Ever, Sarah

by Hansen, C. E.

  Brad dialed a few numbers on his phone and the gate slowly opened. He pushed the gas pedal and the car slowly entered the property.

  It was amazing.

  A stunning property with tall thick oak trees on both sides, every thirty feet up the length of the drive. We pulled to the side and stopped the car halfway between the white clapboard house with the dark red painted shutters and the same colored dark red barn. There was white wooden fencing as far as the eye could see. The first part had three separate sections, where various jumping stations were set up, and then the fence just took off towards the rear of the house into the fields that disappeared behind the mountain. To the left there was a large field of freshly mowed grass, and further back was another field of tall grass, each had rolls and rolls of hay circles. We got out and Brad took my hand as we walked towards the barn.

  The smells assailed my nostrils and I closed my eyes, seeing a little girl with long reddish brown hair running and laughing. I didn’t see her face, but I didn’t have to see it to know that girl was me; my braids flopping as I ran.

  We stepped through the twenty-five foot tall doors and walked into the cleanest barn I could have ever imagined. It was spotless. There were eight stalls. Each having a name hanging above the gate. Ichabod, Nat, Dusty, Lance and Jezebel, the other three stalls were empty. I walked up to Jezebel’s stall and noticed it too was empty.

  “You looking for Jez Miss?”

  We both turned to see a man, in worn jeans and tall rubber boots wearing a barn jacket and a cap that read Sugarlump Farms.

  “Miss Sarah?” the man stopped in his tracks and just stared like he’d seen a ghost.

  “Yes.” I answered.

  “It’s me, Miss. Jim. Your momma told Maddie and me you were in an accident. Said you were gonna be MIA for a while.”

  I stared at him, looking deeply into his faded blue eyes. His long wavy gray hair fell down over his eyes and he pulled off his cap shoving it back underneath. He was a kind looking, and although crooked, his smile was sincere and warm.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I couldn’t place him.

  “That’s alright girlie. You take your time getting your head straight. Mr. Brad,” he turned to look at Brad and nodded, “You look well young man.”

  “I am Jim. I hope you and Maddie are as well.”

  “Oh, yes sir. That we are. Maddie will be thrilled to see you both.”

  “Tell her we’ll be by shortly.” Brad looked at Jez’s stall, “I guess Jez is out and about?”

  “She sure is. That stubborn mule.” Jim said with a smile. “Hold on a minute, she’ll be beside herself when she sees this one. That girl has been missing you Miss Sarah.”

  He stepped outside, lifted his fingers to his mouth and let out the loudest whistle I’d ever heard. Or think I heard.

  He did it one more time and I could hear a distinct neighing in the distance. I stepped out of the barn on the opposite side of where we entered and immediately my eyes settled on the most gorgeous animal I’d ever seen running in my direction.

  She was black with a white diamond high on her head. She had four white feet. Her black body glistened in the sun, and as she got closer, I became increasingly nervous. I didn’t know if I’d remember her, or her me, but I had to find out.

  I stood still next to Brad and Jim as she slowed, cautiously eyeing me. She raised her head and neighed loudly, as if chastising me for staying away so long. Her two front legs were prancing as she drew closer to where we stood. I stepped forward and extended my hand. She stopped and hesitated for a moment, but once she got my scent she slowly came closer, as if she couldn’t believe her eyes.

  “She’s been a headstrong girl since you been here last, Miss.”

  “Oh, that’s alright. Right Jez. Come here girl.” I reached into my pocket, the movement automatic, and when I realized it was empty I turned to look at Brad who held out an apple and some sugar cubes.

  “Thank you.” I whispered.

  “Here you go girl. Get over here where I can see you better.”

  She tentatively walked up to where I stood and snorted. I held out the hand with the apple and she reached her head in and took a chunk out of it.

  She came a little closer and lowered her head, nuzzling me as she raised it.

  “Oh, you want more, do you?”

