by Trejo, Erin
So instead, I curl into his warm embrace, close my eyes, and breathe in his scent. I just got him, now am I going to lose him?
10
Gentry
“You could help me instead of staring at my perfect ass, you know?” I tell Hope as I pull weeds from my mom’s garden. Hope stands behind me, watching my ass like it might jump up and grab her.
“I like this view the best,” she says with a shrug.
“A lot of help you are.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“If you want me to fuck you, Hope, just say the words. You don’t need to ask, come get it.”
“That’s not what I wanted,” she laughs.
“What is it then?”
“You mentioned that Clover was working here. Do you still talk to her?” Peeking over my shoulder at her, I shake my head and grin.
“You jealous? Of Clover?”
“No! I am not jealous, I’m just curious is all.”
“No, you are jealous. Do you think Clover can top you?” I ask standing from the dirt and eyeing her with my hands on my hips.
“Just shut up, Gentry.”
“Hope! Something came in the mail for you,” my mom calls to her.
She turns to look when my mom walks over with a box, passing it to her. I’m curious now since she hasn’t gotten any mail here before today and she’s been here for months.
“What is it?” I ask when I step up next to her.
“I have no idea. It’s from California though.” She tries to rip at the tape, cutting her finger. I grab it and bring it to my lips, pressing a long kiss to it before pulling my pocket knife out and cutting through the tape for her.
“Thanks.”
I give her a wink as she tears into the box. Suddenly her face pales and the box falls to the ground. Little cards and envelopes scatter over the grass when I bend down and pick one up.
“What the hell is this?” I ask as I read it over and over and over. I feel like I’m going crazy here. She told me they were through. She said she sent Lance away so why the hell am I standing here holding invitations to their wedding in my hands?
“I don’t know what he’s thinking, Gentry. I had nothing to do with this,” she says, her voice trembling. I reach for her and pull her into me, holding her close.
“What exactly did you tell him that night?”
“I said we were over. That I cared about him but I couldn’t be with him because he’s a cheater and my heart wasn’t in it,” she says all in one breath. Her body trembles in my arms, but I keep her pressed against me.
“He’s never sent you anything else?”
“No. Never.”
“Okay. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to throw these away. You good with that?” She nods her head and I release her to pick up the mess on the ground. After I have them all back in the box, I storm to the front of the house tossing them in the closest trash can I can find. I turn back to her and see the lost look in her eyes.
“Why would he do that?”
“He can’t get over you? Control? I don’t know, Hope.”
“I don’t want him, Gentry.”
“I know you don’t. Come here,” I tell her holding my arms open for her. She rushes into them, wrapping her arms around my waist as I hold her closely once more.
“What if he comes back?” she whispers into my chest, causing me to laugh. “He’s going to have a bad day if he shows up here again, baby.”
“What do you mean?” She pulls her head back and glances up at me.
“Just what I said. I will beat his ass if he shows up here again, Hope. He said his part, didn’t he?” She nods. “And you told him to leave, right?” Another nod. “Then if he shows back up uninvited I’m going to make him regret it.” The slight curve of her lips call to me. I lean down and press mine to hers and kiss her so passionately that there is no room for anyone else. Her tongue forces its way past my lips and into my mouth where I gladly allow it. The noises leaving her throat do little more than spur me on and I can’t take anymore. Lifting her in my arms, I walk toward the barn with her wrapped around me. I climb into the hayloft with her clinging to my body before I lay her down.
“Tell me.”
“Tell you what?” she asks gazing up at me.
“Tell me you love me,” I demand as I pull her shorts down her legs and make short work of my jeans.
“I love you, Gentry.”
That’s all I needed. I grab my dick and line up, thrusting into her as she moans my name. Her fingers move over my flesh, up my chest and over my shoulders as my eyes roll back in my head. Just feeling her touching me excites me beyond anything I’ve ever felt before. Each time I thrust, she moans. Each time she moans, I find it harder to control myself. I begin moving harder and faster inside of her all the while her breathing picks up and her nails dig into my skin. The burn is there and I wouldn’t want it any other way as I fill her full of me. When I lean down to kiss her once more, she smiles.
“You’re lucky I’m on the pill.”
“I’m just lucky in general.” I smirk at her.
Hope
I plucked hay out of my ass for an hour after Gentry’s little exhibition in the hay loft. I’m not complaining. I can’t get enough of that man.
“Hope? You in here?” I hear Betty calling to me. I close my laptop and stand, heading to the living room where she stands with a vase full of roses.
“Those are beautiful!” I exclaim when she shakes her head.
“They are from Lance, honey.”
Shaking my head, I step back not wanting to be in the same air as they are. I don’t know what he’s trying to pull but I want no part of it. My stomach tumbles when the door opens and Gentry strides in. Covered in dirt from working the ranch, he looks like pure perfection. His eyes move from mine to his mom to the roses before coming back to mine. I open my mouth to say something but he already knows. Grabbing the vase from his mom’s hands, he pushes back out the door. It only takes a second when we hear the glass shatter. Betty jolts but I move toward the door when she stops me.
