Fire On The Farm (Second Chance Cowboy Romance)

by Betty Shreffler

  Johann had been right about one thing, her son was an incredible man. That was one thing we could agree on, if we never agreed on anything again. Without realizing it, Brock had become the driving force of our relationship, moving us forward when I was too scared to. He always made me feel safe and wanted, and when he wasn't around, I felt a little empty without him.

  When he came to ensure I was okay and was determined to put our relationship before the wedding celebration, it hit me how foolish I was being. It didn't matter my feelings were moving slower than his because they were still growing day by day, and one thing was clear—I didn't want to lose him.

  We sat back at our table and nibbled the different flavored cakes from each other's plates. He put a dab of icing on my cheek and laughed before licking it off. The sensation sent goose bumps over my skin. He winked and rubbed along my inner thigh, tempting me with his sensual caress.

  The DJ started the music and called for the first dance of the bride and groom. My body warmed with reverence as I watched Bethany lay her head on Luke's shoulder and slow dance with him. I wanted to slap myself for how I'd responded to Brock's comment earlier. Of course he hoped our future would look like this. He'd never been married or known unconditional love like I had. He wanted love like that with me, and instead of appreciating his heartfelt confession, I'd smiled and given a kiss to avoid the anxious feeling it brought up.

  The first chance I got, I wanted to make it right. I wanted to tell him the truth, that I'd fallen in love with him and that my fear of being vulnerable had distracted me from how much he means to me. I leaned into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around me. I could feel his love washing over me.

  I reluctantly sat forward when the DJ called for him to dance with Bethany while Luke danced with his mother. My eyes were glued to Brock and Bethany laughing and chatting. Every once in a while, one of them would glance my way, which left me wondering how much they were talking about me. As entranced as I was, I didn't notice a man slip into Brock's chair.

  He grazed my arm with his hand. I peeled my eyes away from Brock and Bethany to find a tall man my age with ginger-red hair and dark blue eyes staring back at me.

  "I'm Tye. Brock's cousin. You wanna dance?"

  I looked over at Brock to see if he'd noticed that Tye was talking with me. Of course, he did, and he gave a nod of approval our direction. With the song coming to an end and the next one starting, I got up and joined Tye on the dance floor. He kept his hands securely in the safe zones.

  "Sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier. When you came out, my mother kept your attention until the wedding started."

  "It's all right. Your mother was good company. She's really nice."

  "Thanks. You and Brock been together long?"

  I almost laughed at the question. "No, actually we haven't."

  "Oh." Clearly my response surprised him. "I would've guessed you've been together a while."

  It was nice to hear we gave off that impression.

  "It definitely feels like we've been together longer than we have."

  Tye flicked Brock's hat with his finger. "You know what it means when a man puts his hat on a woman?"

  I tilted my head, curious. "Humor me."

  His eyes crinkled at the corners. "He's letting everyone know you're his."

  Tye dipped me, surprising me. I giggled as he lifted me back up. He held Brock's hat in his hand and an impish grin on his face. Brock stepped up behind Tye and swiped his hat from Tye's hand and placed it back on his head.

  "You plannin' on doin' something with that?" Brock met Tye's stare with his own playful, yet challenging expression.

  Tye laughed. "Better keep close to this one. She's a looker." Tye turned his head and winked at me. "Thanks for the dance."

  Brock tapped Tye's shoulder as he left, then scooped me up in his arms to dance with him through the next song.

  "Don't take anything Tye does too serious. He's a big flirt."

  I smiled, humored by the interaction between them. "I like your family. They've made me feel welcome."

  Brock held me tighter. "Good, I want you to feel comfortable around them. I apologize for whatever my mother said to you. It obviously upset you."

  "Don't worry about it. You were right. She does mean well. She loves you and wants to see you happy and so do I."

  Brock kissed my temple and brought his lips to my ear. "I didn't mean to startle you with what I said earlier. I'm sure coming to a wedding brings up a lot of past emotions. I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to rush things between us."

