Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Audry

   Chapter 5 - Heart of a Champion

   A Tale of Romance by The Star*



   Audry's boobs hurt.

   She loved our son, Zack, and enjoyed breast-feeding him--she almost got
off just from his sucking.  The feeling of content and the sheer
sensuousness of the whole thing was incredible.

   But taking a horse over the jumps made those same milk machines
bounce--even in her special 'nursing sports bra'.

   That hurt.

   The whole thing was a confusing mess of trade-offs.  Audry wanted
children.  Actually, she wanted a bunch of children.  She also wanted to go
to the equestrian nationals this year.  And she wanted another baby before
the next Olympics.

   She was determined to defend her gold medal in the show jumping
competition.  And she wanted one in dressage, too.

   Problem was, she couldn't train properly with her boobs hurting so much.
A baby took her out of the saddle for much of a year, anyway.  So, if she
had another, she'd be out of competition two out of the three non-Olympic
years, and hurting with floppy boobs when the games came again.

   Mom tried to comfort her.

   "Audry, you can practice dressage, without that problem.  You can even
do it pregnant." Mom grinned.  "I've done it."

   "I know you're right.  But Shannon needs work on the jumps, too.  He's
as rusty as I am..."

   "Well, your best option is to wean Zack.  He's old enough to start
drinking from a baby cup, anyway."

   "Oh, he does.  I just enjoy breast feeding too much," Audry admitted
with a grin.

   "Me too.  But I think you need to do it, if you want to compete in both
events at Nationals."

   That night, I got 'seconds' from her breasts after Zack was asleep in
his crib.  Then I got my chimes rung, when Audry did to my prick what I'd
done to her nipples.  She licked around it, and swirled her tongue around
its head while her lips contained it.

   When she felt she had my full attention, she slithered up my
body--brushing her enlarged breasts against me as she went--until she could
claim the passionate kiss she deserved.

   THEN she mounted me, slowly sliding her hot, wet sleeve over my eager
cock.  I had to calculate the value of seven squared and eight squared a
couple of times to keep from blowing my load on the spot.

   Fortunately, Audry was on a short fuze, too.  She just lay on me for a
bit.  But soon after she started moving up and down, she started to get
frantic.  Offering me a breast to suck, she began bucking.  Once I had a
hand on the offering, to keep it in my mouth so I could do justice to her
tasty nipple, she went ballistic.  Her pussy vibrated.  Then the muscles in
her stomach convulsed.  Her body arched and she shuddered.

   This was more than enough to set me off and I was spraying her cervix
throughout.

   Audry collapsed on me, my rapidly-wilting cock still snug in her.

   Languidly caressing her back and flanks, I murmured how much I loved
her--and how she'd once again blown my mind with her incredible lovemaking.

   She kissed me with love and passion.

   After a bit, she moved off me, clinging to my side, with a knee over my
thigh, her head on my shoulder.

   She explained her problem; the pain of jumping with the milk-filled
boobs, and the bras that were available.

   We discussed having more children.

   "Audry, we can wait.  We can wait until you're done competing, then have
all you want."

   "But Rob, I can compete for years.  And I don't want to wait that long
for kids.  It wouldn't be fair to Zack, if his next oldest brother or
sister is five or six years younger."

   "I dunno, love.  You can't jump if you're pregnant anyway."

   "Yes I can, if I'm not too far along.  I was jumping most of the way
through the second trimester with Zack..."

   "That's right.  I forgot."

   "Anyway, Rob, can't you get one of your engineer friends from OSU to
design a bra that would contain these monsters and support them when I
jump?"

   "I suppose I could call Frank.  Write down your sizes and dimensions for
me.  I'll call him in the morning."

   That earned me a kiss that started out gratitude and rapidly turned to
passion.  Before I knew it, I was sunk deeply into Audry again, moving in
time with her and enjoying the marvelous feelings my wife's body gives me.

   My orgasm took me by surprise and I was barely able to hang on long
enough to get Audry off, too.

   "Sorry, love.  That one surprised me."

   "It's OK, darling.  I'm glad that loose old thing still excites you that
much."

   "It isn't loose.  And it excites me a lot.  And so does the rest of
you...  If it weren't that I know it's uncomfortable, I'd say, keep your
boobs that size.  I love them!"

   "Chauvinist pig!" she said, as she shoved a nipple in my mouth for a
little attention.

   Except for the first couple of months after she came back from the
hospital with Zack, Audry hadn't used any birth control.

   We think we lucked out again that night.  Anyway, she was pregnant. 
Regardless, she was determined to compete in Nationals that year.

   I called my friend, Frank, who was a fraternity brother and a top-notch
structural engineer, though a very junior member of a big firm.  When we'd
talked a bit and I convinced him that I was serious about our need, he
became enthusiastic about the idea of a 'sports bra' for women with large
breasts in proportion to the rest of them--whether they were big from
nursing or nature.  Most 'sports bras' just flatten everything against the
ribs and hold it there.  If a woman was nursing, or had really big breasts,
this didn't work, and a lot of flesh would bounce up and down.  Skin just
isn't made to take that kind of force--it was painful and caused boobs to
droop as the skin stretched.  Both were undesirable results.

   Frank looked at several possibilities that were OK from an engineering
standpoint, but not acceptable for women to wear.

   He looked into materials and construction methods.  And he came up with
a hand-made prototype, made to Audry's dimensions.

   It was much better than anything she'd tried, but still allowed too much
'flopping'.

   The hardest part, for me, was allowing Frank to handle Audry's boobs.  I
knew he was devoted to his wife and baby daughter, but it was still hard to
see another man touch my wife.  There was no other way, though, that he
could see where he succeeded and what still needed to be improved.

   Frank's second try was a great improvement.  Audry loved it!  She took
the full course of jumps in our training ring without a problem.  Her
horse, Shannon, seemed to get into it as well.  It had been over a year
since he'd carried such an enthusiastic rider.

   To his embarrassment, she gave Frank a big kiss, when she dismounted. 
Frank's wife just looked on in amusement.  She knew Audry was expressing
appreciation and not coming on to her husband.

   In fact, I was right behind her, pumping Frank's hand and slapping his
back.  (With a little help from mom's family, we found a garment maker in
New York who bought the patent and paid Frank a substantial royalty
besides. Audry got a free lifetime supply of bras, underwear and blouses
out of the deal.)

   Without pain, Audry entered into her training program with fire and
passion.  Her horse caught it from his rider and they soon were pushing
Samarkand and me hard.

   Mom quietly smiled to herself, as she coached us both from her perch on
the top rail of the practice rings.

   Things on the ranch were peaceful.  No rustlers or poachers.  No one
trying to mess with our entrance documents in competitions.  Nothing.  We
liked it!  All of us liked the life we were leading and reveled in our
ability to make a good living from the land.  That year, we made a _very_
good living.  Even mom's family was impressed, when she told them what we'd
cleared.  (Mom had gotten pissed off at a cousin's continual harping on
what her husband made and how hard it must be for poor mom...)

   Nationals were in Denver.  We'd go in a motorhome and horse trailer,
rather than fly.

   We took two motorhomes.  Audry, Zack, grandma and me in one; our parents
in the other.  Dad drove the big pickup that pulled the horse trailer with
Samarkand and Shannon and all our tack.

   Highway 20, to Ontario, Oregon, is a good road and pretty straight.  We
stopped in Baker to let the horses stretch and to muck out the trailer. 
And stayed overnight at a ranch just out of Ontario, where the horses had a
corral to themselves and could roll and generally cavort, to get over the
day's travel.  It was the same across Utah, and into Wyoming.

   Denver welcomed us at the fairgrounds with good facilities and helpful
volunteers to answer all our questions and help with the little problems
that always arise.  That Audry and I were favorites in the events didn't
hurt.

   Even mom was impressed.  (Dad once told me that mom considered our
lifestyle to be close to abject poverty, compared to her childhood.  She
never complained and was, really, happy with her lot.  But it took a lot to
impress her.)

