by C. L. Rosado
“When his dad, Neal passed, I lost a part of Gentry. He no longer cared anything about being anywhere near the ranch. He would leave for school and not return until he was falling into his bed at night. I’m telling you all this because since he met you, even with me being sick, I have seen a glimpse of that young man I missed so dearly. When parents have a child, they want nothing more than to see them happy. I wish I could see Gentry grow into the man I know he is capable of being. Thank you, Ari, for letting me see a peek at it. The only thing that could make it better is to see the two of you get married.” I’m speechless to say the least. Is she for real? I must look like a deer caught in headlights because she follows up with,
“Don’t look so surprised, Ari. I see the way you look at my son, and trust me, everyone else sees it, too. He looks at you the same way. It’s not that far off for me to hope that someday— fingers crossed — sooner rather than later, you two would do just that.”
“Eleanor, we barely know each other,” I explain.
“ And yet, here you are taking care of his sickly mother. People don’t just do that, Ariana. Honestly, it’s what I love most about you. Just think, if I can love and adore you so quickly, how must Gentry feel?” She is nuts. That’s all there is to it. Gentry love me? Is that even possible? Do I love Gentry?
“Oh, Eleanor. I love and adore you, too,” I say. She pats my leg and says,
“ I know, honey, I know. I think I could rest now. Could you help me to my room?” I stand and help her to her feet wondering if she has had a similar talk with her son. As soon as I get her to bed, I was gonna go find out.
I make my way out to the front porch and take a seat on the porch swing. Pulling out my phone, I decide to call Gentry rather than text him.
“Hey, Sunshine, How’s everything?” he asks. It’s rare that he is away these days, but today Cal, Peck and Gentry are in Austin at auction.
“ Everything is good. Mona is out grocery shopping, and your mom just laid down for a nap. Listen, has your mom talked to you about me ?” I hope he can read between the lines; otherwise, it would be very awkward asking him about marriage since we haven’t made it past second base. Ugh. Seriously, Eleanor?
“What do you mean? Did you do something?” Great. He’s not getting it.
“No, sorry, let me rephrase the question. Has she talked to you about you and me? Like where this is going between us?” He laughs. He always freakin’ laughs.
“ Yeah, she had some compelling points as to why we should tie the knot as soon as possible. I was gonna talk to you about it…”. I can hear the auctioneer and people calling out bids in the background. “I gotta get off here. We will talk more when I get back. Sound good? Bye, Ari,” and just like that he is gone, leaving me with a million questions and my mind spinning. These people are crazy. Ugh. I can’t talk to Liv about it because she will just agree with Eleanor. She has been trying to get us hitched since the first day I met Gentry. I just need to relax. I’m sure Gentry thinks it’s a crazy idea as well.
Chapter 15
Gentry
When I get back, I leave Cal and Peck to it and go in search of Ariana. I’m so proud of Peck and all that he has done. He dropped everything back home to stay here with me. He has accomplished and learned so much in such a short amount of time that even Cal is impressed. I’m tired, so instead of searching too hard, I text her.
Me: Where R U?
Ariana: N the horse barn.
She’s in the horse barn. It’s not unheard of, actually. She is always somewhere unexpected taking pictures. It’s either a nervous tick, or she is just that passionate about her work. I’m thinking it may be a bit of both.
Me: B right there
Ariana: K
When I reached the barn, she has already made her way outside. She is sitting on the bench swinging her legs back and forth, hands wrapped around the edge, arms locked in place. Not a good sign.
“Hey.”
“Hay’s for horses,” I joke.
“Haha, You’re too funny. How’d things go at the auction?”
“Not bad, not bad at all.” I was nervous about having a breakdown since I hadn’t been to anything like that since my Dad died, and I had told Ari. Of course she had said it would be ok and that I was stronger than the teenage boy I used to be. I wasn’t sure, but she was right, and I made it through. Stopping in front of her, with an outstretched hand for her to take, I pulled her into me before leaning in to get a taste of those sweet lips I love so much. In an instant her arms were wrapped around my neck. Feeling her relax, I broke the kiss and asked, “Wanna take a walk?”
“Lead the way,” she said, sweeping her hand out in front of us before placing it in mine. The light breeze has the tall grass looking like golden waves, and the trees are alive with the sound of the leaves dancing in the wind. It’s a beautiful day.
“In such a short time, I have fallen for you, Ari. I’m in love with you. When I watch you in your element, chasing sunrises or sunsets, I can’t help but think my sun would never shine again if you weren’t in my life. I know that my Momma has made this her last request, but that’s not why I want to do this. It only makes for a better excuse to jump the gun and make you mine. I would be the luckiest man on earth if you would say yes and be forever mine.”
Chapter 16
Ariana
“Ariana, how many guys have you kissed?” Is he serious?
“I have no idea, a few.” He moves in so close we are sharing air. My word, he smells amazing. Just as I'm dreaming about his lips on mine, he is there, kissing me, consuming me—oh, God, it's fabulous like no matter what I may be facing, his kisses would give me the power to conquer it—and he is pulling away in the same second. What the hell?