  I rubbed my hand along the back of his neck and raised my chin to kiss him. "You don't need to apologize. It's me who should be apologizing. This has been great coming here with you. I appreciate that you wanted me to get to know your family. I appreciate you, Brock, and I haven't done a good enough job of expressing that. And I more than appreciate you." I paused to take a breath and let the hammering in my chest settle. "I'm falling in love with you."

  Brock tilted his head back to meet my eyes. For several moments, his gaze moved over my face. Different emotions transitioned over his. His eyes filled with appreciation and elation. He held me tightly around my waist and lifted me off my feet and spun me. My feet hit floor as his lips covered mine.

  When the song was ending, he clutched my hand in his and rushed me off the dance floor. He walked us out of the tent, away from the party and nosy eyes, and stopped us short before the edge of the lake. The pink and orange glow of the setting sun lit up the sky behind us.

  Brock held my face gently in his hands. "Amy, you don't know how good it feels to hear you say that." His beautiful hazel-green eyes gazed down at mine. "Because I've fallen completely in love with you."

  Those simple words lit up everything inside of me. I moved into his open arms, and he held me close, putting his head against mine.

  "This has happened fast, but I…I don't want it to end. You make everything better," I told him.

  He kissed my forehead then lifted my chin with his hand. His eyes were glazed and filled with adoration. "I know what you mean. Before you, life was dull for me. You make everything brighter, better. I know sometimes it's hard for you to let the good in without being reminded of the pain from your past, but it means the world to me, that of all the men you could've had, you let me in."

  He kissed me with unbridled passion. His hand pulled my ass against him, and I moaned when he pressed against me.

  We each took a heavy breath when our lips parted. He stroked his hand across my cheek and brushed a loose curl away from my face.

  "If you let me, I'll never stop loving you, I'll always be there for you. I'll always take care of you. We have something incredible, Amy. I want to keep it going. I want you to be mine."

  There weren't words I could create to express my emotions in that moment. I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly against me. I didn't want to let go, not for a second. I pressed my lips against his and loved him with my mouth. His hand lowered down my back and over my butt. He squeezed me firmly in his hand and removed what little space there was between us. A low grumble escaped his lips when I grazed his hardening erection.

  "I want you now," I whispered. "I want you inside of me."

  Hunger filled his eyes, and his expression grew serious. "You're going to get what you want."

  He took my hand in his and walked me around the outside of the tent toward his house, avoiding contact with anyone who might interrupt his mission. We walked into his house, and he looked around, making sure no one witnessed us sneaking into his bedroom. He closed the door behind us and locked it. His lips drove needy, eager breaths from my mouth as his hands slipped beneath the skirt of my dress and yanked my panties off my hips. I kicked them away and wrestled with his belt and freed him from his jeans. His kiss came rough and eager. He pressed me against the door. I wrapped my legs around his hips and he thrust himself between my thighs.

  From the moment I saw her in
this dress, I wanted this. I wanted to feel the soft fabric bunch between my fist and flow over us as I sunk myself deep inside her. Then, to have her tell me she was falling in love with me and wanted me now, there was nothing that could've stopped me from having her. I held her steady, one hand on her thigh, one on her back as I plunged into ecstasy. The sound of us coming together and the velvety feel of her swelling around me, tightening with each thrust, had my body and mind damn near about to explode with pleasure.

  Holding her ass up with one hand, I cupped her mouth with the other as she let out an uncontrollable satisfied moan. "Shhh, baby, we don't want anyone to hear us."

  Oh, hell, who was I kidding? I removed my hand from her soft lips. "Fuck it, moan all you want."

  I tilted my head back, gripped her hips and slid her back and forth over me. A low groan escaped my lips as the last of my pleasure left me. I leaned the weight of my body against her, and she held tightly to my neck and shoulders.

  "That was incredible," she whispered.