   By now, Audry was just finishing the first trimester of this pregnancy.
Morning sickness was never a problem with her and she'd merely felt a bit
'strange' a few mornings.  The main thing, for her, was to win national
championships in both arena events--I could have the 3-day...

   We worked the horses as soon as we arrived and were set up.  They needed
to stretch out and to get serious about things.  Experienced campaigners,
the crowds and bustle didn't bother them much.

   To protect them, dad and Uncle Rick slept in their stalls.  Rick
complained that Shannon was snorting and stomping all night...  Seems a
mare two stalls down was just coming into season.  (Rick said he'd let
Shannon cover her--as soon as her owner paid the stud fee.) By morning, the
mare's condition was obvious and she was moved to another section of the
facility.

   After a day to find our way around and practice, the dressage event
started.  Sam had taken the trip well and was as strong as ever, so I
entered him in the arena events, besides the 3-day.

   To her delight, and my chagrin--Samarkand just would not get his head
into it!--Audry won and I placed second.  The following day, she and
Shannon did the same thing to us in the jumping event.

   I'd given Sam a talking--to about paying attention.  The damn horse is
so big and so strong, he sort of 'rubber-necks' like a tourist just when I
need him to be paying attention.  This makes him a big hit with the crowd,
but causes the judges take off those tenths of points that cost us
victories.

   At least Audry is spectacular in bed after she wins.

   Most horses can't do the 3-day after doing the individual events, so I
had a whole new set of opponents there.

   The first day is dressage.  Sam and I won it handily, with more points
ahead than I'd expected.  The second day is the killer--speed and
endurance. My big horse gobbled up the course, though he hadn't had the
work at that altitude we'd have liked.  Still, the nearest horse was almost
20 seconds behind and hadn't been close to us in dressage.

   Firmly in command, we entered the jumping day.  Sam was pleased with
himself, almost prancing into the arena when we were announced--while other
horses were pretty droopy after yesterday's test.

   As we had often before, we sailed over the jumps, making two clean
rounds and running away from the competition.

   Afterwards, Audry and I had to pose in our 'pinks' for news and magazine
pictures, and then, in our motorhome, submit to a _Sports Illustrated_
interview.  The last was a pleasure, though it was, we found, hard work. 
Our sport needed all the publicity it could get.  Ideally, we'd start
gaining large, paying crowds at our events.  Audry and I were happy to do
our part.

   Finding that Audry was pregnant, the interviewer asked if she thought
she'd be able to defend her titles next year.

   "Unless something awful happens, I fully intend to!" she declared.

   Her pregnancy and intent to defend next year anyway made the rounds of
the horse world overnight.

   ~~ * * * * * ~~

   Just as spring was thinking about rescuing us from winter's cold,
teasing us with warm breezes on an occasional afternoon, Audry delivered
our daughter, Moira.

   It had been a strenuous delivery, Audry's hips being a bit narrow.  But
both came through the process like champions.  Moira demonstrated that she
shared her great-grandmother's lust for life, and her mother's
determination.  From me, she got size and, later, fairly broad shoulders
for a girl.

   Three days later, Audry was practicing dressage with Shannon, and after
another four days, they took a few low jumps.

   Audry discovered that her butt was fine.  And the new bras kept the
boobs from flying around--she could do this!  She confided this to mom and
me, while a huge grin threatened to split her face permanently.

   The night she took the jumps, she was so excited, she was horny.  Still
uncomfortable with vaginal intercourse, she insisted I get in the back
door. We'd done that a few times, just for the novelty.

   Greasing up the pole with a little KY, I shoved it in, with a steady
push.  She was tighter and hotter than anything I'd experienced!

   Reaching around her, I caressed a breast with one hand and her vaginal
mound with the other.

   "OH, ROBBY!" she screamed.  "Right THERE!"

   Then her body convulsed and I sprayed my load into her.  I just can't
take it when she comes.

   She collapsed with me on top of her.

   In moments, she tried to roll out from under me, so I moved off of her.
Audry rolled just far enough to take me in her arms and kiss me thoroughly.

   "Thanks, darling.  I needed that." A gamin grin.  "And I suspect you did
too.  It's been too long."

   I smiled back at her beloved face and gently traced the outline of her
lips with a finger.  "Honey, you're worth the wait," I said, softly, just
before kissing the corner of her mouth.

   Audry smiled.  "I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

   "Only to the ones I make love with."

   Audry had had her wild years.  But I'd never had another woman.  And she
knew it.

   She just held me tight, until I fell asleep.

   When I awoke, she was still holding me; one arm under my back, the other
across my chest, with a leg atop mine.  Her head was on my chest and those
marvelous breasts were pressed against my chest and side.

   This one was all woman, in a really incredible package.

   Determined to compete this year, Audry spent a couple of hours every day
on Shannon.  Mostly they worked dressage, but there was a half-hour of
jumps daily.  Mom kept a close eye on things, both to keep them from
getting into bad habits, and to make sure Audry didn't overdo it.

   Shannon seemed to thrive on the work and attention.

   Samarkand, my big horse, loved hard work.  The more the better.  He was
such a brute, he could do the speed and endurance routine two days in a
row, if I asked him to.  For Sam, fun was a 30-mile trail ride into the
high country...  half of it at a canter.

   We tried that, a couple of weeks after Audry was back in the saddle.  I
took little Zack, my son, along.  He could sit the small mare I'd given
him, though he couldn't mount or dismount by himself.  A lot of the time,
though, he just sat in front of me on 'Big Sam'.

   Audry rode along with us for an hour, then turned back.  Moira wasn't
big enough to go along yet, and Audry was breast-feeding...

   Mom and dad were with us, though, making it a small family holiday.

   Zack had a great time.  He ran around the meadow we camped in on his
stubby child's legs, chasing butterflies.  He tried to catch minnows in the
little stream with his hands.  He watched in wonder as dad lit the fire and
started cooking our supper.

   He wanted to know why the horses had to eat grass.  Why couldn't they
have fruit loops, and mashed potatoes, and good food, like we had?

   When he went to sleep, he slept the deep sleep of the innocent--while
his dad and grandparents looked around at the familiar scene with
wonder--having seen it anew, through the child's eyes.

   As a result of intensive lobbying, the Nationals that year were in
Spokane.  That was a good drive from the ranch, but not hard to do in a
day.

   Again, we rented two motorhomes and pulled the horse trailer with the
big pickup.

   The event organizers in Spokane were very good to us, almost
embarrassing us with their hospitality.  Of course, Audry and I were
favorites again.  And, once again, we did really well.  This time I won the
jumping--Sam and I had been working harder at it than Audry had been able
to.  She and Shannon ate our lunch in dressage, as usual.

   I had some competition in the 3-day.  A few really good horsemen decided
that, if they wanted to make the Olympic team, 3-day was the event to do it
in.  At the end of the dressage stage, Sam and I were in second place.  And
the horse that had beaten us was, I knew, an exceptional jumper.

   We needed to dominate in the speed and endurance stage.

   Mom suggested I keep Sam in hand, to keep his head in it.  For the first
few miles, I did.  He didn't spend his energy 'sightseeing', as he likes to
do and, when I felt him get into it, I turned him loose.  He knew how far
he had to go and he wanted to get there!  He set a blistering pace,
finishing almost five minutes faster than the second place horse--which was
not the horse that had beaten us in the first stage.

   As always, mom's coaching had been crucial.

   In the jumping event, we went around clean.  Not in the fastest time,
but right in there.  With the lead we'd made in the second stage, we were
once again the national champions.

   I was getting almost embarrassed by our success.  Sure, I'm a good
rider. In fact, I'm an _outstanding_ rider.  But with Sam for a mount, I
couldn't miss, as long as I made him pay attention.  My only concern was
that the oldest of Sam's colts would be coming of age soon.

