Colton Farms

by M. E. Parker

  Her face turned red. “No! That’s not going to happen Jack.”

  I felt tears stinging behind my eyes. She didn’t want me. It hurt. I put my hand up to my face. My finger and thumb on pressed against either side of my nose to stop the tears. Why was I such a pussy?

  She put her hand on my arm. “Jack. I could never ask you to leave the farm—I would never—”

  I interrupted her. “Claire—that house—it was just a house until you came. Now it’s our home. The fishing cabin—it’s our cabin. The same with the farm—it’s our farm. Without you, none of it matters.”

  She let out a deep breath, “Jack. Stop. I want to be there with you more than I’ve ever wanted anything my whole life.”

  I looked up at her and wiped a tear on my shoulder. “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  I think I smiled for the first time in a week. “Can we go home now?”

  She smiled back at me with tears streaming down her face and nodded her head.

  I let go of her hand and placed it gently on her flat stomach. “I can’t believe we’re havin’ a baby.” I chuckled, “I must have some super powerful sperm.”

  She rolled her eyes and laughed. “I can’t believe it either. Are you really okay with all of this? Is it really what you want?”

  I looked her straight in the eye. “Freckles these last few days without you have been miserable. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my whole life. Yeah, I was shocked when I saw the pregnancy tests. Neither of us planned for this and I know it has all happened really fast—but I’m happy about this. I thought about it the whole way here. This feels like a gift to me—starting a family with you, it’s the best thing that has ever happened to me.” I gently rubbed her stomach. “What about you, Claire? How do you feel about it?”

  She wrapped her arms around my neck. Our foreheads touched again. “When I found out about the baby—I’m not gonna lie, I was a little freaked out. I think I still am a little. But at some point, even after I thought we couldn’t be together, it made me happy to know that I would always have a part of you. I already love this little guy.” She said putting her hand on the top of mine. She smiled at me. “I love you, Jack. I’ve wanted to tell you for so long. I was scared that you didn’t feel the same way.”

  I smiled at her. “I was scared too. I wish I’d have told you sooner. I’m so sorry that you had to doubt, for even a second, how I feel about you. I love you too Freckles. Seriously, can I take you home now? I don’t want you to change your mind.”

  She giggled, and I kissed her gently on the lips. She pulled back. “Can we leave tomorrow? I have a doctor appointment in the morning.”

  “For the baby?” I asked suddenly feeling nervous. “Is everything okay? Can I go with you?”

  She laughed. “Of course, you can. It’s fine. I just haven’t had an official test, although I called my doctor in New York and she said that if I took three at home and they were all positive, it was pretty much a certainty.”

  “You think it’s a boy?” I asked smiling at her.

  “I don’t know, why?”

  “You said ‘little guy’ earlier.”

  She grinned. “I guess so. I don’t know why. Do you have a preference?”

  I shook my head smiling at my own thoughts. “No, but somehow I picture a little Claire-clone running around the farm with blonde curls and beautiful freckles demanding to feed the chickens.”

  She pushed me back playfully. “I have never demanded to feed the chickens, Jack.”

  I laughed. “Okay Freckles. You just keep telling yourself that. I’m pretty sure Luke has been worried about his job ever since you showed up.”

  Chapter Twenty-One—Claire

  I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I walked through the office holding Jack’s hand. I should have never doubted him. I should have known that Tiffany was lying after all the stories Jack had told me about her. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I felt like I had just been handed everything I ever wanted.

  We walked into Dad’s office. Jack’s fingers were entwined with mine and we were holding onto each other for dear life. Dad was hanging up the phone when as we walked in. Before I had the chance to say anything, he looked at me. “I take it from the smiles on your faces, that you are here to tell me that you’re going back to Tennessee.”

  Jack laughed. “Can I introduce you to the next CFO of Colton Farms?”

