Dear Diary - Storm

June 1

st

, 2012

Dear Diary,

Lucas finally kissed me! And not just kissed me! Two years I've been waiting for him to do something, and today, in the middle of a field, covered in mud, he finally made his move. I'm glad mom and dad were gone when we got home because I'd never have been able to explain why I was wet and covered in mud. But even if they'd been home, and I'd had to own up to what happened, it would have been worth it.

I think I'm in love! Okay, that's a lie. I'm not in love, but sweet mother, did he make a woman out of me today! I wish he'd hurry up and get here! R and R are looking at me funny and I think they know something's happened. Not surprising, I guess, since I can't wipe this damn smile off my face!

"Base? Anybody got their ears

on?"

I smiled as I looked up from the computer. I was attending University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa, or UTPB as it was more commonly known, for a degree in accounting. I was a week into my summer break, and Dad had put me to work on the books for the family farm. Practice he called it.

I pushed the button on the desk mic by the radio. "Lucas, it's Ashley."

"Ashley? Is Mr. Childers around?"

"I'm sorry, Lucas, but he and mom have gone into Abilene to the TGSA meeting. Is there something I can help you with?"

Dad was a board member for the northern district of the Texas Grain Sorghum Association. We farmed about four thousand acres of grain sorghum and soybeans just outside Abilene on six plots of land that we owned or rented. Sorghum was our primary cash crop, and we operated our farm with my dad, Jack, my two brothers, Will and Steve, and Lucas Peck, our one hired hand. My mom, Michelle, took care of the men and running the home place, making sure they were well fed and cared for. Randi and Rachel, R and R we called them, Will and Steve's wives respectively, worked in Abilene and helped out with the gardening and the like. Finally, there was me, the youngest by nine years, and the only one to attend college.

"I'm on the old Johnson place and its starting to rain pretty good. It's getting too wet to disc and I was wondering if someone could come get me."

"Where's your truck?"

"At your place. Mrs. Childers ran me out here this morning because I was supposed to bring the tractor home when I finished."

I heard a distant rumble of thunder, probably from the storm Lucas was caught in.

"Everyone's gone, Lucas, and all I have is my car."

While I could probably get to him in my Accord if it were dry, I'd be stuck before I was two car lengths off the road if it was raining.

"The keys are in my truck."

I snickered before I pressed the button. "You trust me to drive your truck?"

"Yes."

Such as simple answer. Lucas was a man of few words. Not every guy would trust a girl to drive his truck, especially in the mud, but that was Lucas for you.

"Okay. I'm leaving now."

I grabbed my purse and hurried out the door. I looked to the northwest, where the Johnson property was located, at the evil looking dark clouds. It had cooled considerably in the last half-hour and the wind was picking up. It looked like it was shaping up for what Dad called a toad-strangler.

I hopped into Lucas's blue and silver, mid-eighties, Chevy four by four and started the engine. While the truck was older, it looked good and ran well. I was rumbling down the highway, about half-way to the Johnson property, when it began to rain. It started out as only a few fat drops, but soon I had the wipers going.

I'd known Lucas since he and his dad relocated to Abilene about five years ago, when we were both freshmen in high school. He was the new kid from Dallas, starting school in the middle of the year when his dad took over managing one of the United Supermarkets in town. I hadn't paid much attention to him until our senior year. Most of the girls in school thought he was terribly cute, including myself, but he was the quiet type and kept mostly to himself. He was the big city kid who didn't know anything about farm life, and while he wasn't exactly shunned, nobody went out of their way to include him either.

That all changed for me one day during my senior year when I was being hassled by Jason Todd. Jason was the son of Fred Todd, owner of Todd equipment, one of the wealthier men in town. Jason was the big man on campus, captain of the varsity football team and driving a new truck every year. He was also a jerk. He was big, handsome, and rich, and he knew it. While some of the girls flocked to him, just as many ignored him, me included.

I was dating Phil Groton at the time, and for some reason, Jason got it in his head that I would be better off dating him. He wasn't used to hearing someone tell him no and had been pestering me relentlessly for days. I was trying to go home from school one day and Jason wouldn't let me get into my car. A couple of his running buddies were watching, and he was playing the ladies' man for them. He wasn't exactly threatening me, but he was being an ass, leaning into my personal space, and blocking my car door so I couldn't open it.