   We'd even bred a few for ourselves.  One born this past spring might be
Sam's replacement as my mount in a few more years.  But neither Sam nor I
were anywhere near ready to retire from competition.

   Audry was disappointed with her showing in the jumping competition.  She
finished third, after me and a rider from Georgia.  She'd almost been
fourth, but the horse from Florida hit a rail and lost a point, giving
Audry third.  A couple of weeks after we returned to the ranch, she asked
me if I'd mind if she didn't have a baby that year.  She wanted to
concentrate and prepare for the Olympics.

   I had to laugh, even when I knew I shouldn't.  She was so serious about
it.  Like, I would grant her a big favor and not make her have another baby
for a couple of years...

   "Audry, honey, I'm sorry I laughed.  It's just that...  it's your body,
baby.  I love you.  And I love our kids.  I'm looking forward to having a
couple more, when you're ready to have them.  But, honey, the timing is
entirely up to you." A thought occurred to me.  "You don't HAVE to have
more, if you'd rather not..."

   Audry just grinned, and slugged me in the shoulder.  "Of course I want
more.  Having your babies is what I'm for.  And you make the process so
_interesting_..."

   I enveloped her in a huge hug.  We were on the same page.  We loved.

   (For the "Zero Population Growth" crowd, let me point out that we are
not city folk living in an apartment, or house in the suburbs.  We live on
a ranch that has been a family operation for a century now.  Audry and I
were only children, though essentially raised together.  We needed
children, if one or two were to keep the ranch in the family after us.

   (But more important, we _wanted_ children.  We really love our time with
the two we have so far, working and playing with them and molding their
attitudes.

   (Little Zach is already taking riding seriously and is developing a
caring attitude towards his sister, Moira.  I think that's because Audry
and I both have told him several times that he will have to help her and
keep her from harm when she starts walking all over the place.  Give kids
responsibility and expect them to achieve and be responsible, and they'll
grow up with a good work ethic.)

   So Audry would take a couple of years to concentrate on the horses and
raising the two children we had.  That was surely fine with me.

   Aunt Elin, Audry's mom, took over the 'day school' part of the child
rearing.  A gentle lady, she was very good at it.  (She'd been our teacher,
until the new road was built that allowed Audry and me to attend public
school.) Both kids adored her.  She taught them to count and the
alphabet--and amazing detail about the simple things around us.  When he
was four, Zach started to read--and never stopped.  Moira wasn't far behind
him.

   Grandma spent as much time with them as she could, usually in the
evenings.  She taught them songs (not always fit for children so young),
and games, and the secrets of her special chocolate chip cookies.  Grandma
believed the function of grandparents was to spoil grandkids. 
Great-grandkids got spoiled double!

   My parents got their share of time with the precocious little brats,
too, teaching them about the horses and how to ride and care for them
properly.  But they learned in a natural way, as a part of our family
heritage.  It was something serious, yet fun.



   ~~ * * * * * ~~

   That spring, Moira was still an infant, though weaned.  I felt a need to
see some city lights, take my best girl dancing, and buy her some new party
clothes.  We discussed it, and decided that we'd take the kids, and grandma
(who wanted to get her ashes hauled--and had a gentleman friend in Portland
she wanted to see).  Mom and dad would come along, too.  Rick and Elin
would stay behind to make sure everything was OK at home, and supervise
Gerry and the other two hands.

   At the last minute, Rick decided they'd go, too.  Gerry was competent
and had been with us for years.

   In the past, we'd always rented a motorhome to get to competitions if
they were close enough to drive to.  This year, dad decided he wanted his
own--and that we could afford it.  He came home from Eugene with a
beautiful 33-foot coach that was elegant and comfortable.  So when we all
wanted to go to Portland, that's how we traveled.  We had reservations in
the Red Lion and would rent a couple of cars while we were there.  But that
coach was sure a plush way to get there.

   Audry appreciated the big bed in back, where she could put the kids down
for their naps without fuss.

   We weren't in any great hurry, so we left mid-morning and took our time
crossing the Cascades.  It's always pretty country.  I enjoy watching the
scenery change from 'high desert' to 'valley'.  The trees change from pine
to fir, and grow much closer together.  The underbrush is much more
prolific--becoming like a jungle in places.  Out of the mountains, farms
and woods of oak and fir surround you.  Of course, the valley gets more
than three times as much annual rainfall as we do.

   It's an easy trip on US 20, then up I-5.  It was still light when we
reached Portland.  We'd promised to take Zach to the zoo.  He didn't
understand that it would have to be tomorrow...

   We had two small suites, side by side.  Our parents shared one, and we
had the other, with the kids.  With the luggage in our rooms, we were ready
to see about a fancy restaurant dinner.  Grandma called her friend and
arranged to meet him the next day.  Tonight she would baby-sit--and sleep
in the sitting room of our suite.

   Dinner was in the 'fancy' restaurant in the hotel.  The food was very
good and the ambiance of the place nice.  Our ladies had dressed up for the
occasion, in cocktail dresses, hair up, and makeup.  They didn't get the
chance to do that very often--nor we to see them that way.  I think dad and
Uncle Rick really enjoyed the way they looked.  I know I did!

   Audry is a beautiful woman.  Dressed up and made up, she's breathtaking.
I'd almost forgotten just how gorgeous she can be.

   Western men have a reputation for reticence.  Mostly justified.  But I
made a point of telling her how lucky I felt, being the one she went home
with.  Mom and Aunt Elin aren't dogs, either.  For that matter, grandma is
a foxy lady, with a figure a lot of teens would kill for.

   After dinner, grandma took the kids back to our suite, to put them to
bed.  The rest of us went out on the town.

   We found a nightclub we liked and decided we'd stay a while.  They
couldn't give us a table for six, so Audry and I had a tiny table across
the dance floor from our folks.

   I thought I knew everything about her, but Audry surprised me by
demanding that I dance with her.  We dance, but ballroom stuff.  This was
disco!

   "Come on, Rob.  You can do this.  Just move with the music."

   When Audry asks, what can I do?  I tried.

   Audry moved with the music, all right.  ALL of Audry moved.  She was
shaking it pretty good.  In fact, a lot of guys in the place were watching
her more than they were their own partners.  For sure, I was watching her.

   When the set ended, Audry laughed and collapsed against me.  After a big
kiss, she took my hand and held me in place.

   The next set was slow dancing and Audry wanted to reward me for being
such a good sport, by plastering her elegant, curvy shape against me.

   I enjoyed it so much, the old cock sprang right up against her belly. 
Audry thought that was really funny and rubbed against me as much as she
could.  Soon we sat back down, for a breather--a chance for me to get
myself under control.

   Audry barely had time to sample her drink, when a guy stopped to ask if
she'd dance with him.  He looked OK, so Audry looked at me, a question on
her face.  I just shrugged.  I really didn't want to do another set of the
disco dancing right then.

   The guy was big, and good-looking.  He had a rakish look about him, as
though he just didn't give a damn.

   When the set was over, Audry came back to our table.  Obviously, the guy
wanted her to dance the slow dances with him, too.  Plopping herself into
her chair, she thanked him for the dance, then turned to me.

   A bit later, after we'd danced again, he came over just as a slow dance
set was starting.  This time, Audry said, "Thanks, but I'll sit this one
out." When he'd returned to the bar, Audry said, "He's coming on too strong
for me.  A dance is one thing.  But he's looking to score--it won't be on
me."

   We danced with our parents and each other's parents.  And I held Audry
in my arms a time or two.

   Audry's admirer tried again.  Audry thought, 'what the hell' and danced
with him another set.  She also told him she was a very married mother of
two children.

   About midnight, we left, to return to our hotel.  (We're used to rising
early.  That means bed early, too.)

   Shortly after we returned to our suite from breakfast, grandma announced
that there was some guy on the phone, asking for Audry.

   Audry had a very short conversation, ending with, "Don't ever call me
again!" It was the guy from the nightclub.  He'd somehow followed us and
found out our suite number.

