Sweet Home Wyoming

by Holly Hathaway

  “So Ben,” my father says. “Allie says you own one of the hotels in Yellowstone not far from here.”

  He nods and finishes chewing before he talks. "I do. I was planning to take Allie there for dinner tonight if it's okay that I steal her away."

  “So are you really here for Allie, or are you here for your business?” says Eric through a mouthful of bread and turkey. I guess he isn’t won over just yet.

  “On the contrary,” Ben protests. “I am really here for Allie. I would burn the hotel down if she asked me to.”

  “For the insurance money, I bet.”

  “Eric!”

  "It's okay, Allie. I'm not going to commit any arson,” Ben says calmly. “Eric, don’t worry. I was only making a point.”

  My parents watch with amusement from the sidelines.

  “He probably doesn’t even know how.”

  “Eric,” I say. For the first time in my adult life, I'm getting quite fed up with Eric. Can’t he see that I love Ben?

  “Does anyone want dessert?” my dad announces. “I made crème brulee.”

  “Crème brulee," my mother repeats. "Your father, the pastry chef!"

  "That sounds excellent," Ben says.

  I think he was expecting to get a hard time from my dad, but not from my seventeen-year-old brother who can barely grow chin hair. I’m impressed with how he takes it like a man instead of giving into Eric’s fighting words.

  “Eric,” my dad says as he starts dishing out crème brulee. “I raised a smart young woman who can make her own choices. I’m sure she’s capable of choosing a man who adheres to general fire safety rules. I just learned how to make this, so let me know how it tastes.”

  “Dad, this is terrible,” says Eric.

  Ben points at him with his fork. “Eric, I will never question your honesty.”

  After dessert, I corner my mom in the living room. Eric leaves the house, and Ben helps my dad with the dishes. They seem to be getting along.

  “You and Dad are being pretty chill about this whole Ben thing.”

  She rubs my shoulders. "Your father and I trust you. I admit that I do have my concerns. I don't want to see my baby's heart get broken. But I know you. You'll think carefully about any big decisions you make. You will follow your intuition."

  “Eric is never going to come around.”

  “Eric just cares about you. A little too much. If you and Ben stick together, I’m sure he’ll come around.”

  Chapter Ten

  Ben

  As soon as I finish helping Greg clean up, he thanks me and pats me on the back in a fatherly kind of way.

  “Where’s Eric?” I ask.

  “Probably shooting at squirrels behind the barn. He does that when he gets moody. Teenage hormones.”

  “Poor squirrels.”

  “Nah. He’s not a good shot.”

  I hear a gun go off in the distance.

  “I was going to go talk to him about my intentions with Allie, but I’m afraid it might be fatal.”

  “He is the only one you have left to convince.”

  “Really?”

  "Jolene told me about the ring. Allie is a smart and logical person. If she likes you, then you must be a good person. And I know she doesn't love you for your money, but it will be comforting to know that she is taken care of."

  “Thank you, I guess.”

  “We would just hate to see her leave.”

  We finish up in the kitchen, and I head outside to find Eric, terrified that I might have my head blown off. But I want to propose to Allie tonight, and I can’t do that unless everyone in her family supports it. Even her bratty little brother who hates my guts.

  “Eric?” I say, so he knows I’m there as I walk up behind him.

  He turns to me. I don't see any dead animals around, so Greg must be correct.

  “What do you want?”

  “I just wanted to talk to you.” Now I’m the one who feels like I’m in a Clint Eastwood movie. Except I’m the bad guy.

  “About directions to the airport, I hope.”

  “Eric, I know you don’t like me.”

  “What gave it away?”

  "Look, I love your sister. She loves me. I apologized for the way I treated her, and we've made up."

  "So, what now?" He gives me a sinister glare. At least if he shoots at me, I have a very high chance of surviving.

  I pull the black box out of my pocket.

  “No.”

  “Yes,” I say. I open it up. It's like Sirius in my hand. "I want to ask her to marry me."

  “She’s not going to marry you. She’s not going to leave Wyoming.”

  “It would probably be in everyone’s best interest, especially Allie’s, if you let her decide for herself. Don’t you respect your sister?”

  “Of course.” He raises the barrel of the gun just an inch, although I don’t think he realizes what he’s doing.

  “Don’t you trust her?”

  "Yes. It's you that I don't trust."

  “Give me a chance to earn it.”

  “How?”

  “A marriage proposal isn’t the only thing I want to offer Allie tonight.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. Let me tell you something…”

  Chapter Eleven

  Allie

  Ben and I spend the rest of the afternoon with my parents. I haven’t seen or heard Eric anywhere. Sometimes he can be sullen and withdrawn. I know Ben went to talk to him earlier and came back in the house with a serious look on his face, and he's been quiet all day. I hope Eric didn't say anything too offensive.

