《Appalachia: Mountain Magic (The Sutton Family Chronicles)》 PROLOGUE Two men, dressed in suits, walked into the interrogation room. They took a seat at the table. One of them lit up a cigarette and extended his hand to the woman on the other side. She continued, ¡°There were only two things in the world that Oroville Sutton cared about: his family, and his mountain magic¡ªthat¡¯s what he called it anyway. Truth be told, he was a Cook, and a damn good one, too. One of the best, as a matter of fact. Folk from all over the world came to buy his concoctions, and they paid good money for them too, because his wares were immeasurable to the competition.¡± She reached for a glass of water, trying to calm her shaky hand. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Only problem was that once word spread of how good his stuff was, the Feds caught wind of it and began a five-year investigation¡ªwhich they haven¡¯t been able to crack since. See, Oroville Sutton was a smart man that came from a long line of Cooks, or Alchemists as socialized folk would call them. Knowledge was passed down over many generations, of not only the famous recipes that garnered the Sutton family their prestige, but about how to avoid the long arm of the law as well. Too many families in the surrounding hollers of West Virginia were careless and drove themselves under for not being cautious enough. Oroville made a vow long ago to protect his family, and he wasn¡¯t about to let the same happen to him and his.¡± She looked away, collecting her thoughts. ¡°Because he loved his family more than anything. He loved them more than his legacy.¡± Finding her resolve once again, she gazed into their eyes. ¡°Loved them even more than his mountain magic.¡± CHAPTER ONE Oroville¡¯s oldest son met him in the barn after the party was over. ¡°Happy sixteenth birthday, son. By right, you¡¯re old enough now to start working in the family business. Now, you won¡¯t be cookin¡¯ for another ten years or so, depending on how well you do learning the craft and working your way up, so don¡¯t get too excited about it. You may be old enough to work, but you¡¯re still a dumbass kid that won¡¯t have no sense ¡®til he¡¯s at least thirty.¡± Oroville patted him on the head with a gap-toothed grin. ¡°I love you, son. And I¡¯m proud of you.¡± The boy took no offense to being called a dumbass kid. ¡°Thanks pop. I¡¯m eager to learn, and you know I¡¯m a hard worker. I won¡¯t let you down, I swear it.¡± ¡°I know you won¡¯t, kiddo.¡± A glimpse of the boy¡¯s mother walking by caught Oroville¡¯s eye and, in that very moment, he had to have her. ¡°You¡¯re on your way to becoming a man now, Emmet. Run along now and celebrate being a kid for one more day. Oh, and on your way, tell your mother to come over here and see me.¡± ¡°Okay, pop.¡± As the boy scampered off, Oroville¡¯s passion for Josaphine grew. He longed to be inside of her, right there inside of the barn with the horses in the stalls, straw on the dirt floor, and chickens pecking at the ground all around. After the boy delivered the message, she sashayed her way towards him with that floral, white summer dress she only wore during special occasions. Her long, dark hair draped around her shoulders, and her bangs nearly covered her wanting eyes. Oroville took her in the privacy of the barn. After finishing, he backed away from her, his heart racing. ¡°Damn woman, you¡¯re juicier than a July watermelon.¡± Josaphine bent down to pull her panties up before turning back to him and straightening her dress properly. ¡°You know how to turn me on, my grizzly papa bear,¡± she replied, running her fingers through his long, auburn beard. He worked to tuck his member back inside his pants. ¡°Well, you sure do turn me on every time I see you. I swear, sometimes I just can¡¯t help myself and you¡¯re all that¡¯s on my mind, Jo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sweet.¡± She leaned in and gave him a kiss. ¡°I better get going. I¡¯m supposed to be bringing a gallon of sweet tea back to the party.¡± Oroville reached around and pinched her buttocks. ¡°Better be going then. Come on, I¡¯ll walk with you.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After grabbing the tea from the old farm house across the yard, Oroville carried it back, keeping her company along the way, talking about the weather and how fast time flies by. Arriving back at the party, they found everyone swimming in the creek, cooling themselves from the hot summer sun. Oroville and Jo watched the children play, and laughed at the parents who were splashing around and enjoying the refreshing, cold water with them. Oroville smiled as he watched his family, feeling his heart swell at the sight of them. ¡°You ever wonder what our parents were like when they were sixteen?¡± Jo asked as they stood there. ¡°Haven¡¯t thought much about it.¡± ¡°Well, what do you think they did before they got together? Who do you think they were before they knew about each other?¡± ¡°Hell, I don¡¯t know. My father was here with me, and your mother was two counties over with you and your sister. They didn¡¯t know they were brother and sister when they fell in love. They didn¡¯t learn that until later... not their fault.¡± ¡°I guess us being first cousins is better than brother and sister.¡± ¡°By my book.¡± Oroville shot a playful grin. ¡°You know, you¡¯re my favorite, by the way.¡± She slapped him on the arm and rolled her eyes at his comment. ¡°Me and my sister are twins; nearly identical.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not that identical. And we both know she has an attitude to her that¡¯s akin to a bobcat while you¡¯re more on the conservative side. Sometimes I don¡¯t know if I should spend more time with her or lock her up in a cage somewhere.