  I watched Dad’s lips curl up in the corners. “The businessman in me wants to tell you that you’ve taken a risky move, hiring someone straight out of college with no experience, for such a prominent position with a multi-million-dollar corporation, but I have no doubts that Claire can handle it.” He sighed. “Congratulations Jack. I guess you will be reaping the return on my investment—maybe you should reimburse me for six years of college.”

  Jack chuckled, “Just send me a bill Rich, I’ll gladly reimburse you.”

  I interrupted and glared at my father, “Hello! I’m standing right here. If anyone will reimburse you, it’s me.”

  He laughed and looked at Jack. “I’m sure you would. Just make her happy son.”

  I looked at Jack and a smile spread across his face as he looked down at me. “I intend to, sir.”

  Dad looked at me, “Are you two going to run off to the airport right this minute or can you have dinner with your old man before you go?”

  I looked at Jack and he nodded. “We’re going to head out tomorrow. Let’s go to dinner.”

  Dinner with Dad was great. Jack and I decided not to tell anyone about the baby for a couple of months. We talked about our plans for the farm and Dad gave us lots of advice. Jack hung on every word. All I could think about was getting my hands on Jack. During dinner, I put my hand on his thigh and rubbed it, slowly moving upwards until his hand clenched down on mine to stop it. I couldn’t help but laugh when Dad raised an eyebrow at the two of us.

  When we got back to the house, we sat with Dad in the living room and continued our visit. Dad finally decided to call it a night, thank god, because all I wanted to do was be alone with Jack. I pulled him up the stairs with me and into my room. We realized his bag wasn’t in there, so I yelled down the stairs to Dad, “Do you know where Jack’s bag is Dad?”

  “It’s in the guest room. Where else would it be?” He grimaced.

  My cheeks turned red as I looked back at Jack. He shrugged with a smile on his face and walked across the hall to the guest room and turned on the light. I followed him and stood in the doorway as I watched him unzip his bag. “You’re not gonna really stay in here, are you Jack?”

  He smiled, “Freckles, he’s already threatened to kill me twice. I think I’m gonna stay where he tells me to.”

  I rolled my eyes, “Jack, seriously? We’re adults.”

  “Yeah Freckles, this is his house and you’re his baby girl, so he wins.” He turned around and he had a manila envelope in his hands and my red boots. He smiled at me. “I brought these for you. I planned to give them to you even if you didn’t want to come back with me.”

  He handed me the envelope and I opened it. I pulled out the contents. Horse Ownership Papers. I read through them. “You’re giving me Sunshine?” My heart leaped. I loved that horse. She and I had become one of my best friends. My eyes welled up with tears.

  He laughed. “Baby, she already belongs to you. She decided that the first day you two met. That just makes it official.”

  I reached down and pulled the red boots out of Jack’s hands. I was wearing little blue cotton pajama shorts and a tank top. I put the boots on and batted my eyelashes. “Are you sure you want to stay in here, Jack?” I asked leaning in the doorway, trying my best to look sexy, feeling a little ridiculous.

  He chuckled and walked over to me. “You’re so fucking sexy Claire.” He whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arm around my waist. With his other hand, he pulled my hair down and it fell around my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around his nec
k and we kissed like we had never kissed before. He finally pulled away. “Goodnight Freckles.” He said kissing me on the nose. “I love you.” He said looking down at me. I could see his eyes sparkle—He did love me.

  I smiled up at him and kissed him on the cheek. “I love you too. But you’re not really gonna sleep in here without me, are you?”

  He smirked at me. “Your Dad’s house. His rules. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I furrowed my brow. “Fine Jack.” I went back to my bedroom and plopped down on the bed. I needed him. I needed his arms around me. We had just been through so much, I couldn’t stand the thought of ever being away from him again. I don’t know how long I tossed and turned before I got up and walked across the hall and opened his door. “Jack—you still awake?”

  He jumped up from the bed and grabbed my hand. “Come on baby. I need you too.” He whispered as we walked back across the hall and fell onto my bed. He wrapped me up in his arms spooning me, pulling me close to his chest. “I missed you so much, Claire.”