  I lifted my head and looked into her beautiful baby-blues. The exact eyes I would be blissfully happy to look at the rest of my life. I ran my thumb across her bottom lip, then stroked her smooth cheek while still keeping us together as one.

  "We're not done." I winked and carried her to my bed.

  Apparently, telling Brock what he meant to me gave him added stamina. When we returned to the reception, I was worried people might have noticed we'd been gone a while, but that wasn't the case. Luke, his best man, and his three groomsman were performing a choreographed dance for Bethany and all the guests. Everyone was too distracted, hooting and hollering, and recording the entertaining dance with their cell phones to notice our absence.

  Brock pulled me into the crowd, and we joined in the cacophony of hoots and wails as if we'd been there all along. The choreographed dance was spectacular. I would've loved to see Brock up there too. He would've fit right in with the five cowboys clicking their boots and tipping their hats. The men's feet swept across the floor and their hips swung to the beat of the music, drawing all the ladies' eyes and the envy of the men with them. Except the man standing next to me, he was grinning from ear to ear watching me have a good time.

  Between Brock’s and my confession, our secret rendezvous, and the excitement of the dance, my body was humming with pleasure. The hypnotic atmosphere continued even after the choreographed dance. The DJ kept the upbeat music playing and almost everyone hit the dance floor. Brock and I showed off our moves to the line dance, then the ladies on the dance floor took over with the Cupid Shuffle. The men lined the outside and watched us ladies shake our hips.

  More liquor passed hands and more music boomed from the speakers. Bethany, her bridesmaids, and I stole the dance floor, laughing and gyrating to one song after another. Brock joined me, catching me in his embrace, and spinning me the length of his arm. My skirt lifted from the momentum and Brock's eyes lowered to my bare thighs before pulling me back to him.

  He leaned his head down for me to hear his private share. "You're the most beautiful woman here tonight."

  I blinked and nodded to his sister. "She's the most beautiful one here tonight."

  He shook his head. "You shine like the sun."

  My eyes were glued to his salacious gaze. "It's because of you."

  He grinned and lifted me, holding me tightly as he spun me around. He took my hand in his. "Walk with me."

  I started to follow, but Bethany caught my arm.

  "Amy, can I steal you away for a moment?" She glanced at Brock for approval.

  The corner of his mouth raised and he nodded.

  Bethany slipped her arm into mine and guided me to the vacant gazebo.

  "Luke and I will be leaving soon, so I wanted to steal you away for a few minutes."

  She glanced behind us to make sure no one was going to interrupt and relaxed her hip against the wooden railing.

  "I want to warn you. I know my mother will take any chance she gets to run you off, don't let her. I've never seen my brother so happy. I know it's because of you. He's completely smitten with you. I hope that when Luke and I get back from our honeymoon and get settled that we can all get together. I'd love to get to know you better and I want you to know you're welcome in our family."

  I lowered my head for a moment to collect my emotions. Her words meant a lot to me. I raised my chin and looked back at her similar hazel-green eyes and sun-kissed freckled cheeks.

  "Your mother did corner me, but I don't blame her. I understand why she's protective of Brock. Today, meeting your family, coming to this wedding, made me realize how much Brock means to me. I've fallen for your brother. I'm just as smitten as he is. He makes me feel incredible. It's so soon, but I feel like I already love him."

  Her eyes glossed over, and her smile nearly reached each ear. She glanced behind me and that ample smile spread. I looked over my shoulder, and Brock stood on the steps, frozen in place. Bethany brushed my arm with her hand.

  "I'll see you when we get back from Hawaii. I'm really glad you came today."

  She slipped past Brock as he continued up the remaining steps. His eyes spoke volumes: eager, possessive, aroused, elated. He pushed me against the railing and claimed my mouth. His warm hands and whiskey-flavored lips said what his words didn't. My body tingled with sparks of electricity. His possessive body held me steady, pinning me to the railing. I could feel his heat against my abdomen. His kiss was consuming, passionate. The world slipped away and all I could feel was his need to have me close, to have my body responding to him.

