CHAPTER 1
Three months after high school graduation Amy Wishart lost her virginity, willingly, at a party at a friend's home. Thomas Curtis, known by his buddies as Tom Cur, or simply as Mongrel when nicknames were used, performed the deed with reasonable skill and minimal discomfort to end Amy's growing fear she might suffer ignominy by becoming an adult virgin.
Thomas, being a bit of a gentleman because his mother was a really nice person, even helped Amy to her feet afterwards and asked, "How was that?"
Amy's answer was to burst into tears so Thomas walked away cheerfully, not looking back. Thomas sent his sister Kate to the laundry to be with Amy and both females discussed that action as being heroic because they believed males tended to behave like tomcats and cover their tracks.
Unfortunately Thomas was left to rue his choice of comforter for Amy because Kate told their mom next morning. When Thomas walked into the kitchen for late breakfast wearing just shorts he was hit in the back between the shoulder blades by his mom who screamed, "You beast, you beast. Amy Wishart's virginal ways made her the outstanding girl in Kate's group of friends. How could you, how could you?"
Before she could deliver a second blow Thomas had disarmed her and smacked her ass hard.
Raymond Curtis burst into the kitchen, drawn by the commotion from bed where he'd been peacefully reading the sports section in Saturday morning's newspaper. He found his wife Dianna and daughter crying in each other's arms and no sign of his son.
Wisely Thomas didn't return home till dinnertime. Relief at his reappearance figured more prominently than his misdemeanor that by then was fading into insignificance. His mom eyed him cautiously and said 'Sorry' and Thomas gave her the lopsided grin she so adored. Raymond had virtually forgotten how he was going to punish his son when next he saw him and so sighed and said grace and everyone focused on eating.
The Curtis's were having coffee at the table when there was a knock at the backdoor. Kate returned to the dining room with a smiling Amy and even Thomas was astonished when Amy chose to sit beside him instead of where she usually sat, beside Kate.
Dianna cleared her throat and said, "Thomas you have an apology to make to Amy."
Thomas looked puzzled and asked, "What for?"
Amy deepened the drama when she looked puzzled and asked, "Yes Mrs Curtis. What for?"
An unexpected hero broke the awkward silence. Raymond pulled out fifty bucks and handing it to Thomas said, "Why don't you three kids go skating or to a movie?"
"Nah," said Thomas, handing back the bill. "I have to pack."
"Where are you going?" Amy asked.
"Mom is sending me to live with her sister and husband until I go to college."
"Oh god, where?"
"About a thousand miles from here."
Amy pushed her chair back and went running for the backdoor screaming "No, no. How could anyone be so stupid?"
Kate followed in hot pursuit.
Raymond looked at his son and shook his head. "Just mix with pals for as long as you can son. It's far easier to understand guys."
They looked at Dianna.
"What, what's wrong? Why did Amy run out like that?"
"She's in love with me mom, that's what."
"Thomas don't be so ridiculous. Why do men have to be so thick-headed? You destroyed that dear girl's most precious possession."
Father and son looked at one another and raised their eyebrows.
Half and hour later Kate called and Dianna, as was the custom, answered the phone when Kate was not available.
"Hi it's Kate. I'm staying the night with Amy. She'd terribly upset."
"But why; what did I do?"
"Mom if you don't know you'll never know. Goodnight. You are rarely a witch."
Dianna found Raymond watching sport on TV. "Kate is staying over with Amy tonight. She just said I'm rarely a witch. What the hell does that mean?"
Eyes glued to the screen Raymond said, "How should I know? Ask Kate."
"Grrrrrrrr." Dianna growled in frustration and went off to finish the dishes.
At 5:00 am Thomas shook his mom awake. "I'm off."
"Thomas I've been thinking. Stay. Only the blind can't see."
"What?"
"Amy has decided she likes you. I don't know why but it appears so."
"Why did you think she sat beside me last night?"
"Well then I thought it was to indicate she'd forgiven you."
Thomas sniggered. "She was looking for more of the good thing mom."
"Thomas please, don't talk crudely to your mother like that."
Thomas said he was off. A bit of hard work on the ranch would help set him up for college football. "Amy will have forgotten me as soon as some other guy grabs a tit."
His mom said women were not like that and asked Thomas to fetch her wallet from the top drawer of her dresser. He did that and said his dad had come in with money last night.
"Here's another five hundred and we'll continue your weekly allowance."
"Thanks mom but stop the allowance if you wish. I'll be working for wages for Uncle Dan or for neighbors. Ranch labor is wanted at this time of year."
"Take care darling," Dianna said, pulling him to her, kissing him and stroking his face. "I'm sorry I screwed up last night."
"It's fine. Tell Amy I'll see her at college and she can room-share with me if she wants more of me."
