Disclaimer: This story belongs to me, there is no direct reference to X:WP, but the tall dark-haired woman with piercing blue eyes reminds me furiously of someone... and the lean-muscled younger blonde too... somehow... *wink*

Warnings: Subtext, main text and all... no violence .. no graphic sex although that is implied too.. And if consensual sex (although not graphic) between two women in love bothers you, then move along, this story isn't for ya! :o)

Author's note: I'm French speaking first, so please be kind about the unavoidable mistakes you'll find in my stories.. I'm still learning....

Thanks to my beta reader, Bibi, for her encouragements and her enthusiasm for what I scribble when I'm in a writing mood. Thanks, hon'!  ;o)

Constructive comments are welcome: pattypat@iname.com
 
 

Finally, Deborah Dawson thought as she reached the gate of the Prescott's ranch. She had driven for most of the last week, crossing Canada from East to West, to end in Alberta near the famous Rocky Mountains. The road leading to the gate had been the worse of the trip, one hour drive on a dirt ground full of potholes and bumps, but with each minute passing, Deborah felt that she was doing the right thing. Beside the road was so picturesque, sometimes in the wood, sometimes on wide grassy field, it made Debbie forget about the condition of the road.

She'd been in administrative business, computers mostly, for most of her professional life. And at 32, she decided that she had enough. She was getting more and more depressed, her health paying the price of her anxiety a bit more each day, and she knew that she had to do something about that. It took her a whole year before finally reaching the courage to get rid of all her belongings, quit her job and cross the country to look for a job that would bring her closer to her roots, closer to nature.

And here she was. She stepped out of the car and took a deep breath of fresh air, enjoying the warmth of this Fall afternoon, warm but not too hot, with a light breeze to help feeling comfortable.

She had seen an ad in an Albertan paper, a rancher who was looking for extra hands, cowboy and horse trainer. She'd been in farms a lot when she was a child, so she knew a bit about the work. It seemed like the ideal opportunity for her to get the change in life she wanted so much. Deborah had called from Calgary and a woman had answered her, saying that they were looking for hard worker and strong men, but if a woman felt strong enough to endure that kind of life, she'd be welcome to come to the ranch for an interview. All she knew about the place was that it belonged to a certain BJ Prescott who had the reputation of being rather rough to deal with. He wouldn't be the first employer I've charmed, she smiled cynically.

So, despite the sad looks of the owner of the last village's restaurant at the news that she wanted to work for Prescott, here she was.

From the gate that was on a tiny hill, all Deborah could see was the land, with the mountains in the background and some wooden areas spread haphazardly across the field. It was lovely and she already liked it. She took another deep breath, filling her lungs in hope to clean all the pollution she'd been absorbing over the first 32 years of her life. This was a new start. Here, her real life would start. She hoped. No, I know, she rectified mentally.

She stepped back in the car and continued on the bumpy road until she finally started to make out the silhouette of a house. She loved that place already, looked so beautiful, exactly like she hoped it would look like.

She had a huge toothy grin when she parked her car at the end of the road, in front of what seemed to be a hangar. Maybe the garage, she thought not seeing any other vehicle. Surely, even so remote, people would have at least one car. Wouldn't they?

No one was around, so she walked toward the house and knocked loudly on the door. She didn't get any answer so she tried again. Not much more success. Ok, 3pm, everybody probably works in the fields. I'll just have to wait for them to return. So she wandered around, looking at the area. There was what looked like the master's house. Typical old western type, could have been Bonanza's home as far as Deborah knew. Facing the house, accross from a large corral, were the stables and on their left was another living area which Deborah guessed as being the employees aisle. Attached to it was the hangar -or garage- and in the back, there was a garden full of a variety of vegetables. She took a few steps between carrots and cucumber, enjoying the silence and peace of the place.

"Don't move or I shoot!" a female voice said behind her, stopping her dead in her track. "Who are you?"
"De.. Deborah Dawson... I called earlier for a job.." she answered, a cold shiver running down her spine.
"Turn around slowly," the voice ordered, and Debbie did as asked.

She faced a woman in her forties, slightly overweight and looking rather gentle despite the gun she was pointing at the young woman.

"You're armed?" she asked.
"Me?" Deborah chuckled nervously, "no, I don't have a weapon.  I wouldn't even know how to use it. I just came for a job."
"Come closer, slowly.... You seem okay," came the verdict. "You must be the city girl the boss warned me about. Sorry for that, but here we're never sure who we deal with. The boss said that you'd have dinner with us. It will be only in a couple of hours. Come on in and get comfortable."
"Thank you," Deborah said, breathing suddenly a little better now that the gun was away.
"My name is Mary, by the way."
"Deborah, but everybody calls me Debbie. You work here too?"
"Yeah, I'm the cook... and gardener. I've got to prepare dinner for the boys. They're always hungry when they get back from the field."

Deborah followed the woman inside the kitchen, liking the rusticity and the cleanness of it.

"How long have you been working here, Mary?"
"As long as I can remember. I was born here. My mother was the cook for BJ's father, JB Prescott."
"JB and BJ... Funny... Do they have names under those initials?"
"Yes, but they want us to call them by their initials. Or we call them 'the boss'.  JB passed away five years ago. It's been hard on BJ... But all is under control."
"What about BJ's mother?"
"She died giving birth," she answered sadly. "BJ never got the motherly affection a child should get, except from my mom and dad. They were like second parent for BJ."
"So he's like family to you, you're more than a cook, right?"
"Yes," she answered, looking subtly uncomfortable.

Deborah felt instinctively that there was something Mary was hiding, but she decided it couldn't be that important to her at that point.  They chatted for a couple of hours, Deborah helping Mary with the food in the mean time. The city woman was getting a little annoyed to be unable to get any information about that BJ Prescott she was supposed to meet. Not only the guy was nowhere to be seen, but his cook was rather mysterious about him, obviously not answering questions that might give her any clue. She didn't like the feeling that she was cast away even before having a chance to introduce herself.

Finally, almost at dusk, four cavaliers arrived and dismounted in front of the house, guiding their horse toward the stables.

"The boss is right behind us, Mary," one of them yelled toward the kitchen.
"Dinner's ready," the cook yelled back. "BJ doesn't like to wait when arriving from the field," she explained to the young woman. "Once they arrive, everybody has thirty minutes to unsaddle the horse, get a shower and new clothes and be back at the table. That's a strict rule that BJ insists on every day."
"Sounds pretty harsh," Deborah commented, "those men probably deserve some time to rest before eating."
"Well, they get all the rest they want after the meal and once they cared for their horses. Dinner is sacred, everyone has to be present. But you'll see, it's rather casual once at the table. Ah, I hear BJ's horse."

Deborah had to listen carefully to hear it. She went to the window and looked at the incoming cavalier, wearing black leather, black hat and a black handkerchief over the face to avoid breathing all the dust. BJ dismounted and followed the other men in the stables.

Deborah didn't have time to realize anything, but everybody was suddenly sitting at the table, all but BJ. Mary had assigned a place for Deborah and all the men were looking at her, lustful eyes admiring her nicely shaped body, her strawberry-blond hair and her very clean white clothes.

