Real Love Read online

  “Alicia, did you like working with the colt?” Sophia asked as Alicia met her coming out of the barn.

  “I did. He’s a sweetheart.”

  “I would like to give him to you and teach you how to train him.”

  “Give me a horse? Why would you do that? He’s a very valuable animal.” Alicia stopped abruptly, shock registered on her face.

  “Yes, he is and he’s yours. I’ll help you train him. We’ll work with him every other day for a couple of hours until he gets a little older and then we’ll have to put in more time.”

  “But I don’t know anything about horses,” protested Alicia.

  “You know enough to give them affection and love and that’s what youngsters need. Once he trusts you, training will be simple.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Alicia felt tears fill her eyes.

  “Thanks works,” Sophia grasped Alicia’s hand.

  “Sophia, I’m honored. I don’t know how I can thank you enough.” Alicia threw her arms around Sophia, hugging her closely.

  “Honey, you’re a part of our family. You don’t have to say another word. We love you.”

  Alicia wept silently as Sophia held her securely in her arms. She had always wanted another daughter, and Alicia was as much her daughter as Sheri and Rhea. “Come on. Let’s go get a bite to eat. It’s almost five and since August and Rhea won’t be here for dinner we can eat early. It will bug the hell out of Mommo if we eat in the kitchen with her.”

  Alicia started to laugh as Sophia tucked her arm in Alicia’s and walked back to the house. “You just love doing something that no one expects.”

  Sophia grinned mischievously at her. “It keeps everybody on their toes.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “I have another favor to ask of you.” Sure.

  “I would like you to have a showing ol all the illustrations that you’ve done since you arrived in Australia. The Chamber of Commerce in Sydney is interested in artwork of the bush and ranch life in Australia. I’ve told them about your work and they’re interested in showing it during the October city celebration.

  “Wow! Why would they be interested in my work?”

  “Because I told them it accurately portrays the Australian way of life.”

  “You must have a lot of influence.”

  Sophia chuckled. “I do. So, what do you say? Are you interested?”

  “Hell, yes!” Alicia bubbled over with excitement.

  “Good. We’ll talk more about it later. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.

  “So am I.” Alicia was also a little overwhelmed at everything that had happened in the last couple of days. She was very emotional and needed to see Rhea.

  “You might want to put an ice bag on your tattoo tonight. It’s going to hurt like hell.”

  “It already does.”

  “Take some ice out of the freezer when Mommo’s not looking and she’ll never know.” Sophia grinned as they entered the back door in to the kitchen.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Honey, let’s get you into bed.” Rhea bent over and touched Alicia’s face softly. She was sound asleep on the couch. She looked so beautiful and so perfect, Rhea hated to disturb her.

  “Hi, baby, I waited up for you. I must’ve fallen asleep.” Alicia’s eyes were heavy lidded as she slowly sat up.

  “It’s late, sweetie. It’s after eleven. We were held up at the cargo office.” Rhea sat down next to Alicia.

  “You must be exhausted.”

  “I am. I thought I would take a quick shower and drag myself into bed. Why don’t you go get in bed and I’ll meet you there?”

  Rhea stood up and Alicia’s eyes traced her slim body, sheathed in well-worn jeans. “You are so sexy. I missed you last night.”

  “How was the ceremony?”

  “Beautiful and moving.”

  “Where did you get your tattoo?” Rhea grinned. Alicia had already seen hers. It was on her left shoulder.

  “On my hip, right here.” Alicia’s finger touched her right hip. “Want to see it?”

  Rhea’s eyes lit up as she watched her girlfriend pull her nightgown up over her head until she stood nude in front of her. Rhea groaned appreciatively as she gazed at her gorgeous girlfriend. The tattoo stood out on her hip against the pale skin. The fact that Alicia had not questioned going off with Mommo and that she had fully participated in the sacred ceremony was terribly meaningful to Rhea. She dropped to her knees in front of Alicia and kissed the tender skin before nuzzling her lips against the very center of Alicia. Alicia’s

  lingers clasped Rhea’s head as Rhea stroked her tongue against Alicia’s wet center. Alicia’s head fell back as Rhea’s fingers moved deep inside her and paralyzed her with pleasure.

