Chapter 16 – Back in Oregon
“What are we going to do after dinner?” Aspen fooled with the button on Wren’s shirt. “Besides make love, that is.” The air in the barn smelled thick of the hay they just laid out for the animals that were curiously grazing outside.
Wren walked over and sat on a bale of hay with her legs spread. Her tight jeans clung to her like yoga pants and her light yellow button down shirt was barely mussed up from the hard work they had been doing on the farm. “Why wait for tonight?” She patted the hay next to her.
Aspen walked over to her, cupped her chin in her hand and then bent over to gently kiss her. “You are so bad.” She whirled a strand of Wren’s hair around her finger and kept their faces in close contact, but didn’t move forward, waiting for Wren to get impatient and grab her. It didn’t take long.
“Come here.” Wren yanked Aspen close to her, cradling her between her legs.
When Aspen pulled away she giggled at a stray piece of hay wedged in Wren’s hair. She took it out and dropped it on the ground. “Do I look easy to you or something?” She shoved Wren backward and straddled her.
“Don’t know about you, but I sure am…when it comes to you.” She yanked her to her lips and started unbuttoning her shirt.
“Aspen?” A voice sounded from outside the barn. “Are you there?”
Aspen jumped off Wren and refastened the newly detached buttons.
“Who’s that?” Wren stood up and started brushing the hay from her clothing.
“It sounds like Trigg.”
They looked at each other in shock.
“What’s he doing here?”
“I have no idea.” Aspen tried to wipe the hay off Wren’s back.
“Aspen?” Trigg called out again.
“Hold on a sec. Be right there.” She took a deep breath before opening the barn door. “Hey, Trigg.” She stepped out, trying to pull the door closed behind her, but it was even more stubborn than Trigg.
Wren hid off to the side and behind the door, not sure if she should make a sound.
“There you are, Aspen.” He ran up to her and lifted her in a tight squeeze. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Aspen didn’t reciprocate the hug and Trigg set her down.
“You’re not still mad at me are ya?”
“Trigg, what do you want?”
“I just wanted to see you, is all. Ain’t nothing wrong with that, is there?”
“Well, I don’t want you just showin’ up here whenever. I would prefer you call first.” She could see Steve sitting in Trigg’s tow truck and gave him a quick smile with a nod.
He smiled with a quick wave back at her.
“Don’t be so difficult, Aspen. I’ve been helping your dad here while you’ve been away. When he said you would be coming back home soon I just thought....”
“We appreciate the help, Trigg, but I still prefer you’d call first.”
“Well, Steve and I were planning to go have us some lunch and thought you might like to come.”
“I can’t. Got chores.”
“I can help you with the chores when we get back. Get you caught up and stuff.”
“Not today, Trigg. But thanks.”
“Oh, come on.” He tugged at her arm and she yanked her hand back.
“I said no.”
“Get in the darn truck, Aspen. Don’t need to be so difficult. It’ll be fun.” He gripped her wrist and squeezed.
“She said no, Trigg.” Wren stepped through the doorway and stood next to Aspen.
Aspen closed her eyes for a couple seconds, taking in a deep breath.
Trigg let go of Aspen and took a step back. “Oh, I see how it is. You brought your…whatever it is you call her.” Trigg’s fist tightened and Steve instantly got out of the cab of the truck to stand by Trigg’s side.
“Come on, Buddy,” Steve said. “Aspen’s obviously busy.” He gave a friendly nod at Wren, but couldn’t hide his anxiety.
“This is none of your business.” Trigg shoved his friend backward. He probably weighed twice as much as Steve.
“Don’t be like that, Man.”
“Look at these two sluts,” Trigg said between clenched teeth. “Can you believe this?”
“Don’t do or say something you’ll regret,” Steve warned him. “Wren is a great person. Give her a chance.” He looked at Wren nervously.
