by Jean Carroll
“Where’s his apartment?”
“It’s over the barn where your horses are.” Jill said.
“Over top the barn? He lives in the barn?” Meg asked, in shock.
“Yes.” Jill laughed. “He likes to be near the horses. He designed it himself. You’ll love it. As you go in the barn, on the left is a keypad to the elevator. Just hit the ‘Up’ button and it will open.”
“Wait a minute. He has an elevator that goes to his apartment?”
“Yes, Meg. Go on, he’ll probably be glad to see you. Just knock on the door when the elevator gets to the top.” Jill said, still smiling.
“Okay, thanks.”
Oh, boy. Is this guy quirky or what? Who the hell lives in a barn? Hmm, I bet he’s hungry.
She decided to drive to Middleburg and buy a bunch of burgers and fries at the local McDonalds. When she got back to the farm, she took the elevator and knocked on his door with a sweaty hand and knot in her belly.
Am I stupid for doing this? I’m an idiot for getting involved in this at all. He got away with that fight because he’s the manager’s brother-in-law but what was the argument about last night? Oh God ...
Blackie yanked the door open with a vengeance, ready to jump on whoever was there. His face softened when he saw her. He smiled but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. All he had on was a pair of old sweat pants.
Mmm, he looks good enough to eat.
She was startled to see he had a green, somewhat square tattoo that looked sort of like a maze on his left pec.
Okay, so what’s that about? I’m not about to ask, either.
“Hi,” he murmured.
“Hi. What’d you have for breakfast?”
“Uh … coffee and a Poptart.”
“You must be hungry,” Meg said and handed him the bag of food.
“Wow, junk food!” he said happily. “Come in.”
He put the food on the coffee table and padded into the kitchen. “Want a soda?”
“Yes, that sounds great,” she replied and sat down on the couch.
She took in the apartment and was impressed. It filled up the whole top of that huge barn, beautifully decorated and masculine. The foyer opened onto a spacious living room, dining room, kitchen combination. The appliances were all stainless steel and the latest technology. Oak cabinets hung over a black and tan granite counter with a rustic farm table centered in the kitchen.
A burgundy couch dominated the living room accented with huge, tan over-stuffed chairs with burgundy and black pillows. There was even a fireplace under a wall-size flat screen. Light streamed in through the three skylights. Beyond that, Meg could see a gigantic bed, some kind of workout bench, dressers and an alcove that had to go back to a bathroom.
The temperature was perfect and she couldn’t hear or smell the barn. The whole place was spotless and neat except for stacks of books everywhere.
This is amazing. How could he afford to do this? Maybe his parents paid for it. Who is he?
He brought both of them a Coke and sat down on the couch next to her. He dug into the bag of food happily. “This is great, I’m starved. You brought a lot of food! Half of this is for you isn’t it?”
“Just one of each for me, the rest is yours.”
“Yum, I haven’t had any of this stuff for years.” He took a big bite out of a burger and groaned. “God, that’s good.” He had a ballgame on and they ate and watched TV. He ate all of his and then inspected the fries left on her plate.
“Are you going to eat those?”
She handed them to him and he smiled. He finished the fries and leaned back in the couch next to her and sighed, decidedly content.
“Man that was good. Thank you.” He looked at her and smiled. “Are you after taking care of me?”
“I guess a little, do you mind?”
“No, I like it.”
“Why didn’t you go up and have breakfast and lunch with the others?”
“I’m sulking,” he said, “I know that sounds childish, but that’s what I do when they bug me.”
“I didn’t mean to intrude, I’m sorry,” she said.
“No, that’s okay.” He snuggled closer to her and settled into watch the game. She got a huge rush being next to his body and suddenly felt uneasy.
Maybe it’s not such a good idea to be alone with him right now. He’s way too tempting.
“Hey, why don’t you get your butt dressed and let’s go for a ride.”
EIGHT
She continued to watch TV while Blackie walked in to take a shower.
“Want to wash my back?” he said from the bathroom.
“Cute!” She said.
“My front?” He asked, laughing.
“In your dreams, hurry up.”
She noticed when he walked away from her that he had another strange, ornate tattoo down the center of his back. At the top of it was what looked like a large “less than” symbol.
Holy crap! That’s an unusual tat. It’s beautiful. I’m definitely not asking about that one.
Twenty minutes later, he returned, showered, shaved and looked terrific. His mood had brightened considerably. He had on a black t-shirt, riding boots and her favorite low, tight-ass jeans.
“Hey, you look like you’ve cheered up.” She said enjoying the view of him walk toward her.
“Why not? I’m going for a ride with a beautiful woman.”
As they left his apartment, she commented, “I’ve never known anyone who lived in a barn before.”
“It’s a little different.” He laughed. “When I was a kid, I was always sneaking out of the house at night to be near the horses. Most of the time, they’d find me asleep in one of the stalls. I had this built when we moved here for privacy and to be near the horses.”
“It’s fantastic! Did you build it yourself?”
“I designed it and helped to build it. The parts I could do anyway. The rest, I hired contractors to do. I love it. It suits my purpose and is very comfortable. I can get away from the rest of them when I want to.”
