Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program Big Valley are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the authors. The ideas expressed in this story are copywrited by the author.

This story contains graphic adult content. If you are under 18 please leave now!!

 

Pinch Hitter-By Sharon35

 

Nick rode his horse slowly toward the house on the edge of the Barkley Ranch, wishing he didn’t have to carry out this task. Not that he minded doing a favor for his mother; taking some preserves over to Jarrod’s wife wasn’t in itself such a hardship. And he’d left Heath in charge today, there were no pressing matters on the ranch that needed his attention.

No, the problem was that never in his life had he wanted to ram his dick into someone as badly as he wanted to ram it into his brother’s wife.

Effie. Just thinking about her usually made him get hard, and this time was no exception. She wasn’t the prettiest girl around. In fact, he knew for a fact that Jarrod had married her more for her mind than her face. She was a smart one. But what really made Nick get all hot and bothered was her luscious body. Even covered by clothes, there was no hiding those magnificent curves. Those tits…how did anyone walk around carrying such a huge weight in front of them? Nick smiled bitterly as he glanced down at his massive erection. I could ask the same thing about myself, he thought. And her nipples- no matter what she wore, they stuck out like two gems, staring him right in the face. It was all he could do to keep his eyes above her neck whenever he was around her.

He cursed himself, not for the first time, for thinking about his brother’s wife this way. And especially now, with Jarrod the way he was…..

It had been awful. On Jarrod’s and Effie’s wedding day, as they were coming out of the church right after the minister had pronounced them man and wife, no less. A man that Jarrod had put away for ten years back when he’d been acting district attorney had been fresh out of jail, ready for vengeance. He’d waited for the bride and groom outside the church and upon seeing them exit had started shooting. Jarrod had instinctively thrown his body over Effie’s to shield her from the hail of bullets, and had wound up taking one in the side of the head. Nick had been glad to see that he’d landed on the front of her body, those heavenly mounds breaking his fall, so that at least his last few moments of wakefulness might have been happy ones.

For Jarrod hadn’t been killed. No, it was worse than that. The bullet had been removed and there’d been only one lasting effect…the once active, graceful lawyer now lay in a coma, hadn’t moved a muscle since it happened. He and Effie had moved in with the family so that Jarrod could have constant care, their beautiful new home on the edge of the property left deserted and empty. The doctor hadn’t known when, if ever, the eldest Barkley son would wake up, and all they could do was wait…and wait…and wait. It could be tomorrow- or it could be never.

But the trials of caring for this horribly still man had taken their toll on his young wife. She was barely 18 years old, not prepared for such an exhausting task. Victoria had insisted that she take some time off and move into the new house, the house Jarrod had so lovingly designed, for a week to rest and recoup her energies. And that’s how it was that today, nearly three months to the day that the Jarrod they’d known had been taken from them forever, Nick found himself on his way to see his brother’s wife.

It hadn’t been easy living in the house with her these past three months. The sight of her body at all hours of the day had sent his dick into a tizzy. Many a time he’d had to leave the house and find a secluded tree behind which to take care of his painfully erect hard-on. Not since his teenage years had his hand been so intimately acquainted with his dick. He’d been relieved that she’d be away from the house for a week- yet here he was, about to see her again.

He sighed. With any luck, she’d be wearing some thick clothes- not that it would have mattered, though. A suit of armor couldn’t have made her body any less desirable to him. He decided to knock on the door, give her the preserves, and leave. No chitchat, and he’d make sure to look her in the eyes- and no lower than that.

He arrived at his brother’s home and dismounted. Walking slowly up the steps, he knocked on the door.



Effie checked the bathwater, glad to see that the temperature was just right. It would be heavenly for once to take a bath without one of Heath’s eleven children banging on the door. Couldn’t her brother-in-law have been just a little less fertile? Sheesh. She couldn’t wait to get in and soak her troubles away.

For troubles she had aplenty. For three months now they’d been waiting for Jarrod to wake up, but the doctors had told them to expect the worst: that he might very well stay in his vegetative state forever. Or he could wake up tomorrow. The injustice of it made her ill, and she truly missed her husband. It killed her to see him this way, and she didn’t know how much longer she’d be able to stand watching him as he was now. The break that her mother-in-law had insisted that she take couldn’t have come at a better time. She needed a vacation from her husband. And there was another reason, too shameful to even think about.