  “Oh, my God…” Alicia slid to the carpet as she shivered into an orgasm. Rhea’s tongue continued to probe Alicia until she exploded again and trembled in ecstasy.

  “I love you, Alicia, more and more every day. My life would be so empty without you in it. I will need you for the rest of my life.”

  “I need you, too. I love you, Rhea. You are my heart.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  “I already said yes with all my heart.”

  “I asked my dad tonight if we could have a commitment ceremony here at the ranch and he said he and Mom would be honored.” Rhea began to weep softly. “I thought we could be married this fall.”

  Alicia rolled to her knees bringing Rhea up with her. They knelt face to face, and she placed her hands on Rhea’s tear streaked face. “I’ll marry you in the fall in front of your family, and I will love you for the rest of your life and longer.”

  Slowly Alicia unbuttoned Rhea’s shirt, lowered it from her shoulders and dropped it to the floor. She then removed her bra and stood up bringing Rhea to her feet next to her. Silently she smiled at her lover as she unzipped her jeans and pulled them down her muscular legs removing them and her socks. Rhea stood in front of her majestically, completely naked and striking in her beauty.

  “You are so damn beautiful.” Alicia ran her hands up Rhea’s ribs and cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples with her thumbs. Her mouth bent and covered one nipple drawing it into her hot mouth. While Alicia’s mouth teased Rhea’s breasts her hands stroked her thighs and buttocks until Rhea was shaking in anticipation.

  Her hand cupped Rhea, and her sensuous touch made Rhea cry out against Alicia’s shoulder. The feel of her skin sliding against Rhea’s was electrifying. Her fingers barely touched Rhea’s moist center, but it was enough to trigger an explosion of heat and pleasure so intense that Rhea’s knees buckled. Alicia’s mouth covered Rhea’s in a kiss so full of passion and love it shook both of them to their cores.

  The two women descended slowly to the floor, arms around each other, faces touching as they tried to calm their wildly racing hearts. It was several long minutes before Alicia stood up and held out her hand to Rhea. Rhea joined her and kissed Alicia’s fingers before following her to the bed. They settled under the covers and clasped each other gently as they closed their eyes

  and drifted off to sleep. Both women slept heavily through the night, exhausted and comfortable, sated with love.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Come on, Alicia. You look perfect.” Alicia was looking at herself in the mirror having changed her outfit for the third time.

  “I have to look perfect. These are your parents’ friends and neighbors.” Alicia had been nervous all day anticipating the barbeque that evening.

  “Honey, you could wear nothing and you would be perfect.”

  Alicia’s exasperated look was enough to wipe the smile off Rhea’s face. She had no trouble choosing a pair of clean jeans, a bright red blouse, and her favorite cowboy boots. Her hair was tied back in a youthful ponytail. Alicia decided upon a long dress, bright yellow in color, with a pair of leather boots and her choice of distinctive scarves around her waist. She had pinned her hair up on her head in a loose jumble of curls that
Rhea longed to run her fingers through. She’d been warned twice not to touch Alicia’s hair. She looked incredibly appealing and beautiful.

  “I mean it, sweetie, you look absolutely fantastic, but if we don’t go downstairs now, Dad’s going to come drag us out.”

  “Okay.” Alicia looked once more and sighed. She wanted the night to be perfect.

  The two women reached the foot of the stairs in time to meet Ted and Sheri coming in the front door. Ted was dressed in his usual jeans but wore a dressy, western style shirt in honor of the event. Sheri wore a leather slit skirt and vest, looking every bit the rancher’s wife.

  “Alicia, you look gorgeous,” Sheri commented as she hugged her. She could tell by Alicia’s face how nervous she was and she hadn’t forgotten the first party she had attended with Ted.

  “Thanks, I like your outfit.”