  My mom puts in some extra effort in the evening to help me get ready for my date with Ben. I don't know why, but it's comforting to have her there. I'm afraid that he's going to break up with me and crush my heart yet again. If he does, I'll be devastated, but at the same time, I might be a little relieved. I won't have to choose between him and the home state that I love so dearly.

  Just before we leave, Eric comes in the house and stomps his boots on the mat.

  "Have fun tonight, Al," he says and hugs me. He seems like he's softened a bit, even more than when Ben was covered in shit. Hopefully, he spent the day feeling guilty about all of the horrible things he said to Ben.

  “I will.”

  The ride to the hotel is relatively long, and Ben holds my hand the entire time. I can tell that he's nervous, which makes me nervous.

  “I’ve missed you,” I say to break the silence.

  He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it. “I’ve missed you, too, Allie. I hope your family comes to see just how much I care about you.”

  I know I shouldn’t be looking at my phone, but I quickly glance over my email.

  “Just one second,” I assure him. “I just want to check for one thing and then I’ll put it away.”

  “Take your time. No hurry.” But I get the feeling that he is in a hurry for something. He pulls into the hotel parking lot.

  I feel my heart rate start to quicken. I have an email from an animal rescue organization based in Wyoming. I completed a phone interview with them last week. I open the email, expecting to be disappointed but determined not to let it ruin my evening.

  Dear Allie, We are pleased to inform you that we would like to offer you the position of assistant project coordinator…

  “Oh my God!” I shriek.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “I got it! I got the job. And it’s the one that I really wanted.”

  "That's great, Allie. Truly. Congratulations." But something in his voice isn’t very excited for me, which is almost more disappointing than if I hadn’t gotten the job. He hops out of the car and then comes around to open my door for me.

  He leads me up to the hotel. It's beautiful and looks grand, the kind in which my family could never afford to stay. But he doesn't take me inside, and instead, he leads me around to the back where two saddled horses wait in a small paddock outside the stables.

 
He looks at me with a grin. “I thought we would go riding into the sunset together. Just like in the movies.” He leans down and kisses me, and then ushers me toward the horses. He grabs onto my waist and hoists me up into the saddle. Both my legs dangle over the left side of the horse. I don’t often ride side-saddle, but I know how.

  “Ben, this is amazing. Can you ride a horse?”

  "Sure, I can." He hooks one foot into the stirrup and attempts to hoist himself up. He falls back down and tries again. Then a third time. He looks up at me. "I can do this, I promise."

  “I’ll wait. But I don’t think the sunset will.”

  Finally, he gets his leg up and over the tall mare. “If I fall off and get knocked unconscious, please do everything you can to resuscitate me.”

  “You got it,” I say through a giggle and follow him down a trail leading into the trees away from the hotel.

  “We Englishmen are natural-born horsemen, see,” he says as he teeters from side to side as if he’s going to fall. “It’s in our blood. Whoa!”

  I nearly fall off my own horse with laughter.

  “I’m sure I’ve ridden one of these in a past life.” He turns around in his saddle to face me. “How do I look?”

  “Like a cowboy.”

  “Oh, rats, I was going for astronaut.”

  "Hm. Must be that famous British humor that nobody gets."

  “You pick up on it over time.”

  The sky begins to grow orange on the horizon, and we come to a clearing of rock and long grass. The mountains are behind us, and the western sky is ahead of us, where the clouds are unforgettable shades of pink and purple and orange. The sun is just about to dip below the curve of the earth.

  Ben turns to me. I know he wants it to be an intimate and romantic moment. And I am about to ruin it.

  “The job is here in Wyoming, Ben. That means I have to stay here.”

  “I understand.”

  “Ben, if it’s too hard for us living on different sides of the world, I understand if—”

  "I could never ask you to give up on your dreams," he says, cutting me off before I can continue. “Which is why I have a two-part proposal.”

  “Proposal?”

  “First things first. One thing is more important than anything. Even more important than how badly my legs are chaffing in this saddle.”

  I chuckle, but I also try to remain serious. The light of the sun is shining gold on his face, and he looks like an angel come down from heaven. Then he pulls something out of his pocket. A little black box.

  He pops it open. The ring is as big as the moon. “I would get down on one knee,” he says. “But if I did, I don’t think I’d ever get back on this horse again. Allie. Will you marry me?”

  I feel like I'm floating outside of my body. He reaches over to me and takes my hand. I can’t move or speak. This is all so sudden.

  “I feel like our hearts came together for a reason,” he says. “I want you to follow your heart. I feel like I can’t live without you, and I want you in my life. By my side. For the rest of my days.”

  “Ben…”

  I open my mouth to take a deep breath.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ben

  If she says no, it's going to crush me. But she won't. I know it. She’s reaching her hand toward me, her fingers spread apart like they’re ready to receive the rock that will weight them down for the rest of our time together.