She needed to be away from Nick.

For ever since they’d been living in the same house, she’d become more and more aware of him. His lean, muscular body. The catlike grace with which he moved. That hair that always fell over his forehead and which she was constantly dying to push back into place. Even his loud brusqueness made insides turn to liquid, as it only showed what a powerful man he was, afraid of nothing. It was all the more attractive to her because she knew that deep down there wasn’t a kinder man on Earth than Nick Barkley.

She sighed as she took off her clothes. She’d thought that Jarrod was her one true love, and he would have stayed that way had fate not intervened. And since it had become painfully clear that she had probably lost her husband forever, she’d become more and more attracted to Nick. Just being around him made her breathe faster, made her heart pound in her chest like a railroad train gone amok. Every night the wetness on her drawers would both shame and excite her.

She finished undressing and looked at her naked body in the bathroom mirror. She’d always had devastatingly large breasts, and the boys had tried to touch them since she was twelve years old. Jarrod had been the first man to see beyond that, to see that there was more to her than a huge pair of mammaries.

But oddly enough, now she wanted someone to touch them. And that someone was Nick. She put her hands on her breasts, kneading them, rubbing her nipples, pretending that it was Nick’s large hands instead of her own. Predictably, the ache between her legs started, as it always did whenever she thought of her virile brother-in-law. She needed a man desperately, was so eager for someone to make her feel like a woman since for all intents and purposes she had no husband to do that job. And the only man she wanted now in that capacity was Nick.

She was too innocent to know how to relieve the ache between her legs with her own hand, so she satisfied herself for the moment by squeezing her breasts harder, watching as her nipples stood erect before tweaking them almost to the point of pain. At least she wouldn’t have to see him for the next week, she was relieved to realize. Maybe over the next seven days her heat for him would cool down. She doubted it, though.

The knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts. Annoyed that her bath would have to wait, she jerked on her robe and went to answer the door.



Effie opened the door and opened her mouth in surprise to see Nick standing there. “Nick, what-“

He interrupted her brusquely, trying to keep to his plan of no chitchat. “Mother sent over these preserves,” he said roughly. Though he really couldn’t hand them over to her, not just yet. The basket was hiding the enormous bulge in the front of his pants. Dammit, why’d she have to answer the door wearing THAT? Her thin summer robe did nothing to hide her breasts, her nipples, and try as he might, his eyes kept flickering down to her chest as though drawn by a magnet.

Effie, realizing how underdressed she was, pulled her robe more tightly around her.

Damn it all, Nick thought again. All her action had done was make her breasts even more prominent, her nipples strain even more tightly against the thin material. He could even see the large dark circles surrounding the pointy nubs. His erection was painful in its tumescence, and he realized he’d better leave and find a nice secluded tree- NOW.

“That’s real nice of you to bring them, Nick, and please thank your mother for me. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

Nick nodded, realizing that if he handed her the basket now, there’d be no hiding his predicament. Maybe if he could sit down for a minutes, he could think his dick down. He sat on the settee, holding the basket on his lap.

He realized too late that his plan had backfired. Watching her bustle around, getting things ready, only fueled his fire. Her trim little body had nice curvy hips and a lovely round little ass. DAMMIT!!! He’d have to leave now and hope for the best.

He got up, quickly moving behind a chair and said, “Sorry, Effie, I just realized I have to go. Got work to do, you know.”

Effie nodded, sorry to see him leave. “All right, Nick. I’ll be seeing you.” She couldn’t stop the tears that suddenly came to her eyes.

Nick looked at her, concerned. “Hey, now,” he said softly. “What’s this? Something wrong, Effie?”

She turned away, feeling silly. “It’s just the whole thing with Jarrod- oh, don’t mind me, I’m just a weepy female today.”

Kind Nick Barkley couldn’t bear to see anyone sad. “Hey, I understand. Come here,” he said, giving her a hug.

Immediately, he realized his stupidity. Damn my innate sense of goodness, he cursed himself. If there was any time to act like a jerk, it was now! Instead, her breasts were now pressed firmly against him, the nipples burning holes in his chest, even through her robe and his clothes. DAMN!

