FarmBoy

by Kayt Miller

  Pressing a couple things on my phone, I wait for someone at the lawyer’s office to answer. When they do, I explain, “Yeah, hi. I need to make an appointment with Shawn.” I listen to the options. I could see him today, but I’m not doing that. I’m picking up my girl in two hours. “Sure. Monday works.” I look over at Ivy who nods. I’m given the time of 2:00 p.m. “Thanks. See you then.”

  Hanging up the phone, I look at Ivy one more time. “Happy?”

  “Very.” She nods. “Get the money ready. I’d like to take off next week.”

  The sooner the better.

  She turns to leave, but she stops. “Oh, and Nash?”

  “Yeah?” I wait.

  “I want fifteen or no deal.”

  I raise two fingers and give her a salute. “I’ll try.” I’ll get it. Trust me. I want her gone.

  As soon as her fancy-ass car pulls out of my driveway, a thought occurs to me. What about Andi? Will she be upset about Ivy leaving? I’m pretty sure I know the answer, but it’s best to check before I sign anything. God knows I’ll never tell her I had to pay her mother off, but maybe she wants to have a relationship with her birth mother.

  36

  Isabelle

  “I think I know where we’re going.” We’re on I-80 heading west. “Are we going to see Mom and Dad?”

  He looks over at me and winks. “We are. I figured you were missing them.”

  “I have been.” So much.

  “We’re gonna stop by and spend some time with your folks. Then the date begins.”

  “Oh.” I laugh. “I figured it had already started.” I mean, he showed up at my school with a dozen pink roses, and right before I hopped up into his truck, he kissed me deep and long against the passenger door.

  A couple of our teachers happened to be outside to witness the kiss, and it must have been quite a sight because Mr. Salinger, our sixty-year-old P.E. teacher, shouted, “Get a room.”

  Thinking about it now makes me giggle.

  “What’re you laughing about over there?” He smiles and reaches out to take my hand. “You’re too far away.”

  I unbuckle my seat belt and slide over on the front bench seat. I find the middle seat belt and click that into place. “Better?”

  Nash leans over and kisses the side of my head. “Much.” After a few moments, he asks, “So, what were you snickering about over there?”

  I laugh again. “I think we scarred Mr. Salinger for life.”

  Nash smiles. “Nah, Mr. Salinger is quite the ladies’ man. Don’t let him fool ya. Haven’t you seen him at Sisters? He’s always trying to get with someone.”

  “Ooh.” I scrunch up my face. “I choose not to think of him in that way. He used to be my teacher and basketball coach.”

  “So, you’d prefer to think he’s not having sex?”

  I choke a little bit. “Definitely.”

  Nash places his hand on my thigh and gives it a little squeeze. “Can we talk about us having sex?”

  I blush like a thousand shades of pink. I know because I can feel the heat rise up from my neck to my cheeks. Stupid Irish heritage. I need to be brave, bold. I can do it. “What do you want to talk about?”

  Nash’s hand slides down to the edge of my dress then sneaks beneath the fabric. His rough hand feels so good on my skin. So good, I moan. Leaning over just a little, his voice gets low. It’s like he’s whispering in my ear. “I can’t wait to sink into you again, Isabelle. You want that too?”

  I look over at him and clear my throat. “Yeah. I want that too.”

  When our eyes meet, the sexual energy is all around us. It’s palpable. Before I know it, Nash is pulling off the interstate, making his way north. When he spies a gravel road, he takes another right and drives a mile or so until he spots a place to pull over. As soon as he’s got the car in park, I unlatch my seat belt and I’m up on my knees. At the same time, his hands reach for my waist, and I throw my leg over him. Straddling him, I scoot up then sit down onto him. He’s hard, very hard, I press my center over him, making us both moan.

  In seconds, we’ve both got hands in each other’s hair and we’re making out like teenagers at a drive-in movie. The only difference is the dry humping that’s happening at the same time. “Nash,” I say, kissing his neck. “I’ve missed you. I want you.”

  Without a word, Nash reaches down and unzips his jeans. Lifting his hips, he works his pants down just far enough for him to spring free. My god, even his penis is pretty. Lifting up, I attempt to push my panties down, but it’s not going to work. “Here,” Nash says, panting. Pushing the panties aside, he adds, “Sit. Sit on my cock, baby.”

