The night after the cattle show, an unexpected and severe cold snap hit Echo Village. Rio's farm was particularly hard-hit, and she had to work night and day to salvage her crops. She was profoundly grateful that Vaughn was there to help then, since without him, she would surely have lost far more of the harvest than she did. Neil helped out, too, by taking over many of Vaughn's regular chores. He didn't know anything about raising crops, but he did know about animals. Meanwhile, Vaughn tended the smudge pots that kept her orchard from freezing while Rio raced from one field to the next, anxiously tending her crops until she could harvest them. In the end, most of her crops were saved, though she did lose some of her more delicate flowers and herbs—an unfortunate but tolerable loss under the circumstances.

Then, as quickly as it came, the frost was gone, replaced with a fierce Indian summer—the hottest fall in years, Hina told Vaughn one afternoon as she sat on the stool at her shop counter, fanning herself and sipping a tall glass of iced tea. Everyone's houses and stores were like ovens, and the animals were panting and lethargic. Rio's dogs all but ignored their charges as they lay sprawled out in whatever shade they could find, but her livestock were too exhausted from the heat to take advantage of the lax attention, anyway.

"Goddess damn it!" Vaughn heard Rio shout one Thursday morning, just a few days into the heat wave, as he straggled up the steps to her house to begin his day. They'd settled into a routine lately, where he'd arrive early and have breakfast with her, discussing what work needed to be done that day over their coffee before heading out to begin their chores. It wasn't quite exactly what he wanted—he'd hoped to be sharing much more with her than mere coffee and conversation by now. But he accepted what he was offered, and he was glad to have even that much, all things considered.

Giving a quick knock on the door before walking in, Vaughn spotted her sitting on the edge of her bed, more or less dressed, her hands clutching her hair as she stared into her open, half-empty wardrobe. Piles of clothing lay heaped around the floor before her, and a few items were scattered across the bed. "Good morning to you, too," he said as he walked in, and she jumped and turned to look at him, startled.

"Oh, hey. I didn't hear you come in. Sorry for shouting. I'm just really frustrated by this heat. I don't have any clean shorts or tank tops left—nothing I'd wear to work in my fields, anyway. I've worn them all at least once and haven't had a chance to do my laundry. And I'm in a hurry this morning, too—I don't have time for this! These were the cleanest I could find, so I guess they'll have to do. Ugh! I wish I lived in a nudist colony!" She scowled down at the faded blue tank top with smudges of dirt across her breasts and flicked impatient fingers across some rust-colored stains on the front of her shorts.

"Well, I won't complain if you want to work naked," Vaughn drawled, and she threw a pillow at him before standing up and slamming her wardrobe doors shut. "What's the big hurry, anyway? Got a hot date with Neil after he closes up shop?" he teased, ducking as she threw yet another pillow at him.

"Shut up! I want to take the animals to the Sanctuary today. This heat's just awful for them, especially my poor sheep and alpacas and llama. A day at the Sanctuary will do them a world of good. I'd have taken them sooner, but I had the damage caused by that frost to deal with. This is the first day I've been able spare the time. So don't bother with taking care of the livestock yet. See to the pets and chickens and the fish tanks, then come give me a hand in the fields so we can get out of here as early as possible."

"'We'?" Vaughn asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's this 'Sanctuary', anyway? Sounds like the name of a zoo."

"It's a service that Neil offers," Rio said darting past him into her kitchen. Vaughn scowled, but she continued before he could comment. "It's kind of like a park, I guess, but for livestock only. There's a huuuge meadow of tall, green grass for them to graze on, and lots of trees for shade, and cool mountain breezes. They always come back happier and looking healthier. So anytime they've been subjected to stress, like this heat wave, I like to take them there to recuperate."

As she spoke, she poured two big mugs of coffee. Then she pulled two large muffins from the freezer and stuck them into her microwave to thaw and warm up a little. Handing a him cup of coffee and a muffin, she continued. "You can tend to the animals there—just bring the things you'll need with you. I'll pack lunches and an ice chest full of drinks to take with us. Neil's got a little shed that serves as an office and storage room, and he has a fridge in there where you can store the milk."