Effie’s arms were tightly around Nick. Oh, but he smelled good. A mixture of manly sweat and horses. Mmmmmm. Lost in the pleasurable moment, she didn’t even realize that she had shifted her position slightly, causing her breasts some wonderful friction against his chest. She sighed deeply, then opened her eyes wide. For pressed against her abdomen was the biggest, hardest bulge of maleness she could imagine. She’d thought Jarrod’s was big, but this…she knew she should move away but her feet might as well have been stuck in cement. It just felt too good, and maybe she could hold Nick tightly for just a moment longer before pulling away as if nothing had happened. The ache between her legs had gotten worse- or better, depending on one’s viewpoint.

Nick didn’t know what to do. Effie was driving him crazy, moving that way, and he thought his dick might well explode out of his pants. “Effie,” he said softly. He decided to come clean with her. She was a nice, kind, girl, and she’d understand. “Effie, we shouldn’t be holding eachother this way. I’m having sinful thoughts- thoughts I shouldn’t be having about my brother’s wife.” He feebly tried to push her away, but she remained glommed onto him like a second skin.

“I’ve been having those same thoughts, Nick,” she admitted. “I know it’s wrong, but…darn it, Nick, I’m a woman. I’m lonely.”

Well, he hadn’t expected her to say that! Still, he thought he ought to protest one more time. “I don’t want to take advantage of you, Effie.”

She shook her head. “You wouldn’t be, Nick, not a bit. The only thing is…Jarrod.” She looked at him worriedly.

Nick said firmly, “Effie, I know my brother- or what used to be my brother. He’d want us to comfort eachother, to take pleasure in one another. I’m sure of it.”

“I think you’re right, Nick,” she answered, smiling slightly now. “So what are we going to do about it?”

Nick laughed slightly. “I’ll show ya,” he said, as he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

 

They stood next to the bed as Nick put his arms around her and kissed her. He tried to keep it gentle, but he was so hot and bothered that his tongue was almost immediately plunged into her mouth, trying to reach every part of it. She moaned and opened her mouth wider, pushing her own wet tongue into his mouth. He groaned as her hand reached down and stroked his rock-hard dick through his pants. He quickly undid her robe and tossed it to the floor.

Effie moaned into Nick’s mouth as his large, skillful hands moved to her breasts and started kneading them, pushing them together and pulling them apart, over and over again. His fingers squeezed her hard, erect nipples that now resembled his mother’s sewing thimbles in size.

He gently pushed her down on the bed and hurriedly started taking off his clothes. Not a word passed between them as she lay on the bed, watching him, her legs slightly opened. He undid his buttons faster, anxious to dive into that lovely lush triangle which beckoned him.

Finally he got his pants off and his erection sprang out, causing Effie to gasp. So big…how would that ever fit inside her? He smiled slightly at her before lying down and covering her body with his. His tongue reclaimed its place in her mouth, his hands on her breasts, and both moved more quickly and eagerly than ever. Effie’s constant moans of pleasure and her fingernails clawing his back were fueling his fire, and he had to be careful not to explode right then and there- he wanted to make this last as long as possible. Already he could tell that this was going to be a fuck like no other. His erection lay sandwiched between them, waiting for the chance to ram this horny lass- but its master wanted to do a little more exploring first.

Finally, those magnificent breasts were his for the taking. He paid homage to the first mammoth nipple he could get into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, wetting it before blowing on it, making it stand even more firmly at attention. Effie’s moans got progressively louder as he continued, taking the nipple fully into his mouth and sucking firmly on it, just like a newborn babe. “Mmmmmm” he grunted with delight. Oh, it was indescribable. He sucked harder as Effie’s cries of pleasure grew even louder.

Nick moved one hand between Effie’s legs, the other hand still holding the breast whose nipple he was greedily sucking. His fingers teased her soft pubic hair before venturing onward into the wet folds covering her most secret place. He suddenly gasped, letting the glistening rosy teat fall out of his mouth.

“Jesus, you’re sopping wet,” he murmured in disbelief.

“Is that bad?” Effie asked worriedly, panting hard.