  I held out the sugar cubes, my hand flat like my dad showed me and she nipped them right off. Tossing her head in the air and neighing loudly, nodding. As if she was as happy as I was right at this moment.

  I rubbed her bangs and neck, taking special care to scratch near her ears, she liked when I did that.

  “I’ve missed you Jezzy.”

  I walked to her and hugged her solidly around her neck. She dipped her head lower, rubbing it along my shoulder and when I turned to look at Brad, she nuzzled again, looking for another good scratching.

  “You silly girl.”

  “I’m going to go unpack the car, spend some time with Jez. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  He kissed my forehead and Jez let out a loud snort.

  “She’s wantin’ all of your attention miss. Still jealous of your man.” Jim said, somewhat to himself aloud. He looked towards Brad and smiled weakly.

  “She does miss you Sarah.” He rubbed my shoulder as he backed up.

  “Brad, thank you for this.”

  He just smiled and looked at Jim

  “I’ll keep an eye on her Mr. Brad.”

  “No riding.” Brad looked at me.

  “I promise.”

  I watched his back as he walked back to the car and took the two overnight bags out walking them into the large white house.

  I pulled Jez by her bridle and we walked side by side along the railing. I gave her some more of the apple to eat, and she gave me some more love.

  Needless to say, there was a whole lot of flashing going on in my little brain; a whole light show’s worth.

  I sat on a hay bale and laughed as she ran from one end of the grid to the other.

  Show off!

  She stopped by me when she needed another sweet treat then continued to show off. When Brad came out of the house, I got up and walked over to that side of the pen with Jez following close behind. It was just like Brad and my mother said. She followed me around like a puppy, and I loved every second.

  I saw him open the trunk of the car and grab out the basket and the case.

  He looked up and saw me.

  “Hungry?” He called out.

  “What do you think?” I laughed.

  “Come on, let’s go eat.”

  I opened the gate and walked out, making sure to close it behind me.

  “I’ll be back in a little bit Jez. Then I’ll give you a bath and a good brushing down.” I rubbed her neck and face. “Sound good?” She lifted her head and shook it as if she understood every word. “That’s a good girl. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  I kissed her head and walked towards Brad. She snorted, and then ran off to play.

  “Looks like you two have a lot to catch up on.” He put his arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the plowed field.

  When we got there, we spread the tablecloth out under the shade of a big apple tree and set up our lunch.

  I took out the plates and the silverware. Brad opened the case and stuck the long spikes into the ground. Then he placed the ice bucket and the wine on top of the ‘table’ as well as two glasses.

  Next he opened two containers containing fresh fruit and cheese, cut into bite sized chucks. Then the container that held the lukewarm fried chicken and potato salad.

  “Wow. This smells amazing. Is this what you went into that country store to pick up?”

  “It is. You especially love their fried chicken and potato salad.”

  I took one bit out of the chicken leg and instantly knew why.

  “Soooo good.” I mumbled, drool amassing at the corners of lips, my mouth full of crispy chicken.

 
; “Wine?”

  “Please. Yes, please.” I covered my mouth and laughed. This was literally the most perfect day I could remember. Which, I know, coming from me, wasn’t saying much, but it was damned near perfect!

  After I stuffed myself with chicken and potato salad, grapes, cheese, crisp, cool watermelon and sweet wine, I lay back reveling in the warmth of the sun. I don’t think I lasted ten minutes before I passed out and fell asleep.

  I awoke to a gentle kiss on my neck that trailed up to my cheek. I kept my eyes closed, loving the feel of the warm tongue licking softly at my earlobe. I slowly opened my eyes to find Brad leaning over me, and there was no mistaking the look of desire in his eyes. When I turned to face him, his lips tentatively, gently claimed mine, but underneath the controlled gentleness was raw desire. I raised my arms up and wrapped them around his neck.

  “Hi there.” I smiled against his mouth.

  “I’ve been watching you sleep, you’re so beautiful. Just looking at you is making me half crazed.” He took one of my arms and pulled my hand down placing it over his erection.

