One of These Days (Prairie Town Book 4)

by T. E. Ridener

  It had been too long.

  “There are more renovations I want to show you,” he whispered against her mouth, unbuttoning her blouse quickly. “New additions to the kitchen. It’s more modern now.”

  “Later,” she panted, reaching for his belt buckle. “We can look at it later.”

  “Right.” He tossed her blouse to the floor and immediately latched onto the naked flesh of her shoulder, biting gently. This earned him a moan as he backed her down the hallway. “What about the bathroom?”

  “Later,” she repeated, tugging his belt through its loops. It landed against the floor with a loud thud, and then she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “All later, baby. I need you.”

  “We should go out to the barn. There’s—ohh, hell. Aggie, baby,” he groaned when her fingers wrapped around him.

  “Later, Jeb,” she said more sternly. “I fucking want you. Now.”

  “Now,” he whispered, nodding eagerly. “I fucking want you, too.”

  Once they were in the bedroom, he kicked the door shut with his boot and tossed her on the bed, his eyes wide and wild with lust.

  “C’mon then, Farmer Jeb.” Curling her finger at him, she smirked. “This field needs some major plowing.”

  Chapter 20

  Jeb

  Okay, so they were a little behind schedule, but what kind of man would refuse to give his lady some sweet love—especially given it had been over three months?

  Only an idiot, obviously, and that, he was not.

  Running his fingers through his somewhat shaggy hair, he glanced in the mirror to make sure the nice little hickey on his neck was hidden from view; the last thing he wanted tonight was for anybody to get distracted from the task at hand.

  The welcome home banner hanging out front was only the beginning of the surprises he had lined up for her. There was still so much more to come, and he prayed she’d like all of them.

  Turning back to face the bed, he drank in the sight of her. She was lying on her side, completely naked, with disheveled brown hair hiding part of her face from view. He wasn’t sure he’d ever get used to seeing her with a natural hair color, but he was willing to make whatever adjustments were needed.

  Speaking of adjustments, he had to reach down into his jeans to put his dick back in place. If she didn’t put clothes on soon, he’d be forced to cancel everything and keep her in bed all night.

  Soon, he told himself. She needs tonight.

  “There’s a surprise for you in the bathroom,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant about it. “It’s something Lydia picked up for you. She thought you might like it.”

  “Ooh, a surprise?” That definitely got her out of bed. “Is it a dress?”

  “I’m not sure. Why don’t you go see?” He grinned. “And try it on so you can model it for me?”

  “So it is a dress!”

  Damn it.

  “And why do you want me to model it for you? So you can rip it off me and have your way with me again?” Batting her eyelashes in his direction, she slowly backed towards the door. “I’ll be back in a jiffy. Don’t go anywhere, Farmer Jeb.”

  He tipped an imaginary hat in her direction and laughed.

  It wasn’t long before she returned, but it gave him just enough time to do what he needed.

  She seemed confused as she entered the room. Gripping the poofy skirt, she frowned.

  “Um...what exactly was Lydia thinking when she picked out this dress?”

  “What do you mean?” He questioned, tilting his head to the side. “I think it looks great on you. Does the color bother you?”

  “What? No. I love purple. It’s just...well,”—she slowly turned in a circle—“It’s very sparkly and poofy. This isn’t exactly day-to-day fashion, honey. This is like...formal wear—super formal wear.”

  “I still think it’s really nice.” Stepping up to her, he folded his arms across his chest and grinned. “It’s better than my get-up, don’t ya think?”

  With her hands on the sparkling bodice of the dress, she finally lifted her head to stare at him and her mouth dropped open. “You’re in a tux? Okay. Wait.” Her hands flew into the air. “What the hell is going on, Jeb?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t feed me that crap,” she scowled, though he knew she wasn’t upset because her eyes were sparkling like stars. “You’re up to something and I know it.” Then her eyes widened and she gasped. “It’s the wedding, isn’t it? We’re getting dressed for the wedding!”