Nick smiled and shook his head. “No way,” he answered before moving to the other nipple and popping it into his mouth, sucking away. Effie let out a cry of pleasure as his finger found her most sensitive bud hidden between her straining thighs. He rubbed the wet little pea with an eager finger until it became engorged, all the while scissoring her pebbly nipple between his teeth. The combination of sensations in the two most erogenous parts of her body almost drove her over the edge. “Oh my-” she yelled- but Nick stopped, not wanting her to have her first-ever climax just yet.

“Nick, please, don’t stop!” she yelled desperately. She tried to push his finger back to her most special spot but he wouldn’t let her.

“Soon,” he said knowingly. “Remember, I’m in charge here.” She nodded helplessly, the pulsating little bud between her legs practically screaming for more attention.

Nick was about to bring her back to the edge again manually when suddenly the musky scent rising from between Effie’s legs was more than he could bear. He had to get himself some of that, and moved his head downward.

No, Effie thought. Surely he wasn’t going to…all rational thoughts flew out of her head as she sucked in her breath suddenly and grabbed at the sheet. His tongue was where his finger had just been a moment ago, its rough surface teasing the swollen bud, driving her absolutely wild. He reached up and squeezed her enormous breasts before turning his hands over and letting the hairy backs of his fingers rub against her erect nipples.

“Nooooo!” she yelled. “I can’t take any more, it’s just too good!”

Nick looked up from his position between her legs. “All right, I’ll stop then,” he teased.

“Don’t you dare!” she shouted, shoving his head back into her sopping muff. He held onto her bent legs for support, even as they bucked wildly next to his head. His tongue rubbed her now fully engorged bud harder and harder, faster and faster, and she suddenly reached up and grabbed her own breasts, squeezing the nipples to add to her excitement. His tongue wouldn’t stop, and as he gently took the tiny swollen knob between his teeth and sucked on it, she felt a strange, frightening sensation starting.

“Nick, something’s happening!’ she shouted, scared.

“Let it!” he shouted back, sucking even harder on the little pea. Her hands moved more urgently across her breasts as the pulsating spasms finally washed over her.

“AAAAHHHHHH!” she screamed. “AAAAAHHHHH!” Her body bucked even harder and Nick had a hard time keeping his tongue on her clit, but he managed. He’d had enough years of practice. Soon he was drowning in her honey, trying desperately not to come himself as the spasms kept washing over her body.

It was the longest female orgasm he’d ever been a party to, and her screams of pleasure were threatening to send him over the edge. His dick was fairly twitching with its desire to get inside her wet, velvety cave, and he quickly climbed up and laid his body over hers. Deciding to give her one last bit of teasing, he rubbed the tip of his cock against her still-swollen bud, up and down, up and down. Her eyes closed as another spasm washed over her, and she gave one final hoarse scream as he got ready to enter her.

He was advancing steadily when suddenly he stopped, unable to go any further. “Effie?” he asked questioningly.

She was breathing hard, but managed to get out a few words. “We’d just been married when Jarrod was shot,” she panted. “We never had a chance to…”

At this, Nick was unsure whether to continue. The thought that she was still a virgin made his desire to fuck her that much greater. He’d deflowered girls before, but never one this eager, this excited, this drenched with her own juices. But would it be right for him to make his sister-in-law a full-fledged woman? Effie sensed his hesitation and ran her hands down to his tight ass, pressing in firmly with her fingers.

“Please, Nick,” she moaned desperately. “I want you to be the one. Please, hurry!”

He positioned his cock at the entrance to the promised land and went on in. He started pushing slowly, gently against the wall of her virginity. She suddenly cried out in pain, and he sought to soothe her, to take her mind off it even as he continued to carefully nudge his way in. “Effie,” he said huskily, “do you know how beautiful you are?” He laid several kisses on her face and neck.

She shook her head, struggling to talk through the pain. “I know I’m not,” she said.

“Oh, but you are,” Nick insisted. “Where it counts.” Your massive tits. “On the inside. And you know, you’re not hard to look at, either.” He smiled broadly at her.

She looked at him gratefully, her pain forgotten. “Thank you, Nick,” she said. “Oh, my…” and suddenly, the pain was replaced by a much better feeling, one that only got better the more Nick moved back and forth inside of her. She picked up his rhythm and started rocking with him. “You like that, do you?” Nick asked tenderly. She nodded as her body writhed with pleasure. “Pick up your legs a bit,” he instructed. She obeyed, and instantly it felt even better as his cock was able to plunge more deeply inside her.

