EXTRACT FOR
Farm Cow
(Bessie Hucow)

"Yeah? Whaddya want?"



I took a deep breath and steadied myself. It was the middle of the night, I was cold, scared and hungry. I had nowhere to go, no one to turn to and my boyfriend had just kicked me out after an argument. He wouldn't even let me pack my stuff.



"I need help," I said, hoping beyond hope that there was a kind farmer behind that door.



"Yeah? Don't we all!" He hollered back. Great, I thought as I stood in the cold, shivering.



"Oh dear, let the poor girl in," I heard an elderly woman's voice and my hopes perked up. I saw the curtains sweep aside as the two old farmers peeked through.



"All right. All right. Hold yer horses." The old man said as he unlocked the door and swung the screen open.



"Oh my! What happened to you, dearie?" She turned to her husband. "Don't just stand there, let the girl in." She turned back to me as she took my arm and helped me up the steps. "You'll have to excuse my husband, Earl, he's kinda thick sometimes. Good with cows, but lousy with people."



I shivered even more as I stepped into their cozy home. Montana winters weren't anything to mess around with. Like a moth, I was immediately attracted to the fireplace. The old lady grabbed a chair from the kitchen and set it underneath me.



"Earl, this young lady needs to get undressed so that she can warm up. Why don't you head on back to bed."



The old man grumbled something, but did as she asked.



"There," she patted me on the arm. "Why don't you slip out of those cold, wet clothes and I'll get you something to drink. Tea? Cocoa?" She leaned closer and smiled a toothless smile. "Whiskey?"



"Cocoa's fine," I said. I wasn't exactly used to getting naked in other people's houses, but this couldn't be helped. As soon as the old lady disappeared into the kitchen, I scooted out of my torn jeans and practically see-thru shirt. When she returned, she brought a bathrobe along with some ginger snaps. I was so hungry I'd eat pretty much anything.



"There ya go, dear, let me grab the cocoa," she again disappeared into the kitchen.



"Did I hear someone at the door?"



I froze as a large, burly man burst into the room. I don't know who was more in shock, him or me. Here I was, a tall, beautiful, black-haired stranger standing naked in his living room. And him? He was gorgeous! Built like a lumberjack, he had muscles in all the right places.



"Oh, excuse me, miss," he said as he stared openly at my naked body. "I didn't know anybody..."