Meadowlarks Read online

  Closing the tack room door behind me, I see she's now standing in the doorway of the barn. She has a look on her face; I'm not sure how to read it, but it sparks my curiosity. I stop walking and decide to test the water. I run my hand over my abdomen, and lift my t-shirt to wipe the beads of sweat off my forehead with the hem, giving her full view of my body. She drops her jaw, and I grin enormously, biting my own lip this time, and narrowing my eyes.

  “Mr. Blackstock, what exactly are you doing?” she asks and starts to saunter over to me, hands clasped behind her back. Her gaze is penetrating.

  “I have no idea what you're talking about, ma’am.” I roll my eyes to the roof and snicker. When she reaches me, she puts her hands on my chest and runs her fingers down my body. Looking up at me intently, she smiles and blushes just a little.

  Unsure of why there is still space between us, I put my hands on her waist and pull her into me. I find myself leaning down to kiss her under her earlobe, placing small kisses along her neck, under her chin and up the other side of her face. I hear her groan, and inhale deeply.

  Brushing my lips gently against hers, I want to draw out this as long as I can, savouring each and every second, and every inch of her beauty.

  Her hands hold the hem of my shirt, and I lift my arms, giving her the okay to pull it off of me. She leans in to kiss my chest, and I throw my head back with anticipation.

  My hands tangle in her hair, finding their way down her neck, over her shoulders and then lifting the borrowed t-shirt off her body. Her breasts are beautiful; no, they're exquisite. Fitting in my hands perfectly, I caress her.

  One would think that like in the movies, all cowboys have their way with women in piles of hay all the time. But not me; this was a first. We find ourselves on a freshly opened bale, making love, her body on top of mine. The same legs that were just wrapped around Cylas, controlling his movements, were now wrapped around me, completely owning my body.

  I inhale deeply, and she gasps when my final thrust sends us both into a screeching climax together. She leans down on me, her hair on my chest and her hands gripping my arms tightly. It dawns on me, while we are laying entangled in our post love-making, that I didn’t use a condom.

  Oh, stupid move, Blaine.

  “Shit,” I start to speak. “We didn't use...anything.” I nod my head down towards my still-hard erection.

  “Oh...” She closes her eyes and covers her face. “I'm on the pill. I’m sorry; I really should have said something last night.” Opening her eyes again, she looks up at me. “I usually don't do this type of thing, and I'm really surprised at myself for it…I haven't been with anyone in a very long time.”

  I don't want to know the specifics of another man getting to feel her in the way I just have, so I wave my hand in the air and hug her tightly. “I'm all good, too—just so you know.” I half smile and pull her closer to me, kissing her lips.

  Eventually I let her go, and she lifts off of my chest. “I should really call my brother. He doesn't worry, but he is probably wondering where I am.” She sits, collecting her clothing.

  I watch her dress, still lying on the open and now strewn everywhere bale of hay…even though it’s poking painfully into my body. This view is worth every second.

  Just days ago I stood in Zeke's, undressing her with my eyes, not knowing the extent of the beauty in front of me. And now here I am watching her without the worry of getting caught. Just having been inside her, feeling her during the most vulnerable state, and I am putty. A feeling so unfamiliar to me, yet I don't push it away.

  Back inside the house Addison calls her brother.

  “Hey, Alex.” She pauses. “Yes, I know. I'm sorry; I'm fine.” She listens to whatever it is he's saying and glances at me, smiling. “Just give him a scoop in his dish, and please make sure you let him out a few times before you leave.”

  I assume she's talking about her dog.

  “Okay. And hey, Alex? Do you want to go for drinks later? There's someone I'd like you to meet.” Smiling at me again, she's twisting a tendril of hair between her fingers.

  To give her some privacy, I motion that I'm going upstairs, and she nods, still on the phone with her brother. Upstairs I take off my pants. I didn't put my shirt back on after our moment in the barn, and I toss them both in the laundry hamper in the bathroom. I need to shower. I step in and let the water beat down on my head and run down my body. I lather the bar of soap in my hands and start to wash myself. When I get to my groin, I hesitate; I don't want to wash her off of me.