  I lift my dress enough for me to see what we’re doing. When he’s lined up to me, I slowly press down onto him. It hurts a little, but I know from the first time, the pain won’t last. I’m right. As soon as he’s inside me all the way, we look into each other’s eyes. He smiles first, then me. His is a brilliant smile. “You feel fucking perfect, honey.”

  “So do you.”

  “Okay,” he says, wrapping his hands around my middle, “lift, then sit back down. I’ll press up as you go down, yeah?”

  I do as he says, slowly at first. In no time though, I’m practically bouncing on his lap. “Nash,” I say loudly.

  “I wish I could see your tits.” He’s staring at my chest.

  My chest is bouncing some, but thanks to my bra, the girls are contained. I’m not so sure having them out right now is a good idea. It is broad daylight and we are on the side of a dirt road.

  “Later,” I say as I experiment with my position. I move front to back while also going up and down, and I like it. A lot. When Nash places his finger on my clit, it takes about a minute for me to explode. My god, it feels amazing when he’s inside me.

  “Shit,” he hisses. “I’m gonna come, babe.” Nash pants.

  I lean down and kiss him as he moans into my mouth. We both stop moving, but the kisses haven’t stopped. They aren’t as hard and passionate as they were. No, now they’re soft and exploratory. “Sex is fun,” I say between kisses.

  “It is with you, Isabelle.”

  I smile as I attempt to push up. My legs are cramped and a little sore. As soon as we’re disconnected, I feel wetness between my legs. “Got a napkin?”

  “Sure.”

  I clean myself up as he does the same. When we’re both decent again, I slide to the middle of the truck and buckle up. Before long, we’re back on the road.

  “Isabelle!” my dad shouts. “What a surprise.”

  Funny, he doesn’t seem that surprised. He’s dressed in dark jeans and what looks like a new dress shirt. The side where his arm used to be is folded in half and pinned to the shoulder of the shirt.

  “Hi, Daddy.” I walk over to him and kiss his cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  “Great.” He sounds a little too cheerful.

  I look around his room. “Where’s Mom?”

  “Oh…” He looks at Nash. “She’s running an errand.”

  I guess it makes sense. I’m sure she’s got things to do outside of this facility. “Are you eating, Dad?” He’s got to have lost twenty or thirty pounds since this whole thing started.

  “I am. I’m eating more now. It won’t be long until your mother has me fattened up again.”

  “Good,” I say without hesitation. “You need your strength for the farm.”

  He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. I’m not going to analyze that right now. “Speaking of, when I found out we were heading your way, I bought you some treats at the Iowa 80 truck stop.”

  “The biggest truck stop in the world?” Dad chuckles. He’s always thought that was a funny slogan: The World’s Largest Truck Stop.

  “That’s the one.” I pull out a bag of black licorice. He loves the stuff. “I’ve got licorice, maple nut goodies, peanut butter bars, and organic honey.” He puts honey in everything.

  “Oh, wow.” He smiles. “Thank you.” He’s eyeing the haul. “Can
I have a peanut butter bar?”

  “Of course.” I open up the package and hand him one. “Napkins?” I search the room. “Nightstand.” He pauses. “The one on the left.”

  Of course.

  While Dad snacks on not one peanut butter bar but three, Nash chats with Dad about farm things. Sure, I’m listening, but I find I’d rather keep busy, so I work to tidy up his room––something I’m sure my mom has done every day since they’ve been here, but that’s okay. I can help too.

  “Ben says you’re doing a great job, Izzy.”

  “Oh, thanks.”

  “Come over here and sit. I want to hear how you’re doing.”

  “I’m fine, Dad.” I look over at Nash. “Great, actually.”

  “You look tired.”

  “Gee, thanks, Dad.” I roll my eyes. “Every girl wants to hear that.”

  He chuckles. “I mean—”

  Reaching out, I touch his left hand. “I know. Just teasing.” I sigh. “I’m tired. I’m ready for you to be home so we can work together.”

