by M K Dwyer
He was quiet for a moment and she was sure he was going to insist she take the better bed every night because it was the same thing she wanted to insist, only the other way around. She thought the compromise was a way for both of them and neither of them to get their way.
“Fine. I can agree to that.”
“Good.” She walked over to the kitchen area, pulled a mug from the cabinet and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and let the warm, aromatic liquid run down her throat like a welcome, morning hello. “So, when are we packing up and heading out today?”
“Whenever you’re ready. If we can drive straight through and keep the stops to a minimum, we can be there in fourteen hours or so. If you want to go a little slower, we don’t have to get there today. We can play it by ear and pull over anywhere when we get tired. That’s one of the beauties of having the trailer.”
“I think I’ll feel better the sooner we get on the road, and the sooner we get where we’re going.”
“I agree, beautiful. Get dressed and packed up. I’ll pack the trailer and hitch it to the truck. Then we’ll get out of here and grab more coffee and breakfast on the road.”
She washed their cups and put the coffee maker away while Blake made sure compartments were closed and doors were latched. She dressed and exited the trailer as Blake backed up his truck to hitch it to the trailer.
They were on the road before the clock struck 8 A.M. and stopped for breakfast before 9 A.M., but Theresa didn’t feel like she could breathe until they were crossing the state line into Utah. Two states away from her tormenter felt better than one, and by the end of the day, four states would feel even better.
They stopped in Salt Lake City for a quick, late lunch and got back on the road soon after. She knew he would feel the same way about getting to Montana as fast as possible. They were just on the same wavelength. They just clicked. They got along. Life was cruel that she had to meet his brother first to get to meet him.
Before she knew it, they were crossing the state line into Idaho, and then into Montana. It felt like they were flying through the states. She never expected a cross-country trip to pass so quickly. She must have nodded off shortly after that because the next thing she knew it was dark and they were pulling off the main highway onto a mountain road.
“Hey, sleepy head. We’re almost there.”
“What time is it?”
“A little after 9 P.M. You hungry? I just talked to Bryan. He said they have leftovers from their dinner tonight waiting for us if we want it.”
“That sounds amazing. Are you sure they don’t mind?”
“Positive. They don’t get many visitors way out here. They’re just excited for the company.”
Almost an hour later, Blake turned off the road onto a private drive between two fences. The occasional dim street light was the only sign they were where they were supposed to be. After a few minutes a large house came into view.
“Wow. Nice place.”
“Yeah it is. Bryan said it’s been in the family for generations, but he and his dad put a large expansion on the house when Bryan was in high school.”
“He wasn’t kidding.” The house really was huge.
They stepped out of the truck and before they could make it three steps, the front door flew open and a very pregnant woman appeared.
“Hello you two! Did you find the place okay?”
“Yep. Drove right to it.” Blake met the woman halfway and gave her a hug, well as much as he could with her belly in the way. “Rebecca, great to see you again. You look amazing.”
“Stop. Flatterer. I’m the size of a house!”
“But still a very gorgeous house.” The man who came outside and walked up behind Rebecca said. She smacked him on the arm playfully.
“Hush, you.”
Blake released Rebecca, turned to the man, and took him in a giant bear hug. “Bryan, man, you better watch it. She might not be able to hurt you, but I certainly can. And will, if she wants me to.”
“Yeah. Yeah. She knows I’m kidding. Plus, she smacks me no matter what I say. I could wax poetically about her beauty and she would still smack me.”
“Yeah, I would. Don’t do that.”
“See!”
They all three laughed at Rebecca’s words and Theresa felt very much like an outsider looking in on their reunion.
Blake, already so in tune to her emotions, put his hand out towards her like he was beckoning her closer.
“Bryan, Rebecca, I want you to meet Theresa Braun. She…”
“Braun?” Bryan had a funny look on his face. “Any relation to Wilson Braun?”
“Umm… Yeah. Sort of. That’s where I got the name anyway almost nine years ago.”