  “Only half crazed?” I said sleepily.

  He lifted my light sweater and caressed the top of my breast. His finger, as if on cruise control, teased my nipples. I immediately felt the pull in my core. He pulled one of my breasts out of my bra, and before I could say a word, his mouth claimed my nipple and he sucked until it hardened to a taut peak. His other hand released my hand and made its way to the other breast teasing that nipple.

  I raised my hips and rubbed myself against his hardness and was rewarded with a throaty moan against my breast. The sound sent a shiver throughout my entire body. He knelt and as soon as his mouth released my nipple, I was sorry for the interruption.

  He reached down and unzipped my pants, pulling my boots off then my pants. He did the same to himself and his erection sprung up once he released it from its constriction. I wrapped my fingers around it and his entire body went rigid. I ran my finger over the crest and felt a small beading of liquid. I rubbed the tip of my finger gathering as much as I could and lifted it to my mouth. His eyes never left mine.

  He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. I raised my knees up and spread my legs and he crawled between them kneeling over me.

  “No. Let me.” I whispered hoarsely. It was a command and he relinquished his lead. I sat up and pushed him onto his back kneeling between his legs. Lowering myself down, I took him into my mouth. The taste of him was heady and I began to lose myself. I ran my tongue down his length, and scraped my teeth along his shaft. A moan escaped his lips and the sound of his yielding automatically instigated me to keep going. I loved that I was doing something for him.

  Something that turned him on. Made him squirm and moan.

  I began lifting my head up and down the length of him, running my tongue along the tip and down the side. I found a spot, right under the head, that was soft and super sensitive and concentrated my tongue directly on that spot. I started pumping my hand up and down as I took him in and out of my mouth.

  I was moving faster now; his hips met my mouth thrust for thrust. His hands rested gently on my head and guided me, controlling the speed of my sucking. After a few moments, he froze and I looked up. I was afraid that maybe he spotted someone, or perhaps someone had seen us, but when I saw the look in his eyes, I was sure that wasn’t the case.

  “I want to come inside you.”

  I lifted my body back into a kneeling position and he sat up. He pulled me onto his lap and inserted himself deep into me. I sat straddling him, my legs wrapped behind him, as he began to rock his hips.

  My orgasm was coming with a ferocity I couldn’t describe even if I could find the words, and I rocked my hips like a woman on a mission. With his hands on my hips and his mouth on mine, he rocked into me until I screamed his name, the sound falling into his mouth. I bit down on his lip as the overwhelming sensation crawled up my body, from my clutching toes, to my heaving breasts. I rubbed them quickly against the matting of hair on his chest and pushed my pelvis against his.

  He grabbed my hair and pulled my head back planting kisses on my neck, trailing the tip of his tongue along my oversensitive skin. He stiffened and stopped, but his grip on my hips tightened and I felt him pulse inside me. His hands climbed up my back and he wrapped me tightly in his arms as if he intended to pull me into him. I heard his heavy breathing against my chest and neck as he nuzzled me and when his breathing evened he resumed kissing my neck and cheeks softly.

  “Christ Sarah, I need you. I need to be inside you. It’s where I belong.”

  I rubbed his head as I held it to my breast and whispered. “I need you too, Brad. I need you too.”

  He lay me back down and stretched out next to me, his hand exploring my body, his fingers flitted over my breasts, and then drifted down my body, drawing circles on my belly just before they slowly slipped into me. I nearly screamed out in pleasure as they began moving inside me, and I felt the pull from the center of my core tighten once again as his deft fingers brought me to climax. I cried out, tears ran down the sides of my face as the intensity of each wave washing over me took me higher and higher.

  “You’re mine.”

  Two simple words that meant so much.

  And I loved hearing them.

  He slowly removed his fingers and I sat up. His profile, silhouetted by the sun, was stunning. Everything about this man was stunning. I was in constant shock that he loved me. I closed my eyes and tried so hard to remember, and all I ended up with was a headache, and a very contented body.

