“I’m just watching him for Hayden,” his voice floated toward me. They looked at me and I smiled at them.
The announcer called my name and Tika and I ran through the pattern. Though our run was decent, I knew we wouldn’t be placing. I gave Tika a pat on the neck, angry with myself for letting Dave distract me.
“Sorry, my girl. That was my fault. My mind was elsewhere.” I looked up and saw Jasper looking at me, nodding absently at something the blonds were saying. I stopped Tika in front of Shade.
“Take a deep breath, Shlova. He’s gone.”
I looked across the ring and let my breath out slowly. I looked back to Jasper and smiled. “So, who are your new friends?”
Both girls blushed.
Jasper grinned. “Hayden, this is June and Katie. Girls, this is my wife, Hayden.”
June’s pretty lips pursed into an ‘o’ and Katie turned a deeper shade of red. It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.
“Nice to meet you, girls. Did you have your runs yet?”
Katie nodded and June shook her head.
“Hey, Hayden!”
My heart jumped into my throat and I turned Tika so she was facing Dave who was standing just outside the holding pen.
I looked back at Jasper. “Hun, not here.”
The two girls were looking at him, their eyes wide. I couldn’t blame them. I had seen what Jasper could do when his face looked like that. I was hoping to god it wouldn’t happen in front of all of these people.
I nudged Tika forward and rode to the fence. Jasper pulled Shade to a stop beside me.
“What do you want, Dave?”
Dave looked up at me, then to Jasper, and finally back at the ground. “I…” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “I wanted to apologize.” He took a sip of his beer and looked me in the eye. “I’m sorry. About everything.” He glanced at Jasper but kept talking to me. “I’m glad he stopped me. I don’t remember much from that night. I was pretty drunk. Anyway, I don’t imagine you’ll want to have much to do with me, but I just had to let you know that I realize what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry for it.” He took another drink, gave Jasper a nod, and walked away.
Jasper looked over at me and I knew that the surprised look on his face matched the one on mine.
“Did that just happen?”
He shrugged then frowned. When I followed his gaze, I saw Dave, leaning against a fence post, staring at us.
“I don’t trust that man, Shlova.”
“Me neither.”
“Well, so long as we agree. Now,” he smiled and stepped off of Shade. “We had better switch so you can get your ribbon with the right horse.”
I laughed. “You think so?”
“I know so.” He kissed me softly before getting on Tika.
We settled ourselves near the fence and waited for the rest of the class to be done.
Chapter Ten
Jasper set his end of the brown couch down and looked at Shawn. “This is where she wants it?”
Shawn grinned. “That’s what she said.” He stretched and grimaced at the cracking noise his back made. “Ugh, this is the last time I do this.” He went to stand on the porch and Jasper joined him. They gazed into the field by the house.
“The barn’s in not bad shape. I’ll need to fix up the roof a bit, but it should all hold up until spring. I have a load of bales coming in the morning. I’m thinking of going to get the horses in the afternoon.”
Jasper smiled and gave him a pat on the back. “Let’s get the bar-b-q. Then we’ll be done. And hopefully the girls get back with the groceries soon. All of this furniture moving has made me hungry.”
Shawn laughed. “I agree. And I hope they remember the beer. I could definitely use one of those right about now.”
They got the bar-b-q out of the back of the U-Haul and placed it on the deck.
Shawn and Shay’s new house was a three bedroom ranch home situated on a hundred and sixty acres. He had helped Shawn move all of their furniture and belongings during the day while Hayden and Shay had cleaned, put things away, and then had run back into town to get groceries.
By the look on Hayden’s face when she had seen it, he knew that were she still living here, this was the kind of place she would have wanted. He knew she had told him more than once since they had been together that she was happy with their cabin, but watching her here, riding horses, playing with Shawn’s Australian Shepherd, he couldn’t help but wonder. Was she happier here?
He took a deep breath. It had been almost six months since they had crossed over. Shawn had been right. It did get easier.
“There they are.”
Jasper looked down the dirt road to where Shawn has spotted the dust cloud forming as a vehicle made its way closer to the house.
Hayden’s truck appeared over a hill. It was followed by a smaller green car.
He smiled as Hayden stepped out of the truck. She was wearing her jeans and lace up boots and had thrown a dark grey fleece over her red bunny hug. Her hair flowed out the back of her black baseball cap. Her green eyes lit up at the sight of him.
The wind picked up and tugged at his t-shirt. Hayden rolled her eyes at him and he laughed. “You can’t honestly be cold already.” He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close.
“Yes, I am.” She stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly. “I don’t think it’s very fair that your tiger half is gone right now and you still don’t get cold.”
He heard her soft groan as he ran his tongue along her bottom lip.
She grinned up at him. “Stop that.”
“I’m just trying to warm you up.” He grinned back at her.
The green car pulled in beside the trucks and she turned toward it. “I picked up a couple of strays while I was out.”
“Hey, Jasper!”
He looked up, frowned, and broke into a wide smile. He started to laugh. “No wonder Hayden was so shocked when she first saw you in Quelondain. You don’t look anything the same over here.”
