A Weekend with the Blakemores (The Blakemore Files Book 8) Read online

  Odessa understood as she moved with him. The hairs on his chest rubbing against her breasts. The muscles in his belly rubbing against the small pooch in hers that hung around after the birth of their children, refusing to be ignored. The powerful movements made her cling to him, holding tightly as he worked to give her the sweet release he promised. She climbed the crescendo trying desperately to remain quiet as she chomped into her bottom lip. Her thighs raised clamping around his sides as she pulled him in deeper, giving him more access to explore her depths. Saxton Blakemore was never a man to disappoint as his hand cupped a warm bun, while his toes dug into the mattress.

  “Talk to me Odessa,” he whispered in her ear. “Tell me how good I am making you feel.” This morning he needed the words. He wanted the reassurance that she was enjoying this time together as much as he was. “Tell me Baby, tell me it’s good,” he encouraged her.

  Odessa too was not one to let her husband down. She always had his back and was a woman he could count on in the good times and the bad. “You feel so good Saxton,” she mumbled. “So, so good.”

  It wasn’t enough for him. He didn’t care if he woke the whole damned house. The coupling with his wife was reaching a boiling point and he was feeling like Chanticleer. He needed to crow. He was going to crow loud as he rocked back and forth inside of her, holding her close, savoring the moment. “Tell me it’s good Odessa, tell me how good it is,” he urged.

  “Oh my gheeerrrrrrrrdddddd!” She screamed out, as her orgasm bolted through her body, waking both children, who began to cry simultaneously. They were going to have to wait a moment as Saxton joined her at the pinnacle, moving deep, hard, and fast as the rooster took a stand on the fence, surveyed the land, and opened his mouth allowing the cock to doodle doo.

  His right leg shook involuntarily as he emptied every ounce of love he could muster into her, gripping her tightly, kissing her lips.

  “I swear, if I were to leave this world today, I would do so a sated and happy man,” he said, rolling to his side. The babies were still crying as she moved to gather her pajama bottoms, he doing the same.

  “I bet you say that to all your baby mamas,” she giggled as she slipped her pajama bottoms on, heading to the nursery. He slowly followed behind her, stopping to stretch out his back.

  “No, there is only one woman I love more than my Grammy and Mama, and that is you Odessa Blakemore,” he said.

  “That’s what you say now, wait until these boobs hang down to my belly,” she said as she stood at the base of the two cribs. “I take one you take one.”

  Saxton reached for Robbie as she picked up their daughter Austin. “That will also be the same thing I say to you about your boobs. At this rate, working this ranch is going to have me so arthritic, you are going to have to help me get them in my mouth,” he said with a chuckle.

  “I can never see that being a problem for a prized bull like you,” she said with a wink.

  “Talk that sexy talk,” he said to her holding their son, rubbing his hand across Robbie’s head.

  “You like it when I talk sexy don’t you Daddy?” She smiled at him.

  He stood still as he watched her holding his daughter. Tears stung his eyes at the sight of his family. My family. My wife and my children in my family home. Our family home. No more missions. No more stupid trips to other countries to spy on bad people. He went to work and came home. Each morning spent with his family. Every night he put his children to bed. I am happy.

  “I like it when you talk period, Mrs. Blakemore,” he said to her.

  “Good,” she said as she pulled the bottle she’d taken from the mini fridge in their room and placed in the bottle warmer. “I want to talk about going to see my sister.”

  Saxton’s happy mood was waning.

  “Honey, the christening is next weekend,” she said. “Plus Grandma Patsy wants to see the baby, so do my parents, and I miss my sister.”

  “Colombia though...,” he frowned.

  “That’s where she lives,” Odessa said looking at him.

  The euphoria from his hearty breakfast was gone, the sun was all the way up, he had bales of hay to get on the ground to feed the livestock, troughs to fill, and cattle to brand. On top of that, the barn was being painted today which meant the last thing he wanted to talk about was a trip to South America.

  “You promised that after the baby was born that we would go for a visit. Eduardo said the whole family is welcomed,” she said.

  “Yes, but sweetheart, the country is about to experience a civil war with the FARC rebellion. Now is not the time to fly in if the vote doesn’t go the way they want,” he said.