"Jason, I need to go," I said as I tried to open my car door again.

His pushed it shut it before I could open it more than a couple of inches.

"Come on. What do you see in that loser?"

"It's none of your business."

"I'm making it my business." He leaned in a little closer. "Why don't you come to the game Friday night? The team is having a bonfire after we kick AHS's ass, and you can go with me."

"Busy. Sorry," I said.

I tried to open the car door and squeeze past. I had no interest in watching us play Abilene High School, and I doubly didn't want to go with Jason. He shut the door again.

"Give me a reason why."

"I told you, I'm busy! Now let me go!"

"Not until you tell me why."

"Let her go, Jason," another voice said, and I nearly wilted with relief.

All four of us turned to see Lucas standing there. He was the last person I expected to see.

"What's it to you, Pecker?" Todd sneered, using the nickname Lucas had picked up.

"Just let her go."

"Or what?"

"Or you'll wish you had."

Lucas seemed secure and calm. Football was king in Texas, and nobody paid attention to anyone who competed in any of the other sports. I knew Lucas was on the varsity wrestling team, and was a big, well-built guy, but he didn't strike me as the fighting type. Jason turned to square up on my savior.

"You better to back off, Pecker, before your mouth makes commitments your ass can't keep."

Lucas's eyes flicked to mine and he nodded at my car. I tried to open the door, but Jason slammed it shut. Hard. I grimaced in pain as the door handle was jerked from my fingers. Lucas's face hardened. He started past Jason, and as he reached for the door, Jason grabbed his wrist.

I wasn't sure what happened next, but one moment Jason was standing in front of me, the next moment he was face down on the ground, Lucas's knee between his shoulders, Jason's arm twisted up and back as he cried out in pain. Owen and Morgan, Jason's friends, moved in to help. They dragged Lucas off Jason, but before they could do anything else, Lucas spun and locked his hand behind Morgan's head. He grabbed Morgan's wrist with his free hand and twisted fast and hard, rolling his hips as he rotated on the ball of his foot. Morgan left his feet as if he'd been fired from a catapult and landed on his back, his breath exploded from his lungs with a loud barking cry. It was clear he was going to be slow getting up as he held his chest and gasped silently, trying to gather his breath.

Owen moved in, throwing a wild right that completely missed when Lucas ducked under it. Lucas grabbed the hand as it passed and twisted. I heard the snap of a bone an instant before Own shrieked in pain and stumbled back, grasping his pinky.

While Lucas was putting down his friends, Jason had recovered and scrambled to his feet. He roared as he charged in like an enraged bull. Lucas began to pivot to meet him, but he didn't have enough time and Jason hit him like a tackling dummy. They went to the ground with a grunt, tumbling over each other, but moments later Lucas had Jason around the neck with one arm, his hand pressing down on Jason's shoulder as his other hand twisted Jason's arm at a painful looking angle. Jason bellowed in pain.

"Had enough?" Lucas asked, his tone and delivery the same as if he were asking Jason if he'd had enough water.

"I'm going to fucking kill—"

The rest of what Jason was going to say was lost in his scream.

Lucas backed off on the pressure. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?" he asked, his tone pleasant and conversational.

"All right! You're breaking my fucking arm!"

Lucas released him and bounded to his feet. He quickly checked for additional threats as a crowd gathered, but Jason and his friends were clearly finished and nobody else appeared to be willing to wade in. He exhaled as his hands relaxed out of fists, and then he opened the car door for me with a smile and a nod.

Lucas had been suspended for three days for fighting, along with Jason, Owen and Morgan, even though both Dad and I spoke to the principle on his behalf. Word of what happened had spread through school like wildfire, and when he returned, he was suddenly one of the most popular kids on campus, especially with the girls.

I know I'd certainly taken notice. I wanted him to ask me out so badly I almost couldn't stand it. He was always friendly, always smiling at me and nodding, speaking to me when I spoke to him first, and every time I saw him, he seemed to be watching me. Not in a way that made me uncomfortable, but as if he wanted to say something. Finally, in desperation, I sent Mandy, my best friend, to tell him I wanted him to ask me out. Still nothing.

