by Arow Jones
“You haven’t told her yet?” I shake my head, no. “Yeah, okay. I’ll go take a shower and scrub off the self-loathing clinging to my body.” I shake my head at him as he’s walking to his room. I go the kitchen and start the coffee maker. I wonder if Lily is awake. She must be, it’s the butt crack of dawn. Ranch life starts early. My office is awash in sunlight. The folder of paperwork for Lily is still on my desk, an ever present reminder of what we need to talk about.
JT: good morning
Lily: are you just now waking up, sleepy head ;)
JT: LOL, yeah, BBQ kisses
Lily: <3 honey BBQ
JT: sweet
Lily: sweet potato pie
JT: hot pie
Lily: with whipped cream
JT: lickable
Lily: Mmm
JT: you’re killing me!
Lily: leftover pie?
JT: what are you doing tonight?
Lily: making more whipped cream
JT: 8pm?
Lily :-)
Is that a yes? Did she say, yes? Please let that be a yes. I’m not taking no for an answer. I groan. It’s going to be a long day.
Nine
The smile on my face must be a mile long. My heart is going to explode. Sexting with JT? I didn’t say yes but I didn’t say no. Just in case, I better stop by the store on the way home from my errands. I bite my lip, day dreaming of all the possibilities.
Kenny showed up just before the morning feeding. We did the rounds discussed the horses, training schedule, and barn chores. I only have Kenny for the summer but maybe after graduation I’ll have a full-time position.
It’s the middle of the afternoon. I decide to take a break and go into town for some supplies. Maybe I’ll get a shake while I’m there. The feed store is my first stop. I have to pick up supplements. I’ve decided to breed Five Alive. She’s ready. I would love to have little filly, or colt, running around. All that youthful energy and playfulness. Maybe I can ask JT to help me.
I pay for my purchases. I drove the ranch truck into town. I put the bags into the cab then walk over to get a shake. On my way there I notice Blanche talking with a guy. He looks mad and she has a smile on her face. But then he grabs her arm. Her face goes white.
“Hey!” I yell at him as I walk towards them. He sees me and his hand drops. Blanche doesn’t look at me but listens to the guys tell her something then walk away. Huh, that was easier than I thought. Blanche looks at me and crosses her arms over her chest.
“What do you want Lilliputian?” Her voice drips with acid. So much for being helpful. “Nothing.” I intended to walk away but I can see she’s distressed. “Are you okay?”
“Grand, actually. Just scoping out possible ceremony locations.”
“Ceremony?”
“Haven’t you heard, Lily dear? JT’s in need of a bride and I intend to make a beautiful Tanner wife.” She flips her blonde hair back. “With all you’ve been through I’m sure you haven’t been up on town news. It’s why I’m back in town.” I want to slap that perfect smile off her face. I don’t know what to say. She’s right. I haven’t been around. So, this is who JT wants? No wonder I’ve not been able to catch his attention. I’m nothing like Blanche. I don’t have the social status or the big breasts. She probably does things for him I’ve never done before. Maybe he doesn’t want someone with so little experience. Ugh!
I stalk over to the side window of the building and order a vanilla shake. I don’t know what’s going on between us. I’m no one to him. I kick my inner self and walk to the grocery store.
By the time I make it out of the grocery store with all my purchases my brain is working overtime. I know Blanche is in town but I thought she lived in Boulder now? What’s she doing in town? Who was that guy? Did I get more heavy whipping cream? What am I going to tell Kenny about JT? I wonder if Skye will take Kenny out tonight. I load the truck and pull out my phone.
Lily: Hey, favor?
Skye: Sure, what?
Lily: Take Kenny out tonight?
Skye: Of course, why?
Lily: Meeting with JT
Skye: meeting or meeting?
Lily: shut it!
Skye: k, details later!
Lily ;-)
I breathe a sigh of relief. I haven’t talked to Kenny much about JT but my feelings about him aren’t a secret either. I just want some more time alone with JT. I could just be one in a long line of girls he dates. But it’s JT. I’ll take what I can get. For now.