“And you have your own private elevator.”
“Uh … it used to just have that ladder and then when I was hurt, we put the elevator in.” He said and blushed.
“It’s nice the owners let you do all this.”
“Yes, well, they’re very nice people.”
They took the elevator down, got the horses ready, and led them out of the barn. She was getting ready to mount Cloudy when Blackie walked up behind her, leaned into her and whispered with his mouth against her ear,
“Would you like a leg up?”
Her heart flipped and she knew she was blushing from the huge rush she got. Meg wanted to just turn around in his arms and kiss him but she stuck her leg out and he flipped her into the saddle
“Let’s take a different trail today.”
“Okay, lead the way.”
He took off at a trot and she followed. They rode along the edge of a field next to the woods. Meg loved watching him ride he was so good.
Turning into the woods, Blackie slowed to a walk. The peace of the woods surrounded them like a bower; the breeze gently waving the branches; the birds singing their love songs.
He reined Sandman back to ride next to her. Quiet for a few minutes, he stopped, Meg halted Cloudy and Blackie stared at her. He moved Sandman over close, leaned in and kissed her gently on the mouth.
His lips were soft as he brushed them like a whisper over hers. The jolt and rush she got wasn’t exactly soft. She instantly wanted more but he had already kicked Sandy into a dead run.
* * *
Christ, what am I doing?
He jerked the horse away and put him into a gallop to cover up his surprise and embarrassment. Embarrassed! He’d never felt that way before, kissing a woman, even when he was a kid. The instant arousal caught him off guard, another reason to get out of there before she noticed. He knew her mouth would be that sweet. As he galloped off, he licked his lips to savor the taste of h
er.
* * *
She was startled. He’d caught her off guard. It took her a beat to react and then she took off after him.
Oh my God. He just kissed me.
She’d been wondering what it would be like to kiss him, but hadn’t expected it to be that gentle or potent. The kiss had plucked her like a harp string all the way to her toes.
* * *
They galloped through the woods and it was glorious. It made her feel wild, free and happy.
They burst out of the woods, Sandman bucked as usual, jumped sideways and tripped. He went down hard and rolled onto his side. It flashed in her mind that Blackie was under him, but he’d jumped off and landed on his feet. Sandman stood up, wild-eyed and ready to run. Blackie whistled softly and grabbed the reins. He rubbed the horse’s head briefly and ran his hand down Sandy’s legs, then walked over to Meg. Blackie was limping slightly.
Oh crap, she thought, he’s hurt.
“He’s okay. I don’t feel any problems and he’s not limping. I think he’s just scared.” “He’s not limping, but you are,” she said. “Are you okay?”
“I think so, yes. I hit the ground a little hard. Don’t worry, let’s get back. I’m just going to move him at a slow trot. You watch and tell me if you see any stiffness.”
He moved off, Sandman seemed fine from her point of view, and Blackie was looking down at the gelding’s legs. A few minutes and he seemed satisfied, moving into a canter. They went along the edge of another field, crossed a dirt road and back to the barns. They dismounted and led the horses inside. Blackie was limping worse.
“Come on, you really did something,” she fussed.
“It’s okay. I’ll sit in the Jacuzzi tonight and it’ll be good.”
Meg stood in front of him, put her hand on his chest and made him stop.
“I feel awful! I’d hate it if something happened to you riding my dumb horse. I’d hate it if you got hurt at all.” She was almost in tears.
He put his arm around her, kissed her temple very gently and whispered, “I’m okay.”
He turned and said, “Hey, tomorrow’s the horse show! I’ll have everything ready when you get here. I’m excited. This is going to be fun.”
NINE
The next morning, when Meg got there, Sandman grazed, un-groomed, in the paddock. The van was loaded with tack, Cloudy groomed and braided. She searched around for Blackie and found him sitting on a hay bale, his head leaning on the barn wall, his eyes closed. She touched his arm lightly and he opened his eyes.
“It’s bad isn’t it?” She asked.
“It’s not great. I just took a pain pill. Can we just take Cloudy; I’m not up to taking both of them?”
“If you’re hurting, we don’t have to go at all.”
“No, I want to go. This pill should kick in soon and I’ll feel better.”
“Do you think we should go and get you x-rayed? I’m worried.”
“No, I just jammed it when I jumped off. I’ll get Tim to work on it and then do the Jacuzzi again tonight. Let’s get going. Cloudy’s ready to go and so is your equipment.”
“Listen, I think we shouldn’t go. You should rest,” she said.
“No, you listen,” he said in a nasty tone, “we’re going to the damn show and that’s the end of the discussion. I told you I’d be fine, now get in the van.”
“You can’t order me around, damnit. You’re stubborn as hell. I’m not going anywhere,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking her chin out.
“Oh, yeah!” he grabbed her arm, marched her out with one hand, grabbed Cloudy’s lead rope with the other, opened the door and shoved Meg in the van. He slammed the door, loaded Cloudy, got in and pulled away. They rode in silence until they got to the show. He parked the van, cut the engine and turned to her.
