by Jill Sanders
Grant laughed. “I'll bet.” He pulled her down and kissed her again. When they were both breathless again, he said, “Tell me you don't have to leave right away.”
“Hmm, no.” She shook her head and leaned back down for another kiss.
When she drove away two hours later, he stood out on the front porch and watched her car disappear. It started to rain and he felt the cold breeze hit him, cooling his skin but not what was inside. He was burning so hot for Alex that he was worried he was exposing himself too much to the pain that was bound to happen. After all, none of his other relationships had lasted long. But as he leaned back against the railing of his porch, he thought about all the ways this time was different. This was Alexis West, the first girl he'd ever kissed, the first and only girl he'd ever fallen for completely. He'd been infatuated with her since that day at the Grocery Stop when he'd caught her stealing. He smiled and turned to go back into his house, thinking of the differences between what they'd done back then and what they'd been doing for the last three hours.
It was just past midnight when the vehicle drove slowly by Grant's place. Seeing Alex's car, the driver gripped the steering wheel harder.
How dare that bitch do something like this? How dare she behave in such a humiliating way? She'd acted out at the diner, acting like a tramp, and Grant was part of it as well. Well, they needed to learn a lesson, and soon.
The car sped away, and thoughts of how to get back at the pair flashed behind the driver’s angry eyes. Maybe there would be a perfect opportunity to show them how they were screwing everything up.
It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out for ways to punish them for what they had done.
Chapter Seven
The next day was a bitch. The evening rain had cooled the morning off enough that there was a thick fog bank that had hindered his work in clearing a chunk of land. He planned to build a corral for his horses and goats, but first the trees and shrubs had to be cleared. Working in fog that was too thick to even see the end of your ax wasn't his idea of fun.
He had a small fire going, burning the shrubs and thistle. The thistle bushes had cut through his jeans several times, and he felt the blood drip down his thighs. By noon the fog had finally cleared off, and the heat was so overpowering, he stripped off his shirt as he worked. He ended up getting more scratches from the thorn bushes along the fence that lined his property, but by afternoon, he had cleared the entire area and was ready to start building the corral.
He walked back to his house, showered, and got ready for his dinner at Alex's place. His mind was so consumed with being with her that when he walked out to his truck, he didn't notice the flat tires until he was a foot away. Walking around his truck, he kicked each tire, noticing the large puncture marks in the sides of each of them.
“Damn it.” He felt a headache coming on as he walked back into the house to call the sheriff. Then he called Alex to tell her he'd be late, but she told him she'd come right over instead. By the time the sheriff drove up, Alex's car was right behind his.
Everyone stood around his truck looking at the pierced tires and only one name came up.
“You know, Grant, there's nothing I can do, unless you have video of Travis doing this himself. Besides, his dad would have him out quicker than you could blink.” The older man shook his head. “If you want, I'll drive you into town so you can get these fixed.”
Grant looked at Alex, who nodded her head. “I'll help him with that. We have an old truck he can use until he gets new tires.” Her arms were crossed over her blouse. She was wearing a flowered top with faded jeans and boots and looked beautiful. She looked like she'd spent the day in the fields, but even in the dusty clothes, she looked better somehow than she had in the dress she'd worn the night before. Maybe it was because she looked like she belonged in these clothes, like she was born to herd cattle all day.
He wrapped an arm around her as they watched the sheriff leave a few minutes later.
“I'm sorry about all this.” She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “I don't understand why Travis is being a pain about all this. After all, he's the one who cheated.” She frowned and pulled away a little, but he tightened his arms around her and pulled her closer.
“He's just acting up. He's always been that way.” He shook his head and remembered plenty of times when Travis' temper had gotten the better of him. “He'll forget about it soon enough.”
She sighed and he felt her relax a little. “Still, I'll help you pay…”
“Don't you dare.” He pulled back. “You have no responsibility for his stupidity. Besides,” he smiled, “insurance will pay for the tires. The loaner would help since it might be a few days before the truck will be fixed.”
She smiled. “Sure thing. Let's get back. I'm dying for a shower and some food.”
On the short drive back to Saddleback Ranch, they talked about their days. His day sounded like a walk in the park compared to hers. Herding cattle had always been a terrible job in his mind, but she talked about it as if she'd enjoyed every minute.
“I've always loved bringing the cattle in, helping separate them.” She smiled over at him after parking her car next to the row of trucks by the barn. “You can borrow ol' Betty there.” She nodded towards an old blue truck that had been sitting there for as long as he could remember.
He laughed. “Does ol' Betty still run?”
She laughed with him. “She does, but you have to treat her real gentle.” Alex purred and moved across the seat, almost getting into his lap. “Something tells me that won't be a problem for you.” She ran her hands into his hair and pulled him down for a kiss that had his boots steaming. Then she was in his lap, straddling his hips, and he wished they were at his place again, instead of parked in front of her very full house.
“Alex?” He tried to pull away, but she was having none of it, her mouth fused to his.
