Meadowlarks Page 2

  “Blaine?”

  I snap back to the present, and Dr. Jenkins has returned to the waiting room with Rex.

  “Rex is fine. He didn't contract rabies, and his leg is okay too. Just a small sprain.”

  I smile and sigh with relief.

  “I suggest he takes it easy for a few days, and then he will be back to good.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  I look down at Rex and purse my lips. He looks up at me, eyes lit up and happy as a clam. Heading over to the reception desk to pay for the visit, I catch something out of the corner of my eye.

  A big malamute comes through the door and behind him…it's her. This time I see all of her—large blue eyes and that flowing auburn hair.

  Well, hello again…says the familiarity in my jeans that I felt at Zeke's the first time I saw her. I actually blush.

  Finally her eyes meet mine, a moment that I wish had happened a few days ago, but I didn't have the guts make it occur. She’s perfect; I can't put it any other way. And this time, she seems to be without the texting friend.

  I hope he's just her friend.

  Her large dog starts sniffing Rex, but he doesn't seem to mind or even notice him.

  “Luca! Mind your manners.” She blushes and pulls on his leash.

  “Ugh...” I stammer. “No worries, ma'am. Rex doesn't mind.”

  I collect myself and give her my big white smile. When I see her reaction, I start to feel like a man again. Her beautiful cheeks turn pink, and she looks down at the leash coiled in her hands.

  There you go, Blackstock. Welcome back.

  “Hi, I'm Addison. I called earlier about my dog, Luca.” She peeks around me and speaks to the young girl behind the desk.

  “Hi, Miss Cole. Dr. Jenkins will see you and Luca in a few minutes. If you'd like to take a seat, she will be right out!” The all-too cheery girl motions for the seating area and chews noisily on her gum.

  Addison smiles at me and walks Luca over to a row of empty seats and tells him to sit, which he does promptly.

  I decide that I need to talk to her now, or I probably never will. I tap my leg and tell Rex to come. He hobbles behind me, and I slowly walk over to the chairs.

  “Miss Cole?” I stand a few feet away and put my hands on my belt buckle. She looks at my hands, then at my face, smiles, but doesn't say anything.

  “May I?” I motion to the seat beside her.

  She nods and slowly blinks her beautiful long lashes at me.

  “I'm Blaine.” I extend my hand to her and she shakes it. Tingles shoot up my fingers and down my forearm.

  Oh, damn...

  “Addison.” She smiles, her blue eyes alight and sparkling. “Are you from around here?”

  I reach out and pet the top of Luca's head. “Yep, I am. Born and raised. I live on a ranch on Porter Road. What about you?”

  “Just moved into town. I'm from the east coast, actually.”

  Her smile leaves me breathless, and when the receptionist tells her it's her turn, I figure it's now or never. “Would you like to get coffee sometime?”

  Maybe it is the adrenaline from our early morning fox chase, or maybe I just haven't seen such a beauty before and I can't let her get away. I need to chase my own fox, so to speak.

  “I would love to, Blaine,” she says completely taking me by surprise. “How about after Luca has his shots?”

  She reaches to scratch her dog's head. He’s panting.

  I feel ya, buddy…

  My cell phone rings, but I completely ignore it. “That sounds great. I can meet you down the street at Bean There in about half an hour?”

  Bean There, a comical name for a coffee shop, is locally owned by a friendly couple from New York who had enough of the city life and wanted to lay some country roots.

  “Okay. I’ll see you then.”

  She is gorgeous when she smiles. Her perfect teeth, the small dimples in her cheeks, and the way her hair falls around her face when she looks down to blush.

  I almost trip over the coffee table when Rex and I make our way to the exit. I shrug my shoulders, and she giggles, a sound that makes me smile even wider.

  I have to take Rex back home. He needs to rest that leg, and I need to look in a mirror to give myself a pep talk to grow the nerve to actually see this girl for a third time.

  Addison Cole...wow.

  I open the rear door of my Ford and lift Rex in. He winces.

  “Sorry, boy.” I pat his head and close the door.

