by Amber Kelly
“So, why don’t you go out with him?” Charlotte asks.
I’m taking a sip of my cider, but it goes down the wrong way, and I start to cough.
“Me?” I squeak.
“Yes, you. You’re sweet, single, and nice,” Charlotte says.
“Um, he’s too young for me,” I answer.
“I thought he graduated with you guys. No?” she says as she gestures between Elle and me.
“He did. But he seems younger. He still lives with his momma, and he has Walker mentoring him,” I say.
“She has a point,” Elle agrees.
“What about his big brother? His eyes have been focused in this direction most of the night.”
Charlotte gives a little wave over my head, and I glance over my shoulder to see Foster standing with the guys. He’s grinning in our direction, and he raises his glass in acknowledgment of Charlotte’s wave.
I turn back around and widen my eyes at Charlotte.
“See,” she says.
“Stop, please,” I say through gritted teeth.
“He’s not too young. He looks to me like he’s all kinds of grown up and experienced.”
I close my eyes and decide to share.
“We had dinner the other night,” I tell them.
“We who?” Elle asks.
“Foster and I. He took me to that new Italian restaurant in town.”
“What?! You went on a date and didn’t tell us?” Elle gasps.
“I knew,” Bells brags.
“What?” Elle exclaims before scowling at me.
“She only knows because he was at the clinic the other day, and we adopted puppies together.”
“You adopted puppies together?” Elle asks.
“Not together, together, but at the same time,” I clarify.
“Yep. He adopted a boy puppy and named him Sue when she got George. I knew something was going on between the two of them, so I interrogated her as soon as I got home that night. But don’t worry; she didn’t tell me anything more than they’d had dinner,” Bells gripes.
“I can’t believe you’ve been holding out,” Elle says.
“I was going to tell you guys, but I wanted to see how it went first,” I explain.
“Uh-uh, that’s not how it works. We don’t hold back info to see how it goes,” Elle insists.
“Like you told the whole world about you and Walker when you two started your fling,” I accuse.
“You knew all about that from the beginning,” she reminds me.
“Right, but I didn’t!” Bells gripes.
Elle looks at her.
“You were away at school. I filled you in as soon as you came home,” she defends.
“You could have called me,” Bells persists.
“Hello, ladies, focus on the current situation,” Charlotte interrupts.
“Oh, yes, you and Foster,” Elle says, as she brings her eyes back to me.
“So, how was it? Tell us everything,” Charlotte prompts.
“We had dinner and drinks. We talked; it was nice.”
“That’s it?” she asks, clearly disappointed with my tale.
“It was a first date, Charlotte,” I reply.
“Well, it was a boring first date. I hope the second date is a little spicier,” she grumbles.
“I’m not looking for spice.”
“Everyone is looking for spice. Spice is what flavors the world. It makes everything taste better, hotter,” she insists.
“Look, I’ve always been impulsive. I jump into every relationship—Bells and Elle will tell you. Ricky moved in with me within weeks of our meeting and I married him ten months later. I’m done with diving headfirst into the deep end. From now on, I’m cautiously tiptoeing into the shallow end first,” I explain.
“Nobody is talking about moving him in, Sonia. Just dip into the water a bit to cool off your loins,” Charlotte says.
“You really know how to take a metaphor and twist it to your benefit,” Bells praises.
“It’s a gift.”
“Well, I agree with you. He’s been circling her since before Christmas. I don’t understand why she doesn’t take that cowboy for a spin,” Elle chimes in.
“I’m not even divorced yet,” I tell them.
“Oh, that’s just paperwork. You’ve been a free woman for almost a year,” Elle states.
“Well, he was married too. And his ex is a real piece of work. I just got untangled from a mess, and the last thing I need is to get caught up in his,” I hiss.
“Excuses. You’re scared,” Elle pushes.
“So what if I am? I think I should be allowed to lick my wounds for a while longer.”