“I couldn't stop thinking about you, about this, all day.” She ran kisses along his jaw as his eyes closed. He thought about enjoying the feel of her for just another moment when they heard a cough outside the window. Both of them jumped to see Haley smiling at them.
“Well, well. Look at what we have here.” Haley's arms were crossed over her chest as she stood outside the car, smiling.
Grant groaned and tried to move Alex off his lap, but then he realized that what she'd done to him was now in full view of Alex and her sister. His face turned a deep shade of red as the two of them laughed. Alex climbed out of her side of the car and walked with her sister towards the house, calling over her shoulder for Grant to go on to the back deck where Chase and Lauren were while she showered.
He took a few moments to calm down before stepping to the side of the house. When he did, he caught Lauren and Chase in a heated kiss and almost laughed as the two of them jumped apart. “I'm sorry,” he apologized.
Chase just chuckled. “Don't worry, we're used to it. Living with Haley, there's a serious lack of privacy around here.” Chase wrapped his arm around Lauren's shoulder.
“Alex mentioned something about your tires being slashed?” Lauren asked when Chase walked over to flip the burgers on the grill.
“Yeah.” Grant sat down and told them what had happened. Lauren poured him a glass of ice tea as they talked. Alex walked out the back door half an hour later, freshly dressed in shorts, a halter top, and boots, one of her signature summer outfits that he'd always found very appealing.
By the time Haley walked out a few minutes later, the burgers were done. Grant had always had family dinners at his house; his parents had started the nightly ritual when he and his sister were living at home. But Alex's family had a level comfort with each other that he had never felt. Even Chase was now included in it. There were a couple dogs running around the yard, and after everyone was done eating, he and Chase walked off to toss a stick to them. The smaller dog, Buddy, had only three legs, but kept up with the Australian shepherd well enough.
“You know, if you had one of t
hese, you might not have so many problems around your place,” Chase said, tossing the stick again.
“One of what?” Grant looked up from scratching Buddy's ears.
“A dog.” Chase laughed. “The McKay's have a two-year-old chocolate lab that had puppies last week. They are starting to look for homes for when the puppies are old enough.” Chase smiled.
Grant thought about it for a second. “I don't know. I'm a little close to the road. It might be an issue.”
Chase smiled and tossed the stick again. “You can train them. Actually, get Haley to work with it for a weekend and you'd be set.” He nodded towards Haley, who was currently lying on a bench, napping. “She did wonders for Buddy.”
“I suppose I can swing by the McKay's and take a look at them.” Grant gave some serious thought to it the rest of the time they hung out with the dogs. It seemed he had one of every other kind of animal. Why not a dog at this point?
Just then Alex started walking towards them, and he forgot everything except her as he watched her hips sway. By the time she stopped in front of him, his mouth had gone completely dry.
“Well, I'll just go help my wife…” Chase excused himself quickly.
“Want to go for a walk?” Alex took his hand in hers and tugged him towards the side of the house. They walked, holding hands in silence across the fields until they reached an old oak that had a large swing on a low branch. Alex sat down and Grant pushed her, watching her hair blow in the breeze.
“I've never given serious thought to leaving this place,” she said out of the blue.
“Why would you? It's perfect.” He smiled, looking across the field as the fading sun rested on the white house, causing it to almost glow in the dying light.
“It is, isn't it?” She sighed. He stopped pushing her and walked around, holding the ropes in his hand until the swing stopped.
“Are you thinking of leaving?” he asked as he looked down at her.
She shook her head. “I was for a while, then…” She looked up at him and shook her head again. “No, I'm staying.” She smiled.
“I've been to a lot of places the last few years. Traveling is exciting, but knowing you can come back here…” He turned and nodded towards the house. A distant laugh could be heard from the back of the house. The sound of the dogs barking with joy and the cattle lowing in the distant fields made the place seem like home. He shook his head. “It's the reason I came back.” He turned back towards her.
She stood and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I'm so glad you did.” Then she kissed him. He walked her backwards a few steps until her back was up against the tree trunk as he took the kiss deeper, his hands roaming over her smooth skin until he felt he couldn't control himself any longer. But her hands were wrapped around him, holding him tight to her. He desperately wished they were anywhere but standing in an open field. Then her hands went to his jeans, and his mind went blank as she started rubbing him through his jeans.
“I want you. I haven't stopped thinking about you since last night,” he said against her skin. “God help me, if you don't stop”—he took hold of her hands to still them and end the torture—“I'll end up taking you right here in the open field, not caring who sees or hears us.” He took a couple deep breaths to steady himself.
“I don't care.” She smiled up at him, then pulled him a few feet behind the tree and lay down in the tall grass. “Make love to me here, Grant. Under this tree, as the stars come out.” He followed her to the ground; he couldn't have stopped himself if he wanted. Her arms and legs wrapped around him as he came next to her. She was pulling his clothes off quickly, and his own hands shook as he tried to gently remove hers. She was moving too fast, he couldn't control his need much longer if she kept this pace up. Then she was pushing him over, straddling his hips, moving against him, trailing kisses down his chest until she reached the hem of his jeans. Then she was pulling them over his hips. When she took him into her mouth, his shoulders bounded off the ground, and he bit his lip on a groan. His hands went to her hair as she used her mouth to please him.