  Dad nods, but he’s not smiling. “Honey, I—”

  Before he can finish, we hear voices from the doorway. I turn to see Mom, but she’s not alone. “Isaac!” I practically scream. “Kelly!” I say just as loudly. I jump up from the chair and race to the door. Hugging Mom quickly, I move on to my brother next. Wrapping my arms around him, I squeeze hard. It’s been too long since I’ve seen my big brother. I feel my eyes burn with tears, and I let them fall. “Missed you,” I say with a scratchy voice. Reaching my right arm out, I grab hold of Kelly and bring her into the hug. “You too, sis.”

  “We missed you too, Izzy.”

  My brother still hasn’t spoken. When I finally pull back, he’s got tears too. “Love you, Izzy.”

  “Love you too, bro.”

  He laughs, but then Isaac’s face gets suddenly serious. “Thanks for handling everything.”

  “No worries.” I hug him again. “I’m so glad you’re here.” He’s been here since Dad’s accident one other time. As soon as they found a condo to rent in San Diego, they flew home to spend time with Dad and Mom. They only had a couple of days, so I didn’t get to see him on that trip. “When do you guys move for real?”

  “Two weeks.” It’s Kelly who answers. “We’re ready. All packed up.” Her voice sounds sad. “I hope you’ll come out to visit.”

  “We will.” Nash moves up next to me. With his left arm around my waist, he uses his right one to shake Isaac’s hand. The two men smile then hug. “Missed you, man.”

  “Same.”

  Isaac and Kelly move into the room and give my dad the same welcome hugs. Isaac seems pretty emotional today. I noticed more tears after he hugged my dad. Maybe he’s regretting the decision to move west. I could see that, especially after Dad’s deal. A while later, Nash, Mom, and Kelly take Dad for a walk around the garden leaving Isaac and me alone. “How’s it really going on the farm, Izzy?”

  “Good.” I laugh. “Honestly. Good. Ben is a godsend.” Even though he still has trouble with some of my choices. I should probably be upset about that, but, like I said, Ben’s heart is in the right place.

  “I’m glad.” Isaac looks out the window then back at me. “If you need me to, I could move back.”

  “What?” I’m shocked at his words. “No! We’re doing fine.” I reach my arms out and hug my brother. I know what’s going on. He feels guilty that he hasn’t been lending a hand at the farm. “I love farming. You know I do. Don’t you dare give up your dream to move to California over this. Dad is going to rebound.” Even though I get the impression Dad’s not so sure. “I’ve got this. If anything happens and I need your help, I’ll call you.”

  “Promise?” He looks so damn defeated.

  I give him one more squeeze. “I promise.”

  “Because I’ll drop everything.”

  “I know.” I pat his back. “I know. That’s why you’re the best brother a girl could ask for.” I pull away and watch a tear slide down my brother’s face. “My goodness.” I reach out and wipe it away. “You’re emotional today.”

  “Everything is overwhelming. First Dad, then moving and the new job. Kelly’s not that excited about the move. Then, there’s you and Nash.”

  “What about me and Nash?” I might as well cut to the chase.

  “It’s just weird. And sudden.”

  I laugh. “Sudden? I’ve loved the man since I was thirteen.” He stares at me. When he finally blinks, I laugh again. “It’s true.”

  Isaac makes a grumbling noise. “He wanted to get with you at my wedding.”

  “He told me. He said you threatened to kneecap him or something.”

  Isaac isn’t laughing. Shaking his head, he corrects me. “Kill him. I said I’d kill him.”

  “Well, please don’t kill him. I want to keep him.”

  “I could maim him.”

  We both wince at his words. Dad.

  “Never mind.” He sighs. “If you’re happy, I’m happy. The guy is like a brother to me. Now, he’ll actually be a brother.”

  I roll my eyes. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  “Oh.” His eyes get huge, and I’m not sure why. “Right. Sorry.”

  I reach out and hug him one more time just as Dad and the crew walk back into the room. “Let’s get out of here,” says my dad from the doorway. “I’m hungry for something other than cafeteria food.”

  “Can you leave?”

  Dad chuckles. “I’m not in prison, Izzy.”

  The group laughs, and I can see how silly my question was. “What are you hungry for, Pops?” asks Isaac.