“Look, Meg, I’m sorry, I just didn’t feel up to arguing with you.”
“So, let me get this straight, if you don’t feel like discussing something, then you just get your way.”
He stared at her for a long minute then got out of the van and unloaded Cloudy. Meg saddled her and trotted over to sign up for classes without further comment.
During the show, she watched him when he wasn’t looking. He went over to the concession booth and got a couple hot dogs and a beer. He sat in the stands and watched her classes. She was excited that she won four of the six classes she’d entered. She wanted to share her pleasure in winning with him, but she figured he was still mad.
She’d seen him during her last class, but when she got back to the van, he wasn’t around. She loaded Cloudy and the tack and walked around a bit more, searching for him. Meg decided maybe he hitched a ride home with someone else. She opened the van to get her cell phone and he was lying on the seat and looked pale. He tried to get up when she opened the door and winced. Meg felt awful for getting mad at him.
“Hey, you did great, I’m proud of you,” he smiled at her wanly. “Maybe you should drive. This medicine makes me groggy and the beer didn’t help.”
He slid over to the passenger side, obviously still hurting.
He looked at her and said, “Meg, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have talked to you like that.”
She slid over close to him. “I’m sorry too and I’m doubly sorry you’re hurt.” She leaned over and kissed him quickly on the cheek. He pulled her close and hugged her.
“Please forgive me,” he whispered.
“Nothing to forgive, you didn’t do anything wrong. I guess we just had our first fight.” She said trying to lighten the mood.
“Does this mean I get make-up sex?” he asked with a tired little grin.
“Very cute!” She said and turned the engine over.
He slept all the way home and Meg put Cloudy in her stall and left the equipment for later.
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to crash and call Tim in the morning to see what he can do.”
“Will you be okay by yourself?”
“I will, yes. You should go home; it’s been a long day.”
He limped into the elevator and she drove home. She figured she’d call him in the morning.
Meg didn’t quite know how to deal with this. They weren’t dating and she didn’t know that much about him. He learned to ride in some other life and because of an injury was now working as a stable hand and fighting with his employers who let him get away with everything except riding. She couldn’t stop thinking about him and didn’t even know his real name. Everyone indulges him like a child.
What’s that about?
* * *
Meg called Blackie’s cell in the morning and he answered right away.
“Yes,” he said.
“Hi, it’s me. How are you? What’s going on?” she asked.
“Hi, I’m doing okay. Tim’s here and he’s been working on me for a while. He thinks I just pulled a muscle. I think he’s using the horse liniment on me but it feels better. Then I get to sit in the Jacuzzi and you’ll be able to stick a fork in me because I’ll be done. What are you doing?”
“I wanted to see how you were and you sound like you’re in good hands. I’m going to come out to the farm to ride, so do you want me to stop in to see you?” She asked, hopefully.
“I do, yes. I miss you. I have to take it easy so we’ll watch TV and have dinner.”
“Great! I’ll see you later.”
TEN
Meg went to his apartment and knocked. He opened the door barefoot and in jeans and a T-shirt. She thought he looked irresistible as usual.
“Hi”, he said and flashed her that incredible smile, “I’m glad to see you. I missed you. Come on in.”
“Yeah, I’ve missed you too. How’s your hip?” She asked. As she walked past him, he ran his hand down her back and left it there to guide her into the room. His hand was making her skin tingle and it felt good to be near him. She realized just how much she did miss him and it shocked her a little.
“It�
��s doing great. Tim worked his magic on me. You want to watch TV awhile? I’d rather go riding but Tim said to cool it for a few days, so I’d better listen. If Keary sees me limping around, it’s just going to prove his point about me riding.” He walked in behind her and started toward the kitchen.
“Do you want a soda? I ordered pizza.”
“Perfect.” She said and sat down, “TV’s good, I’m tired myself.” He came over with the drinks and sat down next to her, close to her, his body touching hers, their legs touching. It made her crazy! She could hardly focus on what he was saying.
“I’m starving and I love junk food,” he said as he tucked into the pizza. She loved watching him eat, he enjoyed it so much.
“You really love to eat, that’s healthy.”
“I know. I’m always hungry. I’m actually just getting my appetite back. I didn’t feel like eating for a long time after the accident. I lost about ten pounds. I weigh about one-seventy now, thanks to Tim. At one hundred thirty pounds, I was sick and looked it. Doing the workout program, that Tim set up has done wonders. My muscle tone and volume have really increased.”
I can tell and a big ‘Thank You’, Tim.
“Why didn’t you want to eat?”
He hesitated for a few minutes before he answered.
“I went in and out of depression after the accident and a lot of it was from recuperating from so many surgeries. The morphine made me sick and I’m still addicted to it.”
He looked at her and didn’t say anything as if he was considering what to say next.
“Does it scare you that I get depressed?”
“I don’t think so, but I’d hate that you felt bad. That would make me sad.”
He seemed relieved then said, “It’s actually been awhile since I had an episode. They’re getting farther apart so I don’t think about it too much anymore. I just wanted you to know.”
“Thank you for telling me. By the way, what’s that tattoo on your back mean?”
