Chapter Five – Cynthia

 

Tamara sat at the table, a spoon in her hand while her breakfast sat untouched before her. A fierce scowl darkened her face, with the anger only a five-year-old could muster. Cynthia had to work not to laugh. That would not earn her any favors. Still, seeing such a heavy scowl on such a young face was amusing, to say the least.

“If you stick that lip out any further, a chicken will lay an egg on it,” Tyrell said as he tapped Tamara’s nose with his finger. “Honey. I know you want to come to the mainland, but this is about work. You wouldn’t have any fun.”

“But Cynthia and Aunt Ruby could come with us and I’d stay with them while you did your boring stuff.”

“I don’t want to go to the mainland,” Ruby, on Tamara’s other side, mussed her hair. “But we’ll have fun here.”

Cynthia nodded. “We’re going to the Black Sands today to look for a birthday present for Daddy, remember?”

Tamara let out a deep sigh and muttered something under her breath. Cynthia hid her smile as she glanced at Tyrell. He’d given her twenty bucks for Tamara to get him something. She wondered if the ‘work’ he had to do on the mainland was just an excuse not to accidentally see what his daughter chose for him. Or if it had a more nefarious purpose.

Rex had told her that Tyrell went to the mainland to sleep around with women there. At the time, she’d been super jealous while trying to play like she didn’t care. Now, she wondered if it was even true. Not that it was any of her business if it was, but Rex hadn’t turned out to be the good person he pretended to be. There was no reason to believe him about this.

“That was a good breakfast, thank you.” Tyrell stood and put his dishes in the sink. “Cynthia, can I talk to you for a moment?”

She had already finished breakfast, so Cynthia nodded. She followed him out into the living room. There, the cheerful expression on his face turned serious as he lowered his voice. “I don’t think I need to tell you this, but I want to make sure you know not to tell Tamara about… when Rex was here.”

“You don’t need to tell me that,” she agreed. She had no intention of bringing up Rex around Tamara. Ever.

Tyrell nodded slowly, then swallowed. “Good. And if his name comes up… please don’t speak badly of him.”

Cynthia stared blankly at him. Part of her wanted to snap at him that she’d speak any way she damn well pleased. Why was he being protective of Rex? From what she had seen, he hated Rex as much as Rex hated him. What did he care what Tamara heard about him?

Her confusion must have shown through, because Tyrell sighed, running a hand through his hair. “For better or for worse, he’s her uncle.”

“Uncle?” Cynthia yelped. Her eyes widened. “Wait, you didn’t tell me that. He’s her uncle?”

Tyrell looked surprised for a moment before he nodded. “Sorry. I thought that you’d heard that part of my … conversation with Rex, too. But apparently you didn’t. He’s her uncle.”

“Whoa.” Cynthia struggled to pay attention as Tyrell continued to speak.

“As much as I despise him, I know that he loves her. I don’t want to turn her against him, not when there is still a chance that things might work out.”

“Work out how?”

“I’m going to the mainland to talk with some lawyers and health professionals. I want to figure something out. Maybe if Rex gets counseling. Something. So that he can get to know Tamara and Tamara can get to know him. I’ve never liked him but Noel, his… boss, he thinks very highly of him. And I don’t want Tamara to be cut off from her family.”

Cynthia’s heart melted a little. While she wasn’t entirely certain that Rex was worth all this effort, she was still touched that Tyrell would try to come up with a solution that would work for them all. And making sure that Rex got counseling… well, that was a good thing, wasn’t it?

She nodded. “I won’t say anything.”

“Thank you.” Tyrell took her hand and squeezed gently. “I appreciate it.”

“Yeah. Well… I don’t plan on talking about him at all, so there’s that.”

Tyrell smiled. “Good. Oh, and just so you know, I’ve asked Ruby to stay the whole day with you. Uh… you know, to watch over the animals and stuff. We’ve got a little heifer in the barn that’s pregnant. The damn bull wouldn’t leave her alone.”

He glanced away as he spoke, making Cynthia wonder whether he was telling the truth. She dismissed that thought, though—why would he be lying over something like this?

“I’ll be glad for her company,” she assured him.