  My hands are no comparison to hers. They are rough, and even though I know my own body, I'd rather her hands and other parts of her on me any day.

  I turn off the shower, letting the remainder of the water trickle down the drain. Getting out, I towel-dry my messy hair and then my body. Taking the same towel, I wipe off the condensation on the mirror. I look at myself and notice that I need to shave. Eh, I'll do it later. I dress in the usual jeans and t-shirt. I am so typical. But I like comfort and simplicity.

  Downstairs, Addison is sitting on the couch, Rex happily standing between her legs looking overjoyed as she pets and scratches him all over.

  “Hey,” I say, and she looks up at me, still petting Rex.

  “Hey yourself.” She smiles and gives him one last scratch. “I thought I'd shower at home. So I'd have clothes to change into.” She holds the hem of the shirt out. “Would you mind driving me back to my car in town?”

  As much as I don't want her to go, I want her to be comfortable and if that means taking her home, then I don't refuse.

  “Yeah, of course. Do you want to get some lunch while we're in town?” I ask, completely hoping she doesn't plan on going home and staying there.

  In town I pull up in front of Bean There. Feeling a tinge of...unease? I don't know, I look over at her and smile. I really don't want her to get out of this truck right now.

  She leans over and places a gentle kiss on my lips. Closing my eyes, I get lost in her. Missing posters are put up to find me, but I hope no one ever does. After a far too short kiss, she pulls back and smiles. “I'll text you in a bit.”

  I smirk my sexiest grin at her and wink.

  Shutting the door behind her, she pulls a set of keys from her green purse and walks up to... No. Fucking. Way. A 1967? '68? Mustang Fastback. I think I'm having heart palpitations. That can't be her car; in no real world does a girl that beautiful drive a car almost equally appealing to the eye. I pictured her in some little hatchback, maybe a Golf or Prius. Not this insane gunmetal silver machine. The teenager in me pictures her sprawled on the hood, on the cover of a gear-head magazine, and I exhale slowly and loudly.

  She gets in the car, waves at me through the open window and lets that baby roar away from me. Turning at the lights, she's gone.

  I'm still sitting, truck idling, my foot on the clutch with intent to drive, but nothing is happening. I reel through the images in my head of the last day and a half. I almost pinch myself to see if it's all really happening. Letting out a loud sigh again, I check my rear view mirror and shift into first, then second, then third...

  Pulling into Jeremiah's driveway, I see him in the yard, raking stones on the off the grass. He looks up and waves. I honk the horn and grin.

  “What's up, buddy?” Jer puts his fist out to bump mine.

  “Not much. Just seeing what you were up to.” I really don't know why I'm here; I guess I wanted to see him. I didn't want to be alone with my thoughts after seeing Addison drive away.

  “Okay, let's hear it.” He motions his hand in a beckoning for information.

  I know exactly what he wants to know, and I let out a sigh while raising one of my eyebrows. “Hear what?” I ask coyly, kicking my shoe into the dirt, flinging a few of the stones he had just raked up.

  “The girl, man. What was she doing at your house?” He pushes my shoulder with his hand and laughs.

  I tell him about her and me meeting in Dr. Jenkins' office, and how I just felt l
ike I couldn't leave without talking to her. “I know—totally unlike me.” I trail off, looking around at anything but his eyes.

  “Blaine?” He moves to catch my gaze, laughing at me. “Are you in love?” He holds his hand on his heart and snorts.

  “Fuck it, I'm going...” I turn on my heel and start walking like a child. Guys don't get this defensive, so why the hell am I right now?

  “Man, I was kidding. She's beautiful, and you're a lucky guy,” Jeremiah calls from behind me.

  I turn around and kick the dirt again. “I don't know what's going on. I'm...” I sputter my lips and look at the sky. “I really like her.”

  Jer suggests I be cool and not scare her away with my intense and unfamiliar feelings. I agree with him, as I am still unsure about it myself so I don't want to overwhelm her with hearts and rainbows and chubby cherubs with their sights set right on my ass.

  “We're meeting for lunch today. Do you wanna come by later for a fire? I think she's inviting her brother over. I might offer him a job to help us around the farm.” I don't explain why; I just shrug my shoulders.