  “Maybe.” He grinned. “Maybe not.”

  That earned him a slap to his shoulder, and all he could do was laugh about it as he took her hand into his and exited the room.

  “There’s one more thing I have to show you before we go outside.”

  “Outside?”

  “Yeah. You wanted to see the barn, right?”

  “Yes,” she said cautiously, narrowing her eyes at him. “What have you got up your fancy sleeve, Jebson?”

  “I’m not saying a word.” And he wouldn’t. Not even after he went into the kitchen to retrieve what he was looking for.

  But as soon as her eyes landed on what he had in his hands, she began piecing the puzzle together herself. “Oh, Jeb,”—her hands flew to her cheeks—“Is that...is that a corsage?”

  “It absolutely is.” It was difficult to contain his excitement as he pulled the cool lavender flower from its plastic package. Reaching for her hand, he licked his lips and swallowed his nerves into place.

  It’s just a flower, dummy. This isn’t a marriage proposal.

  “I’d be greatly honored if you’d wear this,” he murmured, lifting her hand upwards. “As a token of my affection and pure adoration for you, Agatha Reed.”

  She blinked back tears as he slid the corsage onto her wrist, and then she nodded. “Of course, Jeb. Yes.”

  “Yeah?” He smiled and leaned in for a kiss, but was surprised when his lips met the palm of her hand instead.

  “I need to put some makeup on!” She all but cried. “I can’t go to a wedding without makeup!”

  With that, she turned and darted down the hallway, leaving him standing there with his lips puckered.

  It was cute though, that she thought they were going to a wedding. Maybe he needed to roll with that idea until they actually made it to the barn...

  So in natural McIntosh fashion, that’s exactly what he did.

  Guiding her towards the large wooden doors, he patted the top of her hand and then stopped just a few feet away.

  “I’m not exactly sure why I wanted a barn,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know if I’ll ever own animals or start a garden, but I thought it would be cool to have. I’ll probably end up storing tools and stuff in it, but you never know. Maybe I’ll get the urge one day.”

  “To become Farmer Jeb?” She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. “I’d have no complaints about that. I definitely think your tractor is sexy.”

  His face turned red and he knew it. His skin was on fire as the doors creaked open, revealing Callum and Lydia. They were both dressed just as fancy, and the shit-eating grin on Callum’s face said he’d heard the last part.

  “Welcome home, Aggie!” Lydia squealed, hurrying forward to hug her friend. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

  “To the wedding? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Aggie hugged her back and smiled at Callum. “This was quite clever of you guys, by the way. I was a bit confused about the dress at first, but now it makes perfect sense. And Lydia, that dress looks amazingly hot on you, Sugar. I love it.”

  ‘Wedding?’ Lydia mouthed to him, frowning.

  ‘Go with it.’ He mouthed back, winking.

  “Why don’t you come on inside, guys?” Callum asked as he stepped aside. “It’s colder than a witch’s titty out here.”

  He rolled his eyes at the old phrase and offered his arm to Aggie again. “Shall we, beautiful?”

  �
�We shall,” she replied, smiling from ear-to-ear. “Let’s get this wedding started!”

  As soon as they stepped inside the barn, he waited for the ‘ooh’s and ‘ahh’s to begin. One thing he’d noticed about Aggie early on, and something he also adored, was the fact it didn’t take much to thrill her. She seemed to appreciate the small things, but this, by far, was not small.

  It was like stepping into a high school gymnasium for a school dance, except the floors were just wood and nothing too fancy. There were streamers everywhere, a disco ball dangling from above, and big, sparkly stars hanging in every corner. Strands upon strands of light blue lights were strung about, too. They had also been Lydia’s idea.

  “Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful!” She gasped, bouncing up and down excitedly. “Is the wedding a prom theme? Because this is beyond gorgeous. I feel like I’m in high school and I don’t even know what that actually feels like!”

  Gazing down at her, he gave her a crooked grin. “I suppose this is what high school feels like,” he replied with a chortle of amusement. “Save for the occasional bully and pop quiz.”