  Heated lips parted from mine and that loss of warmth left my head spinning. My body begged me to reconnect, so I did. I pulled him down to me and slipped my tongue between his lips and showed him how much my body needed his touch.

  He leaned his head against mine, both of us breathing heavy. "Amy, you don't know what you do to me. You're too much." His hand gripped my hip while the other rubbed along the nape of my neck. "I've wanted a woman like you for so long, but you're better than I could've imagined, than I could've dreamed of." His promise was whispered. "I'm never letting you go."

  All the emotions from the wedding carried me for days. I was sickeningly gleeful as Rick described it. But I was thankful to be walking around on cloud nine. It made it easier for me when Maisie, Dixon, and Ranger all returned to their owners throughout the week. New arrivals filled their void and kept the ranch busy.

  I'd even begun training Honey on a lead rope and getting her used to the feel of a blanket on her back. Her lack of fear and naïve curiosity helped the process along. Brock and I made sure to see each other every chance we got, and most nights, he stayed over at my place. Today was Saturday and he'd planned a barbecue at his house to accommodate Bethany's request. She and Luke had returned from Hawaii on Thursday and Brock said she'd nearly begged him to plan something for all of us to get together.

  I joined Jared in the barn to check on him before heading out.

  He glanced over at me as he stretched the feed bucket into the air. "You look good."

  I glanced down at my semi-worn jeans with a couple light rips in them, my cowgirl boots, and my green tank top with black beads across it.

  "Eh." I tilted my head. "It'll do."

  Jared laughed. "You look good even when you don't try to, Ames."

  My stomach instantly knotted. I hadn't thought about Darrell all week and suddenly felt guilty as though I needed a reminder. Jared had called me that nickname a time or two before, but it hit home today after not having thought about Darrell in a while.

  He set the empty feed bucket down. "What's wrong? You look startled."

  My jittery hands filled my pockets. "Darrell used to call me that."

  "I'm sorry." Jared flipped the bucket over and sat on it. "How you doing with the new guy? He treating you right?"

  The corner of my mouth raised. Jared was several years younger than me, but at times, he acted like an older brother.

  "He treats me too g
ood." I leaned against one of the empty stalls. "I haven't thought about Darrell in a while because of Brock. When you called me that, it brought back a few memories."

  "Do you miss him still?"

  "I do. I used to miss him every day, and then once I met Brock, he lessened the pain and loneliness I used to feel, but I'll never stop missing Darrell entirely. I don't think you ever do when you lose someone the way I lost him."

  "I've noticed a difference in you since you've started dating Brock. Your step is a lot lighter than it used to be."

  I smiled. I knew what he meant. "What about you? Any ladies in your life?"

  He rubbed the stubble on his chin and tilted his head in thought. "There's a girl that has potential."

  I chuckled. "Potential? That doesn't sound exciting at all. You should be much more enthusiastic when talking about a woman."

  Jared's blue eyes sparked with humor. "She's more than potential, but I'm not sure I'm good enough for her."

  "Good enough? Jared, don't sell yourself short. You're a really good lookin' guy, you have a degree and a good job. Heck, if I was your age, I'd be interested."

  His hand rubbed the back of his neck. He stood and paced a bit then joined me at the stall. He leaned his arm against it and met my gaze. "I always thought she was out of my league. She's older than me, has a good job, and she's kind of tied up with someone right now."

  My eyes widened and my stomach did a loop-the-loop. "Jared, you aren't talking about—"

  "No! Ames, I'm not talking about you." His cheeks flushed. "Although, you are gorgeous and if you'd ever asked, I would've taken you to dinner in a heartbeat, but no, I'm talking about an instructor who works at the university I went to."

  My rollercoaster stomach came down from one loop and rode another. "How much older is she and is she married?"