"Are you a nurse?" one of them asked.
"No I'm..."
"She'll tell you later, Rick," a warm female voice said firmly as she entered the room. "Hi, you must be Mrs. Dawson," she said, stretching her hand as she greeted her. "I'm BJ. Welcome to our ranch."
"Er.. th.. thank you," Deborah managed, her brain totally dead at the realization that this beautiful woman was the infamous 'boss' everyone was referring to so reverently.

BJ was tall, probably near six feet, with long dark hair falling freely on her shoulder and a pair of sea blue eyes in which Deborah felt herself drowning. BJ was wearing some faded blue jeans and a sleeveless white tee-shirt that was revealing her very tanned arms. Deborah could see the strong muscles move under the boss' skin, adding a touch of danger to the beauty. Deborah was mesmerized and couldn't leave her eyes from her. This woman's authority was impressive and she knew that her power lied both in her strength and in her charms.

She sat opposite of Deborah who still hadn't said a word, still staring at what could be her future boss too.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Dawson?" she asked as she reached for the bread.
"Er... yes.. sorry.. I wasn't expecting that you would..."
"Be a woman," she finished for her. "Yeah, well, I kinda play on that. Keeps the importunes away. Beside, my men could tell you, I'm not really handling things as a girl. Right guys?"
"Right BJ," they answered.
"Lemme present my team: this is Rick, Jack, Gerry and Rolf. You know Mary, of course."
"Nice to meet you all," Deborah said, finally able to concentrate on something else than her attraction toward the impressive woman. "This is a nice place you have here, Mrs. Prescott."
"Thanks, but please, the name's BJ."

They ate dinner in a light atmosphere, very relaxed with everyone telling what happened in their day, as well as telling jokes. Deborah fitted in relatively quickly, telling a few stories on her own, and BJ had to admire that. For a city girl, she's handling herself pretty good here, she told herself. She was also extremely pretty and BJ couldn't ignore her body's reaction toward her. She stopped her thoughts short, forcing them back to the ranch and all the work still to be done.

After dessert, the men were excused and left the room, bringing their plates to the kitchen on their way out. Nicely trained, Deborah admired, smiling inwardly. She remained alone with the boss who was raising from her chair.

"Let's go to my office to talk," she said dryly, exiting the room followed by the young blonde. "Have a seat. So, you said you wanted to work for me?"
"Yes, I'd love to."
"What experience do you have?"
"In a ranch? not much, I admit. But I'm a quick learner and I really want to work closer to the nature."
"What were you doing up to now?"
"I was in computer related fields. Here's my resume."
"Ah, a city nerd," she whispered to herself as she took the papers.
"I heard that," Deborah underlined. "Knowing your way around computers doesn't make you a nerd."
"Does this has any experience in ranching in it?" BJ asked, looking at the resume with a disgusted look.
"No, but..."
"Then I don't need it," she barked, throwing it in a nearby garbage can as she got up to stand near the window.
"Being from the city doesn't mean I know nothing about outdoor lifestyle or that I'm not in shape to do physical work. I do exercise everyday for three hours."

BJ smiled but looked outside instead of facing her candidate. She had guts, gotta give her that BJ, she thought approvingly.

"You ride horses?"
"I've been on a horse before, yes."
"Wild horses?"
"Er.. no..."
"Rode without a saddle?"
"No, but..."
"Can stay on a horse for ten hours straight?"
"Probably..."
"Never did?"
"No b..."
"You know how to use an ax or a chain saw?"
"Yes and maybe."
"Yes or no?"
"Yes for the ax, maybe for the chain saw. Listen, you've gotta gimme a chance to learn a few things. I'll be worth the trouble, I swear."
"I want no trouble. I need a strong and hard working employee."
"Then trust me, I can do this."

BJ turned around and looked in the deep green eyes that were begging her to accept.

"Mrs. Dawson, the days here start before sunrise and end after sunset. People here are outdoor from dawn until dusk, carrying rocks, wood, planting new fences, sweating, stinking, riding horse across the land for hours when they need to find a missing cow or get a new horse to train. No matter what the weather is like, sunny and hot, or cold and rainy. This is not the quiet life behind a desk that you're used to."
"That's the reason why I'm here. If it were like the work I used to do, I wouldn't even ask you to hire me. I want changes. I want the challenge and I'm not scared of a tougher lifestyle."
"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into, Citygirl."
"Yes I have. And the name's Deborah, not city girl."

The both looked at one another in silence, weighting each other's strength.

"Please, I won't disappoint you. Gimme a chance."

BJ sighed. She liked the kid, but it was a truly hard life and she didn't want to see that pretty woman in any kind of pain, physical or morale.

"I don't think you can stand more than three days of our life here," BJ dropped.
"Try me!" the blonde challenged.

The boss sighed again.

"All right, Citygirl. I give you a week. You can quit whenever you want and I'll pay you what you worked for. If after a week you're still willing to work here, I'll hire you. Is that ok with you?"
"Fair enough! Thank you so much. I swear I won't disappoint you."
"We'll see that. Now, get rid of that pile of rust of yours," she said pointing he finger toward the car. "Mary will show you where to park it so it won't spoil the view. She'll get you a room too."
"Thank you so much," Deborah said, incredibly happy.
"Believe me, you will not thank me tomorrow night. Your day starts at 4:30 with the cleaning of the stables and getting your horse ready to go. Then we all meet at breakfast by 6:00 where I usually assign the day's duties. Show up on time in the stables, I'll have one of the boys showing you your horse and duties. Don't be late. Good night," she concluded, evidently dismissing the young blonde.
"Good night BJ." 4:30? Oh God...

A few minutes later, Deborah was sitting on the edge of her bed pensively. She was on another aisle of the property where the workers were living. They all had their own room, so she wouldn't be disturbed by the men. Her room also had a private bathroom while the men had one in common. Deborah was grateful to her new boss to have given her this special accommodation. Waow, she thought as she lied down, this is really it: the start of a new life. She was overwhelmed. She had wanted this so much and now she was getting her chance to do it. And her boss was absolutely irresistible, on top of it all. Those eyes.. so blue, so intense...

She felt asleep, thinking about the tall woman, a smile on her face.

The next morning, she was awaken by the annoying beep of her wrist watch at 4am. Oh boy, that'll take some time to get used to, she thought as she got up and walked blindly toward the bathroom. She took less than half an hour to shower and get dressed, so she was definitely on time in the stables. Rick explained her how to take what would be her horse until she could train one for herself outside in the paddock, so all horses would be out of the way to let them change the dirty hay, put some fresh one and then get saddles and bridles ready for after breakfast. He showed her what would be her own material to care for and then went on doing his own job.

She had thought that ninety minutes to do that would be more than enough, but she found out that it was in fact barely enough. She was already sweating by the time they went to the dining room. Tough days ahead, Debbie. You can do it, girl!  On the other side of the stable, BJ was taking care of her own horse, discreetly keeping an interested eye on her new apprentice.