She broke off a large piece of muffin, crammed it into her mouth, and washed it down with a long swig of coffee. "All right, let's get a move on—I want to be at Neil's as close to 10:00 as possible!"

**************

After finishing his chores, he walked through the orchard to the eastern portion of the farm in search of Rio. Carved into the steep hillside just north of the orchard were terraced gardens—flowers, vegetables, herbs, and even grains. As he clambered up the terraces, a fine spray floated down from a natural fountain at the top of the hill, slowly and gently watering the crops. Adjusting his hat to keep the mist out of his eyes, he looked all around for her. Finally he spotted her kneeling in the dirt, pulling up some early carrots.

She looked up as he approached and wiped her wrist across her forehead, leaving a smudge of dirt in the very center. Wordlessly, he pulled his bandana from around his neck, wiped the smudge away, and tied it back on again. She blinked in surprise, then stood up and brushed the dirt from her knees. "Uh, thanks. So... I need to finish up here still. Can you help? I just need you to scatter some fertilizer on a few crops for me."

"Reckon I can handle that. Which ones?" Vaughn replied, glancing around at the terraced fields surrounding them.

"The green peppers, eggplants, and sweet potatoes, and scatter some around the trees in the orchard, too," she replied, pointing to each in turn. "The fertilizer's over there," she added, turning and pointing to a few sacks leaning against an apple tree. He nodded and went to grab the sacks, and she knelt back down to resume harvesting.

**************

Rio stretched luxuriously in the sunshine, standing on tip-toe as she reached for the sky. "Ahhh, I love it here!" she exclaimed, turning to Neil with a wide smile. He returned it with one of his own, unable to resist her infectious good humor despite his irritation at Vaughn's presence. She dropped down onto the grass, lying on her back and closing her eyes as she smiled.

They'd arrived a little while ago and unloaded all the animals, who promptly scattered across the spacious field. Then she'd put their lunches in the refrigerator and toted the ice chest full of cold drinks over to the shady side of the shed. Then she turned to Vaughn, saying, "Okay, you can take care of the animals now. Do the milking first, please, since they've had to wait longer than usual."

She wriggled her bare toes in the soft grass, sighing happily. Neil walked over and sat next to her, looking down at her. She was a fair sight to behold, to be sure—though honestly, as their friendship and grown and deepened into something more, he found her appearance was the least of her attractions. Still, she was definitely a knockout, he thought, though he still had trouble admitting his attraction to her even to himself.

Before they'd left that morning, once all the animals had been loaded up, she'd run back into the house for a change of clothes. Knowing that it would be hot and humid at the Sanctuary, she'd put on some short shorts and the top from her red bikini, then pulled a t-shirt on over that—all hastily washed early that morning and still slightly damp when she jerked them off the clothesline, in spite of the heat. She wore her work boots since she'd be working around large animals, but as soon as the animals had been unloaded, she'd pulled off the t-shirt and kicked off her boots. Now she lay there sunning herself, all legs and curves and smooth, bronzed skin.

Neil suddenly realized she was watching him watch her, and he blushed furiously at the way the corners of her mouth curved into a smile. She sat up and leaned over to him, then kissed his cheek. He jumped slightly, skittish as usual at her close proximity.

Just then Vaughn appeared, struggling up the hill with a few milk cans in tow. Rio jumped up and took them from him. "I'll take those. Go on ahead and finish up. And you have all day, so just take your time. No need to rush. When you've finished, we'll have lunch. Then after that, you can just kick back and relax for a while."

Vaughn snorted, eying them suspiciously, then he left to finish his chores. Neil grabbed two of the milk cans from her, and they took them into the shed to place in the fridge. As he closed the refrigerator door and turned around, he was surprised to see her standing with her back against the closed shed door, watching him. He walked over to her, looking uncertain. "What's up, Rio? Is something wrong?"

"No, Neil, nothing's wrong. Nothing at all," she replied, laughing. "In fact, I think everything is just peachy." She reached for his hand and drew him to her, loosely twining her arms around his neck as she pulled him down to her.