He was trying to go slowly, wanting to be gentle seeing as how it was her first time, but it wasn’t easy- her hands were on his ass pressing him, urging him on, and finally she whispered, “Harder, Nick, HARDER!”

He complied, ramming his dick into her as hard as he could. She seemed to like it rough, and he continued to pound himself into her, so hard that his balls kept slamming satisfyingly against her with each thrust. “Yes, Nick, YES!!” she kept yelling, holding him tightly.

Nick groaned with pleasure, this was just too damn good, she was so damn tight- tight and wet. He couldn’t remember the last time the inside of a woman had felt so amazing. He groaned even louder as she finally put her legs around his waist and clamped her inner muscles tightly around his throbbing cock. “OHHHH,” he moaned again, diving even deeper into her velvety tunnel, moving faster, more urgently.

He wished it could last forever, but knew it couldn’t. He’d kept his erection up this whole mindblowing time, and now it was getting to be too much for him. The combination of her delicious tightness and wetness, the sight of those huge nipples staring at him that he kept bending down to suck, this eager virgin’s movements beneath him…and yes, the fact that he was fucking his brother’s wife added just the right amount of delicious naughtiness to it all, and he could finally control his dick no longer.

“OHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” he shouted loudly as he finally pumped his hot seed into her, over and over again. He was rewarded with another scream from Effie as well, her shuddering climax drawing the last drop of love juice from his still-hard cock. He collapsed on top of her and lay there for a moment before rolling off to the side. They lay there, breathing heavily from their exertions.

Nick felt his eyes starting to close. This was the first time in ages he’d been tired enough after sex to fall asleep immediately. Damn, the master cocksman thought, but if he’d ever had a better fuck than this one, he couldn’t remember it. He looked at the girl next to him and smiled, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her close to him, spooning himself against her back.

Effie turned her head slightly. “What now, Nick?” she asked, feeling happier than she could ever remember.

“Now, Effie…now we take a nap,” Nick said, feeling deliciously lazy. It wasn’t long before sleep overtook them both.

 

Effie awoke later feeling wonderfully rested and ready for more fun with her favorite brother-in-law. She hoped he felt the same way as she was eager to have him inside of her again as soon as possible. Her wondering came to an end as she suddenly felt his once-again hard and ready cock pressing against her back. His hand moved to her breasts and began caressing them, squeezing them, rubbing the nipples until they were once again stiff and erect. Effie moaned softly, feeling that lovely achy wetness start between her legs again.

She turned over and looked at her bed partner. Nick lay there, a smile starting on his handsome face. She reached up and pushed back the dark hair that had fallen so charmingly over his forehead. Looking into his warm hazel eyes, she smiled back at him.

“Sleep well?” he asked in a soft, husky voice.

She nodded. “How about you?” she asked.

Nick propped himself up on an elbow, his hand moving more urgently over her breasts. “Never better,” he answered, lightly squeezing a nipple before bending down to briefly take it in his mouth. Effie gasped with pleasure. “But I’m up now,” he said teasingly.

Effie looked down at his enormous erection and nodded. “In more ways than one, I’d say,” she laughed, reaching down to stroke the length of his shaft. Nick groaned as he lay back and let her play with him.

He’s so beautiful, Effie thought, cupping his full, tight balls in her hand. She’d never thought to describe a man as beautiful before, but he certainly was. He’d been created to perfection. She moved up and lay on top of him, putting her mouth over his as their tongues reacquainted themselves, her large breasts pressed between them. All the while she held firmly onto his magnificent cock, moving her hand up and down, feeling every bit of it. Nick made another noise of pleasure before moving his hands upward and stroking the sides of her breasts with the backs of his fingers.

Their kiss became hotter, their bodies became more eager for eachother. Their movements quickened slightly, and Effie moved over Nick’s body, letting her stiff nipples graze his chest. Seeing the pleasure on his face, she continued her movements, enjoying how good it felt as her hard buds rubbed and teased him. Something made her take the rock-hard cock in her hand and rub it gently against her nipples. She sighed with pleasure before moving back up and pressing her breasts against him once more.

