The Private Life of a Country Vet

It's been a while since I posted but as with my other stories, this isn't a quick fix.

Cat x

*

Sian screwed her eyes tightly shut against the invading light as she tugged the duvet over her head. She knew it must still be early so why was it so bloody bright in the room?

Slowly a smile spread across her delicate features as she remembered where she was and she sat upright, tossed the duvet from her body and strode from the bed to the as yet curtain-less window with purpose.

Throwing the window open she took a huge lungful of air and expelled it noisily into the early morning sunshine, her gaze sweeping across the fields that comprised her view.

Still grinning she slipped on a light robe and walked carefully down the bare wooden stairs and into the kitchen to make tea, the cold seeping into her feet as she stood on the old, worn flagstones waiting for the kettle to boil.

Again her eyes were drawn to the window, the view not dissimilar to that from the bedroom, other than being broken by an old dry-stone wall that marked the border of the garden to the old farmhouse, built from the same local stone. She turned to the sink to rinse the 1 solitary mug that had so far been unpacked and from this angle could just catch a glimpse of what looked like a large 4 wheel drive car parked out on the track.

She continued to watch for a little while but the car didn't move and no one came to the door, so she slipped on an old pair or trainers and unlocked the back door, curious to know who could be calling at this hour.

As she rounded the corner of the cottage she was amazed to see a brand new, red, shiny Land Rover Discovery sitting there, a bright red ribbon tied to the windscreen wipers, so she ran over to take a closer look. She found the driver's door unlocked with an envelope on the seat, which she tore open to find the keys and a letter inside.

My Dearest Sian,

I know you'll make the best vet this community has ever had, even better than us eventually, but your old Fiat will never cope with the country roads in winter!

This is a gift to our favourite niece - a welcome and a thank you for giving up your hectic life in the city and taking over the practice for us.

The car documents are all in the glove box.

Your loving uncles,

Toby and Giles

xxx

She spun around through 360 degrees, hoping they were still here somewhere but the place was deserted; they must have dropped the car off when she was asleep last night.

As Sian sat at the old careworn oak table in the kitchen drinking her tea she thought back over her life and the events that had brought her to this remote farming community in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

She hadn't been a particularly academic child, preferring the sports field over a classroom but it wasn't due to lack of learning ability, more lack of direction and interest. During the school holidays at the age of 14 she confessed to her mother that she thought she maybe lesbian, quaking in her boots as she awaited the negative reaction she felt sure was coming, her eyes screwed tightly shut in fear.

When no eruption happened, she opened her eyes to find her mother standing there looking at her with tears slowly trickling down her face and she was quickly pulled into a tight embrace that she feared might suffocate her.

'Mum? Are you ok? I thought you'd be mad at me.' Her mother pulled back and looked her only child in the eyes, smiling broadly to allay any fears before she started to speak.

"Sian, why would I be mad? I'm not overly surprised you might be gay, you've always been such a tomboy after all and you've never shown the slightest interest in boyfriends, but I am surprised you've realised it yourself so early and I'm so proud of your bravery for coming and telling me; it must have been hard for you!"

Sian was stunned and all she could do was grin sheepishly in response. There were so many questions she wanted to ask her mother and now, having taken the first step, she knew she'd have the chance.

"How would you like to take a trip with me to see your uncle Toby? We could stay for a few days and explore Yorkshire; what do you say?"

Sian was somewhat surprised by the sudden change in subject but as she was still on a high from the relief of her mother's reaction to her news, she said the only thing that came to mind "ok".

Two days later they took a long train ride from London, the city grime and overcrowding soon slipping away into views of fields and villages in between the larger towns, to Darlington where they disembarked to find her mother's brother, Toby, striding down the platform to meet them, hugging them both in turn as soon as he reached them.

"Helen, Sian, how lovely to see you both!"

Sian had always loved her uncle Toby and was always upset when he didn't attend family functions but her mother always said that he hadn't been able to leave his veterinary practice for some reason or another, so she hugged him back tightly, much looking forward to the time she was going to get to spend with him.