   While Audry and grandma got the kids ready for the expedition to the
zoo, I went next door, to tell dad and Uncle Rick what had happened.

   Mom asked, "Do you have the guy's name?"

   "Yeah.  'James."

   "Nothing more?"

   "Nope."

   "OK.  We'll all keep an eye out for him.  I think Audry probably took
care of it this morning, though."

   "Thanks.  I hope so."

   Portland's zoo is a good one.  Moira was too small to really enjoy it.
But my day with Zach is one I'll cherish.  He and I walked hand in hand. 
Every new and strange animal he saw fascinated him.  When we arrived at the
area of the hippopotamus, an animal was just taking a leak.  Zach was used
to seeing this with the horses, so it wasn't any big deal.  Except that the
hippo kept on...  and *on*.  When he finally finished, Zach, eyes huge,
said, "WOW!"

   And down a bit, while looking at the zebras--Zach wondering how it would
be to ride one--I spotted a giraffe, through a break in the screening
foliage.  Putting Zach on a bench, so he could see, I pointed it out.  Zach
was bright enough to understand that the animal was VERY tall.  He was
enchanted.  And I was thrilled to be able to share it with him.

   WHAT A DAY!  We even rode the zoo train, over to the rose gardens, where
we looked at the great variety of roses, in their first blooms, and enjoyed
the view over the city, with Mt.  Hood majestic in the background.

   Every dad needs days like that with his sons.  It makes having them
worthwhile.

   Arriving back at the hotel, Audry was accosted in the lobby by her
admirer.  Rick, dad and I surrounded him and suggested, in the strongest
possible way, that his attentions were unwelcome and that continuing them
would result in something getting broken--like his legs and arms.  Mom
summoned hotel security, who got identification information, then hustled
him off.

   The guy's name was James Richards.  He had a Portland address, in a
modest apartment complex.  The hotel didn't know anything about him.  Their
security staff did check with the police.  He'd had a couple of minor
incidents--women claimed he'd harassed them.  No arrests or convictions.

   Grandma took off to meet her friend.  If she missed our departure, she'd
make her own way back to the ranch.  Don't worry about her.

   Dad and Uncle Rick wanted to visit their stockbroker, to review their
portfolio in detail and plot strategy for the next year.  This was an
annual thing with them and they thought our trip was an ideal opportunity
to kill two birds with one stone.  Besides, they'd end up at Paddy's Pub,
where they'd drink a lot more than they should, with the broker.

   The ladies were going shopping.  The huge Lloyd Center shopping mall was
right by the hotel.  They'd start there.  Then they'd take the trolley
downtown, for raids on Meier & Frank and Nordstrom's.

   Guess who was left to watch the kids?

   It was OK, really.  Zach was happy watching cartoons and Moira just
wanted to be held...  and fed on schedule.  I spent a pleasant morning
playing with my daughter, and answering Zach's questions as best I could.
After lunch, they both went down for naps.

   And the women returned.

   With bundles and bags.

   Chattering as fast as they could go.

   Dad and Rick returned about a half-hour later.  And Rick and Elin went
out right away--Elin wanted some new wallpaper and other things for her
house and insisted that she wouldn't buy anything like that without Rick's
approval.  When the kids woke up, we took them to a park, where they could
swing and slide and climb and be kids.  We appreciated that they were used
to an active life and wouldn't enjoy shopping or visiting museums.

   That evening, all three ladies dressed up for us, each showing off a new
party dress.  Damn, they're a spectacular bunch!

   Aunt Elin and Uncle Rick would stay in the hotel and care for the kids.
They'd order in a fancy room service dinner and have their own party.  Elin
wasn't really into the nightclub scene, anyway--or Rick, either, if you get
right down to it.  The kids were a convenient excuse to do what they really
wanted to, anyway.

   After considerable discussion, we settled on a cabaret restaurant that
was highly recommended by the hotel concierge.

   We agreed that the place lived up to its reputation.  The food was
excellent, as was the ambiance.  The floorshow was a delight.  And the band
was easy to dance to.

   The only fly in the ointment was Audry's admirer, James.

   Who asked her to dance, as soon as the band started.

   I stood and grabbed him by the necktie.  "Listen, buster.  I told you
before that you're making a nuisance of yourself.  If I see you again,
around my wife, I will make you wish you'd never set eyes on any of us.  Do
you understand what I'm telling you?"

   "Hey, buddy!" I was NOT his buddy!  "I just asked the lady to dance. 
That's no big deal."

   "It is a big deal.  Find some other lady.  Now!"

   Dad quietly strolled to the bar, and, motioning the bartender over,
said, "That guy," pointing out James, "has been stalking my daughter-in-law
for a couple of days.  If you want to avoid a scene, I'd really suggest you
get him out of your place."

   The bartender nodded.  "Thanks.  I'll take care of it."

   In moments, a pair of large guys escorted James out the door.

   After a very pleasant couple of hours, we decided to try another club
the hotel had suggested.  They were right.  It was a nice place and our
ladies did us proud, in their new dresses.

   But there was James, again asking Audry for a dance.

   This time, dad and I grabbed him and hustled him out the door.  Once
outside, I proceeded to punch his lights out.

   When he was on the ground, bruised, but not unconscious, I said, "I told
you, asshole!  Stay away from my wife.  She isn't interested.  And we are
very attentive to what she wants.  Next time, you're dog meat."

   At the door, I told the doorman that we'd been having trouble with the
guy.  Please keep him out of the club while we were there?  Wide eyed, he
said he would.

   In the morning, we took the kids to a super playground, where there were
all kinds of games and activities for kids of all ages.  The whole family
went, our parents feeling that it was a good 'grandparent fix' for them,
watching the kids playing with such great glee in the new environment.

   After lunch in the hotel, the grandparents seemed to want a nap as much
as the kids.  Rick and Elin would stay in our suite, to be there if a kid
woke up.  Audry and I had a bit of shopping of our own to take care of.

   There was a saddle shop a couple miles from the hotel that I wanted to
visit.  I wasn't quite comfortable with the roping saddle I used around the
ranch.  And Audry and I both wanted to look at new English rigs.  The ones
we had were getting pretty worn.

   The staff in the shop were professional saddlemakers.  They understood
at once my problem with my saddle, without even seeing it.  In a half-hour,
they helped me select the saddle I still ride, in perfect comfort.

   Audry bought a new western saddle, too, as well as a saddle for a child.
We only had one little saddle, but would soon need one for Moira.

   And we both bought new English rigs, for the upcoming Nationals and
Olympics.  It was a hoot!  The staff--excellent tack and saddle
people--hadn't figured out who we were.  When the light turned on, and they
realized that we were national and Olympic champion riders, they fell all
over themselves.  In fact, they offered to supply all the tack the ranch
wanted, if they could use us in their advertising.

   Audry and I looked at each other.  Why not?  We shook hands on the deal.
They'd ship our new saddles and equipment UPS.  And they'd expect dad and
Uncle Rick to come see them, too.

   I was kind enough to warn them about mom.  She's VERY particular about
her equipment--and ours.  They thanked me, but smugly allowed that they
expected to meet the highest standards and were sure she would be satisfied
with their work.

   That afternoon, grandma came dragging in.  "I'm not as young as I used
to be," she lamented.  "He just flat-out wore me out." A pause.  A big
grin. "But he invited me back--real soon!"

   Since she was there and wanted a bit of rest, grandma was our
babysitter. The rest of us would have one more night to party, before we
returned home.  Our ladies really turned it on.  They wore new dresses that
exposed a lot of very interesting skin--even Aunt Elin, who is really
spectacular when she wants to show it off.

   In return, we took them to a very elegant restaurant, atop one of the
buildings on the hills overlooking the city.  Spectacular view--with the
sun setting over the lights of the darkened city below, Mt.  Hood catching
its last rays.  Spectacular ladies, who loved us very much, and who enjoyed
putting on a bit of a show, to stroke our egos.