“Good, good… keep your radio on you, okay?”

“Sure… why? What’s this about?”

Tyrell shook his head. “Nothing. Just me… needing to make sure that you have a way to contact me if anything happens. With Tamara.”

“Right.” Cynthia frowned but didn’t push it. He was a dad—he was allowed to be paranoid about his daughter’s wellbeing.

 

***

 

Later that night, after Tyrell had left for the mainland and Tamara was in bed, Cynthia went out to the barn, where Ruby had brought the little pregnant heifer from the field. Her belly was almost twice as large as she was and sweat slicked her sides as she panted. Cynthia winced in sympathy to see her. In her time as a vet, she had dealt with similar situations. It was never easy on the animal. This heifer would be in full active labor here shortly. Given her size, it wasn’t a moment too soon. The poor thing was going to have a hard time delivering. Given her size, a stalled labor was a very real danger.

Ruby pet the small animal behind the ears and the heifer nudged her hands. She glanced at Cynthia and gave her a half-smile. “Her mom abandoned her at birth so I hand-raised her. This is Baby Girl.”

Cynthia nodded. “Will it spook her if I come closer?”

“No. She likes people.”

With another nod, Cynthia joined the other woman. The heifer gave her a big-eyed look, but when Cynthia held out her hand, the heifer nudged it, encouraging a head scratch. “Aren’t you a beautiful girl?”

“Small though,” Ruby said, worry clear in her voice.

Cynthia nodded. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“Yeah.” Ruby sighed. She gave Cynthia a smile, though it was clearly forced. “I’m sure she will be. So. While my brother is off on the mainland and no little ears around to hear us, you want to know anything about him?”

Cynthia chewed her lip. “Uh...”

“Come on. Ask me. I’ve known my brother all my life, after all. I know everything there is to know about him.”

Her mind landed on one burning question. “Uh… what’s the deal with him and Rex Tesla? I mean, I get that Tamara’s mom was Rex’s sister, but their feud seems… I don’t know, older than that.”

Ruby nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Well, you’re right about that. This feud between the two of them is as old as they are. Well, at least as old as kindergarten. I’m not sure of the whole story, but there was something about a backpack that Rex wrecked, so Tyrell purposefully got blood on Rex’s new white shirt, and then, of course, our parents never got along, either. Honestly, just a lot of… well. I don’t want to say nonsense because Tyrell is my brother but that’s what it is. Nonsense. There is no reason for them to be enemies like this.”

“And then Tamara was born?”

“That,” Ruby said slowly, “is something Tyrell will have to tell you. Honestly. I didn’t expect you to dive into the deep stuff. I thought you would ask something like if he’s a natural redhead.”

Cynthia had to laugh at that. “Is he?”

“Yup. We both are.”

They chatted about inconsequential things for a few hours and drank coffee. All the while, Cynthia watched the little heifer. She showed signs of progress, dilating nicely. The contractions were visible over her stomach, increasing in regularity. Cynthia went back to the house and made a pot of coffee, bringing out a cup to Ruby.

The other woman looked concerned as she hugged the heifer around the neck and whispered words of encouragement into her ear. The night was cool, not overly so, and inside the barn it was still warm. The heifer lowed in distress, mucus frothing from her nose.

“Six hours.” Cynthia hummed as she checked her watch. “And she delivered the amniotic sac a while ago… I think you’d better call the vet. I know it’s still early, but when I was working with the vet, the biggest problem was that people would call too late. I’ll get her into the headshot so I can check to calf’s position. You got gloves?”

Ruby nodded, her face pale. “Tyrell usually does this sort of stuff. He should have been back by now. I don’t know what’s taking him so long.”

Images of the huge, muscular man slowly removing his plaid flannel shirt and a woman on her knees as she undid his belt flashed through Cynthia’s mind, but she pushed that aside. Then came images of a boat sinking beneath the waves of the ocean, and she pushed that aside, too. As Ruby went to the house to call the vet, Cynthia got the heifer into the headshot and pinned up her tail to prevent her from kicking.

