One thing I knew for sure--he’ll still be six foot and some change with biceps the same circumference as my thighs.
And he’ll still have a propensity for wanting to flip me over his knee and spank my ass when I stir up trouble. Which, I’ll admit… I tend to do. What can I say? I don’t do well in confined spaces.
I let out a heavy sigh and it draws Jules’s attention. “What’s wrong, Ava?”
“I don’t know. I’m just…it feels weird, you know? Going back after so long.”
She gives a nod. “I’m sure. I visit at least once a month, but you’ve not been there in over two years.”
Guilt edges its way into my mind. “I’m a terrible daughter. Anytime I’d think about going back an invite to some great party or gala would show up in my mailbox. Time just kind of got away from me.”
She flashes me a reassuring smile. “Don’t dwell on it. Your dad’s going to be so excited to see you. And Aunt Betty. And all our friends that stayed. Half of them are married with kids by now.”
“Your friends. Not mine. You and…you were my only real friend back there.” I dig back into the cooler, pulling out the brie and a roll of crackers. “I don’t know how anyone stays.”
“It was different for us. Pleasant. A safe, laid-back way to grow up. You can’t deny it’s a wonderful place to raise kids. It was harder for you, being up there in that castle, carrying the Redmond name. Everyone held you to a higher standard. You were under a microscope at times.”
“All I wanted was to party and have a good time,” I say as I eye the wine, wanting to open it right now.
She laughs. “I know you did. We had some good times though, didn’t we?”
“Yeah, whenever I could actually convince you to sneak out, miss goody-goody.” I peel back the wax paper on the wheel of cheese and find it’s already been sliced into neat pieces.
She laughs. “Remember that night we all snuck wine from our parents and hid in the barn on the back of town. We played music and drank and danced till dawn.”
“The one night you finally let me talk you into underage drinking. Do you remember how it ended?” I make us each a cracker topped with cheese, handing one to her.
She wrinkles her nose. “I’m not hungry. Of course, it ended with every teen in town grounded for two weeks. But it was worth it.”
I eat my cracker, then hers, reminiscing that party. It was the first time Buck implemented his old-fashioned discipline over me, having deemed himself my babysitter since the day of my mother’s funeral.
The night of that crazy party, I was eighteen, drunk, and running from the men breaking up the party. Buck was twenty-three, vying to become an elder, and furious. I knew as soon as I saw him enter that barn, that he was coming for me. I ran out the back door of the barn, stumbling through the woods, giggling and tipsy.
He caught up to me easily, grabbing my arm. He sat himself right down on a tree stump, pulling me over his lap. “You’re getting a little too big for your britches, young lady. Drinking? At eighteen?”
He sounded older than his years and it made me laugh. “I’m legally an adult,” I replied, my words slurring.
His hand came crashing down on my bottom, lighting a fire and instantly sobering me. “If you’re an adult, then act like it.”
“Who are you to tell me how to act?” I protested, squirming and fighting to get away.
His hand came down again, making me suck air in between my teeth. “When are you going to realize your responsibility to this town? As a daughter of a Redmond you should be setting an example. Not drinking and shaking your ass.”
An ass he was more than willing to set fire to. He spanked me hard, alternating cheeks. Tears stung my eyes, further infuriating me.
Up till that moment, there was a constant tug and pull between us. We fought all the time. I egged him on, and he got pissed off.
But that night, things changed.
He spanked me thoroughly. Until I was crying, tears running down my cheeks, my voice shaking as I promised not to repeat my mistake. He punished me until my bottom was so sore I knew I’d not be sitting down the next day.
Then, he held me in his lap. Dried my tears with the clean cloth he kept in his pocket. Told me to be a good girl for him. He stood me up, took my hand, and walked me home.
When we reached my door, despite my family guard, Pierre, standing on duty, Buck leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my cheek.
I went upstairs that night a sniffling, sore-bottomed mess.
