Country Lovin': Chapter Five

Jessie heaved the slop over the wired fence into the pigs' trough. They slopped through the damp dirt and plopped their snouts into the slop. He made sure all the slop was out of the bucket before he trudged back into the barn. It was almost five-thirty and he needed to herd the cattle and bring 'em in. They needed a fresh milking.

As he was opening the barn doors, a truck blew dirt and smoke and it pummled up the driveway. Jessie placed his hands on his hips and watched as the truck came to a stop. A blonde haired man with a white Stetson stepped out. Since the air was cooling down some, the man was wearing a worn buffalo skin jacket. He was wearing a gray t-shirt and a pair of black worn jeans and black cowboy boots.

Jessie grinned when he saw it was his friend, Laremy Jones. Laremy grinned as he walked over to Jessie. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket. "Hey, buddy." Laremy said with a smile.

Jessie raised his eye brows. "Are you always this happy?"

Laremy laughed and shook his head. "I heard you were with a woman. A city woman."

Jessie groaned and picked up the slop bucket. "Are you serious? Laremy--"

"I hear she's Kitty's niece. I also hear she's a babe. Where'd ya find her, Jess?"

Jessie turned around and gave Laremy a stare. "If you like the damn woman so much, go out and ask her on a date."

Laremy raised his eye brows and grinned. "You know, that sounds like a good idea. She's staying at Kitty's, right?"

Jessie brought down the saddle and arched an eye brow. "Are you serious? The woman's like a rattler. She's stubborn, too." Jessie remarked as he and Laremy walked over to the horse stalls.

"Ahh, she saw the real you, didn't she. She must be a real woman. I love city women." Laremy said with a smile.

Jessie groaned and he walked into his horse, Clearwater, stall. He put on the saddle and strapped it onto him. "You've got some problems, Laremy. I don't understand how anyone could love a city woman. They're too damn independant and stuck up. They think that because they're from the city, that they can rule over all of us." Jessie said matter-of-factly.

Laremy rolled his eyes and climbed two of the boards of the stall. He used his arms to help support him. "I bet she's a nice woman. I should prolly go down and see her. Introduce myself. I won't tell her I'ma friend of yours, she might kick me out on my ear." Laremy laughed again as he watched Jessie put on the reins and climb aboard his stallian.

"You do what ya want, Laremy. I'm not going to stand in your way. The woman's a spitfire rattler, so ya better watch your tail." Jessie tilted his hat and started to trot out of the barn. "What makes you so damn interested in the first place, besides the fact that she's a woman?"

Laremy grinned as he walked out of the barn. "Because she don't like ya. Every damn woman in this town has the hots for you. This woman, she's obviously gots brains inside that heard o' hers. I think she'll like me." Laremy walked to the driver side of his truck and stared up at Jessie.

"I think ya need to see a shrink, that's what ya need, not a woman." Jessie grinned as he said it.

Laremy shook his head and opened the door. "Ya take care, Jess. Remember, ya need a woman. Ya can't live alone all your life. It isn't fun. Believe me. I mean, look at my dad. He's been single since I was ten years old. I'm thirty years old. That tells ya somethin'." With that, Laremy climbed into his truck and shut the door.

Jessie waved good-bye to his friend as he backed out of the drive-way. He still looked, even after his friend had left.

His thoughts had drifted to Valene. It was her face. The last time he had seen it, it hadn't had that spitfire look to it. Her eyes weren't fiery, like he had first seen them, but shiney and glossy. Her eyes had been puffy. That had been when Kitty had told him that she had just lost her dad, that now she no longer had any parents.

When he had seen her on that bench, so vulnerable, so shaky, so alone, he wished he could've gone over and comforted her. It was the gentleman in him. He had been brought up by his parents that way. He was to always be a gentleman. He just knew that she was a city woman and that they were independant and didn't like to be comforted by men. For all he knew, she probably had some muscular city hunk lawyer back home.

With that, he turned his horse towards the pasture and head out towards the cows who were grazing on his pastures.

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Valene had been washing the dishes, against her Aunt Kitty's wishes, when he had come to the house. "Valene? Could you get that?" Kitty asked when a knock came to the door.