  “Steak.”

  Mom pipes in, “I’d like a big salad.”

  Nash reaches out to me, pulling me into his side. “And what about you, my girl. What sounds good to you?”

  “I think we should do what Dad wants. Steak sounds good.”

  “Steak it is,” my dad says with a smile. “Let’s go. I’m as hungry as a newborn calf.” Leave it to Dad to dig up some farm humor. It makes us all laugh.

  After deciding on a steak place, Isaac helps Dad into his car. He and Mom ride with them, while we jump into Nash’s truck.

  “Babe? Is this okay? Taking your family out on our first official date?”

  Giggling, I nod. “Yeah, it’s perfect. It’s too bad your mom and Andi aren’t here.”

  Nash reaches out and takes my hand. “Yeah, then it’d be perfect.”

  We’re seated at a large, round table that seats eight people. It’s a cozy place with a fireplace near us and candles flickering on the table. Elegant. I’d call the place classy, for sure. And when I look at the menu, I nearly choke at the prices. Leaning over to Nash, I whisper, “They want forty bucks for a steak.”

  His response? “I bet it’s great.”

  I suppose. “I hope my dad doesn’t feel like he has to buy us dinner. I brought some money.”

  “Babe, this is a date. Please don’t insult me by saying you’ll pay.”

  “I’m just—”

  He kisses the side of my head. “You’re sweet, but you need to let me do this, honey.”

  “Fine.” I sigh. But I’m definitely not getting the expensive steak. “I think I’ll have chicken.”

  “No.” Nash turns to face me. “You said, back at your dad’s place, that you wanted steak. Order the damn steak.”

  “Fine,” I say again, this time snappier. “I’m getting steak and shrimp.”

  Just as the waitress appears to take our drink orders, I watch as Nash turns in his chair. I look back and can’t believe who I see. “Andi? Bonnie?” Nash stands and I follow suit.

  As the two approach, Andi runs into her dad’s arms. “Daddy!”

  “Hi, pumpkin.” He kisses the top of her head and releases her.

  Bonnie steps up to me, giving me a hug. Then Andi steps over to me next. “Izzy!”

  I wrap her up in my arms and hug her tight. “What a surprise!”

  “I kno
w.” Andi giggles. “It’s supposed to be.”

  “It is?” I’m confused. Turning to Nash, I’m about to ask him what’s going on when he takes Andi’s hand and moves to kneel. Andi kneels right beside him.

  Oh, my goodness….

  “You once told me that a proposal should be special. It should be planned. Well, I hope this one is okay for you, sweet Isabelle.”

  Nodding, I place my hands over my face. Tears have already started to fall.

  “I couldn’t think of a better way to do this than to have everyone who loves you standing with you.”

  I sniffle, and I’m pretty sure there was a sob. A happy one.

  “So, Isabelle Renee Harmon, Andi and I have a question for you.”

  I look down at Andi, Nash’s mini-me. She’s got a small black box in her hands. It’s open, revealing a sparkling diamond ring. Then she asks, “Will you marry us?”

  And that’s it. I’m bawling. And it’s not quiet. Hands down, it’s the best proposal ever.

  “Well?” asks my father. “Quit crying, girl, and answer.”

  I can’t speak, so I nod so fast I’m sure I look like a woodpecker. “Yes,” I finally squeak out. “Of course.”

  Nash pulls the ring from the box and takes my left hand in his. I watch as he slides the ring on my finger. It’s a simple band with one stone. A sizeable stone, but not too big. Seconds after that, I’m wrapped up in a hug by Nash and Andi. I hear clapping around us and notice the other diners must have enjoyed watching that play out.

  When I pull away and look at my family, they’re all smiling, but nobody looks surprised. “Were you all in on this?”

  Catching my dad’s eye, I walk to him first and wrap my arms around him carefully. With my head on his chest, I ask, “You knew?”

  “You think that boy would’ve proposed without asking my permission?”

  I shake my head. “And you agreed?”

  I want his blessing. My father means the world to me.

  “I couldn’t have chosen better for you myself, sweet Izzy. He’s a good man. He doesn’t deserve you, but nobody does.”

  “I love you so much, Dad.”