"Tell me," she breathed into his ear, "did you like what you saw?" He tried to pull back, his face crimson, but she held him fast. She kissed him just under his jaw, then from his chin to his ear, as she murmured, "Wouldn't you like to have a closer look?" Hot breath tickled his neck, sending shivers down his spine, as she whispered, "Or don't you want me as much as I want you?"

Turning an even deeper red, he stammered, "But... but I... but we... you and I... I don't...."

She looked him intently in the eyes, her sapphire gaze penetrating his amethyst and holding him captive. "I know. It's okay, Neil, just trust me. All that matters is you and me, together, here and now. But if you want me to stop, I will." Then she kissed him along his neck, from the sensitive notch just below his throat, up over his chin, and to his lips. She caught his lower lip between her teeth—gently, more a caress than a nip. He felt the warmth of her breath on his lips and in his mouth, and a surge of heat engulfed him, leaving him dizzy—almost as if drunk. He wrapped his arms around her and devoured her with his mouth, kissing every inch of her exposed skin as he felt his deeply ingrained inhibitions and fears falling away at last.

She pushed him back and away from the door, then pulled him over to the beat-up old sofa at the back of the shed. She tugged at his worn and tattered black shirt, pulling it off over his head. His chest was smooth, nearly hairless, and his skin was fair—nearly white, in contrast to her own deeply bronzed hand against it. But he was surprisingly muscular—although she knew he must be strong from working with large animals, he wasn't particularly bulky. She ran her fingertips over the lean, hard muscles of his stomach, up his back, along his arms, and finally back to his stomach, stopping just below his navel. She didn't go any lower, but neither did she remove her hand.

Groaning, Neil reached behind and pulled at the knot to untie her top. He flipped it up and over her head, then pulled slightly back, just drinking in the sight of her—at her long, lean legs, the curves of her hips narrowing to her waist, and at her breasts, so full and round, and he felt another wave of intoxicating heat rush through him as he reached out to caress them. Then he leaned down, kissing her and tasting her skin with his tongue as he worked his way to her hardened nipples, and he forgot about anything else for a time, conscious only of the feel of her skin against his mouth, of the increasing urgency in the pit of his stomach, and of her soft moans as she wound her fingers tightly through his hair, pulling him more firmly to her.

After a few minutes, she slid her hand down across the front of his camouflage pants, rubbing against his bulging hardness through the heavy fabric. He pulled back, groaning, looking down at her with half-lidded eyes for a moment before burying his face against her neck as he pushed into her hand, thrusting against her as the pressure became nearly unbearable. She moved her hand away to unfasten his pants, then slipped both pants and boxers down as far as she could reach. He stood and pulled his boots off, then pulled his clothing the rest of the way off and kicked it aside, watching her as she stood and pulled her shorts off, sliding them over her hips and kicking them away. She wore only the skimpiest little bit of a thong, which quickly followed her shorts, and then she lay naked before him, looking up at him with her intense blue eyes as he hovered, hesitating nervously for a moment as he looked at her, at her body and into her eyes. Then she reached for him and pulled him down to her, and he pressed his mouth to hers as he cautiously lowered himself over her.

Kissing her hungrily, he ground his erection against her as she wound her leg around his, holding him tightly. She ran her nails down his back, scraping the light skin both painfully and pleasurably, then she freed her other leg from beneath him and wrapped it around him, too. Wriggling her hips beneath him, she worked herself into just the right spot, then he pushed against her and plunged deep into slippery warmth.

A fireworks show shot off at the back of Neil's vision from the intensity of his pleasure, and he gasped and grunted, making animal sounds for his animal pleasure, unable to speak coherently as instinct took over. He slid in and out, in and out, again and again, picking up speed as the pressure inside him drove him towards the peak. He leaned down and kissed her mouth, feeling her panting and moaning. Then she cried out into his mouth, gasping his name over and over as if chanting, the rhythm of her cries echoing the squeezing contractions surrounding his shaft. A moment later, waves of light and sound and ecstasy crashed all around him as he gasped her name hoarsely, filling her with his release.