  Looking back into the window of the vet's office, I see her sitting in the same chair, Luca at her feet, and she's watching me.

  Okay, Blackstock, show her the goods.

  I open my door, give her a smile, and extend my arm to hoist myself up into my truck, ensuring the muscles in my biceps are at their best.

  See you soon, gorgeous.

  * * *

  Rex is sleeping comfortably on his oversized dog pillow. I quickly check myself in the bathroom mirror, run a bit of water over my hands and rake my fingers through my hair. It's unruly, but when isn't it? I smell my armpits. Not bad. I spritz on a little body spray anyway.

  I'm wearing my usual well-worn jeans with a few rips in the knees, my boots, and white t-shirt. Unlike Quinn Masterson's wardrobe in high school, this does compliment my body very well. I feel a buzz from my pocket, signalling me that I have a voice mail. Must be the call I ignored while engaged to the lovely Miss Cole.

  It's Jeremiah. “Where are you? You will not believe what time I woke up this morning. We didn't even drink that much!”

  He sounds groggy; he doesn't do hangovers well. I decide to call him back, and he picks up in two rings.

  “Jer, buddy—you really can't handle a few beers anymore?” I laugh, and he groans. “Are you still coming over today?”

  He tells me he is going to shower and be over within an hour.

  “I have to go out for a bit, but I'll be back later.” I don't want to tell him who I'm going to meet. Not just yet.

  “Okay, bro. See ya.”

  We hang up and shoving my phone back in my pocket, I head out the door.

  Addison met me at the entrance of Bean There, and we walked in together. It's actually pretty cool on the inside. An odd Mediterranean theme for a coffee shop, but the warm peaches and cool blues tie in well with the brown tables and chairs. The young brunette behind the counter blushes when we approach her to order.

  “Welcome to Bean There! What can I get for you today?”

  I look at Addison, who smiles and orders a black coffee.

  “I'll have the same, please.” I hand the brunette, whose name tag says Kelly, a ten dollar bill. Addison and I look at one another and smile, her fingers twirling a small strand of hair.

  “Thank you, Blaine.” She picks up her coffee. “Where would you like to sit?”

  I suggest a round table by the window, one with only two chairs close enough together that I'm hoping our knees will touch underneath the wooden tabletop. I hold out her chair for her to sit, and she smiles and thanks me. Sitting down across from her, I can't believe that I'm having coffee with the same girl I was staring at a few days ago at the feed store.

  “So, tell me about yourself, Blaine,” she says, and then takes a small sip of coffee.

  “Well...” I reply, tapping my index finger on my chin, thinking of what people would usually say when asked this question.

  “I'm twenty-nine. I have two older brothers, Nick and Owen. I'm a rancher. You know, horses, cows, chickens, you name it. I've lived there my whole life.” That pretty much sums it up; I don't know what else to say. I've never met anyone in my adult life that I've had to tell myself about to. Everyone I've dated I went to school with at some point in time, and that makes me realize how small of a bubble I live in.

  “I love horses. I actually used to ride them as a kid,” she says and takes another sip of coffee.

  I haven't touched mine; I can't take my eyes off her.

  “I have a brother, to
o. Alex. He's twenty-two, dropped out of college last year and is staying with me until he decides what he wants to do with his life.”

  Ahhhhh, Texty is her brother! And, also not Texty, but Alex.

  I smile and remember the look he gave me at Zeke's when he caught me gazing at her.

  “Well, you will have to come out some time, and we can go for a ride.” I can picture her now, riding one of my horses. Bareback, beautifully cantering along, smiling at me. The thought immediately travels from my mind, sweeps past my heart and flows right into my lap with all the rest of the blood in my body. Tingling and heated, I shift in my seat.

  “How many horses do you have?” she asks, awakening me from my quick daydream.

  “Four quarter horses and two Arabians,” I say with a smile. “Would you like to come see them today?” I surprise myself with the question but don't regret asking.

  She inhales, and her cheeks are pink again, but she smiles. “I would love to.”