"Yeah." Valene wiped her hands against a hand towel and walked through the kitchen and the living room. She stopped at the screen door when she saw him. He was very handsome. He had honey blonde hair, large sapphire blue eyes, a beautiful farm tan, and probably had great farm muscles to boot. She smiled as she stopped at the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Are ya the city woman who Jessie whole-heartedly despises?" He said with a grin that seemed to made her stomach flutter.

She raised an eye brow and laughed. "That would be me. Valene Zimmerman." She opened the door and held out her hand.

He graciously took it and shook it. "I hope I ain't disturbin' anythin'." Laremy removed his hat as he stood before her.

Kitty walked into the living room and smiled. She placed a hand where her heart would be and she laughed. "You're just bringin' in the cuties, Valene." Kitty held out her hand, "And what is your name, cutie pie?"

Laremy grinned. "Laremy Jones. I'm a friend of Jessie's. I heard that a woman didn't take a likin' to him and I figured, hell, I must take a gander at her to make sure she was real."

Kitty laughed and pulled Laremy into the living room. "Sit down, Laremy. Would you like something to drink?" She asked as she headed towards the kitchen.

"No thanks, ma'am. I'm just fine."

Kitty raised her eye brows in Valene's direction as she headed out. Valene only rolled her eyes.

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Laremy looked at her and noticed first hand that she was incredibly beautiful. Jessie had to be nuts not to notice. He liked how her chocolate brown hair molded her face perfectly and how her beautiful blue eyes melted his heart and stole his breath.

"You know," He began with a smile as he laid his Stetson on the coffee table, which was cluttered with old newspapers and crossword puzzles. "I hope you don't think of me as Jessie. He's stubborn. Very much like his father. He takes things as face value. I don't. Of course, by your face value, I can't see why he didn't become smitten with you." He saw her face blush. She sat down in a chair next to the couch he was sitting on.

"I've never heard any one say 'smitten' before. I find it sweet to hear it said though." She looked like she had gone into some deep thought, before she spoke again. "I don't know about Jessie yet. He's taken a real dislike to me. I think it's because I'm from the city and he's from the country." She smiled as she shook her head. She looked up at him and couldn't help but find herself physically attracted to him. The man was very strikingly handsome. "I guess I just don't get the man. And they say women are a difficult spieces." She laughed.

"Jessie is difficult. I didn't exactly come here to talk about him though." Laremy picked up his hat and began to roll it around on his hands. "It was more of Jessie's idea, though." He looked up at her and found him looking at her rustic blue eyes. "I was wondering if you'd go to dinner with me. Just a getting-to-know-one-another dinner. Nothing more and hopefully, nothing less." A smirk spread to his lips.

The look, he noticed, that had spread across her face was a look of shock. At first, he figured she'd say no. "That sounds nice." She said with a smile. "Is tomorrow night okay?" She asked.

They both stood and he looked down at her. He still couldn't see why Jessie didn't even like the woman. Yeah, she might be from the city, but the woman seemed very nice and she was definitly beautiful.

"It sounds like a great idea. I'll come and get you at six thirty? Is that okay?" He smiled.

So did she. "Is sounds okay." He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss. Zimmerman. I'll see you tomorrow night, then." Kitty re-entered the living room as Laremy was heading for the door. "It was a pleasure seeing you, Kitty." He bowed his head as he placed his Stetson ontop of his head. He walked outside and he heard the screen door clatter behind him.

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Valene was standing in the bathroom upstairs looking at the curl in her hair. Kitty had helped her with her hair. She had even taken her into town to get a nice outfit for the occasion. It was a short skirt outfit. The skirt went just above her knees. It was a deep red with black designs on it. The top was a black tank top. She smiled in the mirror. She hadn't gotten this beautified since her first date with Brad. She frowned at the memory.

"Honey. He's here." The voice of her Aunt Kitty rose up the stairs. She smiled and grabbed her purse. She was glad that she had had her ciggarette before this moment. She'd hate to have to walk down the stairs with a ciggarette in her hand.

As she descended the stairs, she spotted him. He was at the end of the hallway in front of the stairs, standing next to her Aunt Kitty.