He collapsed on top of her, his arms suddenly shaky, and they lay intertwined, panting and breathless as rivulets of sweat trickled down their necks and faces and backs. Neil panted into her damp hair, "I did want you, Rio. Oh, Goddess, how I wanted you. I just... I just couldn't... say so."

The door to the shed banged open, and both Neil and Rio—still lying entwined—jumped at the sudden sound. Half rising as they turned to look at the door, they saw Vaughn standing in the doorway, his purple eyes darkening and his jaw tightening as he stared at them. Then, without a word, he turned and stormed off, slamming the door behind him.

They looked at each other, blinking in surprise. Then Rio shrugged as she said, "Serves him right. He should know by now to knock first." Then she grinned up at him and kissed him playfully on the tip of his nose and his cheeks before pulling him back down and give hugging him tightly with her arms and legs.

Neil gave her a distracted kiss in return, but his euphoric glow had been dispelled by the unexpected intrusion. He rolled off her and reached for their clothing, tossing hers to her before pulling his on.

She sat and watched him as he dressed and started to pull on his boots, her eyes wistful. Then with a sigh, she pulled her clothing back on. He stood and held a hand out to her to pull her up, then, seeing the sadness in her eyes, he bent down and kissed her. "Guess I should consider installing a lock on that door, huh?" he said, smiling at her. He relaxed a little in relief when she grinned back at him and nodded vigorously, and he took her hand and pulled her back out into the sunlight.

Rio glanced around, wondering where Vaughn had gone off to, but she didn't see any sign of him. Looking up at the sky, she realized it was past midday. "You ready for some lunch?" she asked, looking up at Neil.

"Sure, sounds good. I am pretty hungry now." She laughed, and he blushed a little—but she was pleased that it was only a little—and grinned a little sheepishly. Maybe now he'd be a little more at ease with her, she thought happily as she looked around again.

She started to head uphill, looking back as she walked and calling, "I'm going to try to find Vaughn—can you grab our lunch from the fridge? It's in the tote bag." Then she turned and ran up the slope. She reached the top of the bluff that overlooked most of the sanctuary and looked around, scanning the slopes below for any sign of him. Finally she spotted a familiar black hat peeking out from behind a tree near the edge of the cliff, not too far from where she stood. Chagrined that she'd wasted time looking for him when he'd been only a stone's-throw away, she strode over to where he sat with his back against the tree, staring out across the valley as he twirled a long blade of grass between his fingers.

"Nice view, huh?" she asked as she approached him.

He stared for a minute longer, then threw down the blade of grass and stood. "Whaddya want?" he growled, turning to her with a scowl.

Feeling her temper flare at his attitude, Rio paused to collect herself. "It's time for lunch, so come and get something to eat," she said, then she turned and left. As she ran back down the slope to the shed where Neil stood watching for her, she could hear the sound of Vaughn's boots swishing through the grass as he followed more slowly behind her. When they reached the shed, she took the bag from Neil and pulled out the food she'd packed—potato salad, sandwiches, fruit, and icebox cookies. She grabbed drinks for each of them, then sat on the cool grass in the shade of the shed between the two men.

As soon as she finished eating, Rio jumped up. She stuffed her trash into the empty bag, then disappeared into the shed for a minute. She emerged with an old portable stereo and a handful of cd cases. Popping a disc in, she set the stereo on the ground a little ways away, in the shade of a nearby oak tree. Then as the music began to pulse, she began to dance, laughing and completely unselfconscious as she bounced and shimmied, her gyrations leaving a winding trail through the long grass behind her.

Neil and Vaughn sat side by side against the shed in an uneasy silence, both watching Rio. As his eyes followed her frolicking in the sunshine, some of Vaughn's anger seemed to dissipate and his expression softened. He took a large swallow of his drink, then said with a sigh, "Watching her dance like this really takes me back." Neil raised an eyebrow, though he didn't take his eyes off Rio. He wasn't even sure if Vaughn was talking to him, or just to himself.