Dad had been talking about hiring a hand to help out around the place, and when I mentioned it to Lucas, he'd thanked me profusely and had driven out and spoken with Dad that day. Dad had hired him on the spot, and Lucas had worked his ass off since.

I thought for sure he'd ask me out when he landed the job. I gave him plenty of opportunity, but he was always respectful and kept his distance, though sometimes he looked at me with such longing I'd feel butterflies in my stomach. Even R and R had noticed. They'd teased me about how cute he was, how love sick he was over me, and had in a moment of privacy, advised me to make the first move and take him to the barn for a roll in the hay. If we'd actually had some hay, I'd have considered it.

Just before I left for college, he'd

finally

asked me out. We went to dinner and a movie, and he'd been the perfect gentleman, opening doors for me and holding my chair. Though I'd ached for him to, he didn't even attempt to kiss me when he dropped me off at home.

All through my freshman year at UTPB, every time I returned home Lucas was there, always ready to do my bidding, but he never asked me out again. I found out through R and R that, while he dated occasionally, he didn't see anyone steadily, and he always paid rapt attention anytime my name came up in conversation.

And now I was back for the summer, and we were right where we'd left off. I'd discovered the joys of sex while away at school, but like Lucas, I wasn't dating anyone special. He was a good looking as ever, maybe even more so, and now that I knew what sex was all about, I'd definitely take him for a roll in the hay.

I turned off the paved road and pulled to a stop to put the truck into four-wheel drive. It was raining hard now, thunder rumbling close as the sky flickered with lightning. I fought the truck down the dirt track, the engine roaring as I spun the wheel left and right, struggling to keep the truck on the track, straight, and moving as it slid and bounced. I kept my foot down until I came to a stop by the big green John Deere parked next to the field road. Lucas jumped out of the tractor's cab and ran for his truck as I slid over to the passenger seat. He piled into the truck and slammed the door.

"Thanks," he said as he squeegeed the water out of his short sandy blond hair.

I had to tear my eyes away. I knew Lucas was built, but God

damn

! He always wore a white, long sleeve shirt to work. White to help ward off the heat, and long sleeve to ward off the sun. It was stuck to him like a second skin and I could almost see right through it. I'd always thought he was cute, with his slow, easy smile, playful eyes, and small, slightly up-turned nose. But now... what I wouldn't give to see him without his shirt on.

"Uh... you're welcome," I finally stammered out.

"I figured I could find something to do around the shop since I was getting rained out here," he said as he put the truck in gear.

"Don't you ever relax?"

"Your dad isn't paying me to relax," he said as we pulled away.

There was no place where we could turn around without getting struck, so we were going to have to go the long way around back to the paved road. He wasn't as aggressive with the throttle as I was, and I was afraid we were going to get stuck. Where I tried to knock the mud holes dry, he finessed the truck through, but he kept us moving, until he stopped before a particularly treacherous looking hole, the wipers thumping against the rain.

"I don't think we can cross that," he said.

I nodded in agreement as he put the truck in reverse and attempted to turn around. We felt the rear end sliding and sinking in at the same time and he slammed on the brakes. He put the truck back in drive and gunned it, the tires singing as they clawed for traction to drag the truck back to the center of the track.

"Looks like we don't have any choice," he said as set his jaw.

He eased the truck into the bog and I felt it going down. He buried his right foot, causing the engine to scream as mud and water flew. He worked the truck, the Chevy lunging and bucking as he fought to keep it out of the ruts. I began to smile as we approached the other side. The bog was only four or five truck lengths long and we only had a truck length to go, then a half. Though the truck was giving everything it had, it ground to a halt just short of being able to drag itself out the other side.

Lucas put it in reverse, backed up until it wouldn't move any more, and then made another attempt. I could feel the truck trying to claw its way out, the engine roaring as water and mud geysered from the tires. He worked the wheel, spinning it this way and that, trying to find some grip, but it just didn't quite have enough. He backed up and tried again. I began to pat the dash, coaxing the truck on.

"Come on, baby," I murmured. "Come on, baby, you can do it."

It couldn't. He started to back up, but the truck was digging a deeper hole and he stopped. He eased the truck forward until it started to spin then stopped again.

"I should have let you drive," he said, staring straight ahead.

"Why?"

"You didn't get stuck coming in."

