Chapter 6

The band played until 12:00 and by then, the new friends had become best friends. They had danced to nearly every song the band played, even the fast ones. There were other couples who favored cowboy music, and the band played one whole set, with slow and fast paced two-steps, and songs for those who liked to triple-step, slow and fast.

When the band announced the last song of the night, Jackie held onto Bob’s hand as she pulled him across the dance floor toward the bandstand. She had one last request and there was no way the lead singer was going to turn down the famous Lady Cowgirl, when she looked up at him and said, “Please?”

He was smiling as he announced, “This one is for Lonesome Bob, requested by, The Lady Cowgirl from Midland, Texas, Ms. Jackie Lauterette. Give them a hand folks. They have entertained us with their dance floor magic tonight. My hat is also off, to the newlyweds sitting at the table with Bob and Jackie. Please give a big hand for the Texas sweethearts, Tommy Lee and J Lo Manara.”

On the dance floor for the last dance of the night, Bob pulled Jackie to him until her body was pressed to his, from her breasts to her knees, as he led her into a slow, two-step style waltz. When Tommy saw them, he pulled J Lo tight to his body and they slowly made their way around the large, hardwood floor.

“Jackie, I don’t want tonight to end. There has been so many times that I wasn’t sure I could go on. But now, after spending the past six and a half hours with you, I’m looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of my life. I’m not going to say anything that will sound like love. But I sure do like you a lot. If all I get out of this meeting, is to be called your friend, I’ll still owe you. The words to this song says it all for me... If I had you ... Oh, if I had you.”

“Bob, For the first time in three years, I realize that I have so much more to give, than I ever knew was left inside me. You have built a fire deep inside my soul and like you, I don’t want to say anything to spoil what we’ve found, or what we will find tomorrow if we take our time.

“If I had you, we’d run like gypsies in the wind, Bob Conlee. Wait for me, OH PLEASE - PLEASE, wait for me. I won’t keep you waiting. I’m almost there now and I’m excited, Bob! I am excited to be smiling again, laughing again, making new friends and making plans for tomorrow with my new friends. I love dancing with you and I love feeling your hard body pulling me close. You are a wonderful dancer and I want more of the same!”

“I’m not going anywhere, Jackie. I’m excited about tomorrow also. I hope you’ll let me spend the whole day with you. I’m excited that we’re going to play tennis with J Lo and Tommy. I want to be near you, but I don’t want to crowd you. PLEASE, tell me you’ll wait for me, Jackie. I know I’m slow to make a decision and I’m even slower to make a move - but when I know that where I’m going, is exactly where I’m supposed to be - I’ll be right there in the middle of it with you.”

Later, Bob had escorted her to her room and they were standing at the door to her suite on the top floor. She had unlocked the door and when she opened it slightly, he reached out and pulled it closed. She wanted him to come in. He wanted to, but he wasn’t, not tonight.

“Thank you, Bob. You’re such a gentleman. Thank you for a wonderful evening. I want to have breakfast with you, if you’ll let me.”

“I was going to ask before I left. I get up early, do you?”

“Each and every day of my life, I get up early.”

“I’ll be waiting by the elevator at 6:30 if that’s not too early.”

“I’ll be there. I’m dying to kiss you, but for now, give me a little goodnight kiss. I do hope you like hugs and kisses, I have so many that I already want to give you - when the time is right.”

“I want all of them - when the time is right. Goodnight, Lady Cowgirl.” Bob wanted to grab her and kiss her until she fought for air, but he kissed her lightly on her lips and turned to walk away as soon as she opened her door. She peeked back at him one more time, smiling as she closed the door.

When Bob entered his room, he immediately dialed room to room, calling room 310.

“Manara,” Tommy answered on the first ring.

“Tommy, Bob here. I just wanted to make sure you and J Lo made it to your room alright. If you and J Lo get up early, I’m meeting Jackie for breakfast at 6:30. I’d like for you to join us.

“We both get up early and we’ll meet you in the restaurant, thanks for checking on us, Bob. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Bob hung up the room phone and grabbed his iPhone. When it booted, he checked his target. It was parked here on the hotel parking lot. He knew it would be. This was only the first of three nights here. One night, before they leave, he planned to do an under-car inspection of that vehicle.