“She’s a damn home wrecker is what she is. She thinks cause she’s some sort of celebrity she can do whatever the hell she wants and it don’t matter.” His face turned a fiery red as he stared at Wren. “Don’t you have some fancy place you can go to besides hanging out in our little town here? You don’t belong here.”
“She belongs wherever I am, Trigg.” Aspen’s words almost came with a hiss. “I love her.” She grabbed Wren’s hand and held it. She stood tall, but Trigg still towered over her.
Trigg’s chest puffed when he stared down at the embrace. “That just ain’t right.” He shook his head back and forth. “You two disgust me.” He looked like he had just eaten a sour grape.
“I don’t care what you think,” Aspen snapped. “Who I choose to love has nothing to do with you.” She squeezed Wren’s hand tighter and Wren squeezed back.
“Just try and understand, Trigg. This is not about you.” Wren’s calm voice attempted to reason with him. “Can’t you see Aspen isn’t trying to hurt you? She is simply following her heart.”
The tone of her words didn’t seem to matter. “She don’t know what her heart wants and you’re just confusing her with your fame and money.”
The sincerity in Wren’s face turned sour. Aspen was the only person to never ask her for anything, but her heart. “Just get out of here, Trigg. Steve is right. You’re just going to make things worse because you refuse to listen to what Aspen is trying to tell you.”
“Don’t even talk to me, you little skank,” he yelled at Wren. “You think you’re so smart because you’re some sort of big city movie star. You don’t mean shit here.” His fists tightened again and he took a step toward her.
Aspen immediately got in front of Wren. “Back off, Trigg!” She yelled. “I’m not gonna let you touch her.”
“Like I’m gonna take orders from you.” He grabbed the front of her shirt and yanked her to the side. He didn’t let go of the front of Aspen’s shirt, keeping her pressed to the side. As he drew his fist up, threatening to strike Wren, the sound of a cocking shotgun got everyone’s attention.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Cole stood on the wrap-around porch with the shotgun aimed right at Trigg. No one had even heard him come out of the house.
“What, you’re gonna shoot me?” Trigg let go of Aspen while lowering his fist.
“I think it best you go home, Trigg.” Cole kept his aim on target.
“Come on, Trigg,” Steve pleaded. “Listen to him.”
“I told you to butt out,” Trigg said to Steve. He looked back up at Cole. “You’re gonna take Aspen’s side in all this? She’s crazy.” He twirled his finger around his ear. “I mean…you’re okay with all this? Her falling for another…girl?”
“Not just another girl, Trigg. Wren is like a second daughter to me.” The words came out fast, and after the initial surprise of speaking them aloud, he realized just how true they were.
Both Aspen and Wren looked up at Cole. They wanted to say something, but the air felt too thick, like an impending storm.
Trigg’s eyes squinted as his upper lip curled. “You’re just as crazy as she is, Old Man.”
Steve reached for Trigg’s wrist. “Come on. Let’s—”
Trigg spun around and punched his friend in the face. “Don’t touch me. Are you a fag, too?”
As Steve collapsed to the ground, Wren ran to his side and squatted down next to him. She looked up at Trigg. “Can you be any more of a jerk?” She yelled at him.
“Get off our property. Now!” Cole yelled at Trigg. “And don’t come back.”
Trigg l
ooked down at Steve and then over at Aspen. “I don’t plan on it.” He walked with long strides to his tow truck and peeled out, flipping dirt onto Wren and Steve when he sped by. Wren tried to deflect as much of the pebbled dirt from hitting Steve as she could, but several pieces landed on his shirt and jeans. She carefully wiped it off.
“Are you okay?” Aspen squatted down on Steve’s other side. She started wiping the dirt off of him as well.
“Not sure. That Trigg sure is a strong guy.” When he pulled his hand away from the left side of his face, his cheek was already swollen and turning into multiple shades of purple.
Wren and Aspen gasped at the sight.
