Montana to L.a.

Diane's death was mercifully sudden, the cancer raced through her body like a wildfire in a drought stricken forest the last month of her life. She had a feeling something was wrong but waited until her regular visit with her doctor to discuss the pains she felt within her. Unfortunately at that point it was too late. She did get to see her daughter Jordan graduate from college and Kelsey graduate from high school that last May. Her funeral was subdued with a few close family and friends attending. She had kept in contact with most of her sorority sisters from San Diego State and they had collected money to help out the family since Diane couldn't work her last month. Her "big sis" Janelle had been the closest of all the women she knew.

Over the years, Janelle had visited Diane's modest Montana spread several times to get away from her hectic life in Los Angeles. Janelle had been a 4.0 student at State, but got more attention for her looks than her brains. She capitalized on that, becoming a model and making a few million walking around in clothes she'd never actually wear. After twenty years playing mannequin, feeling squeezed out by younger women, she opened up her own modeling and production company. Her times at Diane's gave her a chance to relax and get back to the real world.

Janelle's visits seemed like Christmas to Jordan and Kelsey, complete with presents and stories of her life in L.A. Diane in turn sent pictures of the girls' birthdays, parties and their vacations to keep their "aunt" updated. Janelle mailed checks on special occasions to the girls as gifts when she couldn't be there. Diane made sure the girls wrote letters to thank her. They considered Janelle a doting aunt and looked forward to her visits and the stories she'd tell of the celebrities in L.A. that only she knew about.

Janelle flew into Billings as soon as she could, the call from Dave wasn't meant to alarm her. She knew Diane was sick, he just didn't tell her how sick. Dave and the girls met her at the airport, they all tried to look happy but Janelle knew it was a facade. The ride to their ranch was pleasant, the girls talked about their upcoming graduations avoiding talking about their mother. The view along the highway provided a stark contrast to the vibes she was feeling from her best friend's family. The hills were filled with an array of wildflowers, the various ranches they passed by contained new born calves playing and suckling their mothers. The girls made sure to point them out, giggling and laughing as they did.

Janelle was encouraged by their lightheartedness, hoping that her sense of dread wouldn't become a reality. When they arrived the girls took her bags to the spare room as Dave escorted her to Diane's room. They had set up one of the guest rooms for her, one that looked out over the pastures to the east. It seemed to be more hopeful to them than one of the other rooms facing west which showed the sunsets and the end of the day. It was all symbolic and subconscious, they wanted to keep Diane's spirits up to help her battle her disease.

When Janelle walked in Diane's face lit up, they hugged as Dave excused himself to let them talk. Except for the tubes extending out from the machines she was hooked up to Janelle would never have guessed her friend was sick. She sat down after pulling a chair closer to the bed so they could talk.

"How do you like my new friend?" Diane spoke, her voice a bit raspy.

"I've seen worse, sweetheart." Janelle smiled patting Diane's exposed hand.

"It doesn't get much worse than this, believe me. The doctors say I have till the end of the year. I don't believe them. The pain is too great and I don't think I can go that long. Besides I don't want the girls remembering me as a vegetable."

"You've always been a cute tomato to me, silly woman." Janelle did her best to hold back the tears but Diane could see through it.

"Oh, don't start crying, you'll have me doing it too and we need to talk first. Go get changed, relax and have something to eat. I'll be here for awhile longer."

"I'm fine right here, the girls have gotten so big they are more like young women now I should say. You've done a great job with them, sweetness."

"Thanks, I've had some help. Dave is a great dad, I know they will all be fine once I'm gone. I do want to talk to you about a few things. We can do that a bit later. The meds are kicking in and I'm feeling it. Go relax and take a look around. We've made some changes plus we have a couple of new foals the girls are dying to show you."

"Okay, I'll get settled in and we can talk. Then in a couple of days you and I can go riding, maybe up to that little pond we both enjoy so much."

"Oh my, you frisky bitch! You don't want to see this body naked, believe me. I would love to do that though. You always know the right buttons to push." Diane managed a smile, squeezing Janelle's hand as best she could.