J Lo was in the bathroom when Tommy answered the phone. She came out naked and leaped onto the bed beside him. He had the green duffel bag on the bed and was about to run the zipper back when she grabbed him.

“Tommy, I had so much fun tonight. Didn’t you?”

“I sure did. I loved being at the table with Jackie and Bob. I really do believe they will fall in love. Don’t you?”

“I believe they’re already on their way. I have never seen two people who are more comfortable with each other after just meeting. Have you?”

“You’re absolutely right. Both of them are so easy to be around and so easy to talk to. They treated us as if we were equals. I really do hope Bob will go out to California and meet us there at the beach. Wouldn’t that be something, if Bob and Jackie both met us at the beach?”

“Yes it would! I’m excited about getting them to play mixed doubles with us too. Both of them are in really good shape and I bet at one time, they could really play...

“Tommy, why don’t you put that old bag on the floor for now? I want you to come over here beside me, so you can hold me and kiss me. I love you so much, and dancing close like we did, with you holding me all night, makes me want to climb on top of you and make love ‘til morning.”

Pedro drove Malachi’s vehicle into Las Vegas as the trooper instructed. He had searched for the address of The Texas Station Hotel and Casino on his iPhone. When he and Arturo checked in they took Malachi’s bags to their room with them.

“Arturo, I’m going to take some of my free money and go down to play Black Jack for a while.”

“I’ll go down with you, and play the progressive slots. I saw on the news where a man hit for seven hundred and fifty thousand on the progressive slots out here in Vegas last week.”

“OK, I’ll come look you up before I go back to the room. We need to get a few hours sleep before we try to ride them damn mountain bikes on that trail ride tomorrow.”

“Did you get us signed up already?”

“I signed all three of us up. But you and me need to try and get that Manara kid and his wife alone so we can find out about our money. Hell, Malachi may have to serve thirty days or more, then pay all his fines, before he can get out and help us again. I’d already signed all of us up for the horseback trail ride, too. But that was before Malachi got his ass locked up for speeding. Then they piled on all his fucking tickets from back in Texas. You’d think the man would stop acting like he’s the smartest person in the world and just use some damn common sense once in a while.”

“Can you ride a horse, Pedro?”

“I have before, I reckon I can again. Have you?”

“No, but I rode in a wagon pulled by two horses one time when I was little.”

“Maybe they’ll have a wagon you can ride in. If not, hell get on a horse. The horses they’ll have are gentle and never even run, much less buck and try to throw a rider off.”

“If we have to ride mountain bikes and ride horses to find a way to get our hands on that damn money from them Manaras while Malachi sits on his ass in jail, we need to tell him we didn’t!”

“You mean cut him out?”

“Him and Floria too. Man, we’re talking about a million or more, plus what we got on us now.”

“Arturo, sometimes you’re a smarter man than I thought you was. Let’s go hit us a jackpot!”

After breakfast the next morning, Bob, Jackie, Tommy and J Lo took a taxi to the nearest sporting goods store. None of them had the proper attire for riding bikes over the fourteen miles of rugged trails in Red Rock Canyon.

The four of them had picked up where they’d left off the night before. They were fast becoming best friends and they were eager to make today even more special.

They had been informed that their riding helmets would be furnished, but any other gear or clothing would be the rider’s responsibility. Each of them bought stretch-type bike shorts with plenty of padding in the proper places. They bought long sleeve, zip-up, athletic jerseys, socks and a pair of shoes especially designed for bike riding. They bought sunglasses with eye protection on the sides, and each of them bought a canteen.

Back at the hotel, they rushed to change into their new clothes and don their new bike riding gear.

On the third floor, Jackie held her shopping bags in one hand and grabbed Bob’s hand with her other, “I’m not as modest this morning as I was last night. I think we can change in the same room without spoiling our friendship, don’t you?”

“Sure. I trust you! One of us can use the bathroom, the other can change in the room.”

“I’ve never worn panties with my jeans, I’ve always worn support undergarments similar to these bike shorts when I rode in the events. Now when I ride at home, I usually just pull on a pair of tight fitting jeans so there’s no underwear to bunch up in the wrong places. If I need help with these stretch garments, would you be willing to help me, or do I need to ask J Lo?”