Wearing a pair of very damp panties.
I went to bed, wondering what it would be like to have Buck’s hard body against mine. It was the first time I admitted to myself that I’d been holding a candle for Buck ever since I was seventeen and he started looking out for me.
I was nicer to him after the spanking. Softer. Less abrasive. A better listener. Didn’t fight him over every single thing he said.
We became friends. But we still fought sometimes. And if I crossed a line, he would do this…thing. His eyes would lock on mine, his brow would raise to the sky, and he would say, “Don’t make me take you over my knee, princess.”
It would make me all melty and hot and frustrated, all at once.
Those times I knew if I kept pushing, he would make good on his word. So, for the most part, I would stop pushing. The fights lessened. Our friendship blossomed into something more.
One day, we were fishing on the banks of the creek and we got into one of those little arguments that we so often found ourselves tangled in. This time, he got really angry, his jaw locking like steel. I thought for sure my ass was about to be lit. But then, he did the strangest thing.
He grabbed my face in both of his hands.
And he kissed me.
Hard.
It was a punishing kiss. And it turned me on like nothing ever had before.
That was the end of Ava and Buck as friends, and the beginning of us being an item. It took me a few months to finally admit to myself I was Buck’s girl. Things started to get serious.
Too serious.
He became the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep at night. The first person that came into my mind when I woke. If something good happened, I wanted to share it with him. When something upset me, I went running right into the protective circle of his arms. He made the world safe again. Calm. Right.
I was falling head over heels for him. And it scared the shit out of me.
I knew I was just a few more rolls in the hay away from giving him my heart. For good. And being stuck in Cedar Creek for the rest of my life.
Loving someone puts you in a vulnerable place and I wasn’t ready for the risk. I had to get out from behind those walls. And the day I turned twenty-one and had access to my trust fund, I did just that.
Now, Jules and I are about an hour out from town. I’ve finished off the sleeve of crackers and half of the brie. I’m about as stuffed as I get when I’ve spent the afternoon at an all-you-can-eat sushi bar.
And I’m crazy nervous.
A tightening band forms around my chest, squeezing me with panic. I need to get out of this car, see one last sight, dine in one last café, do something before I’m locked up behind those walls for who knows how long. And if I’m being honest with myself, I’d like to delay my reunion with Buck. I plead with Jules, “Let’s stop. Get a drink…shop for a bit. One last hurrah.”
Her eyes don’t move from the road. “Not a chance, Ava.”
“Come on. It’ll be fun. I’ll only order one drink. I promise.” I watch the quaint little town of Harden come closer—the last stop before Cedar Creek. My mouth waters for their doughnut shop. My fingers itch to swipe my debit card at their leather boutique. “I could use a pair of new boots.”
“And risk not making it home before the storm hits? No thank you.”
Her argument makes sense, but the tightening strengthens, threatening to rob me of breath. “Just a quick glance? Window shopping? I won’t even go in?”
>
We come up on the exit for the town. I want to put my hands on the wheel and turn it right, leaving the highway that leads home.
She holds the wheel, firm. “Next stop, Cedar Creek.”
“Next and last for who knows how long,” I groan.
Jules doesn’t answer, just keeps driving.
We pass the exit. I slump in my seat.
As we get closer to town, to my complicated history, a knot begins to form in my stomach. The land begins to rise into giant rolling hills. Now, I can see the sandstone wall, the massive iron gates, looming in the distance.
And the knot turns to ice.
We’re home. And I know I’m only a few moments away from seeing his face again.
Jules gives me a glance—checking on me as she tends to do from time to time.
“I’m fine.” I give her a tight smile.
“I know, I know.” She turns her eyes back to the road.
“But thank you for checking. And Jules?”
She flashes me a soft smile. “Yes?”
“Thank you. For everything. I know I can be a pain.”
“It’s my pleasure. And I don’t think you’re a pain. I like you just as you are.” She blows a kiss over the console to me.