The day is sunny. I still have some chores to do but I think I’ll take a quick dip in the pool before JT comes over. The street lamps have baskets of flowers hanging from them. I drive slowly through town. The town hosts an annual summer rodeo. The store fronts are getting ready for the activities. It’s a small affair but large by small town standards. Vendors will fill the park. At night the town and visitors come out for dancing, drinking, and fun. Gramps and I usually man a booth selling my sweet potato pies and advertise our ranch.
I press a hand to my aching chest. Tears well up in my eyes. Thoughts of JT and I have been overwhelming me. I thought he felt the same way about me. Does he kiss her like he kisses me? Does her skin burn with his touch? What was I thinking, letting him get to me? You’re alone Lily. You always will be.
I shake my head and wipe the tears from my eyes. Rein it in Lily. You’ve got a ranch to run. I wonder if Skye and Kenny will stay on with me for the next couple of years. Of course they will. They already said they would help out. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
POP! The truck lurches. I grip the wheel to steady the truck and pull over to the side of the road. I get out to see what’s wrong and I immediately see the remnants of a rubber tire littering the road. Great. I knew the tires were bad but not this bad. I walk around the back of the truck and bend down to look under the truck to see if the spare is any good. No spare. Just a rusty under carriage. I pinch my temple and let a little laugh, shaking my head. I’m only a few miles from home. I could just walk there or better yet text Kenny to come pick me up.
A minute later a black SUV drives up. He pulls over to the side of the road and parks in front of my truck. It’s the guy who was talking to Blanche. Of course. Could this moment get any worse?
“Hey there!” Smiling as he gets out, he takes off his suit coat and rolls up his shirt sleeves. He reaches one hand forward, pointing to the now barren wheel well. “Need some help?” Does he think I don’t remember the way he was man handling Blanche? I narrow my eyes at him.
“No. I’m good.” He smirks.
“Looks like you could use some help. Do you have a spare?” His hands are on his hips. He cocks his head to one side looking me up and down.
“No spare. Waiting for my ride.” It’s a lie but I don’t want to be on this stretch of road for any long than I need to, especially with this guy.
“Okay. I’m Nicholas.” His hand thrusts forward. I don’t move to shake his hand. I cross my arms over my chest. I don’t know this guy but I know I don’t want him touching me. I look behind him at black quad cab truck that has pulled up behind me. I breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of Chase. He’s dressed in jeans and a fitted black button up shirt. He slams the door and stalk over.
“Lily, go to my truck.” His fury is palpable. I don’t know why he’s mad but he hasn’t taken his eyes off Nicholas. I nod my head and walk to Chase’s truck. These two must have history from the looks of their scowls. I’m an independent woman but I know better than to cross a bull and right now, Chase’s eyes are blazing like a bull seeing red.
“Nick, what the fuck are you doing here?” From a distance Chase looks like he’s just standing there but his hands are balled into fists.
“Well, well. Chase the hero. You keep trying to hold on to your girls but they keep slipping by you.” He grins manically. Chase leans forward. Nick flinches then holds his hands up in front of him. “Easy man, just passing through. I’ve got business to attend to with Lily. I was just
heading to her place. Didn’t know I’d run into her on the road. Besides, I’m a kept man. Haven’t you heard? My fiancé Samantha is coming back to town.” Chase reaches back and throws a punch so hard Nick is laying on the ground. His hand is on his face, blood running from his nose. “You fucking asshole!”
“That’s not the first broken nose I’ve given you. Get out of here or it won’t be the only thing I break.” Nick turns and walks towards me. “Are you okay? Did he touch you?” I shake my head, no. He nods and opens my door. “Get in. I’ll grab your things from the truck.”
~*~
Chase drops me off at home, along with my groceries and hardware purchases. We didn’t talk during the short ride there. I assume he knows Nick from Tanner & Tanner but I didn’t ask. The look on his face says it all. There were rumors about his very short engagement last year to someone named Sam. Samantha. That must be who Nick was talking about. I don’t pry. I tell him thank you before he leaves. He just nods and drives away.