Breakfast was quick. Time to have what was a complete meal and coffee, and everybody was moving toward the paddock to saddle the horses, ready to leave. During the meal, BJ had given her orders about who would do what for the day. Deborah was to go with Rick and BJ to the East side of the property where the fence needed to be entirely redone. Another group was to go in another part where was the forest that gave the wood for the fence. Those men would be lumberjacks for the day, then bring the poles to BJ's group.

Rick helped Deborah to saddle her horse, showing her exactly how to do it while BJ was impatiently waiting a little further away, her horse already saddled.

"Mary," BJ called without dismounting.
"Yes BJ?"
"Did Citygirl pack her drink and food?"
"I don't think she did, no."
"Can you put something up quickly and give it to me for her?"
"Sure, be right back," she said as she rushed inside her kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, she was back with an extra saddlebag.

"Her lunch is better to NOT be tastier than mine," BJ teased in a friendly warning.
"Don't be too hard on her, BJ. She's a sweet girl."
"Exactly, we don't need anything sweet around here. Only hard working men."
"I disagree. I think some sweetness would help ease your own bitterness, Betty Jane Prescott."
"Don't call me that," she groaned.
"That is your name, in case you've forgotten."
"Watch it Mary," she warned.
"Or what? you're going to fight with me like when we were kids?"
"I could."
"Yes, but you won't," she concluded confidently. "Be nice with her. And have a good day, BJ."
"You too Mary. What's for dinner?"
"Dunno yet, you'll see when you get back," she finished as she was almost back in her kitchen.

BJ smiled inwardly. Mary and her were like sisters despite the age difference and there was always some tension lying between them, but also a lot of affection. She had been grateful when Mary decided to stay with her after the death of her parents. She could have gone her own way, finding a husband maybe, but she decided to stay at the ranch. She was a great help around, not only as a cook, but as a friend too.

Rick and Deborah finally came out of the stable and joined their boss.

"About time," BJ grumbled, although she couldn't refrain herself from admiring that beautiful blonde creature sitting confidently on the black stallion. Gosh, she looks great!  "All set?.. ok, let's go then. We're late already!"

They rode for an hour before reaching their working area. By the time they arrived there, Deborah was already starting to feel muscles in her legs that she didn't know existed. Not even talking about her butt that was definitely hoping for something with a cushion on it! But she didn't show any sign of it. She was here to work, to work hard even, and she wasn't about to complain after a lousy hour. I'm fine. I'm just fine!  She looked at BJ who was dismounting gracefully. Her boss was wearing her all black leather outfit, the same she had seen the day before when she came back from the field. The Stetson was preventing the sun to burn her face and Deborah was glad that she had thought of that when she dressed earlier. She herself was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a denim shirt on top of a sleeveless tee-shirt, a brand new beige cowboy hat to hide from the sun.

"All right, let's work," BJ ordered. The horses were left loose in the shade of a rare tree in the immediate vicinity, although they remained saddled. "Here, Citygirl, take this and come help me planting those posts. Rick's gonna prepare the ground for us."
"Ok boss," Rick answered, picking up some heavy tools while Deborah picked up her sledge-hammer and followed BJ.  "Here," she explained her, "a six-inch deep hole was made before -that's what Rick will do today- to where we have to put the post. Put it in like this, and we knock it in place alternatively, one hit you, one hit me, and so on. Got that?"
"Got that," she agreed, wincing inwardly at the weight of the sledge-hammer. Boy, I certainly will feel my body after a day of that kind of work, she thought.

Already after the first post, Deborah was sweating, huffing and puffing over her work. But after taking her shirt off and keeping only her tee-shirt, she clenched her teeth and kept working at the same rhythm as her boss. From time to time, she eyed over BJ to see that she also was working in a sleeveless tee-shirt. Rick's job seemed even harder than what the two women were doing but he was still wearing a long sleeve shirt. The blonde admired the sight of BJ's muscle moving under the skin shining with perspiration.

Soon, Deborah noticed that both Rick and BJ were often taking a sip of water to re-hydrate their sweating bodies. She realized that she should have been the one packing her own water and meal and her heart sank. She knew that she wouldn't be able to tough the whole day if she didn't get water and food. The day was just starting and she was already aching and thirsty. But she decided to keep a low profile for the moment. She knew she had upset BJ at the ranch when they left late because of her inability to saddle her horse herself, so she didn't want to add any more oil on the sleeping fire.

At eleven o'clock, a good three hours of hard work had been done almost silently, except for the noise of the sledge-hammers hitting the posts. Deborah was growing angry at herself for forgetting something as basic as water, her hat was keeping her head too hot and the sweat kept making her sunglasses slide down her nose. BJ's keen sense of observation could see the blonde's frustration growing but she did nothing to stop it. Suddenly, after finishing planting one post, Deborah reached for both glasses and hat and threw them away with an angry growl.

BJ tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile. She knew the girl was hot and thirsty, but she wanted to teach her a lesson and she had promised herself to do everything in her power to discourage her from staying after the trial week. But by then, she knew that she had to get the blonde off the hook and give her the saddlebag Mary had made for her. BJ wanted to be hard, but not to the point where Deborah collapsed unconscious.  She dropped her tool and walked calmly toward the flying hat, picked it up and came back.

"Keep the hat on," she ordered in a deep voice that let no room for discussion.
"It's too hot," the blonde said, "I'm better without it."
"No, you think you'd be, but you will just make yourself sick. Trust me: wear the hat!"

Reluctantly, Deborah did as ordered and looked enviously at Rick who was gulping a large amount of water.

"So, ready to quit already, Citygirl?" BJ asked, taking a gulp of her water in front of Deborah without making a move to offer her any, waiting for a reaction. She didn't get any. Tough kid, huh... "I think we found a good rhythm here, don't you agree?" she asked, knowing that she'd been pushing twice faster than usual.
"Yes," she croaked, her mouth so dry it was hard to speak.
"Great. Take fifteen minutes rest and we'll keep going," BJ concluded, making a move to go toward the saddlebags.

Deborah was salivating watching BJ biting in a juicy apple and she berated herself for forgetting something as important as drink and food! What on Earth was she thinking? That there would be a restaurant where to lunch?

"Oh, Citygirl," BJ called as she turned back toward her, "you may want to drink and eat something before you collapse."
"I... I didn't think of packing anything," she admitted, blushing in shame.
"Yeah, rumor says blondes don't think much," BJ spat making Rick chuckle as he was joining them. "Good thing for you, Mary does have a brain and packed this for you," she said as she threw the saddlebag to her. "We will not babysit you everyday, so better remember to pack it yourself tomorrow. Understood?"
"Ye.. Yes. Thank you," she appreciated, taking the thermos bottle out before drinking avidly. She was too relieved to get angry at BJ for waiting so long before giving her the pack.
"Hey, keep some for later, you'll need it. And next time, when you realize that you've missed something as important as water, ask for it! It's stupid to wait until you drop out of dehydration just to save your pride! Got that?"
"Yes."
"Good.  Fifteen, guys. See ya."

BJ left them to go see her horse, satisfied that Deborah indeed had learned her lesson and wouldn't make twice the same mistake. From the corner of her eyes, she could see the relief on the young woman's face and her own heart felt relieved too.