As we get closer, the gates grow in size. A figure comes into view.
Tall. Broad shouldered. Arms crossed over his massive wall of a chest. Worn boots. Shiny belt buckle. Cream colored Stetson.
Buck Jones; the angry cowboy from my past. Impatiently waiting for our arrival.
4
Ava Marie
I hold my breath as Jules’s car bumps over the wooden bridge. An old childhood ritual, but now I’m not sure if I’m doing it out of habit or fear. My heart lurches in my chest as we pull up next to him. I exhale.
His stature is the same, still oozing a cool confidence no man can match. He’s handsome, rugged, tough looking, but I note slight differences in his appearance. His hair is longer now, framing his face, tucked behind his perfectly shaped ears. His skin is tan from working out in the summer sun, his shoulders even broader than I remember.
The cut of his jaw is the same. The hard glint in his blue green eyes hasn’t changed. We pull up to the gates.
He approaches the passenger side car door and my heart instantly picks up a beat.
He leans down on a muscled forearm, tanned skin exposed where his sleeve is rolled up, resting it on the ledge of my door. His face is only inches from mine. The familiar scent of his woodsy cologne reaches me, making memories swirl around me like fall leaves in the breeze.
His greeting is gruff. Unemotional. His eyes lock on mine, sending a heady shiver through me. “Glad you could finally join us.”
I lean away from him. Push down the emotions that are threatening to overwhelm me. Fear, nostalgia, desire. I swallow them all back. “I’m not in the mood. Just fill in whatever sassy remark gets you off my ass and let us through these gates. Last time I checked, I’m still the daughter of the owner of this town, after all.”
His gaze doesn’t leave mine. He raises one, cold brow. “One more hour and I’d have been up in the city, dragging your ass back here.”
A tinge runs through me to my core. I shift in my seat. I harden my trembling voice. “Too bad. I would have liked the opportunity to wrestle.”
He gives a dark chuckle. “Wouldn’t have been much of a match, little bit. Would have been you running that sassy mouth of your, and me flipping you over my shoulder.”
Jules interrupts our banter, leaning over me. She plasters what I call her, ‘politician’s wife smile’ on her face in an attempt to make peace. “Hey, Buck. Good to see you. Is everyone back home now?”
He leaves my car door. Standing straight. Is he even taller than I remember? He crosses his arms over his giant chest, giving me a hard look. “You’re the last two. Been waiting on you so we can close the gates. Let me guess. Ava Marie was ignoring her phone and so we lost valuable time getting you girls out of the city?”
Jules shakes her head, waving her hand in the air. “Oh no. Nobody’s fault. You know how us girls have to take our time packing.”
I look him dead in the eye. “It was me.”
He gives me that slow, spreading smile. The one that makes me feel like nothing more than a naughty little girl. “Speaking of phones. Why don’t you two go ahead and hand yours over. Now.”
I look down at my lap, my precious pink Cellie cradled in my palm. I can’t imagine life without my social media accounts, my memes, my incoming string of gossipy texts from my city friends. I hold the whine back from my tone. “Do we really have to? You even have a phone, now. Surely you understand how valuable that is.”
He shrugs. “I need mine for security detail. Making sure the people in this town are safe. What do you use yours for? Sending those ridiculous gifs? Hamsters eating birthday cake wearing party hats?”
“Here’s mine. Thank you, Buck.” Jules obediently hands hers over. When he reaches across me to take her cell from her, his forearm brushes against mine. Warm, strong, manly. The touch sends tingles dancing down my arm.
Tingles that tell me he’s still got a powerful hold over my body.
“Thanks for complying, Jules.” He gives me a condescending grin. “And yours? Or do you have an emergency celebrity sex tape you have to forward to someone, first? Maybe put in a final order for overpriced shoes you’ll never wear? Check the balance on your trust fund?”
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I sneer.