  “It’s perfect for dancing. I’m going to make Ted dance with me all night.”

  Ted rolled his eyes and groaned as Rhea poked him in the ribs. “Better you than me, Sheri. Ted’s always been a rotten dancer.”

  “No worse then you.”

  “Children, children behave.” Sophia came out of the living room with August. “You’d think we raised hooligans, Aug.”

  “We did.” August looked stately in a pair of dark grey slacks and white shirt, his cowboy boots polished to a sheen. Sophia was wearing a long dress that flowed around her, a bright shimmering blue swirl, her leather boots brown and stylish. “Let’s go greet the guests.”

  The six of them exited the house, and Alicia gasped when she saw the crowd of people milling about in the yard. Huge tents and been put up along with many tables, and a wooden platform had been erected for dancing. Three large barbeques had been rolled out and were smoking away with slabs of meat on them. Everywhere there were tubs filled with ice, beer, pop, and water, and kids were laughing and darting merrily through the crowd.

  “How many people are here?”

  “Let’s see, probably close to two hundred. Not everyone has arrived yet. It takes awhile to get here.” August surveyed the crowd as the party ambled over to the tent area.

  “Where are they all from?”

  “Most of the people work on the ranch, some are from neighboring ranches.”

  Alicia barely had a chance to speak as she was introduced to no less than fifty people before they made it to the tent. Her mind was swimming with names and faces as she smiled and responded. Rhea seemed to know everyone and dispensed hugs and handshakes to all. She was handed a newborn baby to hold for a moment. Thankfully, Sheri stayed by Alicia’s side so that she didn’t get completely overwhelmed. Everyone wanted to meet Alicia and for some reason she was inundated with nerves.

  “Sheri, I’ll never remember all their names,” she whispered as another crowd introduced themselves to her.

  “Honey, don’t worry about it. You’ll get to know them. Relax and have some fun. Let’s get something to drink and make Ted dance with us.”

  The band had started to play lively country music and the platform filled immediately with dancers. August and Sophia were dancing the two-step along with several other couples.

  “Sheri, I don’t know how to dance like that.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll loam.” But…

  “Alicia, you’re a member of this family. We love you whether you can dance or not. Come on.”

  That was the last time Alicia worried about anything. She was whirled and twirled on the dance floor by August, Ted, and many other men that worked on the ranch. She and Rhea ate plates of ribs, corn, and huge helpings of potato salad before dancing some more. Her sides hurt from laughing, and she relaxed and enjoyed herself completely. Her natural friendliness and personality sparkled as she began to feel a part of the crowd. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t remember everyone’s names. They just reintroduced themselves and then swung her around the dance floor again.

  Even Mommo stood swaying to the music, as she watched the dancers. She refused to get out on the dance floor but she obviously enjoyed the music because her bare feet tapped in the dirt, her skirt moving back and forth rhythmically. Alicia finally took a break and stood next to her watching the dancers, while Rhea went to get more ice. It was four in the afternoon, and the barbeque had been going on for three hours, but Alicia needed a rest from the festivities. She slid her arm around Mommo’s ample waist and was content to stand and observe.

  Rhea stepped through the barn door and went to the large ice bin. She would grab a few bags and make sure they had enough to fill the ice buckets.

  “Well, well, the prodigal daughter returns to the ranch.”

  Rhea froze. She knew that voice very well. She turned and stared at the woman she hadn’t seen for so many years—one she knew very well.

  “Leann, how are you?”

  “I’m just fine, and from what I can see you are just as gorgeous as ever.”

  Leann was a tall, well-built redhead, with a huge appetite for women. She was the daughter of a neighboring rancher and the girl that Rhea had fallen in love with while preparing to attend college in Sydney. It was Leann who had seduced Rhea one weekend during a similar party at her father’s ranch, and Rhea had fallen in love for the very first time. There was only one problem: Leann had been engaged to be married. Throughout the summer they made love often, stealing off into the brush away from prying eyes whenever they could.