“I sure hope that man is smarter than to show up here again,” she tells me.
I nod my head. I agree. I have no doubt that Gentry will do just as he said he would. My emotions are already running high after all that I’ve found out about Gentry. I haven’t had the guts to confront him just yet either. I step out onto the porch and that’s when I see it. The car coming down the driveway. Gentry chuckles.
“Pretty boy isn’t as smart as he looks,” he grumbles under his breath.
I stand in a stunned silence watching the car as it pulls to a stop. Lance climbs out dressed in a suit and tie. He adjusts his jacket as he walks toward me, a smile on his face. It isn’t there for long when he spots Gentry.
“What are you doing here?” Gentry asks him. His eyes move from me to him and back.
“This is between me and my fiancée.”
“Your fiancée?” Gentry laughs not letting me get a word in. Not that I have anything to say really.
“Yes, she is my fiancée. We are going to be married. Hope, I know that’s what you’ve always wanted and I didn’t. I’m ready now. I’m ready to give you the world,” he says gazing over at me. My mouth is suddenly dry. I don’t know what to say to him. He’s crazy.
“I told you we were over, Lance.”
“I know what you said but did you get the flowers?” he asks. Gentry chuckles and kicks the roses on the ground toward him.
“What about the invitations?”
“Are you seriously coming onto my property to harass her? She said she didn’t want you, city boy. Take the hint and walk before I make you go.” The muscles in Gentry’s jaw tics. I know he’s mad by the way his nostrils are flaring.
“I’m not leaving without her!” Lance bellow like an entitled, angry child.
That was all it took. Gentry rushes him, punching him in the face. Lance immediately falls to the ground. Gentry doesn’t even gi
ve him a chance to get up or defend himself. He hits, he punches, and he roars. When I see all the blood on his hands, I rush over and try to pull him off.
“Gentry, stop!”
“You think you can come around here and lie to my girl? You think you can cheat on her and lie to her face about loving her?” He growls before throwing another punch. Lance’s face is bleeding badly when I finally pull Gentry back. Anger sweeps over me. He has a lot of room to talk about lying after I what I found out.
“Just leave, Lance! I don’t want you. Don’t come around here anymore! You need to go,” I tell him while simultaneously pushing Gentry’s heaving body back toward the house. When I get him far enough away, he wraps his arms around me, pulling me roughly against him in a dominant sort of way. I get it, the pissing contest, but this is ridiculous.
“You’re hurting me,” I whisper and his arms loosen some. His breathing is still sporadic, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I hear the car start up before I can hear rocks being thrown up from the tires as Lance hauls ass out of here.
“What was that?” I ask shoving at Gentry when he finally releases me.
“I warned you what would happen if he showed up here again.”
“You’re crazy!”
“No, I love you. And he’s a liar!”
“And you’re not?” I snap at him. His eyes soften as he looks at me with so much love I feel like I’m suffocating.
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Hope. I love you.”
“I’m going to bed.”
“Can I come with you?” he asks, breaking my heart a little more. I nod my head and walk inside the front door as Betty watches the scene unfold.
“Goodnight, Betty.”
“Goodnight, Hope.”
Hauling myself down the hall and into the bedroom, I drop straight into the bed. This has been a day from hell.
11
Gentry
The past few days have consisted of me being inside Hope or her being wrapped up in my arms. I know she was angry with me, but that didn’t stop me from taking her every chance I got. I never wanted that time to end but there is work to do. Somehow I feel like keeping her close will keep her with me. I don’t think I can handle losing her again. I was out in the barn with Dawson when I see her coming. My heart jumps to life until I see the look on her face. Is she still mad at me? I said I was sorry more than once.
“What’s wrong?” I ask when she’s close enough. I start to reach for her but she throws her hand up to stop me.
“Why would you let me go on and search when you already knew?” she asks looking hurt.
“What are you talking about?”
Hope licks her lips and lets her words fly causing them to nearly rip me in half.
“Waterhouse, Inc. Why didn’t you just tell me it was you, Gentry? Why did you lie to me?”
Damn it! How did she find that out? When did she find out? Is that why she called me a liar too? Has she known this whole time?
“I didn’t lie, Hope. I just never told you. There’s a difference.”
“Lies by omission, Gentry! How could you do that? You know how much this article means to me,” she says crossing her arms over her chest.
“And you know how much the anonymity means to me. This isn’t up for discussion, Hope.”
“Don’t you do that! Don’t you turn your back on me, Gentry Weston! You lied to my face. You had your friend lie to me, too. What is wrong with you?”
I spin back around and reach for her, pulling her into my arms. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, I sigh.
“I didn’t want that article run. I didn’t want anyone knowing who I was or what those clubs meant. My dad helped me get to where I was in life. We started the business together, but he was always a rancher. I took over and made those clubs what they were. They felt homey because that’s how I wanted them to feel, but I didn’t want any of the attention falling back on the ranch. My parents worked hard to make this ranch what it is today, Hope. They didn’t want that kind of publicity.”