“If you trust me, I’ll help you. But, I refuse to close my eyes.”

“I’d be disappointed if you did.”

“You go in the bathroom, I’ll stay out here. If you do need help, just call and I’ll do the best I can. I’ve never worn this type of garment and I’ve never gone without my shorts under my pants.”

Before Jackie entered the bathroom, she looked back at him, “If you need help getting them pulled up over the rough spots, I’ll be glad to assist you.” She was laughing when she stepped into the bathroom. She didn’t even pull the door completely closed.

Bob was pulling his Spandex-Lycra bike shorts up over his butt when he felt her hands at his waist. She didn’t speak as she pulled at his waistband, running her fingers around, tugging the garment up until it fit him properly.

He turned to see her in her sports bra and bike shorts. She was smiling as she reached out to run her hands up from his waist, up over his chest and to his neck.

“Just hug me, Bob. If we kiss right now, we’ll never see Red Rock Canyon this day and possibly the next!”

As he pulled her close, she pressed her body close and told him, “I knew you would look good without your clothes. I had to hurry out to get a good look at you. The fire you built deep in my soul last night, is about to burn out of control, Bob.”

“I feel the same way, Jackie. I want you, but I want to wait for more than just a night of dancing and a day of riding bikes. I already want more than you may be willing to offer.”

“Bob, I want to wait too. I want to wait until there’s no one waiting for us. When I do give myself to you, I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”

“That’s exactly what I want when I give myself to you. Let’s get dressed and go bike riding. We need to loosen our legs and get them ready for that tennis match tomorrow.”

“I bought a new tennis outfit today too and I can hardly wait to wear it for you.”

“I like the way you make a pair of jeans fit your body without even a wrinkle. I really like the way you look with those black bike riding clothes on too.”

“Bob, whether you know this or not, you really do have a nice ass for a man of forty-eight!”

“So, we’ve suddenly advanced to the point of us admiring asses?”

“Yes, and I got a good look at your naked ass before we pulled those tight spandex shorts up. Very nice, Bob! You have a very nice body. The view of you from that mirror over there made the fire in my soul start burning out of control again. I’m glad to know that your firefighting equipment is some of the most advanced I’ve ever seen on any firefighter.”

“So, you’ve seen a lot of firefighting equipment?”

“Only one. I hate to say it this way, but yours could put out a three-alarm fire. His would barely put out a campfire.”

“Jackie, you’ll have more than a fire in your soul, if you keep teasing me like this.”

“I’m not teasing, Bob. I’ve always been hot-blooded, and the sight of your tanned body, your tight ass and your massive tool kit has me boiling. Let’s go meet our shuttle before I start acting like something other than a lady.”

“I’ve only been close to two ladies before I met you. One was my mother, the other one I married and she loved to show me she wasn’t always a lady. The only reason I brought that up, was to tell you that you don’t have to always be a lady with me, Jackie. I like you the way you are. Honest, beautiful, smart and sexy as all get-out!“

“Bob, can we risk one kiss before we go. I’m afraid I’ve fallen deeper than I’ve ever been and I need help! Please rescue me, Fireman Bob!”

“Jackie...”

He held his arms out to her and she rushed into his embrace. When she looked into his eyes, she was smiling. He was too - then they kissed ... Then their lives changed forever as they held each other, kissing for the first time. When he relaxed his arms, she pulled back and lay her cheek against his hairy chest where she had pulled the zipper down the front of his riding jersey.

“I can make it now, Bob. I had to have a look at you. I had to have that first kiss and I was dying to lay my head against your chest like this. Though I’ll always have the memories I made in the first part of my life, I can already tell you, they are fading faster, each time I look at you. But I want more from you, and the longer we wait, I already want you just that much more. Am I moving too fast, Bob? I don’t mean to, I just felt the need to hold you and kiss you. I want more, but I want to wait until I can have it all. I want all of you and I already want you forever. I wasn’t looking for someone when I came here, but I came here with a feeling of excitement running through my whole body. I wasn’t sure what it was until now. It was the expectation of finally leaving the first part behind and running headlong down the pathway that would lead me to the rest of my life.”