"I'll be back in a bit. Don't go anywhere," Janelle teased stifling a sniffle.

"Not to worry, lover." Diane managed just as her eyelids closed signaling the medications taking hold.

Janelle left Diane to sleep, she recalled the small pond that years ago they had ridden to. It wasn't meant to be an all-day outing. They were riding enjoying the sunshine and clean air when they came upon a small pond on the outskirts of the ranch. The cattle didn't graze this portion so the pond banks were clean. The sun was getting warmer as they rode up to it. Diane suggested they let the horses drink while they walked around and talked. They dismounted, releasing the reins and let the horses fend for themselves.

There was a small group of boulders with a few trees scattered among them which offered a bit of shade for them to relax in. Diane sat, her back against one of the massive rocks, soaking up the sun while watching the horses drink and graze.

Janelle sat next to her, taking Diane's hand in hers. "I've been wanting to get you alone since I've arrived, my love," Janelle confessed.

"I know, I just can't show my feelings about you in front of Dave and the girls," Diane replied.

I know, it's okay. I just want you so much. I miss "us"." With that Janelle leaned in kissing Diane. Her lips grazing her lover's, her tongue tracing the lips that she'd missed so much.

Diane sighed, her hand caressing Janelle's head holding her to prolong the kiss. They continued kissing until each became too warm. Then Diane checked the horses again to make sure they hadn't wandered off and began unbuttoning Janelle's jeans. The kissing reached a fever pitch, hands groping, clothes flying as their passion matched the warmth of the prairie afternoon.

They spread the clothes out for a makeshift blanket, Janelle slipping onto Diane, their legs entwined. "Gawd, I've missed you baby," Janelle confessed before nuzzling the nape of Diane's neck. Diane smiled, "I've missed you too, lover."

Janelle worked her way down to Diane's breasts, licking, sucking and giving them the focused attention of a new found toy. Diane cooed and purred as Janelle suckled her, squirming, moving her damp pussy against Janelle's thigh.

Janelle moaned her encouragement and when she thought Diane had enough she slid down and placed her face between her lover's legs. Diane parted her long limbs, her feet planted on the ground so she could raise herself a bit for the woman she loved. Janelle placed her hands under Diane's ass then traced the glistening labia before her with her tongue. Diane arched her head back, closing her eyes, delighting in the feeling now coursing through her body.

Janelle licked and lapped to her heart's content. Diane's reactions were adding fuel to the fire which was burning inside Janelle.

This continued over the next several minutes until Diane could take no more. Her body began to quiver and shake more and more as she got closer to her climax. Janelle, sensing her lover's passion increased her stimulation to Diane's clit with her tongue and fingers.

Suddenly, Diane's body shook, her moans of delight became shrieks which frightened the grazing horses nearby. Her body seemed to bounce off the pile of clothes that now lay in bunches under her. Janelle eased up on her lovemaking and let the rush of delight surge through her love. A panting Diane collected her thoughts and looked down her lithe body to her lover. She winked and then curled her finger a few times inviting Janelle to face her.

When the giggling Janelle got close enough Diane grasped her by the hair and promptly kissed her. Janelle moaned as they breathed into each other's mouths allowing Diane to slowly calm down.

When they finally broke their embrace Diane was the first to speak, "You have such an amazing tongue, my love."

"Why, thank you, my dear. I wish I could do that more often with you."

Janelle grinned knowing that Diane's husband rarely if ever satisfied Diane that way. Diane sighed, knowing she could never have a family and Janelle. As they were laying there talking Diane happened to glance to the Eastern sky. The once blue sky with the cute cotton ball clouds had changed and a storm looked like it was heading in. Diane informed Janelle that they'd better get going and that she was sorry she couldn't return the orgasm favor. Janelle kissed her and told her not to worry, they'd have plenty of other opportunities. They quickly got dressed each making sure the other was brushed off. Rounding up the horses they quickly mounted and headed back to the ranch and barn.

Janelle sighed as she headed to her room to unpack and spend some time with her favorite girls.