So, she knew I didn't pack any water, she had some for me but she waited more than three hours to give it to me. Sadistic? Naan, she just want me out. She'll take any opportunity to prove her point, to prove that I'm unfit for this job. I'll prove you wrong, BJ Prescott. I swear I will.

The late lunch time brought another victory to BJ. They were all sitting in the shade of a couple of trees, Rick and BJ talking a little between mouthfuls while Deborah remained silent, assessing the extent of the damage on her muscles and bones. She was aching all over, she was hot and had a splitting headache.

"Hey Citygirl, you don't look too good," BJ noticed, her voice not betraying the fullness of her concern for the girl.
"I'm all right."
"One thing you have to learn if you wanna work for me: always tell the truth. You are not all right, and we all know it. There is no shame in admitting that you ache or that you've got a sunburn. Beside, everybody can see that. It's just a legitimate concern and answering honestly is not what will make me take the decision to hire you or not."
"Ok," Deborah sighed, "I'm not as good as I'd like to be. But I'll manage, don't worry about me."
"I'm not," she lied, before resuming her conversation with Rick.

Deborah tried to understand BJ's attitude. On one hand, she was cold and hard, but on the other hand she was warm and caring. Although the latter was rather nicely hidden under her cocky attitude. I'd love to dig out that side of her, she admitted to herself.

"Earth to Citygirl," she heard from the bottom of her daydreaming.
"My name is either Deborah or Debbie," she answered angrily.
"You should put on some sun cream before we start again or you'll be even more in pain than what you are already."
"I don't..."
"Mary put a bottle in the bag," BJ added, a wicked smile emphasizing the fact that Mary had made the pack for her.
"Thanks," she mumbled before digging out the bottle of sunscreen she knew she needed to apply on her already burnt skin.
"Want me to help?" Rick asked with a lustful grin.
"RICK!" BJ roared.
"Sorry, sorry boss... Was just a joke..."
"You know those kind of jokes are NOT allowed in MY ranch, don't ya?" she asked with a dangerous edge on her voice.
"Yes... sorry BJ. I didn't mean anything by it, really... Won't happen again."
"Good. So, how many yards of fence do you think we'll finished by tonight?"

As they resumed a casual conversation, Deborah fell back in her own thoughts. Did BJ just protect her or was she fighting for a principle only? As she applied the cool cream on her hot body, she could already feel the pain in her muscles all over. Painful days ahead, she sighed inwardly.  She looked at her blistered hands and winced. That ain't good.  BJ saw the young woman's reaction and got closer.

"Show me those hands," she ordered dryly, although Debbie thought she felt some deep concern behind the words.  "You'll be ok, but you'd better wear some gloves from now on. You don't have callous hands like we do."
"Not yet, at least," Deborah rectified despite herself.
"Not yet," BJ seemed to agree with a smile.

Wow... she's even more beautiful when she smiles...

"Ok people, let's get back to work now," BJ ordered, breaking the charm instantly.

Deborah barely made it back to the ranch. The hour horse ride had been an absolute hell for her already tired muscles and her still sore butt. Now she was back, but had thirty minutes to shower, change and pop up at the dinner table. And she doubted very much that she would be able to achieve it. She was exhausted enough that she wasn't even hungry. Come on, Debbie. You can't let her win already. Move it and impress everybody by your energy and enthusiasm!  Easier said than done...

Nevertheless, thirty minutes later she was sitting at the table with the others, waiting for BJ to appear before starting a well deserved meal. When the boss entered the room, she looked as fresh as the day before. The sweaty dusty woman she'd seen last had vanished. Back was the dark beauty that captivated Deborah so much. And those eyes.

The meal went as the night before, casual and animated, and Deborah made a show at being as talkative as she'd been the last time they had shared a meal all together, even if she wanted nothing less than collapse on her bed and sleep for the next week! She was fooling the men, but she knew that BJ wasn't fooled. One look in those eyes and she knew that BJ was perfectly aware of her performance.

When the meal ended, everybody brought their plates in the kitchen and BJ whispered something in Mary's ears before disappearing in her office. When Deborah had finished rinsing her plate, the cook took her arm and lead her to a stool.

"Sit here, girl, I'm gonna take care of your hands."
"Thank you Mary, but I coul.."
"I've been ordered to care for those hands and I will. Now, sit and let me do my job, young lady."
"Yes Ma'am," Deborah answered, flabbergasted by Mary's strong words.
"Hmmm... yeah... lemme get my medical kit. You'll be ok tomorrow, but you should always wear gloves for hard work."
"Yes, I realized that today.  By the way, Mary, I'm so grateful that you had thought about a lunch and drink for me," the blonde said sincerely.
"Oh I just packed it. BJ thought about it. The only thing I thought about was the sunscreen. The rest was all BJ."
"Ho..." Interesting... "Well, thanks anyway. And the sunscreen was as badly needed as the water was, so thank you very much, Mary."
"You're welcome."
"I don't really feel welcome here, though. BJ really wants me out, I think."
"Naahh.. she just want to make sure you're strong enough to tough more than a couple of days. She's been through of lots of candidates that never last, so she's... reluctant, especially with a nice looking woman like you. If you can do the job, she'll hire you gladly, I'm sure.  There, try not to get it wet tonight and your hands'll be find by the morning.  Now, you should go get some rest, you looked exhausted."
"I am," she admitted. "Good night Mary."

She left and went to her room where she jumped on the bed, not bothering changing herself. She fell asleep almost as her head hit the pillow. In her office, BJ was thinking about her, finding this incredibly stubborn woman terribly attractive. But no one had to know that.

A world of pain awoke with Deborah the next morning. She could hardly move without feeling it. Her body didn't like the abuse it had gone through the day before and was now protesting very actively.

"Awww.." she moaned as she forced herself in a sitting position on the edge of the bed. It took all her will to force herself up and remain up once there. Her legs were a bit shaky and painful, her arms weren't much better, her back and abdomen were telling her that a good massage would be very useful.

She took two steps toward the bathroom, looking outside through the window on the way, and seeing BJ already up and about in the courtyard. You'll need years of training to be as fit as she is, she realized as she resumed her painful walk toward the shower. As the muscles warmed up slightly, the pain started to fade a little, but Deborah took a pain killer nevertheless. There is no way I'm gonna give up on this. Move it, Debbie!

When she left her room, she steeled her muscles and forced herself to walk and move as she usually would. She went to the kitchen earlier than the day before, allowing herself to prepare her saddlebag with water and food. Then she sat at the breakfast table where the only one missing was the boss. Deborah suspected that she voluntarily waited for everybody to arrive before entering the room. And when she did, her entrance was magic, as if the world had stopped spinning. Her presence was so strong, it was magnetizing everything and everyone in the room.

"Good morning all," she said as she sat in her chair. "How are we doing today, Citygirl?"
"Fine, thanks."
"Remember what I told at lunch yesterday?" BJ warned her, emphasizing the warning with a dark look.
"Yes, I do. I'm a little sore, but I'm fine. Truly."
"Very well then," she exhaled, obviously not convinced at all, "you'll dig today, I'll hit those posts with Jack. Rick and the others will be at the forest. All right guys?"