  “I missed you too, Jack.” I whispered. “Everything’s okay now that you’re here.”

  He kissed the back of my head. “Everything’s okay now.” He reassured me, pulling me closer to him.

  We woke up to my alarm the next morning and I wanted more than anything to stay in bed with Jack’s arms wrapped around me, but he made us get up. He helped me pack while I showered and when I walked out with a towel wrapped around me, I watched him grin as he inspected each piece of lingerie. I laughed at him and smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t be a pervert, Jack.” He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me close to him.

  “It’s your fault. I can’t help but imagine you wearing every single one of these. I can’t wait to get you home, baby.”

  I smiled at him. “I can’t wait to be home.” Home. I loved the sound of that. I had only lived at the farm for a couple of months. But somehow, it was home to me. After I was all packed, Jack went and showered, and I finished getting ready. I put on a floral sundress that I had bought at Smithfield’s and my red boots. I curled my hair and left it down hanging over my shoulders and then applied some light make up. I looked normal for Nashville, I thought to myself, but I would stick out like a sore thumb in Boston. I didn’t care though, I just wanted to feel like me again.

  Jack walked back in my bedroom freshly showered, wearing his faded jeans that hugged his ass perfectly, his work boots, and an ivory-colored linen dress shirt untucked. His emerald eyes sparkled, and his wide smile revealed his panty-melting dimples when he looked at me. “You look beautiful Freckles.”

  I felt my cheeks turn red and I wondered if he was always going to make me blush. “I just wanna get this over with and get on the plane. I miss the farm.”

  His kissed me on the cheek, “I’m pretty sure the farm misses you too. Let’s get going.”

  The doctor confirmed that I was, in fact, pregnant and the baby was about the size of a peanut. Jack watched the ultrasound with amazement. He took a selfie of us and then took a picture of the screen. He even made a video, so we could replay the sound of the peanut’s heartbeat. I laughed at him, but the love I felt for him at that moment was overwhelming. Our eyes were both watery. “What?” Jack smiled at me. “It’s her first picture—we’re documenting this whole thing.”

  I shook my head, “You mean his first picture.”

  The doctor laughed and said— “There’s no way to know for a few months, so I’m not taking sides.” According to her, everything looked just as it should. I agreed. I had a perfect little peanut inside me. Jack asked a million questions about my diet, whether I could ride a horse, work in the garden, or do yoga, along with a bunch of other questions that I would never think to ask. When he asked about sex and the doctor said, “anything goes,” Jack smiled brightly and winked at me. I’m pretty sure my entire body turned red with embarrassment. I left with some prenatal vitamins and instructions to find a doctor close to home.

  It seemed like for the entire plane ride home, Jack was incessantly texting. I asked him several times if everything was okay at the farm and he kept assuring me that ‘everything was perfect.’ By the time we touched down, I was starving. The sun was starting to set, and I was never more ready to get back to the farm. When Jack passed the drive to the main house, I looked over at him. “You do realize we just missed the turn and I’m starving.”

  He smiled over at me. “Ten more minutes and I promise to feed you.”

  As soon as he pulled on to the gravel road to the fishing cabin, I was relaxing. I just wanted to be home with him. When he pulled up to the cabin, he said, “Don’t you dare get out, I’m coming around to get you.” He ran around the truck and opened my door, holding my hand as I stepped out. He reached down and picked me up.

  I looped my arms around his neck and giggled. “Jack what are you doing? I’m pretty sure I can walk by myself.”

  “I didn’t want you to step in a mud puddle Freckles.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Jack, I’m not an egg—I won’t break.”

  He chuckled at me as he unlocked the door. “You’re kind of like an egg Freckles, you have a little chick inside of you.”