  “Well, I love it.” Her eyes wandered the room and she seemed to become more excited every time she saw a familiar face.

  The whole gang was there, and then some. Tula and Paul brought their kids with them, Kelly, her kids, Nick, and Devin were there, too. His parents, Callum’s parents, Mrs. Harrington, Kelly’s neighbor, were also in attendance. Heck, even Cody showed up in his Sunday’s best.

  But there was one guest he was very eager for her to see...

  “Where’s the bride?” She asked, tugging on the sleeve of his suit jacket. “I’d like to wish her luck before they tie the knot.”

  “Uh...” He was trying to think of something, anything, to distract her from seeking out Laney. Allowing her to believe this shindig was for anything aside from her was turning out to be in his favor.

  But Benji totally tossed a wrench in that when the lights began to flicker and his voice came over the loud speaker.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our own personal night under the stars!”

  Everyone erupted in applause and cheers, and all he could do was pull her closer as everybody turned to stare at them. Aggie must have sensed his anxiousness because she rested a hand against his chest and gazed at him in concern.

  “What’s wrong, Jeb?”

  “N-nothing,” he replied, putting on another big smile. “Just excited is all. For Laney, you know?”

  “Oh.” Biting at her glossed bottom lip, she nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I understand, sweetie. You must be feeling all sorts of jitters right now. But you’ve done this before, remember? Lydia’s wedding wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  “Not at all.” Damn it, Jeb. You liar.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Aggie. She’s looking really gorgeous tonight, don’t you think?” Benji asked over the loud speakers. “Let’s give her a round of applause.”

  “Oh, gods.” Giggling, she hid her face behind his shoulder for a few seconds, swatting a hand in their general direction. “Stop it! There’s no need for this nonsense, you guys.”

  Now he felt a little terrible. She was still under the impression they were attending a wedding. She had no idea this entire thing was for her.

  “Baby,” he sighed, pulling her back in front of himself. “I need to tell you something. This—”

  “Oh my god, Aggie! You look so beautiful!” Laney exclaimed as she literally appeared out of nowhere. “That dress is to die for on you! I knew it would be perfect!”

  “Laney, hi!” Aggie met her halfway and embraced her, but her smile faded a little when she realized Laney wasn’t wearing a wedding dress. She stared her up and down for a few seconds and then placed a hand on her hip. “Um...is this what you’re wearing to get married in?”

  “What?” Laney stared down at the simple peach dress she was wearing and then blinked. “Married? What?”

  Both women turned to stare at him and he wished he could disappear.

  Tugging at the collar of his shirt, he gave his sister a helpless look. She simply rolled her eyes.

  “Jebson Ray, what did you do?” She asked, glancing at Aggie worriedly. “He told you this was our wedding?”

  “Well, I...uh, I...assumed...” She stammered, her beautiful eyes darting back to him again. “Is it...not...your wedding?”

  “No, Aggie. It’s not. This is your night. He told us you’d never had a prom and we wanted to fix that. I mean,”—Laney whirled around and waved her hand in the air—“This certainly isn’t how I imagine my wedding, honey. This is all for you.”

  Oh, shit. Oh, hell. I’m toast.

  Shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks, he hung his head and braced himself for Aggie’s wrath. Leave it to him to screw everything up—he still had a knack for it, he supposed.

  But no such wrath came. There was no yelling, or mean glares as her smaller hands gripped his jacket and pulled gently.

  Lifting his eyes to her beautiful face, he was relieved to see she was smiling.

  “You must think yourself to be very clever, Mr. McIntosh,” she said over the loud music Benji has started playing. “But you’re not that clever. You had me going, I’ll admit.”

  “I’m sorry, Aggie. I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “Oh, I am surprised,” she promised, tapping her index finger against his chest. “But now you owe me a dance. Or ten.”

  “My pleasure.”