Ruby came back with a bucket of hot soapy water, a clean towel and a pair of gloves with sleeves that went up to the shoulder. Cynthia quickly scrubbed up, put a glove on, and checked to see the calf’s position. One of its front legs was still facing backward; Cynthia stuck her fingers in the calf’s mouth and nodded when it sucked on them.

It was alive. Which meant they had time. She cupped the calf’s backward hoof with her hand and gently maneuvered it around so it faced forward, careful not to catch or damage the uterine wall. Next, she gently cleaned up around the calf’s exit point and waited another thirty minutes. When little progress was made, Cynthia shook her head.

“I think we need to help pull it out. It’s just too big.”

Ruby nodded. Her red hair stuck to her throat with sweat. “I’m going to kill that bull. It’s okay, Baby Girl, you’re gonna be okay.”

The heifer bellowed and Ruby kept up a string of soothing words, telling her that she was doing well, as she and Cynthia both started to work with the contractions to pull the calf out. The head soon appeared, black and slick with an amber fluid. Meconium.

Cynthia cursed. Not a good sign at all. Soon, however, the three of them combined had gotten the calf out. Ruby carried it into the pen and put it on a pile of hay, while Cynthia released the heifer.

The poor thing stumbled over to her calf, started licking it, then laid down. Her head rested for a moment before she started to lick the calf again as it shivered and bleated.

Ruby rubbed down both calf and heifer—well, she was a cow now, having delivered a calf. Cynthia leaned against the railing, exhausted but pleased with their success. Now, the only concern was that the calf may have been stressed during birth. The presence of the meconium was proof of that.

It was an hour later when the vet finally arrived. By then, the little cow was standing while the calf suckled. It was a little bull, or rather, a big bull. He was almost half as big as his mother already.

The vet checked them both out, then joined the two women with a pleased smile. “You did exactly the right thing,” he said to Cynthia. “I’m impressed.”

“I did some vet work over in Colorado. Lots of farm calls. It’s been years, though, I’m surprised I remembered everything.”

The vet nodded, glanced at the cow and calf, then grinned at her. “Well, if you want to get back into it, I’m looking for help. As you can tell by my delayed arrival, I’m always on the go. I can promise you a lot of excitement.”

Cynthia laughed. “Thanks, but I’m happy as a nanny. Different kind of excitement, and less blood and death.”

“I can respect that. But if you ever change your mind, let me know.”

He nodded to the two of them before taking his leave, driving away in a muddy jeep. As he was leaving, the familiar old truck that belonged to Tyrell pulled up. Something sparked inside of Cynthia and her grin widened. It was just her luck that Tyrell would arrive at the moment of her victory. Ruby went back into the barn to keep an eye on the new mom and baby, while Cynthia fairly danced over to Tyrell.

Dark circles smudged under his eyes and his hair hung limply. He was dressed in a neat suit, complete with dress shoes. There was a defeated air about him, but Cynthia was so high on her own victory that she barely noticed it.

“What are you still doing up?” he asked her, raising a brow.

“Oh, just saving the world. Or at least, saving a cow and her baby.” With a wide grin, Cynthia told him everything that had happened.

Tyrell grinned when she was done, looking a little heartened, and nodded. “Good. I’m glad. Ruby would have torn that bull to shreds if anything happened to her baby because of this. And you got offered a job huh? Maybe you ought to take it… goodness knows you’d be paid more than I’m giving you.”

Cynthia shrugged. “Honestly, it does feel good, knowing I’ve been able to make a difference. But that doesn’t mean I want to switch back.”

He started to loosen his tie.

“And how was your meeting?”

“As good as I expected. Rex was a no-show but his lawyers are going to reach out to him. It was exhausting, though. These things always are.”

He unbuttoned the top button on his shirt and heat flashed under her skin. God, he looked good. She licked her lips slowly, a wicked thought coming to her. Whether because of her victory or how exhausted she was (not to mention the amount of coffee she had drunk) she wasn’t sure. But she found herself leaning forward, one hand wrapped around Tyrell's bicep. She felt almost drunk.

“Looks like you need something to relax and I need a shower. Care to combine the two?”

Tyrell’s eyes widened for a moment before a grin split his face. Without a word, he took her hand and led her to the house.