“Why lick your own wounds when that sexy hunk of a man would be all too happy to lick them for you?” Charlotte asks.
“Charlotte,” I gasp.
“You are blushing, Sonia! You like him. You like him a lot,” Charlotte accuses.
“I have eyes,” I admit.
“Uh-huh, and so does he—and he is undressing you with his right now.” Bells gestures behind me with her head.
I glance back over my shoulder in spite of myself, and Foster laughs at something Payne says. His broad shoulders are shaking, and his head is thrown back. Dimples are peeking out above the days-old scruff on his strong jaw. His eyes are dancing and they are trained on me.
The look he gives me causes me to suck in a breath.
Charlotte leans in and whispers, “Told you.”
I turn back to them.
“I think I’m in trouble,” I mumble, and they all grin at me.
The boys throw a few more rounds of axes as we sit by the fire, chatting.
“Momma and I looked at a food truck in Aurora last week. It was slightly used but in excellent shape and it had a bathroom, none of the others I looked at online had that nice feature. They want fifty grand for it. Which, from the research I’ve done, is reasonable. Daddy and Jackie will ride out there and check the engine and all the electronics for us. If they give it a thumbs-up, on Monday, we’ll go to the bank to get the loan finalized and then to the insurance company to set up the vehicle registration and insurance,” Dallas explains.
“Do you think you could be up and running by Halloween? I want to do a big family-friendly grand-opening festival. We’ll even have stations that hand out candy, so kiddos can dress up and trick-or-treat,” Charlotte tells her.
Dallas shrugs. “I think so. As long as everything gets approved as far as permits and fire certificates go, I can figure out how to go mobile with our Point of Sale system. I already have a couple of high school students training at the bakery, begging for more hours.”
“Awesome. I haven’t talked to Payne about it yet, but I want to invest in a truck of our own as well, give the customers a variety. Maybe even add a tapas bar in the tasting room.”
“Oh, a tapas food truck!” I suggest.
The boys are making their way to us, and Walker stops in his tracks.
“A topless food truck? Damn, that’s an excellent idea. With your assets and yours, you’ll make Payne a fortune!” he says as he points between Charlotte and me.
“Tapas, dumbass,” Charlotte corrects.
He looks confused.
“They’re tiny plates with bite-sized portions of food, so you can try a bunch of different stuff,” I explain.
He wrinkles his nose. “The topless truck would make more money. Who the hell wants to buy a bite of something?”
“What are you guys talking about?” Payne asks as he takes a seat next to Charlotte.
“Well, I was thinking of taking the money Sophie and I made from selling our company and investing in the farm. I thought maybe we could add a food bar in the tasting room or get a food truck of our own. It can have food and cider outdoors for those hanging out and playing cornhole or pitching horseshoes or just enjoying the fire, so they don’t have to come inside to the tasting room to buy a beverage. It could potentially up the sales of the bottled cider.
”
He nods as he considers it. “It’s a good idea. I’ll talk to Dad about it and figure out if it’s doable. If not, maybe it’s something we can add in a year or two.”
“Doable how? We already have the permits, and I’m sure we can easily staff it,” she asks.
“We’ve already sunk a ton of money into the build. I don’t want to get in over our heads.”
She turns in her seat to face him. “Did you miss the part where I said I wanted to invest?”
He cuts his eyes to her. “No.”
She huffs and looks back at us. “Payne won’t take my money. It pisses me off. This is my future too,” she informs us.
“I don’t want you to risk your nest egg,” he explains.
“It’s not a risk; it’s an investment in our dream, in our family’s future. And it’s my money, and I should get to spend it where I want to. And I want to spend it on this place.”
“And you should. I vote yes,” Dallas says, and then she points at Payne. “Don’t be a misogynistic pig. It’s not a good look on you. If Charlotte is going to be your wife and a part of this family, she has a right to use her money to build onto the place if she wants to. And I am a part of the family, so I get a say, and so does Momma.”