   From the restaurant, we moved to a hotel downtown where, we were
assured, the dancing was excellent.

   All was as advertised.  We had a great time, in a really nice lounge.

   Until James showed up.

   We had no idea how he found us, but we were really tired of him.  Audry
looked like she'd bitten into something rotten when she saw him.  At least,
this time, he didn't come to the table, to ask her to dance.

   But his eyes tracked her like radar, spoiling our evening.

   Dad asked the waitress to send the bouncer over to see us.  And
explained to him what we'd been through with the guy.  The bouncer said he
couldn't do anything, until James approached us, or did something.  Dad
said, "Fine.  We'll leave, and not spend any more money here!"

   When James showed up at the next place we visited, the manager was more
accommodating--after dad slipped him a $50.  James was hustled out and we
finished our evening unbothered.

   In the morning, we headed home.  I commented that it was too bad that
James guy had spoiled the trip for us.  While mom and Aunt Elin chuckled,
Audry informed me that it was nice to know that she was still so exciting,
that, after two children, she could attract a stalker.

   Uncle Rick decided that the women had enough fun.  "I see that.  But
it's scary, and I'm glad we're leaving Portland."

   Grandma agreed, "That guy gave me the creeps.  There's something wrong
with him."

   Our mood brightened, as we crested the Cascades, into our sunny high
country.

   ~~ * * * * * ~~

   Mom and dad were really impressed with our new tack.  As I expected, dad
liked my new roping saddle--Uncle Rick wanted to steal it!--while mom was
rapturous over the English saddles we'd bought.

   When we told them they were free, in return for advertising, Uncle Rick
ordered one just like mine, by phone that very day.

   About a week after our vacation, I came back to the ranch from some work
on the fences, to find Audry white-faced and grandma grim.

   "What's with you two?" I asked.

   "James called Audry," grandma said.

   "That's not good, but what's the problem?"

   "He said awful things, Rob," Audry choked out.  "He told me what he
wants to do with me--to me."

   "OK, baby," I said.  "I'll take care of it.  For now, let's tell all our
friends we're letting our answering machines screen our calls.  If it's
someone you know, go ahead and answer.  If not, let the answering machine
take the call.  You're a tough lady.  Give him enough rope to hang
himself."

   Grandma nodded.  Audry, too, a bit slower.

   I visited Bend, stopping to see the sheriff, who had played on the high
school football team with me, though he was a couple of years older.  I
explained the problem and told him I might need some law-enforcement help.
He knew us well--in fact, he'd had a little letch for Audry himself, at one
time.  So he was receptive.

   When James called next, his message was vile.  He described in great
detail the things he wanted to do to her--and her to do to him.  As phone
sex, I guess it would have been OK.  But Audry was not a willing audience.

   The next day we had more of the same.  I had a block against that number
put on our line.  Two days later, another call, this time from a pay phone
in Portland.

   And the next day, a call from Bend!

   I called the sheriff.  The call was from a motel but James had checked
out a half-hour before the deputy got there.

   We suspected--no, we knew--James was on his way to the ranch, to see
Audry.  We moved Audry and the kids to Uncle Rick's house, that being the
most secluded and furthest from the road into the ranch headquarters.  Dad,
Rick and I, along with Gerry, our foreman, took high-powered rifles, to
stake out the high ground around our homes.

   We all carried food and bedding, in case we had to stay overnight.  And
we had small radios to talk to each other and our women.  Also, we carried
night vision scopes we'd bought cheap from a neighbor, whose kids played
with them for a week, then set them aside as boring.

   I fully expected James, in his arrogance and obsession with my wife, to
come driving right up to the house, demanding a big, romantic welcome.  It
didn't happen that way.  Instead, sometime after one in the morning, my
radio woke me.  Someone was trying to sneak in by walking slowly along the
fence that bordered our ranch road.  Whoever it was did not use a
flashlight, but seemed to be feeling his way along the fenceline.

   Our property was clearly posted, with "No Trespassing.  No Hunting"
signs everywhere--including on the driveway entrance.  The county road was
a good half-mile from the houses, too.  So this guy knew he wasn't welcome.
Of course, his stealthy approach confirmed that.

   We watched him through our night vision scopes.  I also checked
carefully to make sure he wasn't a decoy.  He was alone.

   When he got to a hundred yards of the big house, we started to close in
on him.  And when he mounted to the porch, we were only yards away.

   Grandma, alone in the house, didn't have a radio, but Aunt Elin had
called her when Uncle Rick had first spotted the guy.  When he broke the
lock on the front door and opened it, she waited until he was framed in the
doorway, then blew him away with her shotgun.  It was bird shot, but two
rounds, at ten feet, will do a pretty good job on a man.  Grandma had no
hesitation.  A western woman, she felt that a dead skunk wouldn't bother
you again later, while a wounded one might get pissed off and come back to
do something about it.

   Dad hollered, "OK, mom!  He's down.  Don't shoot!"

   While grandma turned on the lights in the house, dad turned on the porch
lights.  We stared at James, then called the sheriff.

   It took an hour for a deputy to arrive and another half-hour for the
coroner to get there.  We hadn't touched him, or even come near him, except
to turn on the lights from the switches by the door he'd broken.

   When they examined his body, we were all really glad grandma hadn't
hesitated.  He carried a garrote, several pieces of rope, four silk
scarves, a big knife, and a .357 revolver.  He was obviously prepared for
some heavy rape and bondage stuff with somebody.  And we knew from the
phone calls, that somebody was Audry.

   Rick rode home and Elin woke Audry, who ran over to see.  Taking one
look, she spat at his body, then walked back to her mom's house, to gather
the kids.  We'd finish the night in our own beds.

   The coroner's inquest ruled that grandma shot an intruder who had broken
into her home.  He was armed and the history of the case showed that he
clearly intended to harm us.

   Audry was shaken by the whole thing.  She'd never had a guy come on to
her like that.  Out where we live, a lady is treated like a lady, or else a
half-dozen guys teach him manners.

   Naturally, the family teased her a bit, about being a barroom floozy. 
'Guys just couldn't help themselves around her...'

   She's never given any guy a reason to come on to her.  So our gentle
teasing was more a matter of telling her we love her and think she's
beautiful.  She threw herself into preparing for Nationals and the
Olympics.

   Grandma took a vacation in Bermuda, coming back tanned and walking very
slowly.

   Mom had been working with one of Sam's colts.  She felt he might be
ready for competition.  Her idea was that he wasn't too polished yet, but
maybe Audry would like to ride him in the 3-day?

   Audry jumped at it, although it meant a lot of hours of work, getting
the colt used to her, and schooling it in dressage and arena jumping.  Mom
had already done the basics--the horse was better than most right then. 
But at our level, a nearly clairvoyant rapport had to exist between horse
and rider.  That was only developed by hard work.  (In spite of lots of
books for teenaged girls to the contrary, horses are not very smart.  But
they do have personalities.)

   The colt had been named Claybourne--'Clay'.  Mom had in mind that
eventually he'd replace Sam as my mount.  After about a week of working
with him, Audry announced that I could get my own second mount: Clay was
hers.  Besides, Shannon was aging, and starting to show the effects of all
the hard seasons of work he'd been through.

   OK.  But meanwhile, Shannon was still probably the most elegant dressage
and arena horse in the country.  That meant that Audry had to work two
horses daily.

   Some days, she could hardly walk by evening.

   Mom eventually put her foot down.

   "Audry, you aren't helping yourself, or the horses this way.  I'll train
Clay in dressage and the school jumps.  You spend at least half of each day
with the kids.  OK?"

   Knowing she'd been caught, fair and square, Audry just gave mom a big
hug, and whispered, "Thanks," in her ear.

   A nice part of this was that Audry joined me on the cross-country
training.  We had three different routes laid out on the ranch--and they
could be mixed, for additional variety.  Both horses loved cross-country
days.  For most animals it was a real challenge, just to get through the
course.  Those brutes just ate it up.  Our altitude helped, too.  When they
got to a competition at sea level, they were monsters.