  “Yeah, okay.” He looks inquisitively at me. “Can I bring a date?”

  Aside from the girl he took to prom in high school, I've never seen Jeremiah date. He's like me; he has little flings here and there but nothing serious. And he has never brought anyone over or introduced them to me.

  “A date?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. “Who did you have in mind?”

  “It's a secret. You'll see later, man,” he jokes and stands the rake up against his garage door.

  I have no clue who he could be referring to, and I don't ask any more questions. I'm intrigued, as I know pretty much every available woman around, and I can't think of who it could be.

  Jer brings out two bottles of beer from the house, and we sit on the tailgate of my truck and drink, enjoying the sunshine. It feels good on my skin, warm and inviting, and I soak it in.

  It makes me think of her, of her warm skin on mine; it was like silk in my hands. She didn't seem to mind my rough hands exploring her body or her face as I caressed her. She even kissed a callous on the inside of my hand…

  Here we go, I'm submerged in my thoughts again. This time I'm inches from the bottom, ready to buckle under the pressure and implode in the darkness of the sea. Remembering I'm sitting beside Jeremiah, I collect my thoughts and compose myself.

  Get a grip, Blackstock.

  My phone buzzes, and when I pull it out of my jeans pocket, I see a text from Addison.

  Hey, handsome. Hungry yet?

  I inhale deeply and smile at the screen of my iPhone.

  “I don't even have to ask, do I?” Jeremiah says, shaking his head.

  “Nope!” I pat his shoulder, hop off the tailgate of my truck and put the phone back in my pocket.

  “All right, buddy. See ya later,” he says, jumping off in the same motion, but landing on a large stone and wincing. “Shit! Ouch!” He chuckles and hold his foot in his hands.

  “Crybaby.” I laugh and climb up into the truck and back out of the driveway.

  Jer waves, picks up his rake and continues to move the stones from the grass again.

  At the stop sign at the end of the road, I pull my phone out of my jeans again and open the messages to send my reply.

  Starving. Where to, miss?

  I hit the button, and it makes a whoosh noise as it sends my text to her phone. Almost instantly I get a reply. Lakes?

  Lakes is a big diner in town, well known for its extended menu, catering to all kinds of palates. Their pizza is actually the best in town; I remember my dad took us boys there almost every Saturday night when we were kids. Large Hawaiian with extra green olives—my favourite.

  Lakes. See ya in 15? I hit send again and hear the whoosh. I realize there is a car impatiently waiting behind me when I am startled by its horn, honking at me to move. I wave my hand out my window, flip the turn signal to go right, and check for traffic.

  I pull into Lakes’ large parking lot and see that Addison is already here. She's leaning against the fender of her car, looking too sexy to be legal. She's wearing a pair of frayed jean shorts and a well-fitted blue t-shirt. I find a parking spot near the back, away from everyone else.

  “You look beautiful.” I take her hand and kiss it lightly.

  “Not too bad yourself.” She gives me a wink and curls her fingers into my hand.

  “Okay, where did you get this car? I almost died when you got into it earlier.”

  She blushes and turns to look at the car. “It was my dad's, his first car.”

  “Well, you look sexy as hell in it.” I grin, and she smiles innocently at me.

  Lakes has a typical diner theme—white walls, retro-styled seating areas rimmed with metal edges. A large menu over the opening to the kitchen, where you can see some of the staff hastily cooking amidst the steam of the grills and fryers. It's usually busy at lunch here, so I'm surprised when we find a table so quickly.

  “Hey, Blaine!” A happy voice greets me; it's Sadee, the girlfriend of one of my nephews. Nick's kid, Bobby.

  “Hey there, Sadee. What's good today?” I motion to the menu board. She smiles at Addison and looks at me with an approving smile. “Well, the special today is a bacon cheeseburger with any side. For $5.95.”

  I salivate at the thought and look at Addison. She's reading the large menu and then turns her eyes to Sadee. “I'll have that! With fries and a Coke, if you have it.”

  “And I'll have the exact same.”