  “Those people are not about to mess with Eduardo Delgado, not matter how pissed off and rebellious they feel,” she said.

  “That’s true,” he said, shifting Robbie in his arms to give him the bottle Odessa handed to him. His son was also eager for some breakfast. “Odessa, do you think he is behind it...you know, the vote and all?”

  “That man has his hand in so many pots, you never know what he is cooking up,” she said. It did not change her desire to meet her niece or see her sister. “Saxton, you promised me we would go.”

  He swore he would never break a promise to her and he was not about to start. “Let me call Eduardo, work out some logistics and the like, because we have to get my whole family down there as well as your parents,” he said.

  “Well, with Eduardo’s plane and Connard’s...,” she said.

  “Yes, but we cannot put every Blakemore on one plane, baby,” he said.

  “True,” she mumbled. If the plane were to go down, the entire family line would be lost in one fiery explosion. Eduardo seldom if ever traveled with his whole family on a single plane, with the exception of the one time he brought the children to meet her parents.

  “Seriously?” She said almost dancing.

  “I am not certain how fast I can get us all there, but we will work it out,” he said.

  “Oh my Ghheerrrrrd,” she said grinning at him. “Let me go call Ryanne, right now!”

  “Baby, what time is it in Colombia?”

  “I don’t know and don’t care. She has a newborn, the last thing she is doing is sleeping,” she said as she made her way to the nightstand to grab her phone.

  Austin let out a loud burp. Since the birth of the twins four months ago, he hadn’t been doing much sleeping either. The thought of heading to Colombia next week, was probably going to give him nightmares.

  Chapter Three – We Have a Plan

  Las Tierras Verdes, Colombia

  Eduardo rode through the fields eyeing the ground, taking soil samples and surveying the land. It was a nice morning for a ride as his eldest son sat astride his horse, keeping a watchful eye as his father dismounted to dig in the dirt. Tonda, his father’s body guard, was on his flank. As soon as Eduardo was seated in the saddle, his phone rang. He recognized the number, almost wanting to smile, but refraining from doing so in front of his body guard and son.

  “Que cuentas Blakemore, what the hell do you want?” Eduardo asked in the phone line.

  Saxton was taken aback by the harsh tone in his voice, but figured someone must be near the cartel leader. He took no offense but charged forward, “I am doing great thank you for asking, asshole. How’s the body count on your end?”

  “Speaking of assholes, I want to add one more soul to my body count – the one belonging to your evil grandmother for what her chili did to mine,” Eduardo said, which caused Tonda to crack a smile. Eduardo squinted his eyes at him forcing Tonda to look away.

  “Yeah, well, take a number,” he said. “I am calling because the christening is next weekend and I am trying to figure out how to get everyone there without you know, raising too much suspicion. I don’t want us all on one plane either.”

  “No, I do not know. Who is this everyone that you are trying to bring to my home?” Eduardo asked suspiciously.

  Saxton exhaled as he pointed the painters towards the T
ommy Lift in the barn. “Odessa’s parents of course, my parents, Grandma Patsy, my brother Connard, who has never been to Colombia, and also wants to bring his friend Jason. Let’s see my sister, Belva, Dusty and Sue Ellen, me and Odessa, the twins, plus Kevin Jr.,” he said. “Do you have enough room, or do we need to book a hotel or something?”

  “I can accommodate you all,” Eduardo said. The idea of so many people in his home worried him, but it would make his wife ecstatic. “Hmmm,” he said in the line, thinking of how to get so many people to Las Tierras Verdes.

  “Okay, here is the plan Blakemore, do you have paper to write this down?”

  “No, I can keep up,” he said. “Oh yeah, don’t forget Roget. He will want to come as well to be nosey.”

  “Sí, Sí. On Monday fly your parents commercially into Medellín, have them dress like tacky Americans. I will book them a weeklong stay at the Holiday Inn Express. There is a nice exhibit at the Mother Laura Ethnographic Museum. I will have tickets waiting for them when they check in,” he said.

  “Medellín?”