   It was nice to be able to take the courses together, working our horses,
though not racing them against each other.  We made sure we got an
occasional trip to our favorite high meadow, too.  Once we even brought the
kids, though it was an awfully long ride for them.

   Our first competition was a week-long affair up in Washington.  We took
four horses; Sam, Shannon, Clay, and mom's hack.  She felt more comfortable
coaching from horseback than atop a show ring rail, in a strange arena.

   Audry and Shannon beat Sam and me in the arena events--but not by much.
Then came the 3-day.  We managed to win dressage, barely.  And Sam was just
too strong for Clay to match on the cross-country course.  The third day,
Clay was tired and dropped a rail on a hurdle.  Sam as always, rode clean
and we had another trophy.

   Audry was disappointed with Clay's performance.  But mom told her firmly
that the horse was young and didn't even have all his size yet.  In a
couple of years, he'd be giving Sam more than he could handle--especially
if Audry could train him to keep his head in what he was doing.

   Two more meets before Nationals.  Audry and I battled back and forth. 
Sam and I even beat Shannon on the jumps once--Sam had a superlative day.

   Nationals was held at Atlantic City.  We'd never been there and enjoyed
seeing Boardwalk and Park Place.  Marvin Gardens was a disappointment.

   The arena was nice, but the cross-country course was disappointing.  It
was flat, with some hastily-erected jumps and barricades, but generally not
very challenging.  I was concerned that it favored the mediocre horses.

   In the arena events, Audry and Shannon won both times.  They both had
the greatest competitions I'd seen from them.  I was second in the jumps
and third in dressage.  Sam did OK, but not as good as his best.

   I confess, I was thinking more about the 3-day than what we were about.
We'd have to do these same events again in a couple of days.

   At the 3-day dressage, Sam and I won, narrowly beating Audry and Clay.
The third-place horse was good, but not in our class.  His rider, in my
opinion, deserved a better mount.  He was really a talented guy.

   The cross-country speed and endurance event should have been a walk-away
for us.  It wasn't.  Sam and I had the best time, and Audry was third, but
the mediocre horse with a superior rider was second.

   Audry and I both needed to do well on the jumps.

   Mom talked sternly to us and to our horses.  She told me to keep Sam in
hand and hollered at him to pay attention to the gates, not the crowd. 
Audry was cautioned to give Clay firm guidance, but to give him his head at
the jumps.  And mom told Clay he was a wonderful, strong horse, with plenty
of energy to do the day's tasks.

   I don't know if the animals understood what she told them, but they did
all we asked of them, and went one-two.  Both horses have us fast, clean
rounds in the jumps, even though two of the gates were higher than I've
ever seen in the 3-day, where horses are usually pretty tired when they get
to the jumping.  The good rider placed third.

   Afterwards, he invited us all out for dinner and drinks on him.  Uncle
Rick was caring for the horses and would get them back on their airplane.
Grandma was watching the kids--she didn't have any gentleman friends in
Atlantic City--and told us to go, and have a good time.

   The guy's name was George Lemmer.  He was from Long Island and turned
out to be a really nice guy.  He knew several of mom's family and seemed to
have a good attitude towards the sport and the horses.  (The family had
only good things to say about him, when mom checked.)

   Over brandy, he grinned and asked if we had any horses for sale.  He
knew he needed a better horse.  He had made the Olympic team, but his horse
just wasn't good enough to compete at that level.

   Mom and dad just looked thoughtful.  Then talked about other things.

   Later, when we were getting ready to return to the hotel, dad said,
"George, why don't you come on out to the ranch in a week or so?  You can
see what we have.  Who knows?"

   No fool, he settled the details on the spot.

   The following Thursday, we saw a jeep Cherokee enter the yard.  George
got out and looked around.  Mom rode her hack over and told him to put the
jeep over by their house, then walk back to the corral.  She rode along, to
keep him company.

   In the corral, dad was working with another of Sam's offspring, a big
mare we called Ginger.  She wasn't as big as Sam, but she was very strong
and as smart as a horse gets.  She had a nice personality, too.  She tried
hard to please her rider.

   "We'll show you all the horses we have, George.  Some are spoken for,
and some won't ever be good enough for you.  For starters, why don't you
try that mare?  Her name's Ginger.  She's never competed, but I think she
shows promise."

   George replaced dad in the saddle, adjusting the stirrups a bit.  Then
he led her through some dressage.  You could see George start to smile. 
After a soft canter around the ring, he took her over the school jumps, his
smile widening into a grin.  He rode to the gate and opened it without
dismounting.  Pointing Ginger down a lane that leads to the north pasture,
he gave her a nudge and she was off.  A few minutes later, they came flying
back, literally skidding to a stop in front of us.

   Jumping from her back, George hugged the horse and patted her.  Ginger
knew she'd done good.

   "Are they all like this?" George asked.

   "Well, a few.  Ginger's one of the better ones.  You know about Clay and
Sam.  Of course, they're not available.  And a couple of the yearlings
aren't available, either.  Beyond that, look around, ride any horse you
want to try.  There are some that I don't think would work for you...  I'll
let you know if we disagree on any of them."

   Dad removed the tack and turned Ginger into the other corral, where she
promptly had a good roll, then wandered over to the manger for a snack.

   "It's supper time.  We'll all eat in the big house tonight, George.  Do
you want to change?  Or just wash up?"

   "Both, if I may?" he said.

   At dinner, he met the rest of the family.  George was an investment
banker and came from old money, though he hadn't inherited enough to be
rich, by the family's standards.  His wife had died several years before
from a very virulent form of cancer.  He'd never remarried, having never
met a woman who interested him.  There were any number of available,
presentable women in his social circles, but none he wanted to spend
significant time with.

   Horses were his passion and relaxation.  He had a real gift for getting
the most from a mount--as we'd discovered.

   For two days, George threw saddles on just about every four-legged
critter we had.  Mom knew--Ginger was his horse.  He kept coming back to
her.  The difficulty was that she was just three and had never competed. 
We didn't know how she'd do, the first couple of times.  Mom knew that,
eventually, she'd be a superior horse.

   Audry and I wanted to go for a ride.  For us, a ride was an overnight or
longer jaunt up into the hills.  Grandma was away on one of her trips, but
Elin was happy to watch the kids.  So we went.  Seeing our preparations,
George asked what was going on.  His wistful look when we told him prompted
an invitation for him to join us.

   Expressing surprise that we'd use our competition animals that way, we
assured him that the vacation was as much for them as for us.

   I gave him my old western saddle to throw on Ginger and mom fixed him up
with a bedroll and small tent.  We were off.

   The horses loved the trip, as always, and cantered halfway up the
mountains.  We brought Clay along as packhorse, but with a western saddle
on him, for his pride.  Audry would ride him back.

   By the time we returned to the ranch headquarters, George knew he'd
found his horse.  I suggested to him and mom that we set up some
loudspeakers, with crowd noise, by the training ring.  That would get
Ginger used to the noise, at least.

   Two more days for training under mom's critical eye, and the van George
hired showed up to carry Ginger to the airport.

   We shook hands with George, promising to keep in touch.  We'd see him at
the Olympics, where he'd be a competitor in the 3-day.

   ~~ * * * * ~~

   Our second Olympics were again a marvelous experience.  In spite of
assurances, there was a bit of trouble with the horses at customs.  It
turned out somebody wanted a bribe.  We let the host country Olympic
committee handle it.

   This time, our national body had made sure those in charge of
arrangements put Audry and me in a room for a married couple.  In fact, we
even had a private bath!

   Uncle Rick and dad were the official 'grooms' for the horses.  Since we
took three of them, we added Aunt Elin to the list, though she took care of
Rick a lot more than she did of the horses.  Mom was our coach and trainer,
and an official of our national governing body.  In fact, she would be a
judge, on the days Audry and I were not riding.