"Oh darling, please don't think of young women as fuck bags."
Thomas gazed at his mom amazed, a look she saw in the dim light of dawn that left her embarrassed.
"Wash you mouth out mother. Tell dad I said goodbye."
* * *
The high-mileage Toyota pickup was in good shape. Thomas and his best pal Mike were always working on their vehicles together keeping them ticking over. He knew he'd miss Mike over the summer.
Blonde with curls, lean with not much muscle development yet, the eighteen-year old thought sadly it would have been a great summer fucking Amy legless, er if he were capable of doing that. To date all his females had been up and away as soon as they'd had his first stream or two over their tits. It was all about being scared of being caught doing it.
Thomas drove slowly down the drive, not wishing to wake his dad or near neighbors because it was early Sunday morning, day of rest. Last night his dad had handed him two grand and flicking at one eye had said Thomas was beginning a great adventure and not to screw it like sleeping in a brothel he'd mistaken for a motel and being rolled and even his vehicle stolen. His dad had said it was tough out there, but fun and a time to sow wild oats.
At the end of the street, Thomas sped off to the freeway. God, that look in his dad's eye talking about sowing wild oats. His dad had never spoken to him like that before. One day he must talk to his dad about his youthful escapades. It had been four years since he'd last seen Gina and Dan. It had been at their wedding and they'd looked such a sexy couple. Gina was the real babe of the four sisters, his mom the oldest being next best. Ooooh, Gina would have been a great fuck on her wedding night.
Well back to the present. He thought he'd probably drive 600 miles and then find somewhere to stay, preferably a brothel. He grinned. He'd be almost prepared to bet his dad had left home to begin an adventure and had been rolled and his money stolen on his first night away from home. God his mom would have a fit if she knew her husband had had sex with prostitutes before her met her. Well perhaps they were college girls working as motel maids, definitely not maiden maids.
* * *
Gina came off the phone and told Dan that was her sister Dianna. "Thomas is on his way."
"Well you'll have to look after him. I don't want that skinny creep under my feet."
"Dan he will have grown quite a bit in four years and what you term creep was shyness. It was the first wedding he'd even been to and women kept telling him how good looking he was. No young guy likes being told that."
"You used to tell me I was good looking."
"Well if you shaved and showed more and had your hair styled I would return to saying that."
Dan grinned and refilled their coffee mugs. You go in tomorrow and get yourself dolled up. He'll expect me to look like a tired and worried rancher but will be expecting you to be looking as you were on our wedding day."
"Careful Dan, that is almost a romantic notion. I don't want you going soft on me... you have those bulls to shift today."
"A guy works better after being revved up fucking. Get those tits over here darling."
Next afternoon Dan had come in early and was just out of the shower. He looked out towards the road and saw dust rising on the access track.
"Your nephew is arriving."
"Oh sheet, I'm not ready."
"He won't care about make-up. He wants to see great hair, a big smile and your tits pulled up high and tight."
"God Dan you're awful," Gina said coming into the room, her hair up like he remembered at the wedding, er from looking at the wedding photos, but the local hairdresser had not been as skilled as the big city one.
"God I think he's driving one of those go-forever pickups," Dan said almost in awe. "That's very un-American but great thinking for a young guy with not much money because gas consumption will be lower."
"Lower than what?"
"American pickups. Weren't you listening?"
"I'm doing eye shadow."
Dan said slyly, "Condoms are in the top drawer of my bedroom cabinet."
"Dan!" Gina yelled. "That is so fucking disgusting. He's my nephew."
Dan looked into blue fearless eyes, or eyes he thought looked fearless. He also was a bit miffed. The kid was almost an inch taller and wasn't wearing cowboy boots so he had to amend that to two inches taller.
"Great to see you again kid. Is it still that stuffy Thomas or do I call you Tom?"
"Tom is fine providing mom's not around. My buddies back home call me Mongrel."
"Mongrel? Are you a bad ass kid?"
"No. At Middle School kids shorten my name Thomas Curtis to Tom Cur and then a kid said cur was a dog so I had a fight with him. Kids pulled us apart and he said I had mongrel in me and that name stuck, all through school and through high school."
"Well I don't think Mongrel is an acceptable name for my nephew," Gina said, strolling on to the porch and leaning against a roof post and dressed in high cowgirl boots, her tightest jeans and a light-blue embroidered cowgirl shirt.
"Jesus Aunt Gina," said the half-stunned nephew.
"Jesus," echoed Dan.
"Oh come on boys, there's no need to go over the top. "Take a good look Tom because you won't often see me dolled up. I'm a rancher's wife."
Tom was drinking a soda, Dan a beer and Dianna had a glass of wine when the guest said, "I'm keen to work on the ranch."
"What sweeping floors for Gina?"
"Come on Uncle Dan, don't tease."