  I am elated, and I finally take a sip of my coffee, feeling like I've overcome some barrier and now can drink in celebration. We make small talk for a while about where she went to school (a university in Maine) and how she got a degree in nursing but decided not to pursue a career just yet. She moved to Wyoming after basically spinning a bottle on a map; she was at a crossroads in her life and needed a change. Her brother Alex tagged along out of sheer boredom.

  I tell her about Nick and Owen, their wives and children, Nick having three boys, and Owen a boy and girl. She never once looks bored during our conversation. We are completely engaged in each other, and all the bustle around us fades into the background.

  What seems like forever is only an hour and a half, according to the giant roasted bean-shaped clock on the wall. Addison looks outside and notices that it has started to rain.

  She pouts her perfect and enticing lips. “Awe, rain! Maybe another day I can visit your ranch?”

  “Well, if a little rain doesn't bother you, I'd still like to take you out there,” I suggest and smile, praying she says yes. And she does.

  Outside, I point to my truck, and we start running toward it, covering our heads with our hands like it'll make any difference. I open the passenger door, and she gracefully hops in, pulling her beautiful hair all to one side and over her shoulder. I don't realize I'm staring until she looks down at me and blushes.

  Getting into the driver’s side, I turn on the defrost setting to warm us up a little and take the fog off the windows. If I were a teenager again, I would be proud to have a hot woman like Addison in my truck with steamy windows. I smirk at my thought, turn the key, and shift into gear.

  Addison is quiet for the first few minutes of our drive. I sneak a glance over at her, and she is sitting gracefully with her hands clasped together on her lap. Small drips of water are coming off her hair, trickling down her shoulder, down her back.

  Damn lucky rain.

  The brief shower of rain has let up as we make our way down Porter Road. She is quietly singing along with a Toby Keith song on the stereo.

  Blackstock Ranch Est. 1927 is engraved on a large wooden banner across the top of the lane way. Held up by large posts, our family's roots have grown here for over 85 years.

  “Wow, 1927.” She lifts her head up to see out the window. “There must be a lot of memories here.”

  Pulling up to the house, I see Jeremiah's red truck. Shit. I forgot he was here. I can see him in the field with Ivy and her calf. He's got a big stick and is keeping a good distance from the two of them. I laugh to myself at the thought of Ivy and Jer's history. I shift into park and turn the quiet rumble off. I hop out and quickly go to Addison's side to open her door.

  “Thank you,” she says, smiling, and takes my hand to get down out of the lifted cab.

  “Ma'am,” I reply, smiling back.

  “Blaine!” Jeremiah is running over to us now. Ivy is still standing by her calf; she turns her head down to graze. “Oh...hi!” he says, as he ever so obviously recalls the last (and first) time he saw Addison.

  “Hi. I'm Addison.” She extends her hand to Jeremiah, who quickly takes it and kisses it.

  I roll my eyes and snort.

  “Jeremiah Sanford, but I'm sure Blaine has told you all about me!” He laughs, his voice breathy from jogging.

  “Yes, he did mention you, Jeremiah. It's a pleasure to meet you.” She takes her hand back and clasps them together at her waist.

  “Jer, how's the little guy today?” I ask him. Anything to get this awkward moment over with.

  “Oh, he's good. She's a little moody, as usual, but he's strong, Blaine. He'll be a big boy for sure.” He looks over at the cows, holding his hand over his eyebrows to shield the sun that's finally peeking out of the grey clouds.

  “Good. I can't wait,” I say, rubbing my hands together. “Addison and I had coffee today, and I was telling her about the ranch. She loves horses, and I thought I could show her mine.” I felt the need to explain why this gorgeous woman was standing in my drive way.

  “Oh, coffee. Isn’t that nice,” Jeremiah says, sarcastically. “And, you came to the right place for a ride...”

  He says he's got to go into town for a while, which I doubt, but he's doing the best friend thing to give me alone time.

  “Okay, Jer. See you in a bit.”

  He winks at me while she's got her back turned, gets in his truck, and leaves.