Cynthia bounced with excitement as desire swept through her. It had been too long. Already there were sparks flowing under her skin just at the thought of Tyrell’s body pressed flush against hers. She turned to him with an expectant grin when they got into the house, and he returned it with a saucy wink that had her blood boiling. He pressed her against the door and lightly traced his lips over her cheekbone, then her jaw before settling in on the crook of her neck. Shivers ran down her spine as she grasped his tie with one hand.

Just as she gasped with pleasure, though, he pulled back. Cynthia frowned in protest—until she seized her around the waist and threw her over his shoulder. A startled laugh burst from her and she half-heartedly struggled against his hold. He clamped one hand on her ass as he jogged up the stairs. He strode past the communal bathroom and went to his room, not putting her down until he was in his ensuite bathroom.

Cynthia pressed herself to her toes, seeking out his mouth, and he put his finger to her lips. “Not yet, lovely. You stink of the barn.”

“Hey!”

“You’re as lovely as a full moon on a calm ocean, though.”

Cynthia couldn’t help but laugh at that. His eyes twinkled as he propelled her toward the shower, then reached inside to turn it on. Heat flared through her body as his hands returned to her body, tracking down her form.

“You must have worked so hard,” he murmured, tugging her jeans down. “Let me help you.”

The cool air made her shiver, but the heat in his fingers tracing up the inside of her thigh more than made up for it. Cynthia smiled, enjoying the sensations of his touch on her body. A tremble in her legs threatened to knock her off her feet but she stood firm and pulled Tyrell’s jacket off his body. She licked her lips as she undid the buttons of his dress shirt, eagerly drinking in the sight of his contoured muscles.

“Beautiful,” she murmured, tugging his shirt lose from his pants.

She ran his hands over his abs, which actually twitched under her touch. He leaned in to nibble at her neck, then yanked her shirt up over her head without another word. The motion left her breathless and dizzy with anticipation. Tyrell’s eyes were dark and commanding as he pressed her against the cool glass of the shower, water falling like rain inside it. His hands were all over her body, fire workers chasing after them, and Cynthia was left quite helpless to the barrage of feeling.

Tyrell unhooked her bra, tossed it to the floor, and moved to take off her panties. Cynthia suddenly squealed, pushing a hand between them and yanking them back up. Tyrell gave her a startled look, and her face went red as a tomato.

“I haven’t shaved recently,” she blurted out, embarrassed that she’d remembered only now.

Tyrell huffed and yanked her panties down all the way to her knees, before pressing a kiss right to the top of her hairline. “You’re a grown woman. You’re not meant to be hairless like a little girl.”

He kissed his way up her body, pausing to suck one nipple and then the other until they were hard, then turned her and prodded her into the shower. The water was just a little cooler than she liked, and by the time Cynthia had adjusted it, Tyrell was already naked and in the space with her. Her breath left her lungs as she took in the sight of him. She had been right when she thought he’d be big. His skin gleamed over his well-defined muscles, and she wanted to lick every inch of his body.

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, loving the sensations of their bodies pressed together. Tyrell growled, actually growled, under his breath as he pushed her into the wall, grinding against her. Fireworks exploded from her core, running up and down her spine to the point where she was just clinging to him for support.

“You’re beautiful,” Tyrell growled, moving to her neck. His teeth scraped across her collarbone. “So very beautiful.”

He stepped back but pinned her in place as she moved to follow him. His eyes trailed down her for a moment before he cocked his head, grinned, and positioned the showerhead so it was directly hitting her body. Cynthia reached for him again, the tightness inside of her so knotted that it felt like it was going to choke her. Tyrell once more pinned her to the wall, though.

“Stay,” he ordered.

“I’m not a dog,” she protested, but stayed, too excited by the prospect of whatever he had planned to disobey. When he licked his lips, gaze raking over her body, her knees actually buckled.

He grabbed a bottle of body wash and squeezed a large dollop onto his palm, which he rubbed into the other one before putting his hands on her body. The soap made them slip over her skin. Heat simmered inside of her, to the point where she couldn’t breathe for the pleasure washing through her. When he shampooed her hair and washed it down, she sagged against him, putty in his hands.