They answered positively. Not that there was much room for debate, but BJ was always leaving the door open in case. They all respected her too much to argue anything, although they thought kinda rough to put blondie on the digging. That was an awfully hard work for someone who wasn't used to it. Deborah was aware that she would be challenged harder today but she swallowed hard and said nothing.

Deborah's day in Hell went by much too slowly for her taste. It had been much harder than it had been the day before and she was totally wiped out. She found the force to go through the whole day, but she knew that she wasn't digging as fast as Rick did and that annoyed her. BJ didn't complain about her work, though, and to her credit, she had been concerned about her all day long, even if she had tried to sound casual.

"Where is she?" BJ barked when she arrived at the dinner table and saw Deborah's empty seat.
"I think she fell asleep," Rolf told her.
"Go get her. Nobody'll miss dinner. We'll wait."
"Come on BJ, the kid's exhausted, let her rest," Jack opposed gently.
"No. She wants to prove she can work here, then she follows the rules. Dinner is NOT to be missed. Go get her, NOW!"

Rolf pushed his chair back and went reluctantly toward the woman's room. As he had suggested, she was sound asleep on her bed, still in her working clothes. He smiled and approached the bed.

"Hey, Debbie, wake up! The boss wants you at the table for dinner."
"Not hungry," came the sleepy answer.
"She doesn't care. She wants you there now. Come on, get up...."
"I don't want to..."
"Then you will not have worked here very long."
"Damn... okok, she wins," she grumbled raising on her feet as Rolf helped her up. "I'll be right there."
"I'm waiting for you before returning. Don't want you to fall asleep again."
"'kay.. won't be long.."

Ten minutes later, they were entering the dining room.

"Mrs. Dawson," she started and Deborah winced at how her name sounded cold in her voice. I think I prefer Citygirl to Mrs. Dawson, she thought. "Mrs. Dawson, I HATE to eat cold so you will from now on make certain that you are with us on time. Do I make myself clear?"
"Pure crystal. Sorry about that."
"That'll do for this time. Don't do that again."

The tension was high and the meal that night was almost silent. Only some comments about the work and that was it. No stories, no jokes.

As she was leaving toward the kitchen, Deborah got called back by the boss.

"Are you ready to give up, Citygirl?"
"Not yet, no."
"You can't make it, and you know that. Why put yourself through all this?"
"Because that's what I wanna do. Because that's where I wanna work."
"How do you feel?" BJ asked, her tone suddenly much softer.
"I'll live," she spat. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why do you want me to fail so much?"
"I just want you to understand that it's not a life for you."
"Who are you to judge that? You could have made me start slower, giving me time to adapt, but no, you want me to fail so much that you treated me like if I'd done that all my life. That's unfair and you know it."
"Are you asking me to treat you any different than any of my men?" she asked with an edge in her voice.
"At the end of the line, no. But you've decided to give me no chance at all. Fine, I'll play by your rules. And I'll succeed."
"If I didn't give you any chance, you would have died of thirst yesterday," she reminded her.
"Yes, and as I'm here, I wanted to thank you for having the brain my blonde head doesn't seem to have," she said sarcastically. "Now, I have another trial tomorrow, so may I be excused so I can rest for a few hours?"
"Go on!... Oh, Citygirl?" she called back. "You're wrong: I don't want you to fail," she admitted, realizing for the first time that in fact she hoped the woman would succeed.
"That's good to know," she croaked. "Thanks. 'night..."

Wow, what happened just now?  Deborah thought on her way out. Did she mean what I think she meant? She actually wish I'd stay? Wow...

The next day went by on the same rhythm. BJ made Deborah work alternatively on the fence's posts or on the holes. The only change was in the company that went with them, never the same guy. Deborah found that strange, but decided to keep her question for later. Her body was pure pain but she was too stubborn to give up. Every morning, she had to wake up at 3:30 as it took her about half an hour of slowly stretching each muscle into work, slowly warming them up until they agreed to let her move almost normally. If BJ was aware of it, she didn't say a word about it.

On the morning of the fourth day, she was assigned to cut wood with Rolf instead of working on the fence. Deborah wasn't sure it would be a relief or not, but she didn't loose time thinking about it. They didn't have to ride their horses, but instead took a wagon in which they would pile the wood to bring to the ranch's saw yard.

The day in fact went by with much less stress with BJ not around. Somehow, the blue eyed rancher was making her very nervous. Rolf was a very cool guy, very nice in explaining how to use the tools efficiency and capable of holding an intelligent conversation. It was probably the first day during which Deborah didn't ask herself why she wanted to work there so much.

"Are your days always as long?" she asked her companion during their lunch break.
"In summer, yes. We have to take opportunity of daylight as much as we can. In winter, the hours are much shorter, not only because of the light, but also because horses can't stay by -20ºC too long."
"Neither can you."
"No, but we can dress, they can't. So, yeah, we work much harder in the summer.  How do you cope so far?" he asked casually.
"It's tough," she admitted, "but that's really what I want to do. So I hope BJ will keep me afterward."
"Can't tell for her, but you impressed the boys a great deal this past days."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah!"
"Gheez.. thanks. It's good to know that at least someone is appreciating my efforts."
"I'm sure BJ does too."
"Couldn't tell," Deborah grumbled.
"Come on, we have to leave to bring the wood at the saw-mill."
"Who's going to cut it?"
"We will. Why, did you think you'd get half a day off?"
"Not in my wildest dream, no! Let's go, Rolf, show me the way."

She learnt how to use the mechanical saw to cut the tree trunks the right size to become fence poles. It was a hard and dirty job too, but she liked the smell of fresh cut wood.  They piled the newly cut poles in the wagon and went back to the ranch. They arrived only minutes before the others.  Time to care for the horses, shower and changed, dinner as usual and then Deborah once again collapsed on her bed, exhausted.

The next day brought another surprise for Deborah. The routine work once again was broken.

"I wanna check the pack today," BJ said to the group during breakfast. "Rick and Jack will work on the fence, Rolf and Gerry in the wood, Citygirl and I will go to the pack. Everyone's ok with that?..."
"You're aware they've predicted some thunderstorm this afternoon?" Rick said respectfully.
"Yes, I've heard that. You guys keep yourself safe. All right then. See you tonight."

Despite all the questions in her head, Deborah remained quiet. Her body was even more painful than the day before and she had again taken a pain killer to be able to get up and show up for breakfast.

"You're up for a long horse ride, Citygirl?" BJ asked her.
"I'm up for any work you want me to do," she answered flatly.
"Perfect. I'll see you in ten minutes out on your horse then," she concluded, leaving the dining room.

"Don't worry," Mary said softly as she dropped her plate in the kitchen, "she will come around. She's not a bad person, but she knows what she wants."
"She hates me," Deborah stated.
"Trust me dear, she is far from hating you. Go on now, you don't want to make her wait!"
"No I don't want that. See you tonight Mary."
"Take care..."

Less than ten minutes later, she was on her horse beside BJ.