Thank goodness I went to the store. The cupboards are bare. Even though we live out in the hills we aren’t too far from town. Gramps and I used to make a run into town a few times a week just. He used to tell me it was to make sure we had fresh fruits and veggies in the house at all times but I think he just wanted to get out and be sociable. I agreed on both accounts. When I got my driver’s license we would still make the trips together but I would drive us in the ranch truck.
Truck. Yikes, I’ve got to do something about that. Too bad I couldn’t just ride Five into town. I have my bike. I can borrow Kenny’s GT but that will only work in the short run. I need my truck working, pronto.
I’m putting the groceries away and making mental notes about tonight’s dinner with JT when Kenny walks in. “Oh, hey. Need help? I’m starving!” Leave it to Kenny to show up when there is food. I’m going to have to rethink the amount of food to keep in this house. Kenny was going to stay in the empty barn apartment but I insisted we had plenty of room in the main house. It would be nice to have the company for a while. I’m not ready to be alone.
“Just about done. How about a sandwich?”
“Sounds good. I didn’t realize you were back. Where’s the truck?”
“Oh, the side of the road. Blew a tire.” I pull out the bread, cutting board, and lettuce.
“You didn’t bring the spare, did you?” Kenny’s face screws up. “This isn’t Boulder Lily, you have to be prepared. What would you do without me?”
“Awe, Kenny, you know me. Not mechanical. That’s what I have you for.” I wink.
“Oh please, you can change a spare tire let alone put one in the truck in case of an emergency, like, oh say, this one. I’ll drive down there after lunch and take care of it but you need to come with me to bring it back.”
“Turkey or Ham?” I hold up two packages.
“Don’t change the subject. Turkey. How did you get home anyways?” Kenny takes a drink from a water bottle.
“Chase.” Water spews out of Kenny’s mouth. “Geez, Kenny! Gross! Anyways, Skye is coming over to take you guys out. I have to get ready for dinner with JT.”
“Sorry, JT? Does that mean Chase is in town too?” Kenny wipes table. The subtle evasion technique, classic Kenny.
“Yeah, I guess so. We didn’t really talk. He was really upset about the other guy that tried to help. I saw him earlier with Blanche. It was really strange. I do not like the guy. Chase obviously agreed since he decked the guy.”
“Who was the guy?” The worry on Kenny’s face has me wondering what I’ve said besides the word ‘Chase.’ I wonder if they know each other. We all grew up here. Chase wasn’t a stranger to local gossip.
“Nick… Nicholas. I didn’t get the last name.” Kenny’s face goes white. Now I’m really worried and completely baffled. What was that about?
“I have some things to do. Just leave the sandwich in the fridge and I’ll come back for it later.” This is a conversation that will likely not continue without tequila. Getting information out of Kenny’s is like cracking a safe. If you don’t have the code you’re just going to have to drill a hole. In this case, liqueur is my drill.
“Okay.” I finish making two sandwiches. I put one on a plate and wrap plastic around it to keep it fresh. With a black marker I write ‘Kenny J.’ The other one is for me. The pool is calling to me. I run upstairs and throw on a bikini. With a towel tucked under my arm, the sandwich and e-reader in one hand and a bottle of water in the other I choose a sunny spot to lay out. There isn’t much daylight left so I jump into the pool for a quick swim. When I get out I’m feeling refreshed and hungry.
Ten
I’m sitting at my desk, typing away at the computer. SLAM! It’s almost time for me to get ready to see Lily so I shut down my laptop. I stand up, straighten my desk, waiting for Chase to come walking into my office. He doesn’t disappoint when he walks in a few minutes later. Instead of talking he paces with his hands on his hips.
He stops. I think he’s about to say something when he rubs the back of his neck with his hand then continues to pace. This would be comical if it weren’t for the look on Chase’s face and his reputation for calm patience.
“Rough day?” I sit back down and lean back. It’s going to be one of those conversations.
“Rough, hah! No, same old shit day until I have to pick up your girl on the side of the road.” He doesn’t stop pacing.
“What?” I lean forward. Why didn’t Lily call me?