Over the next week Janelle visited with Diane as much as she could. The pain killers surging through Diane's body made her awake and coherent times fewer and fewer. The two women managed to get some serious talks in mostly concerning Diane's wishes for the girls regarding things Dave couldn't deal with or understood.

Janelle spent quite a bit of time with the girls, more so than she normally did on her visits. They talked at length about Diane. This was the start of their grieving process. Janelle tried to keep them from focusing too much on their mother's present look, encouraging them to remember their good times. She was impressed at how mature they both had become, mentally and physically.

Within three weeks Diane was gone. Despite everyone knowing it would happen they still weren't as prepared mentally as they thought they were.

Janelle stayed for the funeral; helping out around the house as best she could. She wasn't domestic at all, having a maid and staff at her house to take care of the menial chores. Her presence was appreciated by Dave, who made all the arrangements. After the relatives left and everyone paid their respects, Janelle sat down and had a talk with Dave. It was fairly brief to finalize some of the items Diane had asked Janelle to see to. Dave was a bit reluctant at first. Janelle offered to take the girls to L.A. for the summer to help them relax and get their minds off their mother. It would give Dave a chance to sort things out. Dave at first thought no, he needed them at home, Janelle insisted they get away. Janelle being Janelle got her way.

She explained the reasoning during talks with the girls to help ease them through their grief. It would be a good break before September when Kelsey started college. Jordan hadn't had any job offers from the multitude of resumes she had sent out. She really wasn't looking while helping take care of her mother during her final weeks.

Janelle told Dave that the girls both thought a trip to Los Angeles would be fun; something their mother had wanted them to do but never had the chance. He reluctantly agreed, telling the girls he'd be fine and they should go and enjoy themselves.

Janelle refused to let Dave pay for anything; she got the girls first class tickets, setting the date before she left. She told the girls to only bring toothbrushes because she was going to outfit them at all the stylish shops in Beverly Hills. The girls gave Janelle hugs and kisses galore upon hearing her plans for them. Dave thanked her for being such a good friend. Janelle shrugged it off thinking nothing of spending time with her adoptive nieces. Besides she'd have them go to work with her putting Jordan's business degree to good use. Kelsey's artistic flair would be put to the test while she finished getting ready for college. She would pay them much better than the local grocery store where they probably would have worked all summer.

The end of May rolled around; Dave drove them to the airport, having misgivings about sending them away. The girls helped ease his mind knowing he was missing Diane as much as they were. During the month they had mourned, they spent many hours remembering their mom and the good times they had shared with her. They made scrapbooks, visited her memorial at least weekly to let her know how they were doing. Dave did take solace in how well the girls were coping. When it came time for them to fly to L.A. he really didn't feel like they would dwell on their mother as much as he would.

The girls' flight to the city was amazing; first-class air travel was all they had heard about. They were met at the airport by Janelle's personal assistant in a stretch limo then driven to Janelle's house high in the hills overlooking L.A. They did bring a few clothes despite Janelle's offer. When Janelle got home she took a look at what they brought and immediately tossed the garments and took them shopping.

The girls were amazed at the size of Janelle's house, it seemed like a castle to them. Over five thousand square feet, four-car garage, swimming pool all guarded by an electronic gate. They couldn't see any neighbors from inside "Fortress Janelle" as they dubbed it. Janelle laughed at that but inside she knew they were right. She was pretty isolated from the world once she was inside.

The four-car garage housed her two cars, a Mercedes GL550 SUV and a SL63 roadster. They gawked at the roadster wanting to take it shopping with the top down but Janelle pointed out it only had room for two. The GL was still much nicer than their father's pickup truck. Kelsey called dibs on shotgun, Jordan complained a bit with Janelle scolding them half halfheartedly about taking turns. They slid into the leather seats squirming around enjoying how different they were from vinyl and how they felt like the seats on the airplane.

Janelle drove down Rodeo Drive so they could see what the fuss was all about. When they were ready to do some serious shopping she took them to shops her friends and business acquaintances owned. Most of the shops were boutiques, catering to a specific look or clientele. At each store they marveled at the display windows wondering if the outfits came in their sizes. The sales clerks enjoyed waiting on them commenting to Janelle how cute they were. Janelle would just smile, nodding as she handed over her credit card to pay.