"So, what's this pack we're going to see?"
"Wild horses. The herd usually stays around the hill over there, about three hours ride from here," she said, checking the other woman's face for any reaction. She didn't see any. "It'll give some of your muscles a break and I usually go check on the pack once a week."
Some of my muscles maybe, yes, but not my butt. "The horses you train come from that pack?"
"Yes. They're a good income. Cows don't get as much money as trained horses, but they're a steadier market. Come on, lets get a bit of speed here or we'll take forever to get there."

The long trip was almost silent as they trotted along. Deborah needed too much concentration to control her multiple pains and BJ wasn't in a talkative mood.

"Look," BJ suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward the East flank of the mountain as she stopped her horse, "here they are."

Deborah was overly touched to see her boss melting at the sight of those wild beasts. When she looked at BJ, she saw a totally different person, almost like seeing a child opening a Christmas present. She was literally shining and Deborah found herself overwhelmed by that discovery.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, not sure if she was talking about BJ or the herd.
"See the sand colored one on the left? That's the leader. I've named him Argo."
"Will you capture him for yourself?"
"No, he's too magnificent to be tied down." she explained.
"You sound like you regret taking and training them."
"I do. It's a living, but I'd rather leave them alone out here."

Deborah looked at her with a new eye. What an incredible woman. And what a mystery she is to me...

"They're all there, good," the boss noticed. "Argo looks in good shape too."
"What do you mean 'all there'?"
"Smugglers. We've caught some of them, but they'll come back. That's why I insist on checking the pack every week."
"I'm sorry if I seem a bit slow, but if they're wild horses, anyone can do what you do, right? take one, train and sell it, I mean. What's the difference between those guys and you?"
"They have no respect," she answered between clenched teeth, barely controlling her rage. "They'll take any of them and put them into slavery. What they do isn't training, it's torture. When I train a horse, I do it kindly. I never beat them. They do."
"Oh..."
"There is a humane way to do it, then make sure you sell it to someone who has the same respect. They don't care. They take as many as they need, beat them into obedience and sell 'em to whoever pays enough."
"That's awful.."
"That's why, as much as I can, I try to protect the herd. This is my land and as long they remain here, I will do everything I can. I think Argo knows that... There is a mutual respect between us. Something that can't be explained with words, but to me, it's as real as if he was human."

As if he had understood and agreed with that, Argo whined loudly, making BJ smile and waving to him.

"That's incredible," Deborah whispered.

The horse stood on his back legs and whined and BJ turned around in her saddle to look behind her. The sky was dark and roaring.

"He's suggesting that we seek shelter," BJ stated. "You too, buddy," she yelled back to him. The horse seemed to answer before disappearing, bringing the pack with him.  "Argo's darn right, we need to go now. Thunderstorm isn't far. We can't make it home before it hits so we'll stop at the cabin for the night."
"The night?" Uho...
"Yes. You'll see, the cabin isn't as uncomfortable as it sounds. But we won't have Mary's cooking for dinner. Let's go," she concluded, kicking her horse toward a wooden part of the land.

"How far is that cabin?" Deborah yelled an hour later as they were galloping to travel faster, the storm roaring closer every second.
"Another fifteen minute or so," came the answer.

Deborah had difficulties remaining on her horse as they galloped, her muscles too tired to get a good hold on the horse's sides, but the fear of being stuck outdoor while a big thunderstorm raged pushed her limits far enough to manage.

The rain caught them a few yards away from the shelter. They rushed toward it, BJ dismounted quickly to open the stable door and they entered, finally safe. They unsaddled their tired horses, brush them for a while and fed them before finally entering the living part of the house. It was indeed rather big for a 'cabin'. There was the stable on one side, then a big living/dining room, one bedroom and a tiny kitchen. The toilets were in the outhouse and there was no running water. There was a pump in the kitchen sink, however.

"Nice," Deborah whispered as she looked around.
"You like it?" BJ asked genuinely surprised.
"Oh yeah. That's my dream house, more or less," she offered.
"Really? I thought you'd be more the kind of person who'd prefer a bungalow on a sandy beach at Malibu..."
"That says a lot about how much you know about me," Deborah snorted.
"Point taken," she smiled. "Here, take this," she added throwing a tee-shirt and a pair of shorts to the blonde, "and get changed before you catch something."
"How about you?" Deborah asked, surprised.
"I've got something for me too."
"You planned this?"
"No, but I hate to be caught off guard," she honestly answered, taking another shirt and shorts out of the bag. "When you ride far from the house, knowing the forecast predicts a storm, you figure out a backup plan. I was hoping to be here before the rain, though."

As she talked, she had started to change and Deborah couldn't do anything but admire the magnificent body exposed in front of her eyes. If BJ noticed that she was being stared at, she did nothing to let it show. Once changed, she hung her wet clothes near the fireplace and went in the stables to get some wood to make a fire. When she came back, Deborah hadn't move, still overwhelmed by what she had just witnessed, shocked by her own body reaction to BJ's nakedness.

"Hey," the voice brought her back to reality, "get changed. I'll make a fire and it'll be warm soon enough."
"Er.. yeah.. Thanks.." she blushed, totally confused about what had just happened.
"If the rain stopped soon enough, I'll go hunt for a rabbit or something. You know how to cook?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. And some say that I'm a good cook too."
"Great," BJ smiled, warming Deborah all over.

Shyly, the blonde changed her clothes, grunting and moaning as the pain in her muscles made itself known once again, but trying to keep it for herself. But BJ's earring was pretty good and she heard it. She could almost ear the muscles squeaking like an old rusty pump. I'll have to do something for that, the rancher thought, feeling suddenly guilty to have pushed her companion so hard.

Pretty soon, BJ had a nice fire roaring while outside the weather was getting wild. Violent gusts of wind rattled the house and nearby trees, lightning and thunder growing closer.  She walked toward the windows, avoiding to look into Deborah's direction in case the woman wasn't dressed yet.

"Looks like a rough one and we're right in the middle of it," BJ said casually. "We should be safe in here, though."
"Are you sure?" Deborah asked slightly afraid, but somehow feeling safe with this woman by her side.
"This cabin has been here for two generations, so I take it's in a safe place. But nature is strong and we can never predict what can happen."
"Not exactly what I was hoping to hear," the blonde winced, turning away from the window.
"It'll be fine," BJ assured her, posing a comforting hand on Debbie's forearm who shivered at the touch. "You're cold," the rancher misinterpreted. "Go near the fire, I'll get you some blankets." And she disappeared before Deborah had time to say anything.