Tara and Ben laughed with him. When they crossed over, Ben grew three inches, their ears rounded out, and their earthy colored skin changed so they simply looked tanned.
“I take it the blue bird made it with the note?”
Ben nodded. “We crossed over yesterday. It’s a good thing Tara still keeps her apartment here.”
“Well, you never know what’s going to happen. I like this apartment. We picked up this little car cheap this morning then we went to see how Foxy and Baldy were doing. They’ve been staying at Dale’s.”
“I’m going to go get Macho from the arena and Doc and Duncan from Roger’s tomorrow. If you want to keep those two here as well, you’re more than welcome to.” Shawn put an arm around Shay.
Tara nodded. “Sure. That would be great.”
Everyone grabbed some grocery bags and helped bring them into the house. Shawn fired up the bar-b-q and Shay started to make a salad. Jasper helped Tara wrap potatoes in tin foil while Hayden and Ben brought everyone a beer.
“Jasper? Can you take the steaks out to Shawn?” Shay handed him the steaks.
“Sure thing.”
He walked outside and smiled. Hayden wasn’t going to be very happy. Large snowflakes were falling lazily from the sky.
“It’s been a strange fall,” commented Shawn. “It usually snows in October. Considering it’s almost the end of November, this is a treat.” He took the steaks from Jasper and gave him a quick glance before turning to the bar-b-q. “You seemed kind of quiet today. Is everything alright?”
Jasper shrugged.
“Are you thinking of going back early?”
Jasper shook his head. “No, just the opposite actually. I’m not sure we should go back.”
Shawn stayed quiet and waited for him to continue.
“We have to go back. In the spring, I mean. We have to finish this. I’m just thinking about after that. Maybe we should come back here.” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I want
Hayden to be happy. She’s happy here.”
“Is she happy there?”
“Yes. At least I’ve never felt anything from her to suggest otherwise. But I was watching her yesterday, riding Shade.” He smiled at the memory. They had been here for merely a week when word had gotten around that she was back in town and she’d gotten a few calls about training. She was so peaceful on the back of a horse. Granted, she had Dodge back home, but this was different. Dodge was her best friend. These were her students and she was a terrific teacher. “I don’t know. I have never been this completely confused in my entire thirty years.” He glanced up at his friend.
“I can’t tell you which is the best way to go. We didn’t have much choice in the matter. Shay almost died crossing over. After that, there wasn’t much thinking to do at all. I can’t live without her. This was the only choice.
“I was going to tell you. I talked with Roger. He said to let you know that once you get back from your trip to Scotland to visit your family, you’re to come back to work. Said you’re turning out better than he’d hoped.”
Jasper smiled. “That’s another thing. It’s not only that Hayden is happy here. I like it here. I like working for Roger. Coming home after work and finding her waiting for me. I feel useful here. There’s not much for me to do in Quelondain now that I’m not on the guard anymore. I hunt, I fix things and protect her. It’s nice to have a job to do again. If we stay there, I can’t go back on the guard. I mean, I’m sure Melana would have me back, but I just can’t leave Hayden for weeks at a time.”
Shawn nodded, knowing fully well what he meant. He had gotten Jasper a job on the cattle ranch where he worked. The owner, Roger, had agreed to take him on and had given him three weeks to prove himself. Thankfully, Jasper was a quick learner and could now rope accurately as well as operate all of the trucks and tractors on the ranch.
Jasper saw a furry red form move by the barn and make its way closer to the house. Cooper came trotting onto the porch and sat beside Shawn, waiting for his pat on the head.
“You know, though. There is one thing I can do for her, whether we come back or stay there. Maybe you can give me a hand.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
Jasper heard Hayden’s voice getting closer through the door. “I’ll tell you later.”
The door opened and he had to remember to breathe as his eyes locked with hers.
Hayden smiled, wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. “Why so serious?”
He shrugged. “I was just thinking about things. The future. You, know, things like that. How to keep you happy.”
Her smile and eyes softened and he had to remind himself that Shawn was standing a few feet away. It wouldn’t do to start tearing her clothes off. She pulled him down to her and kissed him softly. “That last one is easy enough,” she whispered against his lips. “It doesn’t matter where we are or what we’re doing. So long as you’re with me, I’ll be happy.”
He took a deep breath and pulled her close. He couldn’t help but wonder at what point was just having him around going to stop being enough.
Chapter Eleven
Christmas with my family had always been a big thing; the supper was enormous and the company was great. It was also a fairly formal event and this year had been no exception. I’d worn the same dress for supper since I had been seventeen. This year, I went out and bought a new one. I had loved the look on Jasper’s face as I walked down the stairs. The dress was a halter top style, dark green and slightly higher than knee length. My mom had curled my hair and I had left it loose.
With company coming and going from both sides of my family, Jasper was bombarded with questions of his past, his family and his plans for the future.