  I playfully pushed him aside as I stepped inside the door. It smelled so good and the entire place was lit up with candles—they were everywhere illuminating the entire cabin, which was covered with white roses, I had no idea how many were there. Hundreds—at least. “Jack what in the world’s going on? And what’s that incredible smell?”

  “I told you, I wanted tonight to be perfect, and that incredible smell is dinner.” He said as he reached up and took off my jacket, tossing it on the couch.

  There was an expensive bottle of wine waiting for us. Jack poured it down the drain in the kitchen sink. I looked at him like he was crazy. “If you can’t drink, Freckles—I can’t drink.” He smiled as he poured us each a glass of water.

  Before I knew it, we were sitting at the little kitchen table for two with a tall candle between us, eating the best meal of my life. Sarah had made us beef tenderloin with some kind of white butter sauce, some kind of incredible creamy potatoes, and steamed asparagus, along with homemade bread.

  “Are you going to tell me what this is all about Jack?”

  He shrugged. “I told you, I wanted tonight to be special.” Jack reached for his MP3 player and pressed some buttons and music started to flow through the speaker in the den. It was ‘Fade Into You,’ the song we danced to on the porch that night. The same night that Jack said he realized he loved me.

  He stood up and held out his hand, “Dance with me Freckles.” I took his hand and he led me across the cabin to the wall of windows. He switched on the floodlights that illuminated the lake and then pulled me close to him and we swayed softly to the music. The sun had completely set and the only lights in the room come from the lit candles placed all around the cabin. My heart pounded in my chest as I gazed into his eyes. I felt the love, just like I always had, but know there were no more doubts, no worries that my mind was playing tricks on me. “I love you.” He whispered. “I should have told you the first time we danced to this song.”

  I smiled at him, “You remember.”

  “I remember every single moment we have shared together, Freckles. You are the most important thing that has ever happened to me.” He leaned down and his mouth met mine, consuming me, taking everything, including my heart. I felt a sharp emptiness when he pulled away—I needed him closer to me. I was getting ready to protest until I watched him drop down to one knee. The song had stopped, and the cabin was completely void of sound and I felt as if I could hear my own heart beating in my chest. His voice was scratchy when he started speaking. “Claire, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. You have become my life. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, Claire?”

  Tears fell down my cheeks. I was so surprised. I wanted to be his wife. I wan
ted it more than anything and I had been daydreaming about it every second since he asked me to come back to the farm with him. But I never dreamed it would happen this quickly. “Jack are you serious?” I whispered.

  He pulled a little black box out of his pocket and opened it. I looked down at the sparkling round diamond surrounded by tiny stones. It was beautiful, I couldn’t have picked out a ring for that was more suited for me. “It’s beautiful.”

  He smiled, “Claire, please tell me that’s a yes. I’m dying here.”

  I quickly put my hand on my stomach. I stammered, “Is this because of the baby Jack, because you don’t have to…we can wait—I mean…”

  Jack interrupted me shaking his head. “No. Claire, I ordered this ring for you a few weeks before I went to Nashville. I went there to pick it up. That’s why I told you not to come with me. I was going to ask you the day I got home. Then and now, the thought of spending even one day without you is unbearable. Will you?” His eyes looked down pleading with mine.

  I nodded my head as tears flowed freely down my cheeks and my hands began to shake. I covered my mouth with one hand and the other I extended to Jack as slid the ring on my finger. It fit like it was made especially for my finger. He jumped up and pulled me close to him and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Say something Freckles.” He smiled at me with his sparkling eyes.

  “I love you, Jack. I can’t believe this. You’ve given me everything.” I whispered.

  “No baby, you’ve given me everything.”

  I looked up into his eyes and then kissed him with everything I had. The kiss grew more passionate each second as we explored with our tongues and our bodies pressed against each other. I needed to be closer to him. He lightly sucked and nipped on my lower lip and he kissed my chin and licked my neck. I pressed my hips against him and ran my fingers through his hair. He was breathing heavily when he whispered between kisses, “Should we call people and let them know we’re engaged?”