When he reversed their positions, he looked down at her. She had a wicked smile on her face. “You think this is funny?” His voice was hoarse.
She nodded and wiggled underneath him. In one quick motion, he yanked her shorts down and had a finger in her heat, causing her to gasp and moan. Tossing her head back, she bit her bottom lip and dug her fingers into the grass, holding herself still. When he dipped his head and tasted her soft skin, she squealed and grabbed his head, holding him to her core. His fingers moved slowly in and out of her as he used his tongue on the tight little nub he found. When he felt her convulse and tasted her sweetness on his tongue, he eased up and slid slowly into her.
She wrapped her arms and legs around him, holding on as they rocked together as the sun set behind them, casting shadows over them.
When the stars were out, they lay tangled together and watched the dark skies, talking about their hopes and dreams. He'd never felt more connected to anyone in his entire life.
They finally dressed again and made their way back towards the barn. Alex kissed him goodnight and gave him the truck keys. As he drove home in ol' Betty, he thought of a plan to get Alex to stay with him at his place. At least until he could convince her to marry him.
It was so funny to watch Grant drive up to his house in the old blue truck. Then realization dawned. It was the West's old truck.
Shooting out his tires had given a little pleasure, but not enough. Maybe there was something else that could be done to discourage them from being so humiliating. After all, the whole town knew that they were seeing each other now. Maybe the game needed to be stepped up some more? Maybe it was time to face one of them and show them how their actions were ruining everything?
Maybe attacking Grant in his wallet would be the best method? So many possibilities…Which one to choose?
The next day Alex woke late. She didn't normally mind, but today she was due at Mama's for the early shift. Jamella wasn't a tyrant boss, but she did always make whoever was late take the trash out at the end of their shift. Alex hated hauling the trash out, so she was almost never late.
When she arrived, she got the stink eye from Jamella, but quickly picked up her tables and got to work. She didn't really know what had driven her to get the job in the first place other than needed a little extra gas money. Maybe it had been seeing Lauren struggling to pay the electric bill that year. Whatever it was, she'd quickly gotten addicted to working there. The work wasn't backbreaking, but it was still work. She had learned to deal with the drudgery; what she was addicted to was seeing and interacting with the people. Some people in town she loved to catch up with, others not so much. It was around noon when Savannah and her crowd of lemmings walked in. They were greeted by several older ladies who ran charity events around town. The local paper was always filled with the details and pictures of anything the ladies did. Sometimes it felt like every time they sneezed, it was included. But when Haley's cow had won the county fair last year, there wasn't a word printed in the local papers about it. Lauren had been so upset about it, she'd taken a full-page ad out herself just to show the town how great her sister was.
Alex pasted on her best smile and walked over to take orders. Savannah had made sure to sit on the very inside of the booth, far away from any falling food this time. When Alex walked into the back to place the orders, she realized that Savannah had actually done her a favor. If she was still with Travis, she wouldn't feel so free, and she wouldn’t be with Grant. And if there was one thing she now knew, it was that she wanted to be with Grant as long as she could.
Being with him was the most fun she'd had in years. Not only was the physical relationship a million times better that it had been with Travis, Grant actually listened to her when she talked. He treated her like she was someone to be cherished, like she was smart. She still couldn't get over how much they already knew about one another. It helped that he'd always been around
the ranch when they were younger. She'd just always overlooked him, and he'd always treated her like a sister. Or so she'd thought.
When she carried out the group’s order, everyone all of a sudden got very quiet. She knew they'd been talking about her; it was written all over their guilty faces. She pasted on a smile and delivered their food, wishing they would hurry up and choke it down and leave. But instead the older women left, leaving the three younger ones and Savannah behind.
When she approached them with their ticket, Savannah sneered at her. “I don't think so, Alexis. It cost me four hundred dollars to have my dress cleaned up from the last time I was in here.” She looked down at her nails and smiled. “You'll just have to dock it from your pay.”
Alex set the bill down, then crossed her arms over her chest. “Savannah, I suspect you can read.”
Savannah's eyes got real big. “Of course I can. What kind of statement is that?”
Alex nodded towards the sign over the door. “You know Ma's rules. ‘Either you pay, or you clean. One way or another, the bill is gonna be paid.’” Alex walked away with a smile.
She'd just walked into the back when she heard the commotion out front. Looking through the window, she saw Jamella grab Savannah's arm and stop her from walking out.
“Now girl, I know'd you are smarter than dat. I heard Alex warn you. You either pay dat bill, or I'll call your folks. Better yet, da police.” Savannah's friends all left when Jamella grabbed her.
“Jamella, you know full well that Alexis ruined my new dress last time I was in here. She's your employee and therefore responsible to pay that bill.”
“Dat between you and her. In Mama's, if you eat da food, you pay for it. Now, are you gonna pay or shall I…” Jamella reached for the phone.