I felt like bursting with love, pride, and happiness as I watched him mingle with everyone. We had gone over a few answers he could give everyone to keep their curiosity to a minimum. He had been born in Scotland but had moved here at an early age, this explained the accent, his family was in the military, but they had been killed in a car accident when he’d been fourteen. He had been in the military but was now a rancher in training.
I chuckled to myself. At the moment he was telling a story of some sort to my thirteen and fifteen year old cousins, Amanda and Natasha, who were gazing adoringly at him with their big brown eyes. Had it not been for the age difference, the sisters could have been twins.
Both of them groaned as my Aunt Lynne called to them that it was time to go home.
By the time everyone had left, it was one thirty in the morning. I yawned and leaned back against Jasper, who was leaning against the kitchen counter. My mom and dad poked their heads into the kitchen and gave us each a hug.
“We’re heading to bed.” My dad gave me a peck on the cheek. “Are you spending the night?”
“No, we should be heading home. Merry Christmas, Dad. Merry Christmas, Mom.”
Once we were back at the little house we were renting I put some soft Christmas music on the television. I turned and pressed myself against Jasper. “You’re amazing, by the way.” I buried my face in the light blue long sleeved button up shirt he had on.
He chuckled. “I’m glad you think so.” He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. “I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous about meeting everybody. I was scared I was going to say something that made absolutely no sense to them.”
I took a deep breath and took in his smell. “You were great.” I took his hand and pulled him toward the stairs. “Come. I want to give you your present now.”
He grinned and I laughed. “Not that!” I caught my breath at the look in his eyes. “Well, maybe that. But I got you something else.”
We made it to the bedroom and he pulled his shirt off. I took a wrapped package off the dresser and handed it to him.
“I actually had no idea what to get you. I hope you like it.”
He carefully took the wrapping paper off of the box and smiled. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.” I had painted him roping a calf at the ranch. Doc was in a full run, Jasper leaning over his neck, the rope already sailing through the air toward the calf. You could tell by the painting he had made the catch.
He put the painting on the dresser and pulled me to him so I was on my knees on the bed, straddling him. I shivered as he played his fingers gently over my bare arms. He ran his tongue over my collar bone and up my neck so he could take my earlobe in his teeth.
His hands moved down my back, over my thighs and up my dress. “Now, that just won’t do,” he mumbled against my jaw. He stood me up, pulled my panties off, and stepped out of his black jeans before sitting back down. He had me kneeling over him again, this time upright. He ran his teeth along the material over my nipples. I groaned as they hardened.
Jasper looked at me, suddenly. “I have a present for you too. But it won’t be here until tomorrow.”
I started to laugh. “That’s ok.”
He gave me a half grin and slipped his hands back under my dress. His fingers slid into me and I moaned.
I started to pull my dress off. He stopped suckling me through the material long enough to shake his head. “Keep it on.” His voice was gruff.
His fingers stroked me knowingly and my legs threatened to give out. He stopped what he was doing, leaving me quivering with need. He held me against him for a few moments before placing his hands on my waist and lowering me slowly onto him. His hands held me down and kept me from moving.
He lay back on the bed. “You looked amazing tonight,” he whispered hoarsely. He held me in place and pushed up into me. I groaned.
He let me up a fraction of an inch before pulling me down and thrusting up again.
I dropped my guard a bit and it was his turn to groan. His thrusts weren’t quite as controlled but he refused to let go of my hips.
I leaned forward until my breasts were rubbing against his chest. I ran my teeth along his jaw. He shuddered under me then pushed me up again. “I want to watch you.” He
smiled at my blush.
He raised me and brought me down, his strokes long and hard. He touched deep inside of me and I arched my back, urging him deeper still. His hand moved slightly on my hip so he could reach my clitoris with his thumb. He pushed and rubbed it lightly.
I’m not sure if there’s a word for the sound I made. My whole body trembled with pleasure. The tremor started deep inside of me and carried through my entire body, every muscle I had tensed before releasing and turning into jelly.
I collapsed on Jasper’s chest, trying to catch my breath.
He gave one last thrust and groaned as he spilled himself inside of me. I pushed myself as far down onto him as I could, my flesh still quivering with aftershocks.
Jasper reached up, undid the back of my dress and pulled it over my head. We moved lazily to the head of the bed and slipped under the covers. He pulled me to his chest, his lips leaving soft kisses on the back of my neck and shoulders.
“A shlova yan,” he whispered between kisses.
“A shlova yan jer.”
“Yan ist moin lafe.”
You are my world. I wanted to smile at the words, but the way he said them made me turn to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
He kissed my forehead. “Nothing.”
I hooked a leg over his hip and pulled him close. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
I kissed him softly. “You’re my world too, you know. That’s why it doesn’t matter what we’re doing or where we’re doing it. So long as I can feel your arms around me, taste your lips with mine, I know everything will be ok. There is nothing I want more in this world or the other than to be with you. I need you to believe that.” I looked into his eyes, hoping he could see I was telling the truth.
He took a deep breath and pulled me close.
I shivered and pulled the blankets up then tightened my arms around him. “Who would keep me warm if you weren’t around?”
Journey 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book Two' Page 26