The drive to his cottage in a small sleepy village in the heart of the Dales was a blur of trees and fields filled with livestock or glowing corn and wheat, their golden ears swaying in a gentle summer breeze. Sian had never really spent much time outside of London and when she did it tended to be when visiting relatives in other large towns or cities and she instantly felt at home and at peace in the rolling hills of the Yorkshire countryside.

It turned out that Helen had had an ulterior motive for bringing her daughter on this trip. Toby was gay and had been ostracised by several members of their family, including their other sibling Patricia; this was the reason for his absence at family functions. He had also encountered prejudice within the rural area in which he practiced as a country vet, although he had overcome much of this by proving that he was a consummate professional -- earning the local's trust and respect for his skills, with their friendship eventually following.

Sian's mother wasn't trying to stop her daughter being gay but she did want her to be aware of the bias and bigotry she might encounter when other people found out. Her own husband, Sian's father, wouldn't have taken kindly to the situation if he was still alive and he had only tolerated Toby under sufferance and for Helen's sake.

During their stay Toby did what he could to gently make the young girl aware of the trials she might face whilst also making her feel comfortable about her new found sexuality but it was all done very sensitively; so much so in fact that Sian hadn't even realised that this was the reason for their trip at the time -- only some years later did it dawn on her that her mother and Toby were preparing her for the future.

Their trip did have one unexpected outcome though; Sian had the opportunity to accompany Toby both in his surgery and on his trips around the farms as he tended to routine farm requirements and the occasional emergency and she finally found some focus. From that day forward she had absolutely no doubt as to what her career was going to be -- she would be a vet and a damn good one!

From then on she visited Toby every chance she got; every holiday from school or college and often on weekends throughout the year. The two became very close and Sian was over the moon when Toby and his boyfriend Giles asked her to be maid of honour at their civil partnership.

She had fallen in love for the first time whilst in her last year of veterinary training and her relationship with Laura had lasted until 2 months ago but it became obvious that they wanted very different things from their lives. Sian yearned to be what she called a 'proper' vet in the countryside. She had no aversion to small animals but she longed to be dealing with larger animals and livestock and the work she did with a couple of inner city farms wasn't enough to satisfy that craving; they were more like large petting zoos than real working farms.

Laura however was perfectly happy in the city treating cats, dogs and whatever pets were brought into her surgery. She had no longing for wide open spaces and considered farmyards to be dirty places that were to be avoided at all costs.

When Toby called Sian to say he was taking early retirement and offering to sell his practice onto her at very fair and reasonable terms, neither Sian nor Laura were particularly surprised when she accepted. There had been a few tears but it was obvious to them both that their relationship had run its course.

Still in her reverie she stood and placed her mug in the sink and turned to find a woman standing in the kitchen near the door.

"Shit!" exclaimed Sian, grabbing the flimsy robe and pulling it tightly around her, suddenly feeling very exposed and silly in her robe and trainers.

"I'm really sorry, I did call out but there was no answer and the door was open; we don't tend to stand on ceremony around here so if you don't want visitors you'd best lock your door." Laughed the intruder, her smiles and warm manner instantly calming Sian's hammering heart.

"No I'm sorry, I was day dreaming. What can I do for you? I'm afraid I won't really be ready to start work for a couple of weeks but Toby and Giles are still working until then if you need a vet today?"

As the tall, dark haired woman walked toward Sian she looked at her properly for the first time. She seemed about the same age as Sian, had warm brown eyes in a face that suited a smile and when she did it lit up not only her own face but the whole room. She was slim and wiry but the obvious muscles that rippled under her skin tight and tatty old jeans spoke volumes about the strength they possessed. Her breasts were smallish but well proportioned, riding high and proud on the svelte frame.

"I'm Jocelyn Harper but everyone calls me Joss; I own and farm the lands this cottage is sat on so I will require your services at some point but I'm also your landlady and I just wanted to make sure you'd settled in ok? I live in the farmhouse over there."