“Oh, you’re that Theresa.” Her face flamed. Did everyone know Will?
“Bryan! Geez!” Rebecca smacked him again. “Theresa, so nice to meet you. Don’t mind my husband. Too many fires. All that smoke has gone to his brain.”
“I didn’t mean it that way! Sorry, Theresa.” He came up and shook her hand. “It’s great to finally meet you. Truly. I transferred to Will’s unit after the divorce.”
“You’re a firefighter.” She couldn’t escape them.
“Yep. Except in the civilian world, I specialize in wildfires now.”
“Neat.” Someone, please save me.
“Sorry to get here so late. If you were heading to bed, we can take the leftovers and heat them up in the trailer.”
“Nonsense! I sleep terribly these days anyway. Come in and eat. And I insist you sleep in the house tonight. Bryan can show you where to park the trailer tomorrow in the daylight.”
“All right, Rebecca. If you insist.” Blake spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him then pulled her to him and whispered in her ear. “Sorry. I tried. Are you okay with this? If not, I can get us out of it.”
“No. That’s okay. Thanks, but I’ll be fine.” At least, she’d try to be.
They followed the couple into the house and then to the kitchen.
“You two have a seat while I heat your plates. You must be exhausted from your trip. That’s such a long drive, but I’m so excited you’re here.”
Rebecca set their plates of steaks, scalloped potatoes and fresh green beans in front of them. Theresa’s mouth watered, and Blake was practically drooling. Maybe she could survive if Rebecca kept cooking like that.
Rebecca left them to eat and Theresa was glad she didn’t stand over them or try to talk to them while their mouths were full. That was one of her biggest pet peeves. Like waiters who wait until the customer has taken the biggest bite ever to ask if they need anything. Not that Rebecca was their waiter, but it would’ve been odd if she’d stuck around and watched them eat.
Just as they were finishing their meals, Rebecca came back.
“Your rooms are ready. Or did you want one room? I wasn’t sure.”
Theresa was about to answer when Blake said, “Two is good. Thank you, Rebecca.” He sounded so much cooler than she would have been. She was sputtering and hadn’t even said a word. Of course, they wanted two rooms. It never occurred to Theresa how much Blake had told Bryan and Rebecca about their situation. She had her answer though if they thought she and him might’ve been together: not much.
Rebecca smiled and nodded at Blake. “You’re welcome. It’s no problem at all. We have so much room. I should be thanking you for helping us fill this big house. It feels so empty sometimes when it’s just the two of us rattling around in here. Well, three soon, but it’s not like the baby will take up much space.”
She laughed with Rebecca but knew that babies took up much more space than one would think. Bryan and Rebecca would figure that out on their own soon enough though.
Blake took their plates to the sink and Theresa took their glasses. They washed the dishes against Rebecca’s protests, but Blake insisted that if she cooked, they could at least clean, and Theresa agreed. Rebecca showed them where to put the clean dishes when they were d
one and then showed them to their rooms. Both guest rooms had their own attached bathrooms. She pointed out the extra towels and blankets in each room, and then said goodnight. She looked exhausted and Theresa felt terrible for keeping her up when she should have been getting as much rest as possible. It’d been a while since she was pregnant, but she still remembered how tired she was the entire pregnancy and especially at the end. She wasn’t sure where Bryan went or why he wasn’t around to play host with Rebecca, but she wasn’t complaining after he’d called her “that Theresa”. She wasn’t lying to Blake when she’d told him she wasn’t proud of the person her unhappiness turned her into, and she could only imagine the embarrassing stories Will had blabbed to the guys in his unit. She was in no hurry for another run-in with one of those guys.
Theresa turned on the television in her room for background noise mostly and waited while Blake went down to get their bags out of his truck.
He returned and set her bag next to her on the bed.
“Do you have everything you need for tonight?”
“Yeah. I think so. Thanks.”