The girls occasionally saw someone they recognized from television or the movies, at first they became all excited bouncing up and down, telling each other who they thought it was. After the sixth celebrity sighting they calmed down, focusing on what they were buying and how the outfits looked. They bought outfits that were more businesslike for work with Janelle, skirts, blouses and of course all the accessories. They bought casual pieces to mix and match through the summer. The most fun they had was trying on swimwear. At each location they posed and modeled for Janelle and the shop owner. Janelle was taken aback at how mature each of them looked when dressed for work in the city and not for the ranch.

After each purchase they would kiss and hug their "aunt" thanking her. Janelle caught some of the clerks ogling the girls as they tried on the various outfits. She gave them the evil eye like a mother lion guarding her cubs at the same time thinking how delicious they looked.

Kelsey showed some concern about all the money being spent when she and Jordan were alone in one of the dressing areas. Jordan felt a bit guilty buying the clothes also but rationalized to Kelsey that Janelle had the money and if she didn't want to spend it, she would have said something. Kelsey agreed, they both felt guilty and made a pact to be the best "house guests" Janelle had ever had.

When they had finished shopping she took them to lunch at one of the finer cafes on Rodeo Drive. Again they pointed out people they thought they had seen on TV or the movies. Janelle had to calm their excitement asking them to not act like tourists. The girls giggled reminding her they were indeed tourists. This caused Janelle to laugh along with them realizing this was their first trip and that she took for granted famous people around her.

After lunch and a bit more touring Janelle brought them home and told them to relax for a bit. Her chef had prepared a light dinner, leaving it for them in the fridge. The girls were in awe of their aunt and seemed to walk around in a dream state until it all had a chance to sink it. Janelle let them stay like that for a couple of days so the newness could wear off then she took them to work. She introduced them to her staff explaining to the girls that they were free to come and go but she did want them to put in time.

She wanted them to learn something while they were there. The girls agreed remembering their pact, they made sure they paid attention, asking questions about how things ran and the reason things were done like they were.

After the initial shock of having the girls around and realizing they weren't threats to their employment the staff warmed up to them. The whole office seemed to come alive with their youth and enthusiasm. New perspectives were gained since none of the office staff had ever lived outside L.A.

Janelle slowly began to rely more on their opinions realizing they had a completely different perspective than her employees. When they went home some evenings they discussed the day's events over dinner. Their first week was mainly used to assimilate themselves with the city and how Janelle worked.

The second week, after they came home and ate dinner, they sat out by the pool sipping cocktails or wine depending on how Janelle's day went. This became their routine during the week. Weekends were left open for the various functions Janelle had on her social calendar. Janelle let Kelsey drink in moderation knowing both the girls had attended "keggers" back home. She made sure nobody over indulged and that they knew the penalties for drinking and driving.

After the girls had settled in, Janelle's home routine changed. She had talked to them briefly about her after dinner swims to be sure they wouldn't freak out. Normally she swam after getting home; it helped keep her trim and toned along with relieving some stress. She had failed to mention until one Friday night that she preferred to do it seminude. She had been coming out each evening in a swimsuit draped with a sarong but this one night she left the top of her bikini in her room.

At first the girls quietly walked back indoors while Janelle swam; peeking at her from inside the house. After the initial shock wore off, they wandered back out to take their usual places at the patio table. Janelle continued swimming her laps, noticing them out of the corner of her eye. Smiling to herself, she finished her therapy and exited the pool. Drying off, she took her usual seat with the girls, ignoring her nudity, and began the normal nightly routine of rehashing the day and planning the next. Since this was a Friday they went over the weekend activities.

"Girls, it's been a couple of weeks. How are you enjoying your stay?"

Janelle slowly covered herself; watching while the girls diverted their eyes trying to act as if nothing was out of sorts. She left a bit more skin showing in hopes that their shyness might begin to erode.