   Grandma stayed home with the kids.  We offered to bring them all.  She
just said, "No.  We'll do fine.  I'll spoil them rotten.  And I don't want
to go trolling for Asian men, anyway.  This is better, really." I just
kissed her in thanks.

   Again, we participated in the opening ceremonies and got a real kick out
of being part of that great assembly of athletes.  Later, in the 'village',
we mingled and met many of them, including several NBA stars, who were on
the 'dream team' or representing their native countries.

   As expected, we had to constantly try to explain what 'dressage' is, and
why the 3-day is the decathlon of equestrian events.

   The day before our events were to start, Audry woke with terrible
stomach cramps and nausea.  Throwing up half the night, she looked awful in
the morning.  Mom quickly got a doctor in to look at her.  She was
diagnosed as having food poisoning.  Apparently several athletes had come
down with it.  Medication was prescribed and rest suggested.

   The doctor smiled.  "I know you won't do that, since your events start
today.  But take it as easy as you can.  Lie down whenever possible.  Drink
lots of water...  bottled water.  If you aren't better by tomorrow evening,
be sure to see me again."

   I suggested that she scratch the arena events and just do the team
3-day. Struggling out of bed, Audry wouldn't hear of it.  "Shannon would
never forgive me.  He'll carry me.  The horse knows the routine better than
I do, anyway." Mom helped her with more makeup than usual.  Rick had
Shannon saddled and ready to go.  All Audry had to do was show up and get
on.

   That's about all she was able to do.

   She always looks elegant on a horse.  Hell, she always looks elegant. 
That day, there was just a little bit missing--but you had to know her well
to catch it.  As she'd said, Shannon saved her.  We made a fuss over him,
telling him how great he was, and he almost pranced through the dressage
routine, getting near-perfect marks.

   Audry finished the day in the lead.  I was third.

   The next day, the finals, Audry felt a bit better, although she'd thrown
up twice during the night.  She had a bit of spark and Shannon sensed it.
He outdid himself and ended up with even better marks than the day before.
Audry had another Olympic gold medal.  I had to settle for bronze, being
beaten by an Austrian rider, who was a superb horseman.  His horse just
wasn't up to Shannon's performance.

   We had a day off.  The doctor was called, since Audry really didn't feel
much better.  He said she needed to be in the hospital, with IVs in her. 
She was getting dehydrated.  Dad had a bit of trouble with that.  We were
in another country.  Audry needed to compete in another day.  Would they
let her out?  The doctor didn't know.  So we arranged to do it in our room.


   A stand was rigged and the IV bottles suspended.  Mom, Elin and I were
all instructed on how to change the bottles--they were set up so they only
needed changing every 8 hours.  The idea was to pump her full of saline and
Ringer's, to combat the dehydration and help her body regain its strength.

   She was also encouraged to eat and drink all she was willing to take in.
Dad and Rick took care of the horses and exercised them for us, so we
didn't have to be concerned about that.  I went to the stables a couple of
hours myself, and told the horses that they were wonderful boys, and we'd
have a great time in the morning.

   A weak but determined Audry dressed in her pinks in the morning.  Again,
mom helped her with her makeup, to put a little color in her face.  Leaning
on me more than a little, we made our way out to find transportation to the
stables.

   The first jumping round was in the morning.  Audry and Shannon were
their usual perfection.  Maybe with not quite as much flash as usual, but
hard to beat.  At the end of the round, she was in first place, with Sam
and me in second.  The Austrian who had beaten me in dressage was right
behind me and a German rider was close in fourth.

   For the second round, the competitors rode in the reverse order from the
first round finishes.  So I rode right before Audry, who would ride last.

   Mom made Audry lie down; that's what she was doing when I mounted Sam
for my turn at the gates.  I'd talked to him and told him we needed a
little concentration from him, since I was worried sick about Audry.  I
hadn't been getting a whole lot of sleep, either.

   Sam paid attention and gave it one of his better efforts.  We went over
clean and in excellent time, putting us in first place.

   Now it was up to Audry.

   When I rode out of the arena, to her, I didn't see her, at first.  Rick
was holding Shannon's head and mom was helping Audry walk to her horse. 
She looked so shaky, I didn't think she'd be able to get on, much less stay
there over the jumps.

   "Honey, you sure you want to do this?" I asked.  To say I was worried
would be a gross understatement.

   "Damn straight!" she said, looking me in the eye.  She stiffened and
stood on her own.

   Uncle Rick gave her a leg up and told her to show them what the family
can do--especially HIS side of the family.

   Grinning weakly at that, Audry rode to the entrance to the arena, where
she was announced.  They cantered around the ring, made their manners to
the judges, and started the course.  I almost couldn't watch.  Audry and
Shannon were so perfect, so elegant, and so quick, it was uncanny.  But I
couldn't tell what was keeping her on the horse.  She was riding on
instinct and her horse was covering for his rider.

   When they finished, they had beaten me out again, by less than a tenth
of a second!  My wife, deathly ill, had won two Olympic gold medals!

   As soon as she and Shannon were out of the arena, she started to
dismount but instead collapsed to the sawdust.  Rick and I were there
instantly.  So was the doctor who had been treating her.  She was running a
fever and he insisted that she be hospitalized.

   "Athletes are crazy anyway.  But she has two medals.  Now she needs to
take care of her own body."

   Audry didn't like the idea, wanting to go back to the IV in the room
regime.  The doctor said that wasn't enough.  He wanted to treat the
illness and needed better facilities and trained help.

   We had two days of rest before the team 3-day.  Uncle Rick would make
sure the horses were ready.  (I didn't worry about Sam, though I rode an
hour a day, just to keep us both loose.) Surely, with rest, antibiotics,
and lots of fluids, she'd be OK by then.

   After we saw her settled into the hospital and she had fallen into an
exhausted sleep, the doctor told us that she was really in danger.  The
particular 'food poisoning' they'd seen in the village was a bacterial
infection that was resistant to most antibiotics.  They were trying a
couple of new treatments, and most who had become ill had recovered on
their own in a couple of days.  But if it got into the system solidly, like
it had with Audry, it could be very difficult.

   "Are you saying that this bug could kill her?" I asked, incredulously.

   "Worst case, yes," he said.  "But no one here has died of it and there
are only two other cases as bad as Audry's.  One of them seems to be coming
around OK.  The other is in the hospital, too.  For now, Audry doesn't seem
to be in severe danger, but I want to be sure she's mending.  OK?  Her
condition really is serious."

   That was a lot more dire than the worst we'd feared.

   "But, doctor...  She has to compete in two days!"

   "Not if she wants to live, she doesn't.  She should have been here
instead of jumping...  OK.  She did that.  Now it's my turn.  She'll be
here at least a week, maybe more...  If it's any comfort, we know where the
infection came from--a bug from one of the African countries, transmitted
through raw fish.  We've cracked down on the source of the infection at the
Olympics.  And I'll stay here until she's ready to be released, or at least
well enough to go home.  OK?"

   It wasn't OK.

   But it was the best we could get.

   Later, Audry woke and saw me, holding her hand.

   "It's bad, isn't it, Rob?"

   "It's not good.  You'll be in here a while.  They think they have it
under control, but it's some bug that resists normal antibiotics, so
they're trying some new stuff on you.  And they don't know how effective it
is.  The good news is that no one in the village has died from it and most
recover on their own.  You and one other athlete have the most severe cases
and you both seem to be hanging in there."

   "You mean, I won't get sicker?  That's good, since it feels like I've
puked my insides out.  It's like the worst hangover you can imagine, with a
fever and aches in the joints."

   "Whatever it takes, let's get you well."

   "Rob?  Did I miss the 3-day?"

   "No.  But you will.  The doctor says flatly that you'll be here a week.
But you haven't missed any days."

   "With the fever, I have strange dreams.  I'm not really sure of the
time...  Rob, let George ride Clay?  Ginger isn't really ready yet.  And
Clay needs the experience, too."