“Why not?”
“Because we aren’t the same as city people. We don’t need the attention. We work for what we have the old fashioned way. We go out and talk to others, we make friends. We don’t want things handed to us because of some name attached or how much publicity we have. This ranch is all they had. What if I pissed someone off with the clubs? What if they knew that I was involved in the ranch? They could have come out here, put some big spin on the ranch and the club. I know how the media works and I wanted no part of it, Hope.”
She pulls out of my arms and glares at me. We stand here in silence neither of us knowing what to say next.
“That job means everything to me,” she says, keeping her tone even.
“I’m sorry, Hope.”
“The whole time all of my writing has lead up to this point in my life, Gentry. I have wanted to prove my worth to Night Life Magazine since I started writing. This story was supposed to be my way in.”
I can see the hurt in her eyes and it kills me to know that I’m part of the reason it’s there but I can’t let her do this.
“I’m sorry, Hope, but I can’t let you write that piece,” I tell her honestly.
“I told you I loved you, Gentry. I confessed to you that I have loved you for a long time.” She stops and looks off into the distance. My chest aches but I don’t know why. I have no words for her, no cocky remarks at this moment.
“But you aren’t the country girl anymore. I get it, Hope, I do.”
“No, you don’t! This wasn’t supposed to be my life. I was supposed to be writing for the magazine and living in a fancy apartment. I was supposed to be married and thinking about having a baby. I was supposed to be happy and smiling and God knows what else!”
“And yet here you are riding the dirty cowboy,” I finish for her.
“It’s not like that and you know it.”
“Then how is it, Hope? Because I don’t really know anymore. I’m willing to give you everything I have, but you are too damn blind to see it! I don’t know what else you want from me.”
“I don’t know, Gentry! I don’t know what I want from you,” she confesses brokenly.
In my heart I’d like to think that was a lie. I want her to know, I want her to say that she loves me and wants to be with me forever. I want her to say that it doesn’t matter where we are as long as we’re finally together, but I don’t get any of that because Hope has never been a country girl. She has never been one to settle for anything that she didn’t want one hundred percent, and sadly for me, that’s what’s happening here. She doesn’t know that she wants me one hundred percent.
I see the tears forming in her eyes and it breaks my heart. I grab her and pull her into my arms as she sobs.
“I know you’re confused, Hope. I know this is hard on you but I love you. You know that much. I would do anything and I mean anything for you but you can’t ask me to let you run that article. This ranch, it’s all I have left of him. Don’t you see that?” She cries harder and I wish things were different but they aren’t. I pull back cupping her face in my hands before leaning in and kissing her salty lips and whispering, “I love you, Hope Birch.”
Hope
I stand here with tears streaming down my cheeks watching the birds fly around the pond. My heart is torn in half and I don’t know which way to turn.
“You seem lost,” Betty says stepping up next to me.
“I feel like I am.”
“He loves you, honey.”
“I know.”
“He told me about the article. There’s a time in our lives that we have to think long and hard about what’s most important to us. Love can only get us so far in life, but if we aren’t truly happy with what we have there’s a problem. Decisions have to be made and some you might not like, but trust me, I understand.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, turning to look at her.
“Sit with me.” We both sit in the grass when she
takes my hand. “I didn’t grow up here in Arizona. I grew up right outside of Hollywood. I was well on my way to being a fashion designer. A friend of mine asked me to go on a trip with her to see her parents and I did. I met Gentry’s dad at the local feed store. It was love at first sight. I had a choice to make and it wasn’t easy. I could have gone back home and started my designing career or I could stay and see how things played out.”
“You stayed,” I whisper.
“I stayed and it was the best decision of my life. I loved his dad something fierce but I often found that I regretted not going back to what I loved. However, I never once regretted him. I may have wanted to design but what I found in Jonas was everything I was missing in my heart. He made me happy and that’s the only thing I needed.” Her hand squeezes mine as we look out at the water. The sun is still high in the sky beating down on us as I think things over.
“You think I should stay?” I ask turning to look at her. She reaches up with her free hand and wipes my cheeks.
“I don’t think anything, honey. I know you have a good head on your shoulders, and I know that deep down you know what’s right for you.” With that, she stands, releasing my hand and walks away. I watch her go, my heart beating loudly in my chest. If I don’t do this, everyone will be angry. Myra will be mad, my parents too after all the money they put into my writing career. I don’t want to let them down, but the thought of hurting Gentry doesn’t sit well either.
With a sigh, I stand up and start walking back toward the house when I see him. Our eyes lock, his bright blue ones burning with heat.
“I’m not going to ask you to stay,” he says softly. God how I want him to ask me. If he’d just ask me, I would. I would give in for him. He clears his throat. “I learned a long time ago that things happen for a reason. I can’t tell you what to do with the information you have, but I can ask you not to run it. This is my family, Hope. This is my home.”