  They made their way out to the middle of the dance floor, right there in the new barn he still wasn’t sure the use of, and he took her waist gently. While dancing had never been his strongest suit in life, he knew enough to keep himself from stumbling over his feet—and hers.

  She was a natural, as always. She moved gracefully in his arms, her eyes never leaving his. If people were watching them, which they probably were, he didn’t notice. Being with her had that effect on him; nothing else existed when she was around.

  “You planned a prom for me,” she whispered. The music changed to a slow song and the other couples joined them on the floor. His hands found her hips with ease and he swayed back and forth with the beat. “This is so unbelievably beautiful, Jeb. Thank you.”

  “I can’t take all the credit for it, beautiful. Lydia and Laney helped with a lot of it. I was going to choose ‘Under the Sea’ as the theme.”

  “I wouldn’t have minded at all.”

  “I just wanted it to be perfect.”

  “It’s beyond perfect, sweetheart.”

  “So are you.”

  “Nobody’s perfect, Jeb. Everyone has flaws, and a past.”

  “But you’re perfect to me.”

  That earned him a smile. Happiness always looked good on her.

  “You’re perfect to me, too,” she whispered, tiptoeing to kiss him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” He caressed her cheek and smiled, but was quickly distracted when movement from the corner of his eyes caught his attention. He glanced up to see Callum giving him a thumbs up.

  It was time.

  “Hey, you remember that necklace you asked me to hold on to for you?”

  “Yeah...”

  “Well, you see, I may not have it anymore.”

  Her hands immediately dropped to her sides and she stared at him with a mixture of horror and sadness on her face. “You what?”

  “The necklace,” he repeated. “I know how much it means to you, and—”

  “Jebson, that necklace means the world to me!” She cried, tears welling up in her eyes. “Don’t tell me you lost it. Oh, please, Jeb. Tell me you didn’t. It was a gift from my uncle Ryan and...and...”

  “Hello, Ag-a-boo.”

  Judging by the look on Aggie’s face, that voice was one she probably hadn’t expected to hear, ever again. Slowly, oh so slowly, she turned around to face the older male standing behind her. With his hands in the pockets of his expensive slacks,
he gave her a smile, which made the wrinkles around his mouth and eyes even more noticeable.

  His eyes, which were the same blue as hers, lit up as soon as he saw her face.

  When she stumbled backwards, he immediately stepped forward and pressed a hand against the small of her back to support her, and he could feel her shaking like a leaf.

  “Uncle Ryan?” She was stunned, maybe even going into shock, as she reached back to clutch his hand tightly.

  “It’s me, sweetheart,” Ryan affirmed, taking a step towards her. “I’m so...there aren’t words to express how happy I am to be here tonight, seeing you. You look absolutely breathtaking, darling.”

  Rubbing her back gently, he leaned down and whispered, “Callum was able to use some connections to track him down for you. He’s been living in Barbados all this time. It was incredibly hard to keep his arrival a secret.”

  Whirling about, she stared at him with watery eyes. “You did this?”

  A nervous lump formed in his throat and he suddenly felt afraid to answer the question. What if she hadn’t missed her uncle as much as he’d thought? What if she only brought him up for the sake of conversation?

  Might as well be honest about it.

  Slowly, he nodded.

  “Oh my gods. Oh, Jeb! You wonderful, fucking amazing human being!” She exclaimed, nearly tackling him in a hug. “Thank you so much!”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, hugging her back. “Anything for you, baby.”

  “Hey, where’s my hug?” Ryan asked, chuckling nervously.

  “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. Oh, Uncle Ryan!” She was sobbing as she pulled away from him and bounded towards her uncle. She practically leapt into his arms as her sobs grew louder.

  It was the single most joyous moment he’d ever experienced.

  “You’re here? You’re really here?” Pulling back slightly and grabbing either side of his face, she looked him over. “Oh my gods, you’re...you’re...”

  “Old?” He snickered and tugged at a loose curl hanging near her face. “Well, at least one of us is still pretty, Ag-a-boo.”