Love Unclaimed

by Jennifer Benson

  “You are a very lucky girl.” Scotty winked at Audree, and she blushed knowing Gavin was watching them. Audree was sure Scotty could also feel Gavin’s heated glare. She was also sure that Gavin witnessed the cell phone exchange and watched Scotty put the phone back in his pocket.

  “Momma, can we go home and go swimming?”

  “That sounds like a great idea.” Gavin pulled his horse next to Audree’s. “No bikinis, though,” he growled and moved away from her. “I’ll race ya back,” he directed at Eva.

  “Where did Ruby and Harry go?” Audree turned in her saddle looking for Ruby and Harry. “Let me call her so they can meet us back at the house, too. And I’ll call Travis.” She laughed, thinking about what Ruby and Harry might be up to, as she pulled out her cell phone. “As soon as we get the horses taken care of, we can make a BBQ out of it.” She smiled at Scotty.

  “Uncle Gavin grills a really mean steak,” Eva blurted out, causing Audree to turn and laugh at him as she walked the horse up next to her daughter. “Eva, do you want a head start, or is this all even? Last one there has to wipe all the horses down?” She smiled over her shoulder at Gavin, then Scotty. She lowered her sunglasses and winked at Eva, telling her to take a head start.

  “I want the head start.” She giggled at her mother. “You have to count to twenty before you start.” With that, she turned her horse in the direction of her house. “Ready, set …,” she was gone before she said start.

  “One, two, three… ten…” Audree kicked her horse’s side.

  “Damn it, Audree, can you ever be fair?” Gavin called behind her after her horse had taken off. “She always cheats.” He laughed and kicked his own horse, before a stunned Scotty could even move. “If you don’t get going sometime soon, you will be washing down all four horses,” Gavin called back to him, with a laugh, knowing he could out run Scotty, but that Audree was the one to beat.

  ***

  “So you left Scotty to clean all four horses?” Ruby laughed, sipping her beer.

  “No, I stayed down and took care of Star and Sun.” Gavin smiled at Audree, who had Eva on her lap. Eva was in her nightgown, and Audree was combing her wet hair. “As usual, Audree cheated.” He tipped his beer bottle in her direction, smiling.

  “Momma didn’t cheat!” Eva yelped.

  “Yes, I did, baby, but so did Uncle Gavin. He ditched the last man back and then tried to bump my horse. That is an automatic forfeit.” Audree stuck her tongue out at Gavin.

  “The bumping is a bullsh… is a dumb rule,” Travis said from one of the lounge chair rafts in the pool. “Sorry, Eva.”

  “You owe me a dollar, Uncle Travis.” She laughed and clapped her hands.

  “That doesn’t count. I only said three quarters of the word,” he objected.

  “Then you owe me seventy-five cents.” She put her hand out toward him.

  “You’ll have to get me tomorrow, kiddo, no pockets.” He patted his swim trunks.

  “Speaking of tomorrow, you have school, young lady.” Audree kissed the back of Eva’s head and pulled her into a hug.

  “Two more weeks and I’m outta there.” She giggled and threw her hand up in the air and danced around excitedly.

  “Yup, two more weeks then we put you to work on the farm.” She laughed when Eva stopped dancing and put her hands on her hips. “Kids will be here tomorrow, so you have to change as soon as you get home, if you want to hang out with them before dinner,” Audree said as she started to stand up.

  “I want Uncle Gavin to read me a story.” Eva smiled at Audree then at Gavin.

  “Haven’t you had enough of me yet, kid?” He winked at her when she shook her head.

  “I will be up in a bit to tuck you in.” She hugged Eva as she moved toward Gavin. “Say goodnight to everyone.”

  “Goodnight, Uncle Travis.” Eva waved to him.

  “I’ll come up with your momma and kiss you goodnight, princess.” He blew her a kiss from his raft.

  “Goodnight, Aunt Ruby.” Eva walked over to the side of the pool where Ruby and Harry were sitting with their legs in the water.

  “Goodnight, sweetie.” Ruby hugged Eva.

  “Goodnight Mr. Harry, Mr. Scotty.” Eva waved to the two men who both tipped their baseball caps at her.

