As Kay came down the walkway she spied her aunt and uncle immediately. Even at 72 her uncle was still a very good looking man. He was tall, tan, and robust looking, even if she didn’t know better she would have guessed her uncle to be in his late 50's. Her aunt was a bundle of smiles with open arms that always made you feel welcomed and loved.
This was the first time that Kay had ever been to Florida, the heat and humidity were a shock to her system. The short walk from the airport terminal to the parking lot already had her long hair wet with the moisture in the air. She was going to have to put her hair in a pony tail or at least put it up in this kind of heat. Her mother was constantly on her about getting her hair cut. She told her at 46 years old she was to old to be wearing her hair that long.
Her uncle tossed her bags into the rear of the Bronco he was driving and helped her and her aunt into the vehicle. “It’s about time you got yourself down here to visit us outlaw. Hell, your aunt and I ain’t got much time left on this earth as it is. If you’d have waited much longer you would have been visiting us at our damn grave side girl,” he told her smiling at her.
Ever since she was a little girl her uncle had called her his little outlaw, as did his eleven brothers and sisters. Her aunt was the only one who called her Kay Marie, she was after all named after her. “Aunt Kay how have you put up with him all these years?”
“Well dear it hasn’t been easy, but if I let him think he’s always right then we never had need to argue.”
“Don’t believe it! Every time she was getting ready to lay into me for something I would just grab her, give her a big kiss and she’d melt in my arms and forget what she was mad at me for,” he told her winking at her.
They were still laughing when they pulled into the drive of their charming little house. Her aunt showed her to her room and Kay unpacked her things. Kay stood looking out the french doors of her room into the back yard. It still looked the same as it did in all her family photos she had of them. The orange and grapefruit trees were still there, along with the lemon and lime trees along the fence row to the right of her bedroom. Two Palm trees were at the far end of the garden near a small man made pond.
Her uncle was yelling at her down the hall telling her to get a move on it. They were going to spend the weekend at an old friend of her uncles, on his ranch. Kay had met George many times over the years when he and uncle Chuck had brought horses up north that George had been training for one person or another on the harness racing circuit.
“Come on slow poke, get your bag down here and let’s be on our way. George will think something has happened to us and send a posse out looking for us if we don’t get a move on it,” he was yelling down the hall.
Before Kay was barely out of the car George had her in a big bear hug.“So you finally got your fanny down here to visit us,” planting a big kiss on her cheek. “It’s so nice to see you again George. You haven’t changed a bit since the last time you and uncle Chuck came north.” George was her uncles age and looked every bit as fit and healthy. Aunt Kay had written her a few years ago telling her that George’s wife had died of cancer. They never had any kids and he had been an only child.
“Roper!......Roper get yourself over here boy I want you to meet someone.”
Kay turned around to see a tall man dressed in a tight pair of jeans, a khaki colored t-shirt rolled up at the sleeves, with a light tan colored cowboy hat coming their way. As he got closer Kay could see he was nice looking as well and he had mustache and goatee that just enhanced his looks as far as she was concerned.
“Roper I want you to meet Kay, this is Chuck and Kay’s niece from up north. Kay this is Roper my foreman and long time friend,” George said introducing them to each other.
He shook her hand that she had offered as George introduced her. “So I finally get to meet the “outlaw” these two always talked about when they came back from their trips,” he smiled as he shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you ma’am.”
He had a firm grip and Kay liked that, she hated it when men shook her hand in a wimpy delicate manner. She had gotten a little electric shock as their hands touched. “Sorry,” she smiled up at him, “must have some static in me from sliding across the seat when I got out.”
“Roper would you help Kay take her things to her room, she’s in the room across from yours. Soon as you freshen up missy come on down, your aunts already in the kitchen with Betty getting things ready for the big bash tonight and she said to steer you her way when you got back down here.”
Roper led her up a flight of stairs and down a long hall, he stopped at the end of the hall and opened the door to her room taking her case inside and sitting it beside the huge bed in the center of the room. He walked across the room and opened another door showing her the private bathroom. “I’ll be out front when you get ready,” he put a finger to his hat bowing his head a little as he closed the door.
The house was huge and Kay was a little surprised by that considering George never had any kids. While she unpacked and washed up her mind was thinking nasty little thoughts. She felt an instant attraction to Roper when she shook his hand, she had felt a nervous little twitch in her stomach pulling at her. It had been a long time since she had felt that pull of desire in her.