“Yeah, flat tire,” he waves his hand likes it’s nothing before continuing his tirade, “and guess who was trying to help her? Nick fucking Parker, Samantha’s new fiancé.” He finally sits down as I stand up and slam my hands on the desk. Fuck!
“Tell me he didn’t touch Lily.” I growl at him. His hands are on his head. He looks up and furrows his brow.
“What? No. NO! I got her out of there as fast as I could.” His heel is tapping on the ground. “Look, he says he’s passing through on business to talk to Lily. Have you talked to her yet?” Sitting back down I run my hand through my hair.
“No, soon.” My phone alarm beeps reminding me of my appointment with Lily. “I need to go get ready. You gonna be okay, man?” He nods his head and leans back.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’ve got some work to do. I’m staying the night. I’ll see you later.”
Samantha did a number on JT last year. We suspected Nick was involved in their little scam. There was no proof but we are fairly certain Nick would do anything to fund his lifestyle. He’s dangerous and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him near Lily.
~*~
On my way to Lily’s I decide to take the path towards her place. Along the way I pick up a collection of wild flowers. They remind me of Lily, beautiful and wild, the way nature intended. It’s almost dark when I get there. The path winds through a copse of trees towards the back of the house and connects with the trail that goes to the party field. As I near the house I see Lily laying out near the pool. She must have fallen asleep because her bare back is looking pink. I walk up to the gate, opening it quietly.
I tuck the wild flower into a half empty water bottle. I lean over to tap her on the shoulder when I realize she has untied her top. Instead I reach over and brush her hair away from her ear and whisper to wake her up.
She jumps up and turns to me with wide eyes. She’s like a goddess with her flowing hair and pale green eyes wide and innocent. Her hair has fallen down in front of her, perfectly covering her chest. One perky nipple peaks out the strands of her hair. A hand goes to her chest when she catches my gaze. She reaches over to the lounge. I get there before she does and move to hand her the towel she was laying on. The red bikini top she must have been wearing earlier floats to the ground.
“JT, you scared me!” I wrap the towel around her then step away so she can adjust it to her body.
“You fell asleep. I didn’t want you to keeping burning that beautiful skin of yours.” Pink flushes her cheeks. She pulls her hair up and pi
ns it. The sight of Lily in only a bikini bottom is enough to make my heart skip a beat but Lily in a towel, like she has nothing underneath, stops my heart.
“Um, are those flowers for me?” She picks up the flowers. Her voice is shy and sweet. I smile.
“Yeah, Sugar, they’re for you.” I reach over and put my arm around her shoulders. “Let’s go inside so I can put some aloe on your sunburn.” She nods her head while I lead her to the kitchen. It’s a country kitchen with a large chopping block in the middle. One side has a large white basin sink under a window and surrounded by white washed cabinets. The counter tops are tiled, some chipped. The appliances are pretty old but floor is hardwood. “When’s the last time you had your kitchen done?” She puts the flowers on the counter then walks over to the adjoining half bath. When she returns with a bottle of aloe she jumps up on the counter.
“I don’t know. It’s always been like this.” I walk over, grab the aloe and squirt a small amount into my hands. With her on the counter she is almost eye level with me. I look down into her eyes and show her my hands, silently asking her if it’s okay to rub her shoulders. She nods. Her legs slightly part and I take the invitation by wiggling my way in between her thighs. There’s space between our bodies. I want to move forward, closing the space between us, letting her feel the effect she has on me. It takes everything I have not to play that scenario out. Not yet.
“I was thinking, you should come over and see my kitchen next time. I’ll make you dinner. I just redid ours last year. I think you’ll like it.” My hands begin to rub her shoulders in a circular motion. Her eyes close as she bits her bottom lip. I want to be the one doing that. “Lily.”
“Hmm?”
“Dinner? My house?”
“When?” I can feel her breathe on my face.
“Turkey?”
“What?!” She punches like a girl but she could do some damage if she wanted to. I rub my arm and smirk. “You think I’m scared of you?” Her eyes light up with challenge. Man, she’s beautiful when she gets riled up. No, she’s beautiful all the time. More beautiful.