His opened palm sits before me. I feel his impatience growing. I’ve not yet crossed over Cedar Creek’s threshold—too soon to make a scene…I guess. I place my one lifeline to the outside world into his palm, gently whispering, “Goodbye, Cellie.”
I don’t have to look at Jules to know she’s rolling her eyes at me. Buck says, “You named your phone? Looks like we got you out of the city just in time young lady. You were going batshit crazy out there in la la land.”
My blood boils. Who does he think he is? “Call me young lady one more time and—“
Jules breaks in, her arm waving frantically in front of me. “Thanks so much, Buck! So sorry we were late. Won’t happen again.”
“Anytime, Jules.” He tips his hat to her. I just get another hard glance. He steps back from the car, returning to his post, letting us pass. “See you at dinner, little bit.”
Jules pull her car down the cobblestone road, entering the town.
As soon as we are out of earshot, I huff, “Little bit. Not that ridiculous nickname again. Just because I was the shortest in my graduating class doesn’t mean he needs to height shame me.” I cross my arms over my chest. My empty hand feels so strange without my phone. Wait a minute? Why would he be at my house for dinner? I turn to Jules, my tone accusatory. “See you at dinner? What’s he talking about?”
Jules eyes me wearily, “You haven’t heard? You really have been out of the loop.”
“What?” I demand.
“He dines with your dad every night. Buck says he’s keeping him up to date on the days happening around town. But I think your Dad just likes his company. It’s sweet.” She gets a far off look in her eyes that makes a queer feeling settle in my stomach.
“You like him? Did you hear the way he just talked to me? Calling me young lady when he’s only got five years on me. Ugh. I can’t believe I ever dated him. What was I thinking? He’s so condescending.”
“He’s just protective. Its…sexy, the way him and his brothers are.”
I look at my best friend as if she’s been replaced by a five headed alien. “Are you serious? It’s so archaic. They’re a group of cavemen.”
She shrugs. “They’re alpha’s by nature. And I know Buck means well by all he does. I’ve gotten to know him better. We’ve been…” a gooey smile spreads on her lips, “in touch.”
Her words make a hot cold flush flash across my cheekbones. “In touch? How? You guys, like, talk?”
She shrugs. “We call o
ne another every so often. I call to check on him. He calls to check on me.”
This news leaves me unbalanced. Slightly flushed. My stomach clenches. “Really?”
“What’s so crazy about that? He and I are friends. I talk with his brothers from time to time, too. Is it wrong to keep in touch? Not everyone hates the Creek as much as you.” Her face tightens. She’s angry with me.
There’s nothing I hate more than feeling like I’ve upset Jules. She’s too good a friend to me and I’ll never be able to repay her for putting up with my bullshit, so I try to keep the peace. I quickly jump in with, “Nothing’s wrong with it. It’s sweet. You’re right.” I offer a tight smile, dropping the subject.
I can be a real pain in the ass. And selfish. And a hassle to be around.
I know that. Jules has a high tolerance for me and, for whatever reason, she’s been my best friend since we were kids. She says I make her laugh. That I’m fun and funny and without me she’d just be a grandma trapped in a twenty-something’s body.
I do my best not to cross her line. I love her too much. And I’ll eternally be grateful for her sticking by my side even when I’m being a pain in hers.
I lighten the atmosphere. Making nice chatter. Telling her how beautiful the town looks. How clean the air is compared to the city. Tell her that as soon as we get home I’m going to give her that turquoise dress hanging in my closet at my dad’s—the one with the red embroidery that she’s always admired. I don’t, however, mention returning the scrunchie.
I’m a work in progress.
We drive down Main Street. Jules waves, as we pass people, flashing them her contagious smile. They wave back. When they see me in the passenger seat, their smiles stay pasted on their faces. But they’re giving one another curious glances. Whispered words are exchanged. I can just imagine what they’re saying.
Tamed by Her Cowboy Page 4
