had, I’d be suspicious and then doubtful and then I’d do it. They were built a lot alike, but somehow, I just knew Hannah’s breasts would feel completely different.
“Dad? Hannah and Samantha said something interesting today.” We were sitting down to dinner and Mom was serving her special meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
“What was that?”
“They wanted to know if I’d take Silk and Rika to the ranch with us next week. They both really love Silk.”
“You didn’t put either of them on Rika, did you?” Mom asked. “She’s awfully spirited.”
“No, but she did fine on the trail with us riding double. You know she just wants attention. It might be good for her to trailer out with Silk and spend the weekend on the trail with other horses.”
“Well, she is Betts’ horse in name, but you are taking care of her.”
“Really, Dad. Is Betts ever going to ride again?”
“Really? I doubt it. At least not competitively. That’s an expensive horse, though. I was considering selling her.”
“Oh Dad! Don’t do that! I mean unless you have to. You don’t have to pay me to take care of the girls. They… Silk has always been a good friend to me, but she’s getting old. She needs company and she likes Rika.” Mom smiled at me and winked at Dad.
“Seems the horses are good for a young man’s dating life, too.” I blushed.
“Well, I’ll call the ranch Monday and see what it would cost extra. If they’re okay with it, I am.”
Friday afternoon, Mrs. Gordon picked up Hannah, Samantha, and me from school. The girls already had their gear packed in the car as Samantha had stayed at Hannah’s house the night before. I was surprised, though, to see Mrs. Cortales with her. We drove home and Dad already had the horses loaded. I grabbed my pack and tossed it in the trunk of the Gordons’ car. The three of us piled into the big bench seat of the truck with Dad. Mom got in the car with Mrs. Gordon and Mrs. Cortales.
“I didn’t know they were all going,” Samantha said.
“Uh… I think they are going to the ranch to meet Jennifer’s and Courtney’s moms.”
“Really? Why?” Hannah asked.
“I think it’s another of the unwritten rules,” I said. “Like you always walk your date to the door. This one is something like the parents get to talk about their kids.” Dad laughed. Hannah was wedged right up against him and she and Samantha had managed to fasten the center seatbelt around the two of them. I was sitting on the outside.
“You’ve got it partly right, Brian,” Dad said. “But we’re not there to prevent you from having fun; we’re there to help and protect you. Do you kids have any idea how hard it is for five mothers to even consider letting their daughters go for a weekend away with one boy? Well, let me rephrase that. The fact that there’s only one boy works to your advantage. Believe me, all the mothers are going to tell their daughters to stay together so you are never alone with one of them.”
“I’m so embarrassed,” Samantha said. “That’s exactly what my mother told me.”
“Well, in spite of the agreement, she’s worried about you, Samantha. You kids have grown up incredibly fast this year. None of us want any of you in a position where you get hurt. And that covers a lot of territory.”
“Mr. Frost, do you trust us?” Hannah asked. That was a question that only she could ask someone else’s parent. Dad was cool.
“I wouldn’t be letting the three of you bring those two horses for a weekend if I didn’t trust you.” We all busted out laughing.
“There they are, Mom! There they are! Get the camera. Quick!” I could hear Jennifer’s voice as soon as I rolled down the window to wave at them. Our moms, of course, were already there and standing around with Jennifer, Courtney, and their moms. As soon as the truck rolled to a stop, I opened the door and my arms were filled with two excited girls. What a welcome. I heard the camera click.
“Hey, let Hannah and Samantha get out, too,” I said. “They want hugs.” The girls slid out behind me and were immediately embraced by Courtney and Jennifer.
“You two are so cute!” Courtney said. “You’re practically like twins.”
“May I kiss you?” Jennifer said to Samantha. Samantha may have been expecting a lot of things, but I don’t think it was that. She shrugged her shoulders and nodded. Jen gave her a very nice welcome kiss. Courtney was next and Samantha just said, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” Each of the girls asked my permission and it was given. The kisses were all rated PP for ‘parents present.’ I noticed neither girl asked Hannah, who was grinning widely and hugged them both.
“Courtney and Jennifer, will you hold our hands while we meet your moms?” Hannah said. Courtney and Jennifer immediately took Hannah’s hands and then held out their other hands for Samantha and me. I heard the camera click again and we approached the parents.
Introductions were made all the way around, including Dad who was impatient to get the horses unloaded and drop the trailer. As soon as we had the basics done, the moms continued to talk while the rest of us tended to the horses. Larry came out to meet us as soon as the horses were out of the trailer and showed us to box stalls. As soon as we let them into their stalls, the horses paced around a little and then ended up facing each other through the bars between stalls. It was like they were comparing notes.
It took two girls per saddle, but by the time Dad and I were finished with the horses, they had our tack on saddle frames outside the two stalls. I was impressed that Samantha and Hannah remembered which saddle was which and had all the tack in front of the right stall. Dad and I hauled in a bale of hay and a small bucket of oats. We’d told the ranch that we’d bring our own feed and tools. Samantha and Hannah had the grooming sets for both horses. Rika’s tack was always ready to go since Betts had traveled with her all summer. Now that she was in a stall, she expected to be fed and brushed. We went right to it. Samantha and Hannah went to work on Silk as Jennifer and Courtney joined me with Rika.
“They’re so pretty,” Jennifer said. “They’re smaller than the horses here.”
“Well, if you mean Jubal and Jingo, those are pretty big horses, but overall Arabians are a little smaller than Quarter Horses.” As if on cue, we heard the sound of horses coming into the barn. Larry was leading Jubal, Jingo, and Penny.
“These three need to be brushed and fed, too,” he said. “Will they be okay, Brian? Hal said your girlfriends all knew how to ride.”
“We’ve been working on it. I think Hannah has her heart set on riding Silk, so if we put Sam on Penny, Jennifer back on Jubal, and Courtney on Jingo, we should be fine.”
“You’re cool. You didn’t even bat an eye when I said girlfriends. Which of you is really his girlfriend?” There was a moment of silence as the girls looked at each other and then all raised their hands. “You mean we’re going to have to watch all of you? You make it hard on a wrangler.”
“Speaking of which, why are you here and where’s Hal? Not that I’m not glad to see you, but I thought you were just here for the summer before you went to your real after-college job.”
“Well, the ranch hired me as their official baby-sitter. I decided I wasn’t ready for the corporate world after all. And Hal had a family emergency and has taken off for Texas for the winter.”
“Who all else is here?”
“Well, not many. Bookings are slow this fall except Halloween weekend when we’ve got a couple big parties. Tim is managing things and Veronica is helping with house-cleaning and maintenance on the weekends. The bad news is that means you’ll have to eat Theresa’s cooking.”
“Brian can cook!” Hannah offered. I shrugged.
“I could if it would help,” I said. “I don’t mind as long as we’re not having huge complicated meals. There’s only nine of us. I’d better head for the kitchen though if you guys want to eat tonight.”
“Don’t sweat it. Theresa’s got dinner all set for tonight. It’s the standard fried chicken, potatoes, and green beans. She does a pretty good job with that.” We were all getting pretty hungry thinking about the mac and cheese they served in the lunchroom today.
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