"Oh hi! Do you want some tea?" On receiving a nod and a smile Sian put the kettle on and ran upstairs to get dressed while it boiled.

Having managed to locate another mug, they sat and chatted for about 45 minutes before Joss excused herself to go back to her farm and as she stood to leave she smiled at Sian again.

"I remember you, you know. You used to come and visit Toby all the time when you were younger, I remember you coming to the farm with him or Giles when they came to vaccinate the cows."

Sian racked her brain but couldn't remember her at all.

"I'm sorry" she shrugged "but it was a long time ago and I met so many people back then."

"It's fine. I remember you because of the intensity with which you watched everything Toby did, as if you were scared that if you took your eyes off him for a second you'd miss a valuable lesson. You come highly recommended and I'm sure you're going to do well here but you may well encounter some obstinacy from the old fashioned, local old boys, just like Toby did."

"How the hell did you know I was gay?" gasped Sian, surprised that this information was already common knowledge and then frowning as she saw the smirk on Joss' face.

"I didn't Sian, I was talking about you being a woman and not being local, working with the farming community, which is still something of a male preserve but don't worry, I've lived here all my life and grew up farming so I know how to handle those old goats; if they give you any trouble just come to me."

Sian watched her walk from the kitchen and casually vault the gate as if it was nothing and an involuntary thought about those muscled legs and how they would feel as they gripped her hips popped into her mind, only to be quashed as she admonished herself to behave. She did think it was interesting though that Joss had given absolutely no reaction other than a smirk when she'd mentioned being gay.

Later that day, having taken Toby and Giles out for lunch as a thank you for their amazing gift, she was sat on the living room floor surrounded by boxes of books and CD's trying to assemble a flat-pack bookcase. The instructions looked so simple and yet nothing seemed to fit quite right; to the point where she was about to throw it all back in the box and return it to the shop as faulty.

"Hello?" Came an already familiar voice from the kitchen.

"I'm in the living room." she called back, staring at the chaos around her and sighing loudly

"I know you're in there somewhere because I can hear your voice but you must be buried under the boxes!" Joss laughed heartily "what on earth are you doing?"

"I was trying to build a bloody book case but it's either faulty or I'm hopeless because it's not going well." Sian finally turned to see Joss standing there holding a large casserole dish with one arm and a bottle of red wine in the other hand.

"I didn't think you'd have time to cook anything so I brought you some supper. It's cooked so just pop it into the oven on medium for about 30 minutes and it'll be ready -- shall I leave it on the kitchen table for you?"

Sian jumped up and followed Joss into the kitchen, lifting the lid on the dish to find a divine smelling beef and vegetable casserole inside.

"Damn that smells good, your other half must love you!" she quipped

"Actually I'm extremely single and it was nice to have someone else to cook for, I don't often bother much just for me."

"But there's enough here to feed an army! Please stay and eat with me I'd hate to see any of this go to waste and it would take me a week to eat it all."

Joss thought about it for a moment before answering. She found the new vet very attractive and since finding out that she was also gay, the temptation to make a pass was almost overwhelming but she didn't want to make a fool of herself because Sian was sure to be in a relationship. Eventually she scolded herself; surely she could keep a lid on it for a couple of hours!

"That would be lovely." she finally said "have you unpacked a corkscrew and glasses yet for the wine or shall I go and fetch some?"

Sian had seen the hesitation and couldn't help wondering why but she wasn't about to ask, so she rummaged through a box for wine glasses instead.

While Sian pottered around in the kitchen working out how to use the oven, opening the wine and trying to find some plates and cutlery, Joss wandered into the living room and when Sian walked in 15 minutes later she was amazed to find her standing next to a fully assembled bookcase.

"How the hell did you do that?" she exclaimed "I was about ready to take it back to the shop."

Joss laughed and handed the obligatory allen key over to Sian, their hands touching briefly as she did, causing them both to jump a little bit.

"You had the base upside down so nothing else was going to fit." and with that they both burst into fits of giggles at Sian's hopeless efforts at furniture construction.