Blake turned to leave the room, but she wasn’t ready to be alone.
“Hey, Blake?”
He turned back to her. “What’s up beautiful?”
She rolled her eyes at his endearment but answered him anyway. “Are you tired?”
“My body is exhausted, but my mind is a little too wound up for sleep. Why?”
She felt the same way. “Do you want to watch a movie or something?”
He tilted his head like he was thinking it over. “Yeah. I could go for that. I don’t want to disturb Rebecca though by going to the living room. So, my room or yours?”
“Oh, uh, mine, I guess. So, you don’t mind disturbing Bryan?”
“Nope.” He laughed. “But, he’s not here. One of their ranch hands called just after we got here and said one of the heifers was in labor. He’ll be out at the barn until she delivers.”
That explained one thing but gave her so many more questions.
“I’m going to take a quick shower. Pick something out. I’ll be back in a bit.”
He left, and she sprang into action. A shower sounded good to her too, but he probably took a five-minute shower like most men, so she would too. She undressed, threw her hair in a bun on top of her head, and hopped in before the water was completely warm.
She washed the important parts vowing to come back in the morning and enjoy a leisurely shower, maybe even a bath, in the gorgeous bathroom because her shower after that would be a tight fit in the trailer for who-knew how long. She stepped out of the shower and realized she left her towel on the bed. Sticking her head out the bathroom door, she verified her room was empty before she darted over to her bed to get her towel.
She was just picking it up when her doorknob started to turn. She darted back into the bathroom with her towel and slammed the door.
She heard laughing on the other side of the door, and yelled, “You didn’t see anything!” He only laughed harder.
She put on her pajamas and walked out of the bathroom.
“Haven’t you ever heard of knocking?”
“Sorry, beautiful. If I’d known you were going to take a shower, I would have knocked. I thought you were just waiting for me to start the movie.”
“It’s okay, I guess. It’s not like you actually saw anything.” He just smirked back at her.
“Let’s pick out that movie.” She rolled her eyes at his subject change but sat down at the end of the bed with the remote anyway.
Bryan and Rebecca had every movie channel known to man and then some she’d never heard of. She scrolled through and suggested each romantic comedy she found as he suggested each action flick. Finally, they settled on one of her personal favorites where two CIA agents are vying for the same woman. It was a kitschy rom-com-action flick perfect to zone out to and wind down after a long day. She started it, grabbed two blankets from the closet, threw one to Blake and then sat at the head of the bed, propped up against a few pillows to watch the movie. Blake looked like he didn’t know where to sit, so she patted the space next to her on the bed.
“You sure?”
“Of course. Afraid I’ll bite?”
He smirked at her. “Maybe.” They both laughed.
He propped up a few pillows for himself and sat next to her
Fifteen minutes into the movie, Blake spoke up. “Have you seen this before?”
“A few times. You?”
“Yeah. Once or twice. Actually, the first time I saw it was with Bryan.”
“Really?’
“Really. It was about five years ago. He was stationed at Twentynine Palms and on liberty for a long weekend. It wasn’t long enough to go home, but he didn’t want to stay around the base or go out partying. So, he came out to see me in Vegas. I’d just moved back after ending my enlistment and got roped into watching after my little sister while my parents went out of town. So, the three of us ended up at my parent’s house ordering takeout and watching movies all weekend long. This was one of them. I think it was the first one. Amber saw it on the channel guide and insisted we watch it. Bryan and I groaned about it, but relented, and it turned out to be halfway decent.”
“So, I guess Bryan and Rebecca weren’t married back then?”
“No. This was before they even met.”
“I bet that’s a fun story.”
“Oh, it is. Trust me, but they tell it best.”
“All right. So, what’s Bryan’s story? This house is huge. Is this really where he grew up?”
“Sure is. It’s been in the family for generations, but his parents had to add on to the homestead to make room for everyone. He’s the oldest of six kids, ten if you count the four cousins that his parents adopted when his aunt and uncle passed.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Well, terrible about his aunt and uncle, but his parents must be rock stars to have raised so many. Some days I struggle with just one!”