"Listen," she started as she came back with a couple of blankets, "there isn't anything to do here but wait. Why don't you sit down in front of the fire and rest for the moment?"
"There must be something I can do around here," she countered, unwilling to sleep while the boss stayed up.
"Not really. The only thing is to wait for the storm to pass and then I'll go hunt our dinner, which you'll cook for us."
"What are you going to do now?"
"Same as you: wait. But I'll chop some wood to kill the time."
"I can do that too," the blonde insisted.
"Look Citygirl," BJ started quietly, moving closer to her and locking her blue eyes into deep green ones, "I know I've been hard on you. I know you're in great pain even if you hide it well. I've seen you take some pills this morning and I know you haven't brought them with you, so by now you probably feel terrible."
"I'm fine,” she grumbled, overwhelmed by the closeness of her companion.
"Sure you are. And the weather is sunny right now," she dropped sarcastically, waiting for the truth.
"Ok, I admit I've been better, but I really can work," she corrected.
"I know you can, but I don't want you to. You're a strong and proud woman, Debbie, and I admire that. But right now, you have nothing to prove to anyone, so just listen to what your body is telling you. Please..."
"All right," she reluctantly agreed. "But if you need me, you'll get me, right?"
"Absolutely."

They faced each other, both smiling, and BJ had to force herself away before taking the girl in her arms.

"I.. I'll be in the stable. See you in a bit," she concluded, almost running out of the room.

Waow... Deborah thought, still feeling BJ's body heat against her skin. I knew since the first day that she was special, but now... Gosh, I've never felt so attracted to someone before. For Pete's sake, I can't fall for my future boss?!... She wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in the rocking chair near the fireplace, bringing the other blanket on top of her and closed her eyes, thinking about that mysterious woman. Cold as ice a moment and warm as the summer sunlight the other. Who are you truly, BJ Prescott?  Soon enough, her exhaustion caught on her and she felt in a deep sleep despite the wind and thunder.

About four hours later, BJ came back to the cabin with a skinned rabbit for their dinner. She too had been thinking about the effect the blonde had on her and she had worked the frustration out on the ax, chopping wood with an energy she rarely put in such a work. When she had entered with more logs for the fire, she had found Deborah sound asleep on the chair and she indulged herself in that pretty sight for a while before forcing herself back to work. She had made a few trips inside, just for the pleasure to watch the girl a moment or two. So beautiful, so peaceful, she had thought. Then, when her body forced her to more intimate thinking, she went out again.

Now, she was back with their dinner and it was time to wake up the sleeping beauty who was supposed to cook the prey.

"Hey, sleepyhead," BJ said softly, kneeling down beside the chair. "Wake up now... Time to work."
"Ghrmmffmmff" the blonde answered, rolling in another position, turning her back to BJ who smiled.
"Oh no," she chuckled, "you promised me dinner and I want it! Citygirl," she called a little louder, gently shaking the woman by her shoulder. "Deborah..."
"Hmmmfff.. What?!" she startled, sitting straight and accidentally knocking BJ down with her elbow. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she apologized as soon as she realized what had happened.
"'s okay," BJ mumbled, feeling her aching jaw with her hand, "I'll remember to keep my distance when I want you up next time."
"Did I hurt you?" she asked, embarrassed.
"Naan," BJ smiled. "I caught our dinner, time for you to cook it."
"Sure. How long did I sleep there?"
"Around four hours."
"You should've wake me up," the blonde winced as she raised herself from the chair, all her muscles reminding her of their presence.
"You needed to sleep and there wasn't anything you could've done, don't worry about it. Hope you'll find something useful to make dinner, just dig around."
"Will do."

BJ looked sadly as the woman made her way painfully to the kitchen corner. She's in pain and I'm responsible for it, she chastised herself.

"How do you feel?" she asked, knowing she'd only get half of the truth.
"I'll manage," was the grumbled response. "How do you want the rabbit? stewed or grilled?"
"Is grilled ok with you?"
"Fine, even easier," Deborah smiled. "There are some canned beans to go with it, spices, mustard.. yeah, I think we'll have a good meal."
"Excellent!"

And an hour later, they were both eating with appetite.

"You were right: you're a great cook," BJ complimented. "I wouldn't have known what to do with whatever is in that cupboard and I probably would have overcooked -not to say burned- the rabbit. This is delicious, Debbie."
"Thanks. I guess we're making a good team, because I wouldn't have been able to catch the meat, and beans alone wouldn't have had the same appeal..."
We do make a good team, BJ thought.
"Can I ask you a silly question?" Deborah asked between two mouthfuls.
"You just did," the rancher teased.
"Ha! ha! Did you and Argo really communicate earlier or was it my imagination?"
"Maybe it's your imagination. Maybe it's mine as well, because I believe that we indeed understand each other. It's easier for me to understand a horse than humans."
"Do you say that in general or in my case?"
"In general, but that's true that I don't understand you one bit. Why someone who's been raised in the technological comfort of the 20th Century would like to leave all that comfort behind to live like the previous century? That totally is beyond my understanding."
"What you say isn't exactly true. You don't live like 19th Century. You have technology to help you and your men doing the job: machines, electricity, I even saw a computer on your desk..."
"Crappy thing that is always crashing on me!" she mumbled.
"Why do you stay in the ranch? why don't you move in town to access that comforting life you mentioned?"
"I need space. I don't think a nine to five job in a seventy-two storeys building would satisfy me as much as riding my horse on the land. I'm not made for that kind of indoor life."
"Neither am I. Why can't you see that?"
"But you've been all your life in that environment. I would need to adapt, you don't need that."
"I've been there all my life and I never adapted to it. BJ, I was existing, not living. I want to live. And like you, I want space. I want nature around me, not skyscraper. I'm sick and tired of the political corruption that is needed if you wanna place yourself in a good position."
"But..."
"I'm not a career person. I work 'cuz I have to pay my bills. And when you're not fighting your way up the social ladder, you're considered a looser and you get all the crappy ill-paid jobs that others won't do."
"You were a computer technician, that's a well respected job, isn't it?"
"Not on my level. My position wasn't more considered than the door mat of the company I worked for."
"Why don't you get up one level, then," BJ suggested.
"Most of those who worked with me were 'success oriented' people," she explained calmly. "They need both to succeed in their career and in their family. So they suck up whoever they need to, so they can access a higher position. They marry whoever has the same career aspiration as them, they have kids who are raised by nannies while they both suck up some more to get even higher in the social ladder. They barely see their children growing, they have very little personal time off, sometimes they throw off a company barbecue in their backyard to show everybody how successful they are.. and they feel good, because they think that that's what's living is about."
"That's a rather cynical look on the society, don't ya think?"
"Maybe, but it's how I see it. To me, that kind of life is not a success, but a failure. Life is not working your way to the top. Life is not having your kids raised by someone else. I want to be able to enjoy a sunset, share it with someone I love, see my child grow... all those basic things that people don't have time to do anymore. Do I make any sense?"
"Very much so," BJ whispered, stunned by the girl's enthusiastic speech.
"You seemed.. puzzled."
"Well, I am," she admitted. "I never thought someone born in the city could make MY speech so well."
"So you agree with me?"
"Totally. That's why I came back here after my bachelor degree in administration."
"You have a bachelor degree??" Deborah choked.
"Why not? do I look so dumb?" BJ teased.
"No,no, of course not... it's just that.. I..."
"..never thought that a country girl had a chance to go to school," BJ finished for her. "My dad was very strict on my education. I had to get a degree whether I liked it or not. But I've never fit in, if you know what I mean."
"I do... So we're more similar than we both had thought."
"Seems so," BJ smiled. "Seems also that we both jumped into conclusion a bit too quickly. Maybe we should start from the beginning, with no pre-conception on who we are or what we're able to do."
"I'd like that..."
"Hi, I'm BJ Prescott," she smiled, stretching a greeting hand.
"Hello, I'm Debbie Dawson. Pleased to meet you," she answered, shaking BJ's hand warmly, holding it longer that she should have.