  “So, Miss Cole. Do you want to change into something less...wet?” I ask, eyeing her body. The clothing is clinging to her in a way where it leaves little to the imagination. No wonder Jer was acting like that—I can see through her white blouse that she has beautiful breasts. I try not to let her see me looking at her, but I can't help myself.

  She bites her lip. “You have women's clothes?” she asks, laughing.

  “Well,” I start to explain, my eyes wandering on her body. “No. But you can wear one of my t-shirts if you like.”

  Okay, Blackstock, enough of the eye-sex.

  I pull open a drawer to find a dry pair of jeans, put them on, and open the closet. I decide not to wear my usual white, but instead a dark green vintage John Deere shirt and head into the kitchen. Addison is already there, standing by the window, looking out. She's wearing my shirt, and I have to clench my jaw at the sight—wishing it was all she was wearing.

  “Hey,” I say from the bottom of the staircase.

  “Hi.” She turns around and with one word makes me melt like butter in a pan.

  “Want to head out and see the horses now?” I ask, even though I'd rather pull her into my arms and devour that gorgeous mouth.

  Outside we find the horses all together in the pasture. “There's my boy.” I point to one standing by the corner. Mischief is a stocky mixture of quarter horse and pinto, but doesn't have the patches like his father. He's a rich copper with a jet black mane and tail. I whistle, and he trots over to the gate.

  “This is Mischief. He's a big suck; I don't think he realizes he's a horse.” I laugh.

  Addison runs her fingers through his mane. “Hello, Mischief,” she says. “He's beautiful, Blaine.”

  We're both quiet for a few minutes, and she finally breaks the silence. “Is it weird that we're complete strangers, yet here I am, totally comfortable and enjoying this immensely?”

  I run my hand through my now dry hair, letting out a sigh of relief. I was hoping that she was enjoying herself, as this was not a typical “Hi how are you? Let's meet occasionally for coffee and text one another” start to...well, whatever this is.

  “I've gotta be honest—I feel it too. This is completely comfortable to me.” I hold my breath and take her hand in mine.

  An over-played pop song quickly plays in my head. Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy...

  We walk through the field, talking about random things like movies, music, and favourite foods. She tells me her favourite meal is lasagna.

  “I would like to make that for you, if you would stay for dinner,” I ask whil
e I rub her knuckles with my thumb.

  “Mmm, how could I refuse?” she says sweetly.

  A large boom startles us both; it seems a storm was looming. The rain from earlier must have just been the beginning. Instinctively we both turn and start running as the rain follows the thunder, and we reach the porch just in time. The rain comes down hard, and the thunder crashes loudly.

  “I just can't keep you dry today…” I laugh and pull my boots off.

  She bites her lip, and I'm no longer butter in the pan—I'm water. Steam, evaporation. She's blowing me away. The distance of a few feet between us is no longer as we find ourselves wrapped in a passionate kiss, my hands in her hair and her hands on my arms. I feel myself start to harden, and she presses herself against me. Her body flush with mine.

  The kiss is never-ending. I am lost in time; I have no idea how long we have stood here and been completely engulfed in lips and tongues and heavenly taste. She is the first to unseal the bond and steps back breathing heavily.

  I open my eyes and I am complete mush. I could just fall and I would be nothing more than a pile on the hardwood floor.

  “Addison...” I start to say, but can't find any other words. The only thing I want on my tongue at that very moment is her.

  “Blaine, I…ugh...how about that lasagna?” she says quietly, snapping me back to reality.

  I grin at her, tip her chin up with my hand, lean in for a kiss but instead I whisper, “How could I forget?” into her ear.

  My phone buzzes and when I swipe the screen to open the message, I see it's from Jeremiah.

  I won't make it back today. Oh, and U R filling me in pronto!!!

  I text back. OK, cya then. And...We’ll see.

  There's no way he will let me just casually explain this one. He will want details. But do I want to share the specifics of this? Hell, no. Sorry, Jer. She's all mine.

  “Can I help you with anything? Maybe chop some veggies?” she asks kindly, while sitting on the stool at the island in the center of the kitchen.