   I wept.  My marvelous, brave darling--more concerned about her horse and
our friend--even while she was fighting for her life in the hospital.

   "OK, baby.  I'll do it.  You won two golds this trip.  Now win this
battle, too.  Fight this bug, baby.  I need you..."

   Her fingers gently twined in my hair.  "I won't leave you, Robbie.  I
love you so much...  Now get out of here, so I can sleep.  Go get drunk, so
you can relax."

   I grinned through watery eyes.  "I'll have a couple glasses of wine,
baby.  I don't think I'll be getting drunk, though.  See you in the
morning."

   Mom and I went to see George.  It took us a while to find him, but he
was pleased with Audry's offer.  "Rob, I really don't know what to say. 
Audry is more than generous.  That's about the nicest thing anyone's done
for me--ever!

   "But I think I'd better stay with Ginger.  Audry's right.  She's not
really ready for an Olympic 3-day.  On the other hand, she's come a long
way in the couple of months I've had her.  We're a pretty good team.  I
don't think I could mesh with Clay in just a day.  Even though he is, right
now, a better horse."

   Mom said, "We understand, George.  And Ginger's one of our horses, too.
So we'll be rooting for you to medal--right behind Rob!  You know that,
with Audry out, you can compete in the individual 3-day?"

   "Yeah.  I was going to do that.  But who will take my spot in the team
event?"

   Mom grinned.  "I will.  I was thinking I'd ride Ginger.  As it is, I'll
ride Clay...  Who knows, maybe I'm not too old to win an Olympic medal,
myself."

   Two days later, Audry was much better--though still much too weak to
even think about getting on a horse, much less competing on one.  (We still
didn't understand how she'd been able to stay on over the jumps.) The
doctor let her come to watch the dressage portion of the 3-day, provided
she'd return to her hospital bed and stay there the next day, while we ran
the cross-country.  Mom saluted the judges, then moved the horse down the
stands a bit and saluted Audry.  Then she helped Clay to the best dressage
performance he'd ever done--showing that, though she may be a grandmother,
she still had a magic rapport with horses.

   Audry was thrilled and the press and fans made a big thing of the family
and the sport.  After all, how many sports allow men and women to compete
on equal footing?  And age doesn't matter very much, either.  We suffered
through a lot of interviews and submitted to numerous photo sessions, in
the name of publicizing and popularizing the equestrian events.  Horses got
almost as much TV time as the tiny pre-teen gymnasts that year.

   The two-week Olympic schedule allowed the entire team 3-day to be run
without overlapping the individual event.  So Audry was permitted to be
back in the stands to see mom and Clay win the jumping portion of the team
event.  Clay looked very strong, as we'd hoped he would.  His performance,
with mom guiding him, helped our team take the silver medal that year.  Mom
was delighted--her only Olympic medal was a bronze, from before I was born.
She and dad celebrated all night after that one!

   The next day, Audry was released from the hospital, with the
understanding that she would report to the doctor at 9 every morning for a
short check-up--and she wouldn't get on a horse!

   So she was in the stands, to cheer George and me on.  We both saluted
her, after the judges, when we rode out for our turns at dressage.  Sam had
an incredible day--I wish he'd done that well earlier, in the individual
event.  Anyway, we won dressage and George placed a close fourth.  Ginger
still had a bit of trouble with crowd noise, it seemed.

   The speed and endurance course was pretty demanding this time.  Sam and
I like it that way and we churned out a really fast time.  Mom had done
almost as well on Clay, but no one else was close to our new course record.
George was second on that stage, but well over two minutes behind.

   Audry was again in the stands, with our parents, to watch us jump.  Sam
turned in a solid performance and we had another gold medal.  To our
surprise, George coaxed a superb round out of Ginger and took the silver.
There were some really disgusted Austrian, German and English riders, who
weren't used to Americans doing that well, other than me and Sam.

   After the medal ceremony, I put the medal around Sam's neck for the
photographers.  He'd earned it, even if he did consider it all a big game.
With Audry up and about, the photographers clamored for picture after
picture of the entire family, and the horses, posed this way and that.  I
finally called a halt.  Audry was getting tired and the last thing we
wanted was a relapse.

   Dad, Uncle Rick and Aunt Elin flew home with the horses.  Audry, mom and
I stayed for the closing ceremonies.

   Another surreal episode involved a group of gymnasts--all names and
faces well-known from the TV coverage they got--approaching us, very shyly,
in one of the village restaurants.  They wanted to say hello, and was mom
really a grandmother?  A couple of them had medals of their own.  So they
knew what mom's achievement meant.  Soon we were the center of a dozen or
so very small girls, all clamoring and chattering and asking questions
about the equestrian events.  I finally arranged with the TV people to get
us several copies of a special tape--that reported all of their coverage of
the horses, including a lot of material that was never aired.  We showed
the girls our performances and tried--with very limited success--to explain
why one performance was better than another.  It didn't matter that they
didn't understand about changing leads on turns: I don't understand much
about judging a performance on the vault, either.

   Ginger was still at the Olympic stables.  George graciously allowed us
to use him and her as 'teaching aids'--when we took a crowd of giggling
gymnasts out there.  He even took a few of the more daring in front of him
in the saddle, so they could get some feel for what jumping the hurdles was
like.  It was a most enjoyable couple of days.

   With one or two tiny gymnasts usually, we hung out in the village,
meeting other athletes and occasionally going to the stadium to watch some
of the track events.  The horses were on their way home, so we didn't have
to concern ourselves with their care and exercise.  (They'd get a couple of
months 'off', anyway, with some trail rides, but no strenuous work.)

   Many of the other athletes recognized Audry and me.  After all, between
us, we had an impressive collection of Olympic medals.  Of course, the
story of Audry's courage and determination to win the jumping competition
when she was so very ill had gone around.

   To our amusement, mom gathered a lot of attention, too.  She'd competed
and won a bronze 25 years ago, and now came back, as a last-minute
substitute, to win a silver.  A few even had some understanding of how
difficult a test the 3-day was-on rider as well as on horse.

   One of the proudest memories of the games was when the 'dream team'
came, en mass, to invite us to watch their gold medal game.  After the
game, they gave us a basketball with all their autographs and later a
poster, also autographed, arrived at the ranch.  The inscription read, "To
some REAL Olympic champions." (We sent them each posters of the family and
horses, with our autographs, too.  It resulted in some really strange, but
enduring and cherished friendships.  If mom, Audry or I visit any major
city during the winter months, our attendance at any NBA game going on is
almost mandatory.)

   Finally home on the ranch, Audry gathered me in her arms and started
nibbling on my neck.  A sure sign that she had designs on my body.

   I responded by a caress over her breasts--still without sag, after
nursing two lusty babies--and dipped lower to her gently rounded tummy.

   "Not tonight, darling.  Just get in.  Now!" as she pulled me into
position above her.

   The hot, wet, velvet tunnel surrounded me, clasping and clenching in its
always-exciting rhythm.

   "Now, darling," Audry panted, between nibbling on my neck, as I slid
easily in and out.  "Do you think we can breed a couple more champions
before the next Olympics?"

   When I just grunted, she said, "I stopped taking my pill when I was in
the hospital.  I'm probably fertile tonight."

   THAT did it.  My climax came on me so suddenly, as the thought that I
was impregnating her sunk into my consciousness, that I was taken by
surprise.  So was Audry, though she caught up and went right over the top
herself.

   Two more times that night, I pumped myself dry into my lover's greedy
womb.  She would get her wish.  We had two more children in the next two
years.



   * Heart of a Champion is the fifth of the Audry Stories.  (c) 1997,
2001, Extar International, Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Single copies for
personal, non-commercial use may be downloaded or printed.  Any other uses,
including reposting, or posting on an archive site, must have prior
permission from Extar International.  Comments always welcome. 
<extar@hotmail.com>