He had removed his Stetson, and he was wearing a new pair of jeans, shined black cowboy boots, a blue dress shirt with a black leather jacket and a string tie. Very western and very cute, Valene thought with a smile as she met him at the door.

"You look very stunnin' ma'am." He said with a smile.

"Thank you. You don't look half bad yourself." She said with a smile. It wasn't a first for her to be dating someone she had known for only five minutes. Hell, she had known Brad for a fraction less and look at the way that relationship had ended, but it had been beautiful, at least to her, while it had lasted. Whether it had been based on sex, passion, or even a smidgen of love, it had been beautiful.

"You bring her back before midnight." Kitty said with a smile. Valene rolled her eyes as she kissed her aunt's cheek.

"I love you, Aunt Kitty. I'll see you when you get home."

Just as Valene and Laremy were heading out the door, they saw a white truck pull into the driveway. "That's Jess. He's got your wood, Kitty." Laremy said as he had Valene's arm wrapped in his.

"Oh goody. Tell him, if he doesn't mind, to bring in some wood for the fire. I'm low." She stated with the goodness that she was made of.

"I will, Kitty." Laremy and Valene walked up to Jessie, who was not climbing out of his truck. He saw the two of them together and stood there for a moment. "Kitty would like ya to bring in some wood for her, that is, if it isn't too much of a hassle."

Jessie looked at Laremy and shook his head. "You guys go, I'll get her the wood. Have a good time, Laremy." He looked at them again before he turned and walked to the back of his truck, where he began to pick up logs of wood.

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Jessie watched as Laremy's pick up back out of Kitty's driveway. Why had Valene seemed to perk his interest? Why did she happen to look so stunning? Why the hell was he thinking of her? He shook his head in disgust. She was a city woman. They were too independant and stubborn for their own good. Then why does it irk you that she's going with Laremy? He shook his head. It doesn't. If she's independant and stubborn, then why is she going with Laremy in the first place?

Jessie sighed deeply and walked to the back of Kitty's house. There was a small pile of wood lined against it. There was enough for a few more days, depending on how much Kitty was using her wood stove.

When he finished unloading the back of his truck, he removed his Stetson and wiped his forehead with his forearm. He reapplied his Stetson and grabbed some wood for Kitty.

She was sitting in her comfy chair doing a crossword. There was a small fire going and he notcied there was only a piece of wood left. She smiled when she saw him. "You're such a nice boy, Jessie. Thank you." She stood, but stopped when Jessie held out a hand.

"I've got it, Kitty. You just sit." He smiled when he saw her smile. He put the logs into the iron log holder.

"Didn't Valene look purty tonight, Jessie?"

That one question caught him off guard and he dropped a log on his toe. He looked over at Kitty, embarrassed. He picked up the log and placed it in the holder. "Yeah. Laremy's a good guy." Jessie responded. He cursed himself in his head.

"Yeah. He is striking. I don't think they'll be a good couple though." Kitty replied as she laid her crossword and pencil down.

He raised an eye brow. "Why not?" He asked, intrigued.

"I don't know. I just don't see it in their eyes. Especially, Valene's. I think she's physically attracted to him. Emotionally? No. I don't think it's because of her latest break-up either." The way Kitty was talking, Jessie wondered if she just wasn't talking aloud to herself and had forgotten he was even in the room.

She then looked up at him. "I think they make a purty good couple." Jessie remarked, trying to get her off the subject.

"I don't know. I know I haven't grown up around her, but I know when--I know when I see it--love at first site--" She smiled as she said it.

Jessie through a few new logs onto the fire. "That should be it." Jessie said wiping his palms against each other. He was glad he could finally leave. He suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.

"What do I owe you, Jessie?" Kitty asked standing up.

Jessie smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "You owe me nothing, Kitty. You should know that." He placed his hands over Kitty's. "You've already paid in full for the wood. You don't need to pay me." He smiled and kissed Kitty's hands. "Just give me a call when you need more." He walked to the door and smiled at her again before leaving.

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Kitty smiled as she heard Jessie's truck start up and leave. If she had seen any love at first site between anyone, it had been between Valene and Jessie. She had seen it when they came to the door.