  “Yes, it is nearby, plus they are having meetings and summits next week. The city will be loaded with tourists, your parents will fit right in. They can enjoy the city for two days, then on Thursday afternoon, I will send my helicopter to bring them over to Las Tierras, please have them pack light,” he said.

  “Okay, got it,” Saxton responded, waiting for more instructions.

  “You, Odessa and the twins get over to Dallas. I will send my plane to collect the Trodats, Kevin Jr. and you four. My plane will stop in L.A. to collect Carlos,” he said.

  “Still with you.”

  “On Thursday night, Connard and the remaining Blakemores plus Roget should take off right after midnight, arriving here in time for breakfast,” he said.

  “Sounds simple enough,” Saxton said.

  “It is. Stick to the plan, stay on time and I will see you next week,” Eduardo said and hung up.

  “Well up yours too,” Saxton said to the dead phone line. He exhaled sharply as he watched the two hapless workers. When he returned from Colombia, he planned to review all the contracts signed by his Uncle Dusty. These two workers were symbolic of the level of help he’d been hiring for maintenance and repairs around the Busy B. To him, they were unacceptable.

  “Now to relay all of that to my family.”

  His first call was to Connard, who in turn called Jason. His brother seldom got excited about anything, but for some reason, he really wanted to see Eduardo’s home and operation. That familiar feeling of oh shit crept up his back at the thought of Eduardo’s reaction to Jason. Saxton had only met him once. His father had seen Connard’s love interest, but never really spent any time in his company. This is not going to go well.

  Saxton spotted his father returning his horse to the far side of barn. He waited patiently as Bobby Ray handed the reins to the stable master. Slowly, with care, Saxton informed his father of the plan. Bobby Ray, like Connard, was a little too excited for Saxton’s liking.

  “It sounds all covert and shit,” his father said grinning.

  Bobby Ray said, “Do we get like passwords and stuff for when we get to the hotel, like the ‘key is in the brass monkey at noon’? That would be fun to tell the guy behind the counter then he hands us the envelope with the tickets.”

  “No Daddy, don’t do that,” Saxton said shaking his head.

  “Aww shucks! Your Mama would got a kick out of some role playing,” Bobby Ray said with a smile. “Heck, I’m going to tell her to do it anyway.”

  “Daddy, no,” Saxton implored trying to regain his attention.

  “How tacky should we be? Should I wear a pair of sandals with the white socks that come up to my knees with a camera hanging around my neck?” Bobby Ray said with his eyes sparkling.

  “Sure, if you want to roll out like that,” Saxton said dropping his head.

  “Oooh, I think your Mama should have on one of them t-shirts that says ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’ with a flowered skirt,” Bobby Ray said with a huge grin.

  “Daddy, stop it,” Saxton said with a frown.

  “What is the Anthro, ethno, museum?”

  “I have no idea,” he said.

  “No matter, this is going to be fun. Me and your Mama can turn it into a mini second honeymoon with some sexy time,” Bobby Ray said.

  “Seriously Daddy, please stop,” Saxton said.

  “Aww son, this is male bonding at its best!”

  “No, no it is not,” he said with no expression on his face.

  “Ooh! Have you told your Mama yet? I hope not, let me, so we can practice our CIA covert operative moves,” he said throwing his hands up Bruce Lee style minus the sounds. He leaned in, nearing to Saxton, urging him to bring his ear closer for a whispered message. “The key...,” Bobby Ray said, then paused. “...is in the brass monkey at noon.”

  He stepped back, his eyebrows waggling like he had just dropped twenty dollars’ worth of knowledge on a dime stage. Saxton stared at his father with no expression on his face. Bobby Ray clapped his hands together, extremely satisfied with himself.

  “Whoo-hoo, wait ‘til I tell your Mama,” he said making his way to the main house. Saxton’s heart dropped. He still had to call Odessa’s parents, Belva, and of course go and see Uncle Dusty. Something else he was dreading.

  “My day started out so well too. I had a nice hearty breakfast, fed my son, kissed my daughter...then it went downhill,” he said staring at the ground. A yell followed his monologue as he turned to see the painter hanging over the edge of the Tommy Lift, his assistant covered in red paint along with large splashes of red paint on Uncle Dusty’s favorite hound dog.