“Has any kiss you've ever had felt like that? Because I've had my share of kisses from women, and not one has ever consumed me, made me forget all reason, the way I do every time my lips touch yours. You're it for me. Maybe it’s insane. Call it what you want, but I know you feel the same. Time is only gonna make it stronger. Let's do this for us, for my mom. If I don't make you happy, we can get it annulled within a year, and it will be like it never happened. I don't think that will happen because I won't let it. It will be hard and trying once my mom is gone, but we will fight everyday to get through it.”
“Gentry, you're right…”.
“I knew it.”
“Hold on, Cowboy, let me finish. You're right on all accounts, but I can't legally marry you just because your mom is dying. We haven't even gotten to 2nd base. I mean, I know lots of people wait until they are married to go all the way, but what if you decide that I’m not what you want once we seal the deal. I'm seriously stressing. This whole thing is stressing me out. I'm thinking, I should probably go home for a few days to clear my head. Maybe I will go see my parents.”
“Do that. Go see your parents or whatever you need. I will be here waiting and praying that you can see what you mean to me, and that-he gestures between us- isn't going to change. Hey, if you need to get to 2nd base or even all the way home before you know for sure, you know I'm down. Hell, I can rub your boob right now.” I smack him hard on his arm.
“You're an ass; don't make me hurt you.”
“Please don’t,” he pleads. Man this is nuts.
I’m in the kitchen cleaning up before heading home. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. After our talk, Gentry spent some time with his mom, and I made arrangements to go see my parents for a few days. I so needed to see my mom. We had talked about Gentry on more than one occasion, but this, this needed to be discussed in person. She would help put things in perspective. Olivia didn’t mind covering my hours with Eleanor. It meant she had an excuse to see Peck while I was gone. Thank goodness it was summer break. There were more than enough people around here to take care of Gentry’s mom, but I would feel bad if I didn’t make sure my times were covered. My mind is on overdrive, so I didn’t notice Gentry enter the room until he grabbed my waist, caus
ing me to yelp.
“You scared me,” I gasped.
“Yeah, you were zoned out,” he admitted. “Sorry.”
I closed the cabinet I had been putting dishes into and turned to face him. Gentry has me backed up to the counter with a few swift movements, placing his hands on either side of my hips before lifting my feet off the ground. He places my bottom on the counter top, the cool granite touching my thighs. Stepping between my legs, he uses one hand to pull me to him while the other slides up my back, ending on the nape of my neck. Goosebumps instantly cover my body, and I can feel the sensation all the way to my toes. Pressing his lips to mine, he kisses me like an addict seeking his next fix. Before I know what's happening, I'm lifted with his warm hands replacing the cool counter top. I quickly wrap my legs around his waist, and we are on the move. Stumbling several times, Gentry breaks the kiss and spins me around to his back, eliciting a scream from me, before heading up the stairs. Once we are in his room, he releases me. My feet barely hit the ground before he is picking me up again.
“I have dreamt, on more than one occasion, of your long legs wrapped around me,” he says in a hushed whisper before kissing down my jaw to my neck. Before I know it, he is lying me down on his bed. My legs still wrapped around his waist, one strong arm around mine while the other moves us to the center, he places me down on the soft cotton sheets. Leaning back on his haunches, his eyes searching mine from above, and without a word, his hands move to the hem of my shirt, lifting it up and revealing my stomach. My breath quickens as his hands roam over me before slipping under my shirt again. I lean up and raise both arms to help him remove it. He tosses it to the floor, and his lips crash into mine, stealing my air. It’s my turn to relieve him of his shirt. When he realizes this, he is quicker than me and pulls it over his head in a blink. I feel like every nerve ending in my body is alive, every touch scorching.
“Stay with me; don’t go,” he growls. I nod, unable to form words at the moment. I’m not going anywhere. This is exactly what I have been waiting for. I undo the buckle of his belt and slide it from the loops, letting it fly through the air as it breaks free from the last one. I look up to find a wide grin on Gentry’s beautiful face. There is a frenzy of hands as we both rush to unclothe one another.
“You’re a vision, Sunshine,” he says with a look of appreciation in his eyes. “Hope you don’t mind if I take my time and slow it down a bit. I don’t wanna miss anything, and I want you to remember every single part of me, connecting with every single part of you.” At first I was worried he was doing this because of what I had said during our talk, but the thought left me as he explored my body, and with each kiss, it faded to black.
The anticipation of what was happening between us was freeing and frustrating, and just when I thought we were getting to the cream of the crop(pun intended), there was a knock at the door. Gentry’s head lifted,
“Did someone knock?” choosing to stay silent rather than chance a scream of frustration, I just bobbed my head up and down.
Chapter 17
Gentry
You have got to be shittin’ me! Who the hell is knocking on my door? I made sure everyone had gone to bed before meeting Ari in the kitchen. “Don’t move. I will be right back,” I tell her before hopping out of bed and slipping my boxers back on. I look back at her before opening the door, but she has thrown the covers over her head, and it looks like she is throwing a fit underneath. Crazy girl. I barely crack the door to find my aunt standing there with a terrifying look on her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Your mom needs you.”