  “Alright, guys, I'll be back with your drinks in a jiffy!” Sadee says, bouncing off, writing down our order in a little spiral notebook.

  “What?” Addison asks, when she notices that I'm gazing at her. I clear my throat and adjust myself in the vinyl seat. Every time I look at her I see some new beautiful detail, like the small and very faint splash of freckles across her nose.

  “Oh, nothing.” I smile.

  “Tell me about your family.” She asks slowly, batting her long lashes over her big blue eyes. I look out the window and try to piece together how to explain the Blackstocks’ to her.

  “Well,” I start. “My mom and dad met in grade school—grew up here, too. Got married young, then she got pregnant with my brother Nick.”

  She reaches to hold my fingers with hers, and I squeeze them gently. The touch slows and races my heart all at the same time.

  “Owen came long two years later. They lived at the ranch; it was my great grandfather's.”

  Sadee is back with our drinks.

  “Thanks, Sadee.” I look up at her.

  “No prob, guys. The food should be out soon!” Sadee says before leaving again.

  “Sadee is my nephew's girlfriend,” I tell Addison. “Bobby, he's Nick's oldest son.”

  “How much older are your brothers?”

  “Nick is forty-five, and Owen will be 43 this fall.”

  I wonder if she's doing the calculations in her head.

  “Yeah, my parents didn't plan on having me.”

  She's still holding my fingers, not breaking eye contact once.

  Sadee is back and places our food in front of us. “Can I get you anything else?” she asks happily.

  “I'm good if you are.” Addison smiles at me and then up to Sadee.

  “Yep, we're good. Thank you.”

  Sadee gives a thumbs up and goes to help clear a table with another young girl.

  We talk more about her applying for a nursing job, her brother possibly working at my ranch, and even a little about Jeremiah. I tell her the story about Ivy breaking his toes, and she laughs.

  “That's why he was waving that big stick like a mad man yesterday?”

  I snort. “Yep, she can be a handful.”

  I tell her how Jer and I have been best friends our entire lives. He went through a dark time after his parents died, and having him work with me at the ranch really seemed to keep him busy and in better spirits.

  “He's lucky t
o have a friend like you,” she says, and I disagree…it's the other way around. I'm lucky to have him.

  Dipping the last of my fries into a glob of ketchup on my plate, I ask her, “How do you feel about having your brother over tonight? We could have a bonfire, maybe roast some marshmallows?” I raise one of my eyebrows and grin.

  “Yeah! That would be fun.” She bites a fry in half and grins back.

  Sadee is back to clear our plates, and Addison pulls her phone out her purse. “I'll text Alex, and make sure he's let Luca out.” Her phone makes a beeping noise, and she picks it up to read the message. Eyebrows raised, she starts typing in what I assume is a response. “He's in. As long as there's beer.” She rolls her beautiful blue eyes. When she sets her phone back on the table, I reach for her hand and kiss her knuckles, the stubble above my lip whispering across her skin.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I stoke the fire with a long thick branch. It pops and crackles, sending little orange embers up into the sky, disappearing into the night. Music is playing from stereo and out the open windows in the truck.

  Addison went home after lunch this afternoon; she said she had things to do and would be back tonight with her brother. I miss her. Two days, and I miss her. The sweet scent of her hair, the soft touch of her hands in mine, and her big eyes staring into my soul.

  I sound like a Hallmark card for crying out loud. I'm entranced, watching the flames flick around, like hot, sharp tongues lashing at the night sky.

  The sound of a truck engine drowns out the music briefly, and I look over to see Jeremiah pulling up. He parks in front of the garage.

  “Hey! Buddy!” Jumping out, he runs around the back of his truck to open the passenger door. Two long and tan legs emerge, followed by a loud, “Buh-lay-aineeeee!”

  The overdrawn use of my name makes me cringe, and I see whose mouth it's coming from.

  Gwen Wolf.

  Jer, are you fucking serious? Gwen Wolf? Buddy...

  Trying not to make my annoyance apparent, I greet them. “Hey, guys. How's it going?”

  She's walking up to me, stumbling slightly. Jer catches her, and she laughs obnoxiously.