A Modern Cowboy's Dream

Soft Touch

After dancing at the club they head back outside and Sasha asks "how are we getting home? We're both half drunk." She giggles a bit and Doug says "that's why we had kids." Sasha laughs hysterically and Doug shakes his head as he calls Katya. She answers "hello?" Doug says "hey sweetie." Katya asks "is everything ok?" Doug says "your Mother and I had a bit too much to drink so we need a ride and someone to drive my truck home." Katya says "Doug and Willie are still in the field." Doug says "what?" Katya looks out the window "I have no idea what they're doing. They fixed the leak hours ago." Suddenly the screen door slams and Little Doug yells "where's the pizza?!" Katya yells "Jenny and I ate it all!" Another girl can be heard laughing and Little Doug finds the beloved stacks of pizza. Him Willie and Harry eat what's left which is quite a bit. Katya says "alright Daddy we'll come get y'all. Just where exactly are you two?" Doug looks around "uh, damn I don't know." Sasha laughs "idiot of a man give me the phone." She takes it and says "club house near the river." Katya says "ok Mama we'll be there." They hang up and Sasha hands the phone back to Doug. He pockets the phone and Sasha leans up on him while they sit waiting on the bench beside the river. Sasha says "last time we nearly got robbed sitting out here." Doug says "yeah." He looks up at the full moon beaming down on them and then at it's reflection across the water. Sasha says "what's on your mind?" Doug says "to be drunk you're asking awful sober questions." Sasha smirks "I am not drunk, I would be throwing up in that river if I was." Doug says "honey that's alcohol poisoning." Sasha straightens herself up "even still I have a high tolerance." Doug says "my question is will you remember this night in the morning?" Sasha says "it was a glass of wine and a shot of vodka you dummy." Doug chuckles "that wine glass was refilled a few times." She jabs his side with her finger. He sighs and Sasha asks "what is it my darling? Something is bothering you." Doug says "the past year has been testing my grit. Unlike anything since the war. I'm working harder and longer hours and making less than I ever did in years past." Sasha sits back and watches his face turn to a solid and cold face as if he had been beaten and defeated. Doug says "you're right to question my stupid ambition when we're running out of money for this farm." Sasha sighs "you always do this." Doug asks "do what?" Sasha says "you rip your self apart when things aren't going your way." Doug says "I know." Sasha sighs and wipes a tear from her eye "I hate seeing you call your self stupid or something else, I absolutely hate it. I've watched you do this off and on again for nearly 20 years. I knew you'd be like this when we were dating. Doug I've never seen a man so hard on him self." Doug sighs "damn it, you tell a woman she's right and she still gets mad at you." Sasha sighs and shakes her head "I knew I was right all along. But..." Doug says "but what?" Sasha says "We should reconsider the plans for this processing plant later on when things improve." Doug says "that plant will make sure things stay improved." Sasha says "you don't know that. I've been crunching numbers behind your back and they aren't pretty." Doug says "so you were gonna just shoot it down when I wasn't expecting it. Is that it?" She pinches her nose "I didn't know how to tell you!" Doug sighs "Oh." He just looks at her and she lifts her head up looking back at him. He hugs her and says "I'm sorry." She collects her self and sighs. She says "Doug you're such a good man, I hate to see you tear your self apart because this life is more than willing to do that for you and has time and again. You've worked so hard to build what we have now. I'm just glad God chose me to help you do so on top of loving you." She takes his hand holding it gently "and God knows I'll never stop loving you with all of my heart and soul." Doug squeezes her hand and brings it to his lips kissing her hand. Doug sighs and half smiles "I thank you for it all. I could never express well enough how much your love means to me my dear. I love you with everything I've got." He kisses her and then sits back intertwining his fingers with hers. He sighs "there's been countless times I've told my self it's a miracle of God I'm still functioning." She half smiles "me too darling." Doug examines her face as the moonlight shows the lines and a few faint wrinkles on her face that she keeps covered with makeup. Sasha asks "examining how old I look?" Doug says "every detail tells a story honey." Sasha says "your face doesn't even have wrinkles yet you wouldn't care." Doug smirks "that's the way it goes sweetie. Remember I'm also younger than you too." He half smiles "no matter how old we get I'll never forget that young blonde woman walking up to me on the tarmac as she tagged along with an old friend of mine." Sasha half smiles "Four airmen staring me down like I was a prized steak or something." Doug chuckles "damn you were sexy then. I couldn't believe I got a date with you." Sasha simply grins and Doug says "you're still sexy tonight." They hear footsteps and both turn seeing Katya and Willie. Sasha asks "you leave your brother at home?" Katya says "yes he's trying to make friends with Jenny. She's my friend not his!" Doug laughs "oh boy." Katya says "Mama embarrass him for me please when you get home." She laughs out loud and says "my darling daughter that is for you to do." Doug says "well let's get home fast in case he's actually successful which I doubt he will be." Sasha says "what a thing to say about your own son!" Doug says "case in point he is my own son. I had shit luck with women until I met you."