Blake chuckled. “I haven’t met them yet, but Bryan and Rebecca speak highly of them. That’s for sure. They retired to Arizona last year. The last time I saw Bryan, it was because he stopped in Vegas on his way to help get them settled.”
“What about the rest of them? Ten kids, but he’s the only one that lives here?”
“Oh, they’re spread out these days. As the oldest, Bryan knew he’d come back and take over the ranch when his dad retired. He wants his siblings, including his cousins, to come home too, but he’d never force the issue. He wants it to be their idea in their own time.”
“I get that.” She sighed and looked down at her hands in her lap. “I just can’t imagine having so much family.” She shrugged and looked back up at Blake. “I’ll admit I’m a little jealous even if they aren’t all together.”
He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side. “I’m sorry, beautiful. You deserve so much more than the hand you were dealt, and one day, you’ll have it. I’m positive.”
She didn’t believe him, but his words made her smile anyway. She went to sit up out of his arms, but he murmured, “Uh uh” and shook his head. “I want to cuddle for a minute while we finish this movie.”
His arms felt nice, so she didn’t argue, but she didn’t understand either. Cuddling wasn’t exactly a platonic act, but they certainly weren’t more than that.
That was the last thought she could remember having. When she woke up, she was still in his arms, but they were laying down and between the sheets instead of on top of them.
She jerked the sheet up to make sure she was still dressed, and she heard Blake chuckle from beneath her. He still had his eyes closed when she looked up at him but opened them and cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Did you think I took advantage of your unconscious state last night?”
“Well, no, I…”
“You passed out on me practically mid-sentence, but I wasn’t done cuddling, so I made us more comfortable. The way you were sleeping, you woul
d have woken up with a crick in your neck.”
“Umm… thanks. I guess.”
“You’re welcome… I guess.” He winked at her and she rolled her eyes before getting out of the bed. It was then that she smelled bacon and coffee, and nearly tripped over herself to get to the door.
“Hey, what’s the rush?”
“Coffee. Food. Don’t you smell that?”
He laughed. “Yeah, I smell that. Can I get you a robe?”
She looked down at what she was wearing and blushed. Maybe she could stand to put on a little more at someone else’s breakfast table. She grabbed her robe out of her bag. With long sleeves and the hem coming down to about mid-thigh, it certainly covered more than her cami and boyshorts, but Blake still looked at her like he disapproved. She rolled her eyes at him and walked out her door with Blake right behind her.
“Two eyerolls within the first five minutes of the morning. Is that normal or should I feel special?”
She turned just long enough to stick her tongue out at him, and he laughed at her. If she were honest, she loved when he laughed, even if it was usually at her expense.
“You should feel special for a number of reasons, but that ain’t one of them.” She winked at him, and he chuckled again.
When they got to the kitchen, Theresa was surprised to see it was Bryan manning the griddle and not Rebecca.
“Good Morning you two! Sleep well?” He winked at Blake. What was that about?
“I slept very comfortably, thank you. What about you, Theresa?” Blake turned to her with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Yeah! Very comfortably! The bed was plush, the sheets were silky, and I had this big, soft, bear of a pillow underneath me.” She punctuated “bear” with a poke to his chest.
Blake furrowed his brow and Bryan guffawed.
“Oh, I think I like her.” Surprised to hear that from Bryan, her eyes shot to him. “Don’t look so shocked, Theresa. When I said you were ‘that Theresa’ last night, I didn’t mean I’d heard anything about you. Good, bad or otherwise. I only knew the name of Will’s ex. He never spoke ill of you, just about how much he missed his son.”
Her eyes hit the floor faster than she could blink. She didn’t have a snappy comeback for that. She would always feel bad about splitting up her son and his dad, but at the time, she didn’t feel like she had a choice.