Payne sighs. He knows he’s just been overruled.
Foster
“Come on, everyone. It’s time for tonight’s main event,” Charlotte calls.
“What is she on about?” Walker asks.
“You’ll see,” Payne says as he grabs his beer and walks toward his fiancée.
We all follow, and Sue comes running after me. I scoop him up and join the others.
Charlotte is standing and addressing us all. “Follow me,” she beckons as she continues walking. “As part of the entertainment that we want to offer families who come to spend a long weekend with us here, we have set up an outdoor movie theater.”
We round the side of the new mill. The back wall is painted white, there is a stand in the back with a projector, and the lawn is dotted with … pools?
“What is this?” Dallas asks.
“This is our theater. It has a digital projector that will show high-resolution films on that wall. We have adult-size inflatable swimming pools that will serve as your seats. They are each filled with pillows and warm blankets, and each one has a bucket beside it with iced-down drinks and a box of traditional movie snacks, such as popcorn, chips, and assorted boxes of candy. There is a Bluetooth speaker at each snack box that can be adjusted to the volume you like.”
“Oh my God, this is cool,” Bellamy chimes.
“It was Charlotte’s idea. The pools are safe, comfortable, and can be easily hosed out, sanitized, and laid out to dry. It will be effortless to maintain. Plus, they are affordable, so if they are damaged or spring a leak, they can be replaced. In fact, she already has a storeroom of backups,” Payne tells us.
“What a neat idea,” Sophie tells Charlotte.
“Guys, grab your wife or girl or whatever, and choose a pool, and we’ll start tonight’s double feature. Beginning with Thor: Ragnarok and ending with Casper.”
“Yay!” Beau bellows his approval of the movie choices.
Everyone starts pairing up, and Beau snuggles in with his uncle Payne and Charlotte. I walk over to one of the empty pools.
Truett looks over at me. “Wanna snuggle, brother?” he asks.
“Hell no.”
He shrugs. “Suit yourself. I’m an excellent cuddler,” he says as he lies in one of his own.
I watch as Sonia settles in with George beside Elle and Walker and decide to say hello.
I take a knee beside her. “Comfy?” I ask.
She startles and then smiles up at me.
“Snug as a bug,” she answers.
“Sue here wanted to check in on his buddy, George,” I say, and as if on cue, Sue leaps from my arm and into the pool with the girls. He circles George a couple of times, and then he gives a big yawn and curls up with her.
Sonia giggles and reaches down to scratch his head.
“I hope you don’t mind an additional pool partner,” I say.
She smiles up at me. “There’s more than enough room for him, and his dad is welcome to join us, too, if he wants,” she offers.
I don’t want to impose, but I’d like to get into that pool with her.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
She scoots over to make room for me beside her.
“Positive,” she says as she pats the spot.
I kick off my boots and climb in. It’s awkward for a grown-ass man to crawl into a plastic pit, but once I get settled with the pillows stacked behind my back, Sonia nestled into my side, the puppies snoozing contentedly at our feet, and the blankets tugged up over us, I have to admit, it’s relaxing. Sort of like a blow-up mattress under the stars.
The thought of having Sonia on a mattress causes an uncomfortable tightness in my jeans.
Not the picture I need in my mind at the moment.
Stop being a fucking creep, I scold myself.
Payne waits until everyone is seated, and he uses a remote to start the film.
The side of the cider mill illuminates with the opening credits, and we all start clapping.
The picture and sound quality are impressive. It’s such an inventive entertainment option. I look around and see all the couples wrapped up in each other, laughing, sharing popcorn, and enjoying a carefree night. Even Truett looks to be having a good time all by himself in his pool.
I look down, and Sonia is cracking open a box of peanut M&M’s. She pours a bunch in her hand and offers them to me. I take one and pop it into my mouth. She does the same, and I can’t help but focus my attention on her mouth. I bet those plump lips are soft and warm and taste as sweet as they look.