  It was Leann who had snuck into Rhea’s room one hot night and that had been caught by Sophia early that morning, naked and asleep, wrapped around one another. The only person in Rhea’s life who knew about her attraction to

  women was Mommo. She had accepted Rhea without question but had kept the information to herself. Neither of Rhea’s parents had a clue until that moment. In one night Rhea’s life had changed dramatically. August had been furious and had given Rhea an ultimatum: Give up Leann or leave. Rhea couldn’t give up her first love and she had screamed at her father until there was nothing more to say.

  She left the very next day expecting Leann to join her in Sydney as they had hastily planned. Leann had other ideas and she kept making excuses to Rhea until she finally admitted she would not be moving to Sydney. She was going to be married by the end of the summer to a wealthy rancher in the area. Rhea had been devastated. Not only had Leann broken her heart, but also Rhea no longer spoke to her father, and her relationship with her mother was fragile. It had taken many months before Rhea had stopped grieving over the loss of her first love, and she had never stopped grieving for the loss of her family.

  Rhea sighed as she stared at Leann. She was still very beautiful, dressed in faded jeans and a green silk shirt tucked in to show off her small waist and exceptional cleavage. She had long legs that stayed in shape because she was a championship horse jumper. “You look great, Leann. How are you?”

  “Good—divorced and wealthy. How about you? I heard you brought a cute little city girl back with you.” Leann sauntered over to Rhea, her green eyes flashing as she flirted boldly.

  “Alicia Manor is my partner.”

  “Alicia, what a sweet little name. I saw her dancing. She’s a tiny thing, isn’t she?”

  “She’s a smart, talented artist.” Rhea didn’t like the way Leann talked about Alicia.

  “Whoa, a little protective aren’t you? Do you still like to fuck in the barn?” Leann moved to within inches of Rhea. “Do you remember how you used to get so hot you couldn’t wait for me to fuck you? I’ve never been with a woman who liked it as much as you did. I miss that.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had many opportunities.” Rhea backed away from her.

  “But I remember you so fondly. I wouldn’t mind getting my fingers inside you again.”

  Rhea couldn’t prevent the rush of heat, but she also felt disgust well up inside her. “Shut up, Leann. I’m not interested.”

  “Your flushed face tells me you are.” Leann insinuated her body against Rhea’s in invitation. “Come on, lover, who’d hav
e to know?”

  “I’m not interested.” Rhea pushed Leann away and stalked out of the barn, the ice forgotten.

  Alicia saw Rhea exit the barn, her face (lushed, and then she saw the tall, redhead slip out behind her. She didn’t know what to think as Rhea approached her obviously upset.

  “Honey, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing, sweetie,” Rhea smiled weakly, trying to ignore the anger that just waited to explode.

  “Who was that woman you were talking to?”

  Rhea looked at Alicia and sighed loudly. She would have to explain who Leann was sooner or later. “Come on, honey. Let’s go find a table. I need to talk to you.”

  Alicia and Rhea found a relatively quiet spot and sat down. Alicia watched Rhea carefully as she waited for her to speak. “Alicia, I told you about my first lover, the one that Mom found me with?”

  “Yes, it was when your dad kicked you out.”

  “She’s here. Her name is Leann.”

  “The redhead that was in the barn with you?”

  “Yes.” Alicia waited for Rhea to volunteer more. “She lives on her father’s ranch about four hours away. I just wanted you to know she was here.”

  Alicia pressed Rhea’s hand. “Did it hurt to see her?”

  Rhea’s eyes filled with tears as she registered what Alicia had said. “Oh honey, I love you. And no, it didn’t hurt me at all. She pissed me off.”

  “Why?”

  “Because…”

  “She wanted to sleep with you,” Alicia spoke softly, her eyes locked on Rhea’s face.

  “How do you do that?” Rhea snorted as she fidgeted next to her lover.

  Alicia smiled up at her. “She’d be nuts not to want to sleep with you, you’re sexy as hell.”

  Rhea dropped her forehead against Alicia’s and laughed. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.”