  Her eyes dance in her head. The answer is right there, she just needs to say it out loud. The wait is torture. Every second feels like an hour. My body feels like it’s melting. If she says no, I’m going to fall off this horse…

  “Yes,” she says.

  Relief washes over my body.

  “Yes, Ben. Yes, I want to marry you.”

  I slide the ring onto her finger, beaming. I really thought there was a good chance she would say no. The sun is halfway down the horizon, shining its last few moments of golden light on us. Then we’ll have to make it back before it gets too dark.

  She can't take her eyes off the ring, and I can't take my eyes off of her.

  “Is this real?”

  “Your mother said the same thing.”

  “You showed it to my mother?”

  “And your father. And even Eric.”

  Her eyes snap back up to my face. I know how important her brother is to her.

  “What did Eric say?”

  “Well, it wasn’t the ring that convinced him to come around.”

  “What, then?”

  I take her hands in both of mine. I falter for a moment on the horse, but I keep my balance. "Allie, I love you. I love everything about you, and I want you to have everything you desire. I won't let you compromise on your dreams just to be with me. That's why I have a second proposal."

  “Oh, right. I forgot all about that. What is it?”

  I clear my throat. “You’ve inspired me to start a nonprofit international wildlife rescue mission. And I want you to run it.”

  Her eyes pop wide open. “Are you serious?”

  “If you’ll accept.”

  “It’s my ultimate dream job, Ben. I’d hardly know what I’m doing.”

  "We will make it work. And you can travel home as often as you wish." I lean my hands on her horse's backside and kiss her deeply. The sun fully sets, and the sky goes a dusty bluish gray. I can feel her shaking. "Is everything okay?"

  "This is just too perfect to be true. I keep feeling like I'm going to wake up and come back to reality."

  “Well, if it’s a dream, let’s make it last as long as possible.”

  But we both know it’s not a dream.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Allie

  Ben takes me to the presidential suite on the top floor of the hotel. Rose petals cover the floor, and there is a chilled bottle of champagne and strawberries on display. There's even a hot tub in the corner lined with candles.

  “Our first night as fiances,” I say in a sexy voice. I keep putting my hand out in front of me to look at the ring. I've never been a materialistic girl, but I can't help staring at the diamond and watching it twinkle in the light.

  “I honestly wasn't sure if you were going to say yes. I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life. And now I've never been happier."

  I sit down on a loveseat and stare up at him. “I wasn’t sure, either.” I grab onto his tie and pull him down onto me. "Now shut up and kiss me. We still have a lot of catching up to do."

  We don’t hesitate to explore each other for the second time today. I've missed his body, I've missed his strong arms holding me close. I've ached for his touch.

  His hands disappear up my dress and grab ahold of my panties. He pulls them down my legs, and then he pushes my legs apart and kisses me in the middle where they meet. My head falls back, I close my eyes, and I put my hands to his warm neck. His tongue is wet and gratuitous. The hotel room is dimly lit and sexy, and my arousal is rising by the second.

  I think to myself that the man I have between my legs is going to be my husband. Just a few months ago, before I met him, I wasn’t even thinking about boyfriends, let alone husbands. And every time I’m with him feels like the first time we were together.

  I'm lost in his kisses when he suddenly lifts me from the couch and tosses me onto the bed, running his hands up and down my thighs. He bathes me in kisses before entering me. Our first time as a betrothed couple. Even as he plunges into me, his hands gripping me and his lips on my neck, I keep sneaking glimpses at the ring on my finger. But his movements overwhelm me with pleasure, and I can no longer focus on anything else, not even the rock of the century. I close my eyes and let him overtake me and ravage me, his muscular body on top of me and his hands caressing my chest and my nipples. My legs feel numb and weak. Our bodies held together so tightly, I feel like we are one person. He is so deep inside that it feels like he belongs there.

  I hold onto his hair as I finish, moaning my orgasm into his ear. When he empt
ies himself into me, totally spent, we move to the hot tub. The bubbling water makes my body feel relaxed and sleepy. Still, Ben and I kiss the night away, and it's not long before we have a second round of intimacy. Our wet bodies gravitate into each other. I close my eyes, and I can only hear the sound of our soft moans and the jets of the tub.

  I think I must have started to drift off because I feel him carrying me in his powerful arms to the bed, where he gently tucks me in. He rests beside me, and I drift off into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ben

  Allie is so beautiful when she is sleeping. I could watch her all morning. When she wakes, I see her slowly processing the events from the day before. She's so cute and sleepy, stretching and yawning, spotting the ring on her hand and her whole face lighting up. She nestles closer into my arms and looks up at me with puppy eyes.

  “Good morning, fiance,” she says in a sleepy voice. Her eyelashes flutter.

  I put my hand on her chest and kiss her lips. “Guess what we get to do today?” I ask.

  “What’s that?”

  “Tell your family we’re getting married.”

  She giggles. “Sounds dangerous.”

  “Do you think I’ll get shot?”