“There,” Tyrell murmured, turning off the water. “All clean. Thank you. That was very relaxing.”

Cynthia turned, mouth agape in horror. At her expression, Tyrell burst into laughter. She scowled at him, slapping his arm. “Not funny!”

“Very funny,” he replied back and grabbed her around the waist again. This time when he kissed her, he didn’t hold back. He lifted her into the air.

Cynthia was more than grateful to circle his waist with her legs. Her clit throbbed as his skin rubbed at it, and she wasn’t surprised when the smallest movements sent thrills down her spine. Tyrell tossed her onto his bed and she grinned up at him, once more letting her gaze take in his body. She moaned when she saw that he was already hard from touching her.

A wicked gleam lit Tyrell’s eyes as he crawled onto the bed, like a predator stalking his prey. Cynthia let her legs fall open, exposing herself to his hungry gaze. His teeth gleamed, making something inside her twist, as he bent over her, tongue flicking over drops of water on her thigh.

“Tyrell,” she begged, breathlessly. “I want you.”

“Do you?” He licked her hip, then suckled on her left breast. “Do you really?”

He moved to the right as he continued to crawl over her, caging her beneath his big body. Cynthia moaned in desire, thrusting her hips forward. He grabbed them, pushed them back into the mattress, then pressed himself against her entrance. His mouth caught hers, demanding, and she was more than happy to give him what he wanted.

A soft cry ripped from her throat as he eased himself inside. It had been so long that it took her a moment to adjust to his size. There was a slight sting when he began to move, but it was soon overwhelmed with pleasure. Tremors crawled beneath Cynthia’s skin and it was all she could do to simply cling to him, his hands holding her hips still while she kicked her legs, trying to ease the pressure building inside of her.

“Be still,” he commanded in a deep, throaty voice.

She fell back and was still. Tyrell’s thrusts picked up speed as her fingers dug into his shoulders, his pure manly scent filling her head with a sense of giddiness. Her core tightened to the point where she thought she might explode, tremors shaking her arms and legs. When Tyrell released her with one hand to stroke her clit with his thumb, that did it.

Cynthia’s back arched and she let out a scream; Tyrell slapped a hand over her mouth, grunting as his eyes widened. He started to cry out and she slapped a hand over his mouth as well. Together, muffling each other’s cries of ecstasy, they writhed, thrashing against the pleasure riding through their bodies. Eventually, the shockwaves slowed. Cynthia cautiously removed her hand from Tyrell’s mouth, only for him to press down a firm kiss on hers.

When he rolled off her, he grinned. “You’re right,” he panted. “I did need that.”

Cynthia stretched lazily. Her hips and legs ached, but it was the pleasant sort of burn that made her want to just cuddle up into Tyrell’s warm side and stay there forever. But she knew she couldn’t—how awkward would it be if Tamara came in to see them like this? She frowned a little as she swung out of bed.

“Whoa!” Tyrell caught her as her legs buckled. “Easy, there. What’s the rush?”

Cynthia took a moment to collect herself before slowly getting to her feet. Her legs trembled but held this time. “Well, we don’t want Tamara finding out, right?”

Tyrell’s face fell. “Right. Guess I let myself get ahead of myself. Let me walk you to your door.”

A pang of disappointment hit her in the stomach, but she tried to push it away. She was the one who had gotten up to leave, after all. She couldn’t expect him to try to make her stay. Still, she couldn’t help but wish she had just stayed in his arms as he rounded the bed—a bit shaky himself—and offered her his arm. She accepted it and leaned on him as they gathered up her clothes.

“That was nice,” Cynthia said hesitantly when they made it to her bedroom door. “We’ll do it again, right?”

Tyrell gave her a smile that would have melted her panties if she was wearing any. “Oh, you bet we will. Often, if I have any say about it.” He winked. “Maybe… right now? In your place this time?”

Cynthia laughed, surprised, but she wasn’t about to turn him down. She opened the door and stepped inside, her gaze locked with his. Her clit gave a painful throb as he closed the door and caught her in another kiss.