  “Goodnight, Miss Eva,” they said in unison.

  “Piggy back, Uncle Gavin.” She laughed, taking his hand as they made their way from the pool and headed toward the house.

  “You are getting too big for piggy back ride.” He laughed as she jumped on his back.

  “No I’m not. I saw you give Momma a piggy back ride to the barn the last time you were here, after you were out riding.” All eyes went from Gavin and Eva to Audree, whose face turned at least four shades of red before she looked down at Eva’s wet towel in her lap.

  “Anyone want another beer?” Audree asked, getting up and moving to the cooler at the end of the pool. When no one answered, she tossed her empty bottle into the recycle bin by the grill then grabbed another bottle.

  “Who wants to go swimming in the lake tonight?” Ruby jumped up, breaking the now awkward silence.

  “I’d love to, but I gotta get in and call Trudy; she was out wedding shopping all day today.”

  “Ugh, whatever,” Ruby said, not at all hiding her dislike for Trudy. “Yet again, too good to come hang out with us common folk.” She rolled her eyes when Travis flipped her the bird.

  “I got the kids and work tomorrow, and only four and half more weeks till I gotta leave with Eva, so I have to make sure everything is in order.” Audree sat down on the edge of the pool and started swinging her legs in the water.

  “You and Eva going on a trip?” Scotty asked, sitting down next to Audree who shot a look at Ruby, begging her not to leave.

  “Well, we are headed out to see the lake and then Harry is going to take me back to my house for a nightcap.” Ruby chuckled when Audree glared at her. “I’ll come over tomorrow and we can talk more about the barn expansion and catering needs,” she kissed Audree on top of the head. “Love ya, girl.” She took Harry’s hand and they made their way from the pool. “Trav, will you be around to brainstorm some ideas?”

  “Should be.” He dropped his empty bottle into the bin and followed Ruby and Harry, stopping at Audree. “Don’t tease Gavin too badly.” He laughed and kissed the top of her head.

  “Still no declaration, so all is fair in love and war.” She bent her head to look at the water. “Don’t forget to say goodnight to Eva; she’s probably making Gavin read her a hundred stories since she feels the need to cram them all in while he is here.” She laughed.

  ***

  What the hell is she doing down there with that guy? Really? I’m still here and she is flirting with some stupid bastard she just met! Is this what she does when I’m not around? Not that I have any right to question her; I’m not around and she is not mine. But… but, nothing, she is not mine. Yes, we have sex when I come here, but we never sleep in the same bed afterwards. I wait until she falls asleep then leave or take her back to her own bed. I fight like hell with myself not to stay with her; I know I can’t. I’m such an asshole! I need this business with my father done and then maybe there might be a chance. Of course, no one had ever mentioned the bride-to-be’s name was Trudy Meager. I never knew the girl’s last name and knew that father had never told Travis about that stupid agreement. I thought Travis had just met some random girl and was going to marry her. Damn it! Travis has never mentioned the deal with Meager, so I don’t think he knows about it. Not that it would stop him, he’s such a pleaser. Poor kid has always been looking to please dear old father. He was always hoping he could get Father to show him that he was worthy and that Father was proud of him.

  That fucker down there had better not lay a single finger on Audree or I’ll…son-of-a-bitch, better not touch her!

  “Gav, instead of peeping through the window, why don’t you go get your girl?” Travis questioned, standing behind Gavin, who sto
od in the dark office overlooking the pool.

  “She is not my girl,” Gavin grumbled.

  “You keep telling yourself that.” Travis turned to walk away. “If she was my girl, I sure as hell wouldn’t be leaving her out there alone with Scotty.”

  “What the fuck does that mean?” Gavin turned and followed Travis out of the office.

  “It means that Scotty is single and a nice guy and Audree deserves a nice guy in her life. In a couple of months, I’ll be married and I doubt I’ll be spending as much time here as I do now.” He shrugged.

  “What, you are just going to ditch the Edwards’ farm and ranch after you get married?”

  “Audree doesn’t really get along with Trudy.”

  “So you are marrying a girl that doesn’t like your best friend,” Gavin shook his head. “That’s fucked up! Audree’s your family.”