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a wild one, Lord knows. But you know she loves you with all her heart.¡± ¡°I know. And I love her with all of mine as well. There¡¯s enough room in here for both of you¡­ barely, but there¡¯s room,¡± Oroville stated with a hand to his chest. Her fingers slid into his as they stood there. ¡°Y¡¯all going to jump in or just stand there like a couple statues? Come on,¡± Anna Beth called from the river. Oroville shook his head. ¡°See? Wilder than a damn buck.¡± Josaphine shimmied out of her dress, wearing nothing but her underwear. ¡°Come on, you old bear. You ain¡¯t dead yet. Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± The sight of her running towards the water in her white undergarments made him want her all over again. But the way her sister was looking at him¡ªwith her long, blonde hair pulled back, her body soaking wet, and her half-covered breasts glistening in the sun¡ªmade him want her more. He had half a mind to slide up next to Anna Beth in the water and discreetly penetrate her right then and there with everyone in attendance. But it was his son¡¯s birthday, and he wasn¡¯t going to disrespect his son over the longing in his loins. The party would be over soon, and that¡¯s when he would take his wife into his bed. Perhaps he could tame that bobcat once and for all, though he really didn¡¯t want to. He liked her wild and free. CHAPTER TWO Anna Beth made sure to wash herself well while she was in the river. She wasn¡¯t going to smell like a fish; the way her sister often would after tending to the farm and children all day. No, she always liked to look and smell nice whenever she had a date with Oroville. When he told her that he wanted to see her later that night, her blood grew warm and she could barely wait to wrap her legs around him. She took extra time braiding her hair and putting it in pigtails because she knew that he liked it that way. She wore a green dress that sat right above her knees and left her panties in the drawer; no sense in putting them on just to take them back off. For her makeup¡¯s finishing touch, she painted her lips the rosiest shade of red and popped them against one another for good measure. One last check in the mirror before leaving. Her green eyes shone with excitement but, to her, they couldn¡¯t hide the years of loneliness and wanting that was buried deep within. Despite all of her deep longings, she clung to Oroville and her vows. The spring on the trailer door was pulled tight, and then the door slammed shut as she left the house and strutted across the field towards the farm house. An emerald gem in the moonlight. * Inside the house, she rode Oroville like a horse. He reached up and cupped her breasts with his hands, and when her moans became too loud, he covered her mouth so the sound wouldn¡¯t wake the children. She held off the climax and timed her orgasm with his so they could finish together. Breathtaking bliss. Lying next to him in the bed, in the dark, she placed a loving hand on his chest and felt it rise and fall with the pounding of his heart. ¡°My god, woman. You¡¯re going to kill me one day.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯ve got the vitality of a man that¡¯s twenty years younger than you.¡± ¡°I love you, Beth. I love you so very much.¡± He was the only one that called her Beth, and she didn¡¯t mind. Her preference was to be called Anna, and that¡¯s what everyone else called her, but when it came to Oroville, she didn¡¯t care what he called her. Lying on his bed in the stillness of the dark house, Anna twirled her fingers through his chest hair. He turned his face to hers. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°I know you better than that, Beth. Something¡¯s on your mind. Come on out with it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever just want to go some place new? Get out of these hills for a change and see the world?¡± ¡°Everything I could ever want is in these hills. Why would I want to leave them?¡± His hand gently ran up the small of her back, and she tensed at the pleasing touch. ¡°I hear that traveling is good for the soul. Makes you a better person, even.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been on that social media in town again, haven¡¯t you?¡± Anna pulled away from the warmth of his body and propped herself up on one elbow. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Is this about the baby again? Look, we¡¯re trying. Don¡¯t give up on the hope of it yet.¡± Anna was not her sister. Josaphine bore nine children with Oroville, all-natural and at the house in a bathtub with nothing more than Anna there to assist her. Jo even began pulling the babies out herself after the fourth one. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. But throughout all the years, Anna was unable to conceive with Oroville, so she knew that the fault was with her and not with him. Still, Oroville held on to the belief that they would someday have a child of their own. Deep down, she knew she was barren. She nodded but couldn¡¯t look him in the eye as she spoke. ¡°I haven¡¯t given up on hope. Just a little stir-crazy is all. You know how I get sometimes.¡± ¡°Lord, do I.