Suddenly Nick grabbed her firmly around the waist. His voice was strangled as he said, “Effie- I’ve got to have you again- right now.”

She eagerly nodded her agreement and started to move off of him so that he could get on top of her. But Nick held her waist even more firmly, not letting her move. “No,” he ordered.

Effie looked at him questioningly. “No?” she asked, not understanding at first.

He shook his head, smiling slightly. He pushed her back so that she was once again fully on top of him, and suddenly Effie understood. She moved back and raised her ass over his dick, holding it, trying to put it inside her. But Nick interrupted her again.

“Seems to me I remember something you liked before we did it last time,” he said wickedly.

Effie blushed. “Yes,” she breathed. And before she got too embarrassed, she rubbed the tip of his cock against her slowly expanding clit, closing her eyes. Her body moved back and forth as she got lost in the wonderful sensation, and she would have come again soon had Nick not suddenly removed his dick from her hand. Her eyes flew open and she looked at him, tortured.

“Soon,” Nick promised, putting a finger to her wet and swollen bud, making her gasp before he teasingly took his hand away and guided his cock into her velvety folds.

“OH!” Effie couldn’t help exclaiming as she instinctively moved up and down. This was even better than before, and she started moving faster, moving so that each of Nick’s thrusts were as deep as possible. “OH!”

Nick was enjoying himself, watching the girl he still thought of as an innocent virgin, despite her recent deflowering, ride him as she moaned louder and louder. Damn but she still felt wonderfully tight, and he put his hands on her hips to help her land firmly on his dick each time.

Effie moved faster, feeling that things were spinning wonderfully out of control. She leaned over and grabbed onto the bed’s headboard, her pendulous breasts swinging below her. “Ow!” Nick cried. He’d just taken a nipple in the eye.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Effie said, dismayed. “They’re just too big, I know!”

But Nick shook his head, his pain forgotten at the sight of those two luscious mounds swinging right above his face, the stiff, erect buds again bringing to mind his mother’s sewing thimbles. Or maybe oversized pencil erasers. “No, no,” he reassured her. “They’re perfect.” He reached up to hold a breast in each hand, kneading and caressing the soft globes. Not if he lived to be 100 would he get tired of these tits, no way.

As his sister-in-law continued riding him, up and down, he grasped her breasts firmly and pulled one of the mammoth nipples into his mouth, letting his tongue play over it before sucking hard on it. To Effie’s delight, he suddenly removed his hand from her other breast and moved it down until it was resting between her legs, massaging her engorged bud even as she continued to ride him.

“OH!” Effie cried yet again. She didn’t know how much longer she’d last. Once again, he had her nipples and her most sensitive bud tingling crazily, and it wasn’t long before that feeling started again- but this time she knew what was coming and the anticipation sent her over the edge. “AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” she screamed even louder than during her first orgasm. “AAAAAAHHHHHH!”

Nick winced and almost put his hands over his ears, but that would have meant removing them from more pleasurable activities- much more important than a silly thing like his hearing.

He thought about continuing to fuck her while she was on top, but he suddenly had the urge to be over her, to be thrusting down deep into her. He sat up and carefully moved so that he was on top of her, making sure to stay inside Effie’s warm wetness the whole time. She, meanwhile, was still weak and shuddering from her thunderous climax, and offered no resistance.

He got on his knees and lifted her underneath her supple thighs so he could pound himself even deeper into her. He thrust quickly, breathing hard, and upon seeing that Effie was about to come again, he stopped, slowing down, making her moan with frustration. “Faster, Nick!” she begged.

But Nick shook his head, smiling slightly. “Uh uh. Patience,” the master cocksman commanded.

Effie closed her eyes as Nick continued to move slowly, in and out of her. How he wanted to ram her with all he had and explode right then and there- but he made himself be patient, knowing it would be better this way. Finally he started moving more quickly, harder, until both he and Effie were panting heavily, right at the edge when…he slowed down again. Effie almost screamed with frustration. She tried to move more quickly against him but he wouldn’t let her.

He moved even slower than the last time, even as his dick was throbbing for more. In and out, in and out, driving both of them mad until he finally picked up the pace. Effie’s movements matched his own, and they rocked crazily together, Nick’s thrusts harder than ever until he finally allowed both of them to scream as they drowned in one big shuddering climax.