"I didn't have to cross anything like this, either."

"Do you have a signal?"

I pulled my cell from my purse and looked.

"No."

His shoulders slumped. "You drive, I'll push."

"It's pouring out there!"

He shrugged as he opened the door and stepped out into the rain, closing the door as a heavy rumble of thunder made the truck vibrate. I slid over behind the wheel and watched him in the side mirror. He put his shoulder against the truck and dug in. When he nodded, I buried the throttle. The truck roared as it struggled forward, but we made it only a fraction farther than we had before. I rolled the window down as he stepped up to the side, shrinking away from the door as the rain splattered in. He was covered in dirty water and I felt badly for him.

"Wait here. I'll go get the tractor," he said, the defeat clear in his voice.

"I'll go with you," I said as I opened the door.

He caught the door before it opened more than a few inches and eased it shut. "No. Just wait here, where it's dry. I got us stuck, I'll go get the tractor. I'm already wet."

"At least get in until it stops raining!"

He grinned at me. "Why? I can't get any wetter."

I fumed. He was right. As soon as we got out of this, Childers farm was buying Lucas a radio. If we had a radio, we could call for help and we wouldn't be in this mess. I nodded and Lucas gave a nod in return before turning and walking away.

I sat in the truck, listening to the pounding rain. Someone would come for us, eventually, but that could be hours from now. He'd been gone for about ten minutes when the rain began to lessen. At least it wouldn't be pouring when he got back with the tractor.

I kept an eye on the rearview until I saw the lights of the big Deere coming down the road. He swung around the truck, the tractor having no trouble negotiating the bog, and pulled to a stop in front of the Chevy. As I watched, he hooked a heavy chain to the front of the truck, wrapped it around the implement, then climbed back into the cab of the tractor. I knew the drill. My job was steer and nothing else. The Deere had plenty of grunt to drag the truck out without it helping, and this way I didn't have to worry about plowing into the back of the tractor if the truck suddenly found grip.

I started the engine and put the truck in drive so I could steer and the wheels would turn. The Deere made short work of pulling the Chevy out. As soon as we were clear of the bog, Lucas unchained the truck and pulled the tractor off the side and into the field as heavy drops began to plink down again. The sprinkling rain didn't last long, and as he walked back from the tractor, the heavens opened with a roar of thunder. He climbed into the bed of the truck and slapped it on the roof.

I cracked the window a bit so he could hear me. "What are you doing?" I cried. "Get in here!"

"I'm a mess!" he shouted back.

"Then take your clothes off and get in here!"

He laughed. "Right," he said, drawing the word out.

"I'm serious! Aren't you wearing underwear?"

I wasn't driving home in this storm with him riding in the back. It'd be my luck he'd get struck by lightning or something.

"Of course!"

"Then take your clothes off and leave them in back."

"I'm not riding to your dad's house in nothing but my underwear. Forget it."

"Oh, for Christ's sake," I said as I put the truck in park, opened the door, and stepped into the rain.

"Ashley! What are you doing?"

"Then take your pants and shirt off and wring them out. The rain has already washed most of the mud off you anyway," I replied, ignoring the question.

"I don't know..."

"Don't be such a baby. Just do it. Jesus, I won't even look."

He stared at me for a long moment then began to remove his shirt. I might turn away when he started taking off his pants, if he asked me too, but I was damn sure going to watch him take his shirt off. As he struggled out of clinging fabric, my mouth went dry. He was fucking gorgeous, sporting the chest, abs, and arms that made women weak in the knees. He twisted the shirt tight and dirty water poured out of it.

"Now your pants."

I wasn't going to turn away unless he asked me to, and even if he did, I was going to peek. He sat in the bed of his truck and took his jeans off. I couldn't see anything, but my imagination was running wild as he twisted the water out of them. It was far dirtier than the shirt.

"Here," I said, holding my hand out as I stepped up to the side of the truck.

He was seated in the bed as he handed me the pants, but I still got my first look at his package, and it was damned impressive. Standing in the rain, looking at Lucas, I was getting seriously turned on. I took his pants and shirt and tip-toed my way to a large puddle where the water looked clean. I knelt and carefully dunked and wrung out the pants and shirt a few times until the water ran clear. It was as good as it was going to get in the current situation.