  “Audree gave me her blessing.”

  “Travis, how did you meet Trudy?”

  “Are you kidding me? You want to question my relationship with Trudy, now? You have never shown any interest in her before.”

  “I was under the impression she was a friend of Audree or Ruby’s. Isn’t she the same age as you guys? Hell, isn’t her farm the next one over?”

  “Trudy is a year younger than us and isn’t really a farm girl. She went to some boarding school.” Travis wiggled his eyebrows.

  “Do you believe all the movies you watch?” Gavin shook his head in disbelief. “The naked sleepovers, the nights they teach each other how to kiss and feel each other up.” He laughed.

  “Don’t break my heart now. Trudy is making me wait until our wedding night to go all the way,” he sighed, rubbing his crotch. “I have taken more cold showers in the past couple of weeks, since she has cut me off completely until after the wedding; kissing only, she says, ugh.”

  “You are such a sucker.”

  “She thinks it’s romantic.”

  “I think it sounds like torture.” Gavin chuckled. “So when do I get to meet the lucky lady? I mean, I think I should meet my soon to be sister-in-law before the big day,” he was itching to get a look at Trudy in person. He also wondered if she knew about the agreement their fathers had made.

  “I’ll have to ask her about her schedule, between all the wedding nonsense, I hardly see her myself. Maybe this weekend we could all go to town and meet at Author’s Pub, make a night of it.”

  “Sounds good, let me know.”

  “Go ahead, go check on the woman that you claim isn’t yours.” Travis put his hand out to Gavin. “I’m going to go check on Eva.” He pulled Gavin in for a man hug and walked up the stairs. “Night, Gavin.”

  “Night, Trav.”

  ***

  “Well, goodnight, Scotty.” Audree stood up on her toes, slipped her arm around his waist and leaned in for a half hug type thing. She heard him inhale the scent of her hair and smiled before she pulled away from him.

  “I really would like to come and see the kids tomorrow; see what the rehab place is all about. Maybe you could tell me how you got the idea for it and got it up and running.” He pulled her back to him when she went to step away. “I think it is totally cool that you use your farm for such a good cause.” He took her hand and squeezed it as she walked him toward the edge of the patio and the steps.

  “Thanks, my brother and Gavin had a friend who was in a car accident when he was a kid. I remember him getting on a horse for the first time afterward and he was like a new person. He had to use a custom saddle, but he had the happiest look on his face. Lizzy, Travis and Gavin’s mother, was the one who helped me make my final decision about what I wanted to do. When she was sick, I would take my horse over to her house and she would just light up. She was too sick to actually ride, but she still loved to watch them move. She was a true horsewoman. I knew then what I wanted the farm to be.” She looked over Scotty’s shoulder, proudly, in the direction of the stables.

  “And now, with you extending the barn for Ruby’s catering hall, you will be a huge success in the party business, too. You are a surprising young woman.” He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “I look forward to getting to know you much better, Miss Edwards.”

  “Why, thank you, kind sir.” She felt uncomfortable and confusingly relaxed at his closeness. She felt the tickle of the whiskers brushing against her skin. “Goodnight, Scotty,” she said, stepping away from him. “Travis will be here if you want to stop by for breakfast in the morning.”

  “I just might do that. Goodnight, Audree.” He waved and walked away.

  ***

  “Fucking bastard!” Gavin thought, as he stood in the dark office watching their exchange.

  It was a busy couple of weeks for Audree, what with Eva’s excitement of school ending, talking over expansion plans and designs with Ruby and Travis, Audree’s upcoming trip to the west coast with Eva, and Gavin’s foul mood. Audree had noticed his moodiness the Monday morning after their barbeque by the pool. Eva had left for school and Audree started getting her things together before she headed down to the stable.

  “There is a breakfast plate for you in the oven, staying warm; the coffee is made and Eva said to give you this.” She kissed him on the cheek on her way out of the back door.

  “Good morning to you, too,” he grumbled as he made his way to the oven and started to pull the plate out. “Shit!”