They moved boxes so that the sofa was clear and ate steaming bowls of nourishing and hearty casserole, washing it down with the red wine and once the bottle was gone, Sian dug through a couple of boxes until she came up with another one.

"I shouldn't drink any more, I have to walk into the village early in the morning to pick my car up; the damn thing keeps breaking down and I've just had it repaired again."

"Well how about I give you a lift in the morning, then you can have another glass?"

And so the second bottle was consumed as the two women sat comfortably on the sofa getting to know each other better and quickly finding out that they had much in common, despite their very different upbringings. It seemed they were both pretty easy going and shared a very similar sense of humour and as Joss regaled Sian with stories of growing up in a farming community, of the shenanigans she got up to as a kid, of the crafty tricks she'd used to get the 'old-boys' on side when she took over the farm from her parents, both women found themselves rolling around howling with laughter.

Eventually Joss stood on slightly unsteady legs to leave and when she turned at the back door to say goodbye there was an awkward pause as both women just looked at the other, seemingly lost for words, the silence eventually broken by Sian.

"You look at little tipsy, will you be ok to walk home alone?"

"Are you being gallant and offering to escort me?" laughed Joss "I'm not used to drinking much as it's no fun on your own; I'll be fine really, I'll see you in the morning."

Initially Sian was taken aback at the comment but Joss' laughter was infectious

"Thanks for tonight Joss. For the food, the wine and mostly for the company, I've had a lovely evening."

"Me too." and with a nod of her head Joss disappeared into the darkness in the direction of the gate.

Sian woke in the pale morning light gasping for breath, sweat cooling on the skin that was exposed to the chilly air coming from the open bedroom window. For seconds she lay static and unmoving, still able to feel the warmth of a dream body curled around hers, pressing against her sensitive skin. She shivered at the recollection of soft kisses at the base of her neck and shoulders and could still perceive the arm that in her dream had curled over her hip and around her tummy, the hand delving between her legs and applying insistent pressure onto her clit and delivering the sweet release that had woken her so violently as she cried out the name of the person who had been her dream lover.

Eventually she rolled onto her back and took a deep, shaky breath as images whirled through her mind, memories of her dream refusing to dissipate despite her waking state. The feel of soft skin beneath her fingers as she trailed them over another's form, the taste and feel of a woman's nipples as she sucked and nibbled them while her fingers played in the honey sweetness that would soon replace the nipples as her tongue's focus of attention, the taste and aroma of aroused woman causing her to moan as she gripped the dream hips that were writhing beneath her.

With startling clarity she could envisage that sculpted face in front of her, feeling her pussy twitch as the memory of her dream lover returned in force, causing her to groan involuntarily as her own hand slipped back beneath the covers and into the waiting warmth, her thighs slick from the intensity of the orgasm her dream had brought her, slightly embarrassed by the force of her sleeping tryst but not embarrassed enough to still her the hand that was now busy, bringing her once more to a fiery release with the help of the visions in her mind.

What on earth would she think if she realised how Sian felt about her? She was going to have to get a grip and fast, as there was no way they could spend time together without her noticing unless Sian could control the feelings and emotions that the images of her invoked.

At 8am Sian pulled up outside the stone farm house that was built from the same rugged stone as her cottage, and climbed down out of the Land Rover. She was just on her way to the front door when Joss emerged around the corner from the back of the cottage.

"That's the first thing you need to learn around here Sian, hardly anyone uses their front door for some reason. You could stand there knocking for ages with no answer -- generally best to just head round to the kitchen and knock or let yourself in if the door is open."

"I can see that this is going to take some getting used to. I'm accustomed to London, where if you wandered in through someone else's back door you'd either be clocked over the head or have the police called on you!"

Once again the two women found conversation easy as they climbed into the car and headed to the garage in town. As Joss spoke to the mechanic Sian was wandering around the forecourt aimlessly, looking at the cars that were for sale when she heard heated voices, so she walked back to the garage office in time to Joss come storming out.