  We got dressed and put away our picnic lunch and made our way back to the house.

  I followed him up the stairs and once we reached the top, he pulled my hand, dragging me willingly behind him. He turned on the water and pulled me into the giant shower in the master bathroom, and without saying a word, or sharing a sly look, we washed each other and loved each other and worshipped each other’s body until we were too tired to stand. When we got out and dried off, we each donned one of the white soft micro terry robes that hung on the hooks in the bathroom.

  We made our way downstairs where Brad lit a fire and then opened more wine. Both of us sat quietly, me between his legs with my back resting against his chest. He had one arm around me and one arm holding his glass. It was perfect. I leaned my head back and found the spot in the center of his chest. He brought his chin down and rested it on top my head. It was like a movie. It was perfect. In fact, everything was perfect!

  We picked on leftovers and made love on the blanket Brad threw over the rug in front of the fire, where we lay caressing each other’s body until the fire died. Afterwards he carried me in his arms upstairs and lay me softly down on the bed. He removed his robe and climbed in next to me and stayed with me all night; his body lying up against my body, his arm possessively around my midsection.

  The next morning, I woke up to find him gone. His side of the bed cold, but the scent of fresh coffee wafted up the stairs into the bedroom, and seemingly hung over the bed where I lay. The coolness of the spring morning seeped into the room through the slightly open window and I wrapped the robe around me tighter. Inhaling deeply, I closed my eyes, loving the smell of hay, clean air, horses and coffee.

  When the temptation got to be too much, I got up and dressed, purposefully putting my riding pants and cable knit sweater on, in the hopes that Brad would let me ride Jez. Ever since spending time with her yesterday, all I wanted to do was ride her, with the wind in my hair. Carrying my boots in my hands, I quietly made my way downstairs formulating a thousand reasons he should let me ride her in my mind.

  I heard voices in the kitchen and stopped on the stairs, wondering to myself who was here. It took me a few seconds to realize that Brad was talking on the phone, and he was straining to keep his voice low. I had to struggle to hear what he was saying, and even then I was only able to catch every couple of words.

  “She’s fine…doesn’t seem to remember much…
yes, that is good…acting normal…Jez, that was comical…making small progress…will keep you up…of course I’m watching her…Always...I’ll speak with you in a little while, I think I hear her moving around upstairs.”

  I froze. I wasn’t sure what the fragmented, one-sided conversation, I’d heard meant. I don’t know whom he was speaking to. All I know is that I got an uneasy feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach grinding out any appetite I may have had.

  Chapter Thirteen

  I dropped a boot and cursed. He was putting his phone down onto the counter when I walked in.

  “What are you dressed for?” He asked.

  “I should think that would be apparent.”

  “I think we should talk about this don’t you. I can’t risk you…falling…you can’t suffer another fall, babe.”

  “Maybe it’s like they say, fall and forget everything, fall again and remember everything. Might be to your advantage if I fall.”

  “Sarah, that is an incredibly stupid thing to say.”

  I laughed, trying to make light of what I’d said. I was still intent on finding out who Brad was talking to, knowing I didn’t like what I was able to hear. It sounded clandestine, something I wasn’t supposed to hear. I felt like an errant child and the whole situation put me in a bad mood.

  “Who were you just talking to?”

  “Your mother.”

  “Indeed?”

  “What’s wrong, Sarah? Sounds like something’s bothering you?”

  “What were you two talking about?”

  “She wanted to know if seeing Jez jolted any memories out of you.”

  “Mmmm. Why didn’t she call me?” I knew I was being a bit of a bitch, but I didn’t care.

  “Because your phone is in the car where you left it, most likely the battery is dead.”

  Well, he had me there. I had no sassy comeback. He seemed to have an answer for everything. I hated that.

  “Okay, so back to our earlier discussion.” I waited for him to reply.

  “I myself don’t think it’s a good idea that you ride, but if you insist, I want to come with you. We’ll take it nice and easy, okay?”