"I love your cooking," the rancher said a few moments later, once she was able to control the flow of emotions that had overwhelmed her.
"Thanks," Deborah answered, blushing despite herself. "As long as you can hunt, I can cook."

They ate a bit more silently before BJ resumed the conversation.

"Are you in much pain, Debbie?" she asked, noticing the stiffness in each of Deborah's move.
"N.. nothing I can't handle," she answered, troubled by the husky tone BJ used to say her first name. "I'll get used to it, if you're still considering hiring me."
"Course I do. But a week is seven days, so it's not over yet."
Oh God, Deborah thought. Can I take more torture than I had already?
"Don't worry though," she continued as if reading Deborah's mind, "things won't be as hard as they've been."
"Why's that? I don't want any special treatment."
"And that's why it'll be easier from now on. Listen, Debbie," she started, teasing one bean idly with her fork, trying to find the strength to tell what had been bothering her for a couple of days already. "I've gone overboard for some reasons I don't even understand. And I apologize for that. I've made you work twice as hard as my most experienced man -who, by the way, has been complaining loudly about it- and that wasn't fair. But you've toughed it, and I admit that you are impressing me greatly. I have the utmost respect for you, Debbie Dawson."
"Waow, thanks," she blushed, knowing that compliment had to be rare from her boss' mouth. "Does this mean I'm hired?"
"I gave you a week, I wanna keep that deadline. If you still want it at the end of it, oh yes, you are hired." And by God I hope you'll stay!
"You know that I still will want to stay," Deborah stated, "especially if you're telling me that the worse is behind me now."
"It still will be hard," BJ warned. "I haven't lied when I told you it's a rough life."
"I'll get used to it, as you did. As your other employees did."
"Please, give yourself a way out in case. Not that you'd be tied down if you get hired, but I want you to think deeply before rushing into a decision you might regret a month or two from now. Okay?"
"Fine, I'll think about it."
"Good," BJ smiled, finishing her plate and regretting there was no more in the pan. "What did you family and friends say when you told them about moving in the Wild West?" she asked casually.
"Most of them had more or less the same reaction you had: incredulity. But they understood that it was my choice and nothing would make me change it until I find out I'm wrong... which will probably not happen anyway."
"Pretty confident, are we?"
"You bet!" Deborah smiled back.
"Your boyfriend didn't want follow and play cowboy for real?" she asked, unknowingly holding her breath for the answer.
"No," she chuckled, "I have no boyfriend. But I always told my friends that I was coming here to find a lumberjack."
"Are you, really?"
"God no!" she laughed. "Big muscles, hairy, bearded, sweating man in a red checkered shirt surrounded with black flies? I'd rather look for someone more.. er.. refined, thanks."
"A little caricatural," BJ smiled, releasing the breath she was still holding. "For that kind, you've gotta go higher North. You might find the more refined kind sooner than you think, though," BJ added, trying to sound casual. "I know some of my men who already wouldn't mind a date with you."
"They'll be terribly disappointed if they're hoping that. They're not my type. What about you? Anyone in your life?"
"Plenty," she admitted bitterly, "but they only pass by."
"I bet," Deborah winked in complicity, "that some of your crew even 'passed by' right here in this cabin."
"That is not impossible," she stated, looking for a way to change a subject that had suddenly become way too embarrassing to her taste. "Well, it's getting late, if we wanna leave early tomorrow, we should head to bed."
"Sounds good to me," the blonde said before groaning in pain as she stood on her tired legs.
"Debbie," BJ started shyly, "if you want it, I can help you with that. I could give you a massage to unknot your overworked muscles."
"A night rest should do the trick," she answered, slightly embarrassed but awfully tempted by the offer.
"Not as much as if someone untie the knots before, though," BJ insisted.
"I don't want to be a bother..."
"I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought it would be a bother."

Deborah debated with herself for a couple of seconds before finally accepting her boss' generous offer. BJ literally beamed and told her do go undress and lie on her stomach on one of the bed while she went in a closet to get a bottle of massage oil she kept there. Never had I hoped to do that to such a beautiful creature, though, she thought.

When she arrived in the room, Deborah was only wearing her panties, lying flat on her stomach, her head propped on her forearms. The rancher drank in the sight in front of her before taking a deep breath and moving closer.

"You sure you wanna do this?" the blonde timidly asked as she heard BJ nearby.
"Absolutely. You'll see, tomorrow you'll feel as good as new," she answered. "Beside, let's say it's my way to apologize for giving you such a hard time this week."
"Apology accepted," Deborah smiled as she felt the oily hands of her companion starting to massage her aching shoulder.
"If you feel like falling asleep, just do it, 'kay?"
"Mmmmhmmm.."

Kneeling on the bed beside Deborah, BJ let her mind wander as her finger worked on the blonde's back muscles. She tried to fish for an answer she didn't get earlier. She had a feeling that Deborah was attracted to her the same way she was attracted to the blonde, but BJ hadn't been able to get her to say if her preference was leaning toward women or not. Well, she's not truly looking for a lumberjack, and she's not interested in my men although there are some rather nice looking fellows among them, part of her mind told her. Yeah, but she didn't say that she wanted to date me either, although I didn't ask that, an other part countered.

A painful moan from under her hands brought her thought to a quick stop.

"Does it hurt too much?" BJ asked softly, still working on a particularly tense spot under the shoulder blades.
"No, 's okay," Deborah mumbled between clenched teeth. "You're good at this, ya know."
"So I heard," BJ said without thinking, regretting it as soon as she felt the body under her finger stiffen.
"You treat all your crew like this?" the blonde asked tentatively, hoping for a negative answer.
"Only when it's badly needed. I took some courses when I was at the university."
"Aside from your bachelor courses?"
"Yes, my.. roommate was a real sucker for a good backrub," she explained, blushing when she realized how she had word it. If Deborah noticed any possible subtext, she didn't let it show.
"Glad you were a good student," she mumbled. "Feels darn good right now..."
"Just trust me and relax, Debbie," BJ encouraged, her fingers working each muscle individually.

Soon enough, BJ could see by the regular breathing that Deborah had fallen asleep. Both for the blonde's well being as well as for her own selfishness, BJ continued to unknot every single muscle for a good half an hour before finally, regretfully, pulling away from the sleeping body. She pulled the blankets on top of her companion and moved away, getting ready to get in her own bed immediately, even if she knew that she probably wouldn't be able to sleep at all for hours, her mind and heart filled by this gorgeous creature lying silently nearby. BJ, you're not falling for the girl, you fell hard already!  she chastised herself as she pulled her own blankets on her. In the silence of the cabin, beside the cracking of the wood in the next room, she could hear the regular breathing of the young woman and it filled BJ's heart with a feeling of comfort she had never felt before. Oh yeah, you fell all right.

Continue in part 2....

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