After a minute, he asked, somewhat guardedly, "Yeah? How so?"

"It reminds me of the first time I ever set eyes on her. She'd arrived a day or two before, but since I only went to the island two days a week, I hadn't had the chance to meet her until then. Mirabelle talked about her just about the whole damn day while I worked, telling me every little scrap of news and gossip she'd picked up. I have to say, I was pretty damned skeptical about a young girl taking on a such a big project—a run-down old ranch like that. Mirabelle said she thought she was around eighteen, so I didn't figure she could have much experience, if any at all. I doubted she'd last even a season. I was dead wrong about her, though."

He shifted a little, making himself more comfortable and leaning back against the shed wall as he reminisced. "Anyway, I was in the habit of rowing out to one of the uninhabited islands after work, for some peace and quiet. Hardly anyone went there, except when there was a festival or a competition of some kind—that was where they held all their big events, in the big grassy field in the middle of the island. But the rest of the time, it was peaceful there. No one around to bother me.

"When I stepped off the boat that evening, though, I could hear music coming from somewhere nearby. Well, let me tell you, I was pretty pissed off. I didn't want anyone intruding on my private time. People annoy the hell out of me, and I needed to be able to get away from everyone for a while.

"That's when I saw her, there on the beach just as the sun was beginning to set. She had portable stereo kinda like that one there, and she was playing some old rock 'n roll tunes and dancing in the sand, all by herself. She looked so... happy. No, not just happy. She looked... she looked like she loved life and the world and everything in it with her whole being. She radiated joy.

"I'd never come across anyone like that before, so carefree and radiantly happy, and I just stood there and stared at her. Sure, I was still kind of annoyed at the invasion. But even more, I felt like I was in a dream that I never wanted to end. Then she whirled around and saw me standing there, watching her. She was startled, but she turned the music off and came over to introduce herself. I don't recall what I said, but it must have sounded rude—she looked kinda hurt and surprised, that's all I remember. Then she packed up her things and left me to my own devices. And, well, I haven't been able to stop thinking about her ever since."

He stood up and crushed his empty can in his hands, then dropped his trash into the bag. Turning towards Neil with a harsh, even bitter, look in his eyes, he said, "Son, I'll tell you this. When something incredible comes into your life, you grab hold of it with both hands, you hear? Grab hold and don't you ever let go. Because if you don't, it's going to slip away from you, and before you know what's happening, it'll be gone."

Neil scowled—he hated being lectured, and he especially hated being lectured by Vaughn. "Thanks for pointing out the fucking obvious," he snapped. "And don't call me 'son'."

Vaughn sat back down and looked off in the distance. "Yeah, well...." He turned towards Neil. "So you're a Swanbeck, huh? Not a real common name in these parts. Don't suppose your folks are Kenneth and Deborah Swanbeck?"

Neil started, looking over at him in surprise. "Well, yeah—but how'd you know that? What, do you know them or something?"

Before Vaughn could answer, Rio strolled over, a little out of breath but grinning happily. She grabbed a bottle of water from the ice chest and dropped down on the grass, facing the two men. "Hey, so what are you two talking about?" she asked as she opened the bottle and took a long swig of the cold water.

"Vaughn was just asking about my parents. Seems he knows them somehow," Neil explained, still watching Vaughn suspiciously.

"You do?" Rio asked, looking at Vaughn in surprise.

"You have a, uh, a relative named Wendy, right? Wendy Swanbeck?" Vaughn asked, not answering Rio's question.

"My sister's name is Wendy, but she got married several years ago. Her last name's Byers now."

"Married, huh?" Vaughn said, thoughtfully. "Happily?"

"Yeah, I guess. I haven't talked to her in a few years. Why, you know her?" Neil asked, his eyes narrowing.

"You might say that, son."

Neil's eyes flashed in annoyance. "I told you to knock it off. I am not your 'son'!"

Vaughn leaned back against the shed and looked over at Neil from beneath the brim of his hat, his eyes half closed. "As a matter of fact, Neil, I think you are."