She figured they were probably arguin', but all great romances and relationships began that way. It was all there in her romance novels. There was no relationship she hadn't read where the two argued first.

She noticed the way Jessie's face seemed to change when she was talking about Valene. She smiled. She might be old, but she wasn't stupid. She knew not only physical attraction, but she figured there was probably emotional as well. Might not be as strong as the physical, but it was there.

Kitty fixed herself a cup of tea and thought about it some more. She knew what it was like to fall in love...for real. She had, so it made her an expert on these things. She knew what she was looking at when she saw it.

She laughed at the thought of Jessie dropping the log onto his toe because she spoke of Valene's name. Like she had put earlier, she wasn't stupid. She knew what was going on, whether the two of them knew it yet or not.

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Valene laughed as Laremy told another joke. She had to put her ciggarette down and wipe her eyes. "Where do you find them?" She asked as she wiped the tears away.

Laremy laughed and placed his bottle of beer back onto the table. "I hear from around town, most of them, I get from Jessie. He's a heel."

Valene ran a hand through her hair as she calmed herself down. "That is the first time I've laughed like that in a long time. Thank you, Laremy."

"Any time." He picked up his bottle and took a swig from it.

They were eating at Bar and Grill, but the bar and the grill were seperated. One side of the building was the grill and the other was the bar. Both places were seperated by a wall and there were two seperate doors in front of the building.

Valene didn't remember having such a good time. "Valene, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

She took a drag from her ciggarette and released it slowly. She nodded and tapped the ashes into the tray.

"Okay, let me start off with saying that I'm twenty-six and that I'm an accountant. I have a younger sister, who's twenty-four, and she's a lawyer. She's a real outgoing..." She trailed off, trying to find the word.

"Spitfire?" Laremy suggested.

She looked up smiled and nodded. "A real outgoing spitfire. I think she works too much. She hasn't had a boyfriend since she was a junior in high school. It isn't that she isn't pretty, because she is, it's just that she works to damn much and too hard. She leaves at five in the morning to return at midnight. That is if she doesn't have anything planned." She took another drag of her ciggarette and released the smoke. "I also have a younger brother, twenty-one, who is a computer programmer. He's my dad if I ever saw one. I just lost my father and it's hard on him. They were close, just like I was with my mother. He's so stubborn and bullheaded. He has a girlfriend, but I don't know how long it's going to last." She shook her head and smiled. "That's Derek for you."

"What's your younger sister's name?" Laremy asked.

Valene had said Derek's, but had forgotten Nadine's. "Nadine. My mom had a thing for unusual names. For girls anyway. Valene and Nadine. She didn't want a name that twenty other girls had." She replied. She picked up her diet pepsi and took a sip.

"I'm sorry for the loss of your father." Laremy said solemnly.

She smiled. "It's all right. I'm trying to get past the shock part first." She looked up at him and grinned. "What about you? What's your story?"

He rubbed the bottom of his neck and looked out the window for a moment. "I'm thirty years old, and I'm the only child. I'm a cattle farmer like Jessie. Our farms are right next to each other. We've been friends since kindegarden.

"My ma died when I was ten, she got leukemia and back then, we didn't have all of this high tech stuff. My dad never remarried, though I wished he had. He was actually kinda dull, though he did things with me. He'd take me to baseball and football games. He died two years ago from a heart attack." He sighed and took another gulp of beer.

"I'm so sorry." Valene consoled. She placed a hand over his.

"It's all right. I took it better than what I thought. I figured it was his time. I figured it had been his time since my Ma died. I think God was just waiting until I could get on without him." Laremy placed his hat back on the table after he found himself toying with it.

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Laremy walked Valene back to the door. It was almost eleven thirty. They had gone to the local theatre and had watched an old black and white movie western. It had been fun.

Laremy noticed that he hadn't had this much fun since...well, he couldn't remember. "I had fun." He said as they reached the door. The front light was on and a lamp in the living room was still going, but the house, everywhere else, was dark.

"Me too. It was nice meeting you, Laremy." She reached up and kissed his cheek. She smiled and walked inside the house. "I'll see you later, Laremy."

"Country Lovin': Chapter Six"