“Better get in here and get some ice on that.” Cole had the shotgun pointed at the floorboards of the porch, but his finger still on the trigger. “Once we make sure you’re all right, we can take you home.”
Sandwiched between Wren and Aspen, Steve walked up the stairs. He felt dizzy and the left side of his face felt like it wore a tight pair of jeans.
“Thanks so much for sticking up for us, Steve.” Wren hugged his arm, not sure how he would take it. “I’m so sorry this happened to you. You really are a great guy.”
“I’ve known Trigg since we were little kids… enough to know that he’s not always right. I just want you to know that I don’t feel the same way he does. About the two of you, is what I mean.”
Aspen got a bag of ice from the freezer and brought it over to Steve. “Here, keep this on it.” She helped him position it on the bruise.
He winced at the touch. “Thanks.”
“I hope it’s not broken.”
“I think if he got any closer to my eye he would of broken the socket.”
“I think you’re right.”
Wren sat at the table, across from Steve. She watched him as he carefully put pressure on the bruise. A dark ring was already forming around his eye. “Looks like you’re going to have a nice shiner around that left eye of yours.” She almost sounded like a native of Christmas Valley. “I have some make-up that will cover that up if you’d like. What the heck? It might get some more people talking,” she joked.
He smiled. “Ouch! Don’t make me laugh, Wren.” He forced his face into normal position.
“Oh. So, sorry. My bad.”
“It’s all right. Really.” He gave a muffled giggle. He looked over at Cole who stood leaning against the sink with his arms folded in front of him. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kennedi. If I would have known how Trigg would’ve reacted I would have tried my best to convince him not to come.” He had no idea Wren would be in town as well.
“It’s not your fault, Steve. You aren’t responsible for Trigg’s actions. He should have known better.” His arms were still crossed.
Aspen glared at the shotgun lying across the countertop. “Dad, would you have really shot Trigg?”
Cole gave two slow nods with a look of seriousness on his face. Then the stern look lightened into a smile. Everyone noticed instantly.
“What is it?” Aspen couldn’t resist a smile. “What’s so funny?”
“Well, that shotgun I had aimed at him. It’s what I use to keep the coyotes away from the chickens. Don’t wanna kill ‘em. Just scare ‘em away.”
“Mission accomplished,” Wren said.
“Yeah,” Steve said. “I won’t deny that it made me all kinds of nervous.”
They laughed.
“Well, boy, I think we better take you home so you can explain all this to your mom.” Cole moved the shotgun by leaning it against the fridge.
“Yeah, she’s not going to be happy with Trigg. That’s for sure.”
Wren looked at Aspen and gave a quick nod at the door. Aspen agreed. “We’ll all take you home,” she said.
Wren got up and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “It’s the least we can do.” She gave him a hug. “Besides, don’t we have to make some plans about that lunch I owe you? What’s a good day for you?”
Steve patted her hand that draped across her shoulder. “I’ll have to check my schedule,” he joked as he stood up. “I’ll have my people call your people.”
~~@
Aspen ran her fingers across Wren’s bare stomach. The blanket they were laying on was all bunched up beneath them and Aspen could feel her leg being slightly pricked by the green grass beneath them. She propped up her cheek with her hand. “What are you thinking about?” She continued to draw little circles around Wren’s bellybutton.
“I’m thinking how beautiful it is here. It’s so quiet you can hear the crickets chirping and the coyotes howling.” Her gaze remained fixated on the night sky. “I mean, look at the sky. It’s like you can see every single star there is.” She turned her head to look at Aspen’s dark eyes staring into hers. “It’s so secluded we can even do this.” She motioned to their naked bodies.
Aspen dropped her head down next to Wren’s and looked up the sky with her. She took Wren’s hand in hers. “It sure is a special place. It makes it even better that you’re here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” She shifted onto her side so she could wrap herself around Aspen. “I could make love to you like this every night, for the rest of my life.”
“Is that a promise?”