Nick lay atop Effie for a moment, then rolled off to the side.

He put his arm around her and kissed her shoulder. “Oh, Effie.”

But Effie lay quietly, deep in thought. His lips still on her shoulder, Nick asked, “Effie? Something wrong?”

She turned over so that she lay facing him. “I feel guilty, Nick.” When he started to protest, she shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. I feel guilty…because I DON’T feel guilty. It’s like you said before- Jarrod would have wanted us to be together while he’s…but still, Nick, shouldn’t I feel bad…”

Nick shook his head. “No, you shouldn’t. Because I’ll tell you again, Jarrod would have given us his blessing. And you know how I know that? Because if it was me, laying in that bed not moving for three months, maybe forever, I would hope that Jarrod would go ahead and give my wife some satisfaction. That’s how close we are, me and him, and there’s not a single doubt in my mind that he’d want this.”

“I still love him, you know,” Effie said softly.

“And you should,” Nick said, nodding emphatically. “Look, the minute Jarrod comes back to us, you and I’ll go back to being like brother and sister- a hug here and there and maybe a peck on the cheek at Christmas.” He gently stroked her thigh. “You know that if Jarrod hadn’t been shot, I never would have…I’d never betray my brother that way, you know me better than that, Effie.”

She nodded, putting her arm around him. “I know, Nick. You’re a wonderful, honorable man.” She smiled. “All you Barkley boys are.”

He smiled back. “Sure we are.” Seeing that the shadows were lengthening, he started getting up. “I’d better get home or they’ll start wondering where I am,” he said, putting on his pants.

Effie lay there, enjoying the sight of him getting dressed. As he was buckling his gunbelt, she got up and put her robe on. They walked to the door, and Nick turned to take her in his arms once more and kiss her goodbye.

“When will I see you again, Nick?” she asked shyly, not wanting to seem pushy. Maybe he didn’t have any intentions of coming over that often…

“Well, lets see,” Nick said, screwing up his forehead, thinking hard. “There’s a cattle auction in Modesto, should keep me away for two or three days.” At her long face, he broke into a smile. “At least, that’s what I’ll be telling the family. Think they’ll buy it?”

Effie smiled back and put her arms around him. “They’d better,” she said into his chest.



Nick walked into the house and was greeted by his mother. “Where’ve you been all day?” she asked.

“Oh, I had things to do,” he answered evasively.

Victoria nodded. “Did you give Effie that jar of preserves?”

Nick nodded. “Oh, yeah, I gave it to her, all right.”

“Good,” his mother answered, turning away before he could see her satisfied grin. Thank goodness, she thought. Her rosebushes around the tree he kept going to when he thought no one noticed were dying off day by day. She’d had to do something!



Three days later, Nick limped into the house. All these years of doing back-breaking ranch work- nothing had prepared him for the marathon of bedroom antics with his eager sister-in-law. Maybe he’d take tomorrow off and recoup his strength. My, but she was a lively one. He couldn’t help smiling even through his exhaustion. All he wanted to do now was go straight to bed…HIS bed…ALONE…and JUST SLEEP.

As he walked up the stairs he heard the sounds of laughter and talking…wait, was that JARROD’s voice? He raced up the stairs to see his brother sitting up in bed, surrounded by the family, Heath’s 11 children jumping all over the room.

“Jarrod!” he yelled, going over and giving his brother a hug. “It’s a miracle!”

His brother nodded. “From what everyone’s been telling me, I’d say you’re right, brother.” He eased his legs over the sight of the bed and stood up a bit shakily. “I’d love to stay and chat with you, but I’m dying to see my wife. Where is she?”

Not noticing that his mother was watching him carefully, Nick answered, “Oh, she’s been over at your place this week, Jarrod, taking a little time for herself.”

Jarrod nodded. “Good for her. Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I’m going to get dressed. Audra, why don’t you ride over and bring Effie here?”

As they left the bedroom, everyone in high spirits, Nick thought of how wonderful it was that his brother had come back to them. He realized that this would be the end of his and Effie’s dalliance, but all he could do was shrug his shoulders.

Easy come, easy go.

 

THE END

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