¡± Oroville pulled himself up to sit straight in the bed. ¡°Tell you what. Why don¡¯t you go into town tomorrow, do a little shopping, maybe catch a bite to eat at that diner you like? That¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± Indeed, those were all things that she enjoyed, but nothing that could fill the hole inside of her heart. She wanted a baby more than anything, and now being a woman in her late thirties, she knew the chances of becoming a mother were becoming less by the day than they already were. Again she nodded, but kept her eyes down. Oroville took a deep breath of frustration, sympathizing with her. He wanted more than anything to have a child with her as well, and he knew how much it meant to her. ¡°Have you still been taking the pills that the doctor gave you? The ones that can help you get pregnant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After a moment, Oroville softly brushed her golden hair from her face with the back of his hand. ¡°Then that¡¯s all we can do. Rest of it is out of our hands. Sometimes, trying is the best we can do. And that counts for something whether we get what we want or not.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± A gentle kiss on the lips. ¡°We¡¯ll keep trying. I¡¯ll go to town tomorrow and clear my head a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl. You need money?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you.¡± He kissed her on the head. ¡°After you get back tomorrow, we¡¯ll try again. Then again, and again after that.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The night continued on. With Oroville snoring beside her, Anna laid wide awake with streams of thoughts running through her head. After an exhausting amount of time trying to silence the voices inside her mind, she finally found a moment¡¯s peace and drifted off to sleep. * In the morning, she woke to an empty bed as Oroville always woke before dawn. Still tired and not wanting to start the day, she laid there in the darkness wondering what her life would be like with a child of her own. She loved being an aunt to her sister¡¯s children, but it just wasn¡¯t the same. Sleep took her again, and the next time she woke, it was to the crow of the roosters. She hated those roosters, especially ¡°Big Red¡±; the Cogburn that would chase anyone that came near the barn other than Oroville. Many times, she¡¯d been flogged on account of that rooster, and no matter how hard she kicked him across the dirt driveway and back towards the barn, he kept coming back for more, hellbent on driving all intruders away from his property. The old rooster had even run off a fox one time, or so it¡¯d been said. ¡°One day, I¡¯m going to kill that chicken,¡± she mumbled and threw a heavy arm over her head. After thirty more minutes of crowing, she¡¯d had enough. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m up, I¡¯m up.¡± Showered, dressed and perfumed, Anna was ready to hit the town. She¡¯d taken her time easing into the morning too; the clock on the radio inside the pickup truck reading a quarter after one. The drive to town was ten miles of winding, mountainous, dirt roads until it hit the pavement, then another winding thirty miles to the town of Cowen. Country music was all that came through the radio, but she preferred the windows down and the sound of the road as she drove. And though the truck was only five years old and practically in brand-new condition, she always drove with the windows down in the summertime and never used the air conditioner. Something about the hot sun on her skin and the wind blowing through her hair on an open road. After making a quick stop at the dollar store for some snacks and a pop, she went to the general store and shopped for a new pair of pants. And a new shirt to boot. After trying them on, she liked the way they looked in the mirror. Her hips were narrow, not child-birthing hips like her sister¡¯s¡ªthe kind the men talk about when they¡¯re among themselves. All the men that she knew liked something to grab onto, something she didn¡¯t have much of, but she didn¡¯t really care what they thought anyway. She was her own worst critic, thinking of herself as inadequate and blaming the creator for giving her a body not fit for children. Still, she drew looks wherever she went because most men found her attractive. And Oroville always acted more alive when he was with her than when he was with Josaphine. Anna Beth¡ªthe wild one. The bobcat, as Oroville often referred to her. After having paid for the clothing, she went to her favorite diner, ordered a beer and sat at a table by herself. It didn¡¯t take long for a tall man with dark hair and a handsome face to take notice, and she gave him a polite grin when he spoke to her. ¡°Mind if I sit next to you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a free country.¡± Anna kept her eyes on the television as she replied, hoping that he would be on his way soon. On such a nice day, she preferred her own company. CHAPTER THREE ¡°You¡¯re not going to stop talking, are you?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. Not unless you want me to.¡± ¡°Judging by your accent, you ain¡¯t from around here. Where you from, stranger?¡± He blinked in confusion. ¡°What accent?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Washington, D.C.¡± ¡°What are you, a politician or something?¡± He put his hands up in defense. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cuss me like that. I can¡¯t stand politicians.¡± ¡°Where you heading?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t understand the question.¡± Anna met his gaze and held it for the first time. She found his hazel eyes to be soft, yet seemingly filled with the promise of excitement and adventure. ¡°People don¡¯t just come to Cowen. They¡¯re just passing through, and it just so happens that this place, in the middle of nowhere, makes for a good pit stop.¡± He sipped his water through a straw and smiled at her. Anna cocked her head at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I like your accent. Actually, my best friend¡¯s father passed away and I¡¯m here to pay my respects. After that, I suppose I¡¯ll be going back home. Aren¡¯t you an inquisitive one.