  His phone rang, and it was his mother. He could see her standing on the lanai as she waved her hand at him. Saxton answered the phone, waving back. Lucille’s voice came through the line crisp and clear, her Texas accent pounding against his eardrum.

  “Saxie, what is with this monkey in the keyhole shit? I am not dressing like some Wal-Mart shopper on a first of the month spending spree,” she said in the line.

  “You don’t have to do that Mama,” he said.

  “Well good! I am not crazy about going to South America anyway. Aren’t they having a riot or a coup or something?”

  “No Mama, it is a negotiation between the guerillas and the government,” he said trying desperately to sound upbeat.

  “The only damned gorillas I want to see best be behind bars at the zoo,” she said. “And whose idea was it to book us at the Holiday Inn Express? Don’t they have a Four Seasons or something in Medallion?”

  “Medellín, Mama,” he said. “However, you do not want to dress or carry yourself in a fashion that will make you a target.”

  “Whatever,” she mumbled. “Do we need to get vaccinated for the Zika virus before we go? Bobby Ray?” she yelled into the house and partially in Saxton’s ear. “I don’t want to get the damned Zika virus! I didn’t get flabby ass sober so I could be killed by a mosquito.”

  “I have to go Mama,” he said trying to get her off the line.

  “Saxie, is that a man hanging off that Tommy Lift?” she asked. He looked at her on the porch pointing at the worker hanging from the lift. The worker was anchored by a tether which is why Saxton wasn’t in a hurry. He wanted the man to hang there for a minute and feel as stupid as he looked.

  “Yes, that is why I have to go,” he said gently to his mother.

  “Then you should get off the phone and help him before he falls, breaks his fool neck and then wants to sue us,” Lucille said.

  He hung up the phone, moving around the barn to lower the Tommy Lift. The one worker moved back and forth in a zombie like fashion as he tried to clear the paint from his eyes, Saxton grabbed him and made him sit on the ground. “Yep, my day is going downhill from here,” he mumbled to himself as the hound dog chased his red, paint cover tail trying to get the wet material off. He looked up to see Uncle Dusty limping across the yard,
yelling about his dog.

  “Yep, all downhill,” he mumbled.

  Dallas, Texas

  Big Sarge was building steam as he chugged towards an uphill battle, gaining momentum after two days of pouting like an overgrown G.I. Joe on pain meds. His hip replacement surgery had gone well. In comparison to the pain he’d been in for so many years, the recovery period progressed quickly. His anger did not.

  “Dear Jesus man, why are you pouting like a crazy person?” Dora, his wife of nearly 40 years, asked him.

  “I want to know why the Blakemores get to go on vacation and we don’t?”

  “Do you want to go on vacation Big Sarge?” she asked him, winking as she said the name.

  “No Dora! It is just the principal of the whole thing. The Blakemores get to go to South America on vacation, while we come in after them like a bunch of schleps having to fly free in Eduardo’s plane,” he grumbled.

  “We can afford our own plane fare if you wish to buy us tickets to fly out of the country in less than a week,” she answered, sipping on her cup of tea.

  His eyebrows shot up. “How much will that cost?”

  “With this short notice, I am thinking maybe about four grand for us both,” she told him knowing his reaction.

  “Awwww hell naw!” he said, getting up to make himself a drink from the scotch Bobby Ray had given him last year.

  “You sure you want to drink that with those pain pills?” she asked.

  “Dammit, Dora. I am grown. I can handle my liquor,” he snapped at her. “I am trying to tell you that I am feeling some kind of way. Why does Saxton and Odessa gotta come all the way here, for his plane to pick us up? Why can’t he land on the Busy B. swoop them up and come on to get us?”

  “Because the whole point is to not show that all the Blakemores are going to South America, honey,” she said with some facetiousness in her voice. “Also, he wants to make sure that no one is paying attention to the travel patterns, specifically that all of us are in one spot at the same time. All it would take is one bomb, and the Blakemores would be wiped out and so would we.”

  Big Sarge took a seat. His fingers running across the stubble on his chin as if he were pondering the existence of mankind. A small sip was taken from the glass of liquor. He pondered a minute more.