“Absolutely. I promise.”
Aspen smiled. “So when are we going to build our own home together?”
“Whenever you’re ready. Just say the word.”
“I’m more than ready. I mean, the thought of making love to you out here in the dark every night makes me nervous.”
Wren’s head shot back. “It does?”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “You know how cold it gets here in winter.”
Wren laughed. “Yes, indeed I do.”
“I think we better have a huge fireplace for the colder nights. What do you think?”
“I think that sounds amazingly good.” She ran her fingers across the thin blond hairs on Aspen’s arm.
“Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you hear what Dad said about you when he was kicking Trigg off our property?”
“I sure did.”
“I knew he couldn’t help but love you, too.”
“Well that’s good, because I sure do think the world of him. I love him, too.”
“Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think there’s any way we can get out of going to the premier in a few weeks?” It seemed the question came out of nowhere, but the thought had weighed heavily on her mind since returning home. “I’d rather just rent the movie when it comes out and watch it with you here.”
“Yeah, right. I hardly doubt that will go over well with Producer Szekely and Director Wolff.”
“True.”
They paused to listen to the coyotes in the far distance.
“Wren?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you move your leg a little? It’s making mine fall asleep.”
“Asleep?” Wren crawled back on top of Aspen and gave her a long kiss. “I think I have an idea that will help wake it back up.”
Chapter 17 – Hollywood Premiere
Aspen felt faint. Per Producer Szekely’s request, she hadn’t seen Wren since the day before, when they got into L.A. She didn’t miss Hollywood whatsoever and after being away for several weeks, riding through town made her feel even more anxious. She felt his rules were completely ridiculous under the circumstances, but Wren assured her, ‘the game’, she called it, would almost be over.
“You okay?” Malachi looked handsome in his tuxedo. He was seated in the backseat of the black SUV with her as they were being chauffeured to the Chinese Theater.
Aspen nodded. She had dreaded attending the premiere ever since it was mentioned on set the last day of filming. The last few weeks with Wren in Christmas Valley made it even tougher for her to want to be back in L.A. “I’m trying to be.” She pretended to smile.
“It’s going to be fine, Aspen. Once Wren and JT get out of the li
mo and the crowd goes wild, we’ll get to join them seconds later while hundreds of screaming fans holler how much they love us.” He nudged her before wrapping his strong arm around her shoulder and giving her a gentle squeeze.
She sunk into his arm. Who knew they would become so close after such a rough start when they first met on set? “I just wish the four of us could just ride in together, all at once, and get it over with. This breaking it up in segments and being apart from each other is freaking me out.”
“Well, Zoltan feels this will make the most impact.”
“I guess.”
“How is life back on the farm treating you ladies?”
“It’s wonderful.” Just the thought of home made her feel warm inside. “The paparazzi are a total nonissue in Christmas Valley and we can think and do for ourselves.” She paused. “We did have some kids try and come on to our property uninvited, but once we invited them in and had a serious talk about how much trouble they could be in if we called the authorities, they haven’t been bothering us anymore.”
“You had some kids trespass?”
Aspen nodded. “Yeah, little Billy and his friend Oscar. Said they were offered some money from some people in California to get pictures of Wren and I working the farm together. The chickens let us know they were sneaking around outside and my dad confronted them. They were so scared they turned the color of a pair of sheets. Then my dad lightened things up by inviting them into the house for some iced tea. They accepted and as they continued on with their conversation, my dad offered them some farm jobs to make some extra money. Now they come over every few days to help with any chores my dad gives them. They’re sweet little kids.”
Malachi chuckled.
“How ‘bout you? Have you been having to fend off the paparazzi?”
“Nah. That’s not much of an issue for me; one of the many reasons I love being a stunt double. We’re not as sought out as the actors.” He thought for a moment. “You know—come to think of it—this is actually my first invite to a premiere. I think the publicity between you and Wren has certainly given our kind a bit of popularity.”
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