“Gimme just a second, I’ll be right there.”
Before she can say anything else, I shut the door. I turn around and apologize to Ari.
“No need just go.”
I find my jeans across the room, put them on, and I’m racing down the steps towards Momma’s room.
“Momma, what’s wrong?” She is just lying there in bed, taking short, heavy breaths.
“I… don’t… know… Son… I… think… hospital…”. She can’t even get a word out. She is having that much trouble breathing.
“ Alright then. I’m gonna get dressed, and we will go. Aunt Mona will be right here with you while I’m gone. Right?”
“Right. I will get her house coat and shoes on her,” Mona says. I fly back upstairs to get dressed and explain to Ari.
She is already pulling her clothes on when I get back to my room. “I have to run Momma to the hospital. You wanna come or just wait?” I ask, not sure how she will feel about them knowing she was up here with me.
“Of course, I’m going,” she says putting her frazzled hair into a ponytail. God, she is beautiful. I give her a quick kiss on the forehead before saying,
“Well, I know you’re leaving in the morning. I didn’t want to assume you wanted to spend hours at the ER.”
“ I can’t leave if something is wrong with Eleanor. What if… I don’t… oh, my God. Let’s just get her to the hospital.”
At the hospital they run a few test and get her on some oxygen to help regulate her breathing. They messaged her oncologist in Austin to consult with the on call doctor. Now it’s just a waiting game. Around 2 A.M. I tell Ari to go home and get some rest.
“I promise I will call if anything happens. We can’t all sleep here. You have a long drive tomorrow,” I explain.
“ I already told you that I’m not leaving town until I know what’s going on with your mom. I will go home to sleep but just for a bit.” She turns her attention to my aunt who is already resting in the chair. “Mona, you want me to take you to the ranch to sleep a bit? Or you wanna crash at my house?
I have an extra room.”
“ Any bed will do. I can just stay with you. It’s closer isn’t it?”
“Yes ma’am, just about five minutes from here,” Ari explains
I give my aunt a tight hug and thank her for everything. Then I take Ari into my arms, squeezing hard before whispering in her ear,
“At least we made it to second base. Will you consider marrying me now?” She just slaps my arm and shakes her head before pressing her lips to mine.
“ Get some rest, Casanova. I will see you in a few hours. Call me if you need me.” I watched them leave before grabbing a blanket from the cabinet and lying on the tiny sofa in my mom’s hospital room. Ari had said to get some rest, but with worrying about my mom and thinking about Ari’s body beneath mine just a few hours earlier, that wasn’t gonna happen. If I’m being completely honest, it was hard not leaving with her. I had already lost one parent while chasing a girl, though, I couldn’t- wouldn’t— do it again, not on purpose anyway. I owed my momma for all the time I had been away. I had already left her alone for far too long.
I wake to the nurse checking in on my mom. So much for not getting any sleep. The nurse tells us that the doctor is here and will be in to give us an update. It’s early, but I sent Ari a text to let her know what’s going on.
Me: Mornin’ Sunshine. Doc will B in soon with update.
“They are on their way,” my mom tells me. Huh?
“Who is, Momma?”
“Aunt Mona and Ari. Isn’t that who you are texting?” Wow. She is on it this morning. How in the hell does she know they are on their way?
“ Yeah, I was. What makes you think they are on their way up here already?” I’m guessing my aunt is up and called Momma. I’m going to be pissed if she woke Ari up to come up here; she needs her rest.
“Ari, called me before the nurse came in. She wanted to check on me. She told me Mona and she were already up and having coffee before heading here.” Ari called her? This girl. Man, she’s way to good too me. It’s not even 7 A.M., and she has already called to check on my mom. Guess that’s why I haven't got a text back. She must be driving.
“She is pretty amazing, Son. Did she tell you about our talk? Was that why she was still over last night?” Momma asked.
“She mentioned it. I know you wanna see me get m
arried, and I want that too, Momma, but I won’t pressure her. I won’t rush her and risk losing her to give you that. When you’re gone, I will need her to get me through.” I can only hope that her mom will tell her to marry a guy she barely knows, one her parents haven’t even met. “If not, you will have to find comfort in knowing I have found the one for me, and pray to God she’ll have me.”
“Oh, Gentry, she’ll have you. That girl is head over heels.” In comes the doctor with Aunt Mona and Ari right behind him, and with that, our conversation is over.
Chapter 18
Ariana
The doctor let us know that Eleanor has a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that has traveled to her lungs which could've been fatal had Eleanor not come in. Sometimes this happens when you’re on extended bed rest due to illness, like cancer. The doctor starts Eleanor on a blood thinner and tells us she can go home tomorrow if all goes well. I decide that Gentry and Mona can more than handle this while I go visit my parents as planned. I hate to leave Gentry to deal with this, but he will have Mona and Liv, plus the nurse that comes in daily. I need to get away. I need clarity. There are a few things I am sure of though: Gentry is the first guy I couldn’t walk away from even if I wanted to. His presence alone makes my heart skip a beat. He is sexy as hell without clothes on. This puts a smile on my face that he just happens to be looking at— at the moment.