¡± ¡°You decide what you¡¯re having?¡± the owner of the diner asked the man. ¡°Just a beer. Whatever lager you have will do.¡± The bartender reached into the glass fridge behind the bar, popped the top, then walked back to hand him the drink. ¡°That¡¯ll be three-fifty.¡± The man left a five. ¡°Keep the change.¡± His eyes stayed fixated on Anna¡¯s as he took a long, slow drink from his cold bottle of beer. ¡°And I¡¯d be lying if I said that I wasn¡¯t here to also partake in some fly fishing.¡± Anna took a drink of her beer and regarded him with curious eyes. ¡°Do you lie often?¡± ¡°Only when I must,¡± he replied with a coy grin, his voice a lovely baritone. Anna tried not to stare at the shape of his body, but his tight-fitting, white t-shirt made it hard not to. A man in his late thirties, physically fit, all alone at a bar in the middle of the day, in the middle of nowhere, with no wedding ring on his finger. Not even the tan line that most married men have around their finger when they¡¯re away from the house at night and looking for pleasure. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Anna.¡± He reached across the table to shake her hand. ¡°Tucker. Pleasure to meet you, Anna.¡± She shook his hand and got lost in the touch for a moment. ¡°Likewise.¡± Another drink from the bottle, both of them at the same time. ¡°You live around these parts?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Mmm, hmm. Born and raised.¡± ¡°You fish?¡± ¡°Only when I must,¡± she replied with a coy grin of her own. He raised his bottle to hers. ¡°Touche.¡± Another drink followed by another smile and an awkward pause. ¡°I like you.¡± He shakes his head, slightly embarrassed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just said that out loud.¡± Anna laughed. ¡°Does that whole pickup line really work on girls in the big city?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s straightforward, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Truth be told, she liked him too. There was something about him that she was immediately attracted to. The way he spoke and carried himself, the confidence in his voice. The way he boyishly rubbed the back of his head, pretending like he was embarrassed when he really wasn¡¯t. It was all an act, but Anna didn¡¯t care. She liked to play pretend herself. ¡°Is the pickup line working?¡± he asked. ¡°Maybe.¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her smile. He finished his beer and she finished hers. ¡°You wanna get out of here?¡± she asked. He stood from the table. ¡°Yes. Yes I do.¡± * On the bank of the river, the evening sun saw it all. Two bodies, in the middle of mother nature, intertwined in beautiful harmony. Like a river, their passion flowed between one another until it climaxed like a wave crashing on a shore. Both stared into each other¡¯s eyes in awe of the moment they just shared; the hour they just spent together, locked with one another. Sweat-soaked and breathing deeply, they laid on the muddy bank staring up at the blue sky and the green leaves on the trees overhead. ¡°My god, that¡¯s the best sex I¡¯ve ever had,¡± he exalted. She hummed in agreement but didn¡¯t want to express the same feeling with words¡ªit would feel disrespectful to Oroville. Tucker shook his head incredulously. ¡°Where have you been all my life?¡± Anna raised herself from the ground. ¡°Come on, city boy.¡± She helped him stand then jumped into the creek to cool herself off. Thinking he would be right behind her, she turned around and found him just standing on the bank, swollen and naked as a jaybird. ¡°Afraid it¡¯s going to shrink?¡± He laughed, shook his head and dove into the water. When he emerged, she splashed him in the face. He returned an attack of his own and they battled for the next minute or so until their bodies found their way to each other once again. Standing chest deep, they passionately kissed and held each other close as the cold water flowed around them. Anna pulled away and caught her breath. ¡°I should be going.¡± ¡°When will I see you again?¡± ¡°Tomorrow. That is, if you¡¯re still in town.¡± ¡°Same place? Give me your number and I¡¯ll call you.¡± She placed a sympathetic hand to his cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone. Meet me here tomorrow, same time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here early, waiting,¡± he said as a promise. She left him standing in the river, strutted her naked body out of the water and onto the bank, bent over to collect her clothes, then walked to her truck that was parked nearby. She didn¡¯t even wave goodbye as she pulled away. Driving back home, her heart was beating a million miles an hour. It was the first time she¡¯d ever slept with another man since she¡¯d been with Oroville. What came over her? The heat of the moment? No. This was a yearning that had been a long time coming. A desire for adventure that had been simmering under the surface like a bed of hot coals, ready to set ablaze everything around it. All it needed was some oxygen. Tucker was the air to her fire. But would he be enough to quench her desire for the unknown? She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t want to know because she was afraid of what the answer might be. What if there was no satiating her hunger for more? What if her fire grew so much that it would threaten to burn everything that she knew to the ground? To Anna, the fear was part of the excitement. The mystery of it all. The thrill of something new. She decided to see Tucker tomorrow; to ask more questions and to find new revelations about him. And for good measure, she¡¯d be sure to bring some mountain magic with her.