Get your libido under control, Tomlin.
Sonia settles into my side, and when I look down, I can see the swell of her breasts from the top of her tee. A sigh of contentment escapes her as she clutches the end of the blanket and wiggles, burrowing deep into its warmth. I lay my arm on the outside edge of the pool and drape it around her. Cocooning her with my body, I bring my nose to the top of her head and inhale the honey scent of her hair.
My eyes fall across the way to Elle, who is cuddled into Walker, but her focus is on Sonia and me. She smiles her approval, and I lift my chin.
We are twenty minutes into the Marvel movie when I feel something fly into the back of my head. I set my bottle of cider down on the ground and reach back and swat at it. A few seconds later, another small object taps the side of my face and bounces into the pool with us.
“What was that?” Sonia whispers as I search between us.
“A big mosquito?” I guess.
Then, two more tiny assailants hit me from behind, and I turn and see Truett launching kernels of popcorn in my direction.
“That’s it, you little shit,” Walker says as he stands in his pool and starts throwing Corn Nuts like darts at a chuckling Truett.
Before I even have time to retaliate myself, Payne, Walker, Myer, and Truett are in a snack-food battle. Braxton is the only man still paying attention to the movie.
“You guys are animals,” Dallas calls through the laughter.
Beau stands up from his cozy spot in Charlotte’s lap and yells, “Hey, all of you, behave. Thor and the Hulk are not pleased with you right now. You all sit down and be quiet!”
“Yeah,” Charlotte shouts in support.
“He started it,” Walker tattles on Truett.
“Truett, you’re in time-out,” Beau says as he gives him a stern look.
Truett frowns and eases down into his spot.
And just like that, four grown-ass men settle down while calling their apologies to an eight-year-old.
“You’d better watch your back, Truett. It’s on now,” Walker mutters as he lies back with Elle.
Sonia
Wrapped around Foster, I take the opportunity to run my hand over his middle
and around his side. I can feel his ab muscles contract as I move in closer and lay my head on his chest. It feels nice to be pressed against his large, muscular body. The night has chilled, and the bonfire is on the other side of the building, but I’m toasty in his arms.
When the first movie ends, Foster takes the pups out to let them potty. When they return, he lifts them back in, and they both cuddle into the blankets and fall back asleep.
“You want to take a walk and stretch your legs for a minute?” Foster asks.
I reach up in answer, and he takes my hand and helps me from the pool.
As we walk off into the direction of the apple trees, Elle’s eyes follow us. I wrap my arms around one of his and look back at her.
“We’re stretching our legs. We’ll be right back,” I quietly call to her.
“Take your time.” She grins at me.
Foster guides us into the orchard. The aroma of sweet fruit fills the air as the wind whirls by.
“It’s such a nice night. I sometimes forget how lucky we are to live in the Rockies,” I muse.
“It’s the most beautiful place on earth,” he agrees.
“This is my favorite time of year. I love all the colors and the smells and tastes of fall. Bonfires, festivals, football, hot cocoa, cozy sweaters, fuzzy slippers, pajamas, warm days, and cold nights. It’s the best,” I rattle off.
“I agree—all but the sweater thing. I’m more of a flannel and wool jacket guy myself,” he says.
I lean back and look up at him. “I knew you were the fuzzy slipper type.”
He grins at me. “What else would I wear while drinking hot cocoa on the porch in my fluffy bathrobe?”
I picture him with a mug in a robe and slippers, and the image makes me blush.
“I like it when you do that,” he says as he rubs my cheek with the back of his hand.
“Do what?”
“Turn that sexy shade of pink when something embarrasses you,” he says.
“I’m not embarrassed. I’m amused at the thought of Dottie coming out to get the paper and catching you in your robe,” I tease.
“I really want to kiss you someday,” he murmurs as he continues to caress my cheek.
“Maybe I’ll let you one day,” I say.