  “Oh, the plate is hot, Gavin.” She turned around and handed him a potholder. “It was in the oven to keep everything hot.” She pulled the plate out and placed it onto the counter as he pulled a mug from the cabinet. “Did you sleep alright? You look exhausted.”

  “No, I slept like shit!”

  “I’m sorry. Don’t you feel well?” She went to touch for his forehead, and he pulled away from her, glaring.

  “I’m fine. I just couldn’t relax.” He glanced down at her well-worn cowboy boots, her well-fitting jeans, and the snug t-shirt that clung to her round breasts. “Do you always dress like that for work?” He took a sip of his coffee and eyed her up and down again, this time with a raised eyebrow.

  “The fact that my office is in a horse stable means that my Versace dress just doesn’t go with these boots.” She kicked him in the butt as he walked past her. “Why don’t you go back to bed and take a nap? Maybe you can wake up in a better mood. Eva won’t be home till this afternoon, she only has a half day.” She shrugged when he looked back at her. “Travis is already down at the barn with his measuring tape and clipboard,” she said as she gathered up a pile of folders from the counter.

  “So if we have the house to ourselves why are we not together in my bed?” He had moved up behind her so quietly she hadn’t noticed until his hands were around her waist, pulling her shirt from the waistband of her jeans, and nuzzling her neck.

  “Gavin,” she said breathlessly, trying not to rub her bottom against him. I need more from you. I want more from you. I cannot do this anymore. I don’t want just sex with you.

  ***

  “Don’t answer that phone,” he said as he ground his erection into the small of her back and smiling into her neck at her moan, just as the house phone rang across the room, again.

  “Morning, beautiful lady.” Scotty’s voice came through the speaker of the answering machine. Gavin tensed behind her and the hands on her hips tightened into fists. “Just wanted to let you know Harry and I stopped by the barn with coffee and homemade muffins from Ruby. She said she should be here in about an hour and you had better have your ass down at the office by then.” He laughed. “I swear those were her words not mine, but I hope you’ll be down here soon; Travis and Harry have been eyeing the last two muffins. I’m trying to hold them off, but there are two of them and only one of me. See ya soon, Audree.” The smile in his voice could be heard clearly.

  “We can be done in way less than hour,” Gavin whispered into her ear and took a nip at her ear lobe.

  “I have to go, Gavin.” She pushed his body back with her bottom and slipped a
way from him. She couldn’t even look back at him and she quickly moved to the door. “Come down when you are done with your breakfast.” She opened the door. “I’ll be at the barn then the stables. Eva should be home around two o’clock,” she said and disappeared through the door.

  That prick is getting on my last nerve. He called her beautiful. My girl, he is hitting on my girl. Gavin looked down at the plate of food she had put aside for him and had to count to ten before he could control the need to throw it across the room.

  ***

  “What the hell did you do to Gavin?” Ruby asked, standing next to Audree while they both looked at the drawing that Travis had placed in front of them, the drawing that illustrated his ideas for the barn expansion.

  “What? Nothing. I didn’t….” She stopped as she heard the slam of the door on the truck Travis shared with Gavin and Clint when they were at the farm.

  “Gavin!” Travis yelled after his brother; he threw his hand up in the air when Gavin pulled away without responding to him. “What the fuck?” He turned back toward Audree, met her eyes, and shook his head when she dropped her eyes to the papers spread out on the table in front of her. “What was that about?” He waited by her side, expectantly.

  “I have no idea.” She looked from Travis to Ruby. “I left him in the kitchen with his breakfast.” She shrugged and looked down at the table.

  “Does this have something to do with you and Scotty sitting outside last night?”

  “What? No. Why would you ask that? Nothing happened. We were sitting there talking.” Audree looked back and forth between Ruby and Travis. “What? Nothing happened,” she sighed. “The two of you have been telling me for years to let go of this ‘thing’ with Gavin. You keep saying that I should go out and have fun. Well, now there’s someone I might be able to have fun with, someone who is not afraid to talk to me when Gavin is around. Scotty isn’t threatened by Gavin like every other man in town is. He is a nice guy. I didn’t say anything was going to happen.” She let out a deep breath. “Hell, I don’t even think I could let anything happen, right now, but it is nice to be able to talk to a man and not feel pressure to…”