by Wendy Ely
“Please don’t go,” Wiley whispered in her ear the night she revealed the glorious news.
She said she would think about it, even though she was already deciding on what to pack.
The goodbyes had been just as hard. Samantha had stood beside her overstuffed car with her best friends. Wiley had wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight as if he never wanted to let her go.
“Please write to me every day,” Wiley had said as he pushed back the tears.
“I’ll write to you both as often as I can. I love you guys.” And she did. At that time, she really had loved them with her whole heart. Her heart had broken in her chest as she left her two favorite people behind. She needed to do it. She had to spread her wings and fly without the help of her friends or the dictates of her mother.
When Samantha had returned to the farm, Jackie had been busy and Wiley was nowhere to be found. One thing about small towns was that rumors spread like dandelion seeds in the spring wind. It was the first thing Samantha had heard as soon as she stepped foot in Alban city limits.
Wiley had spent large amounts of his time with Jackie. That was expected, since they were such good friends. What concerned the newly independent Samantha was the rumor that Wiley was cheating on her. She had seen them together, but didn’t feel a confrontation was necessary. She cut the visit short and it was the last time she had seen Jackie or kissed Wiley. It was a goodbye kiss that lasted forever. As soon as she arrived back at school, Samantha severed the ties.
Chapter 10
Damn it! So much for his self control when he was with Samantha. Noah had always taken pride in the amount of willpower he possessed. He’d given in to temptation in the past. When he had sex with a woman, he made sure he was wearing a condom. If he chose to drink alcohol, he didn’t drive until he was sober. He never dated someone in an inconvenient time in his life and had never fallen in love. Until now.
It was Wednesday, a few days after their picnic at the river. He had needed some space to sort things out. The feelings and attraction were still there, even stronger now, but he was trying. Every time he glanced up at the house, Samantha was staring down at him. His heart pounded in his chest like a steel drum.
Over the past three days, he’d seen her around the farm. She would be walking, the wind blowing her curls gently in the wind. She had started wearing her hair down more often, which drove him crazy. Because of that, he had to constantly fight the urge to slide his fingers through those beautiful curls. No matter what he was doing at the time he saw her, he wanted to stop so he could rush to her and scoop her up in his arms. It took all his strength to resist her. He forced himself to work while she waved and blew him a kiss.
He wished she would find something away from the ranch to do. Then, when his wish came true, not knowing where she was drove him crazy. He actually missed her.
One thing was certain. Noah Combs was falling in love.
* * * *
Samantha rose early in the morning. She scrambled out of bed, showered, and was seated at the table for breakfast within half an hour. It was time to spill the beans to her mom. Dad must have already gone to do his morning farm chores, leaving her alone with Mom.
“Good morning.” Mom poured Samantha some orange juice.
“Mornin’.”
“What have you been doing? I haven’t seen you around much lately.” Mom took a bite of her scrambled eggs while Samantha buttered a piece of white toast.
“Doing stuff around the ranch. Can we have wheat bread tomorrow?”
“We don’t have any and I don’t plan on making a special trip to the store for bread.”
“I can pick some up.”
She shook her hand as if she was shooing off an irritating fly. “No need when white’s fine.”
Samantha put her fork down on her plate. “I received an invitation from Jackie. I don’t want to go…”
“You’re going. It would be in poor taste for you not to.”
“Please don’t interrupt me. I’m going to the wedding even though I don’t think it’s a good idea. Besides, I need to make amends with them, too.” She took another bite of eggs.
“I’m glad.” Mom waved the fork in the air as if it was some tool to emphasize the point she was trying to make. “You know, Billy Maclaren’s home from college. I should call over there and see if he can escort you to the wedding and reception.” She pushed her chair away from the table.
“I have a date,” Samantha said softly.
“Who? You haven’t been here very long. Have you been out socializing without me knowing?” Her mother’s face brightened at the idea of Samantha making her rounds through the town. One of her goals was for her daughter to be up in the ranks of Alban society. At this point in her life, the idea didn’t appeal to Samantha.
It would be easier to tell her now than to show up with him. It wouldn’t be right to start a scene at Jackie’s wedding. “I’ll be going with Noah.”
Mom flopped back into her chair. Her mouth dropped open and she tried to form some words. None came.
She had finally made her mother speechless.
Her mother quickly recovered and asked, “Why him?”
She shrugged. “Because I like him.”
“Why not go with someone else?”
“I don’t want to go with anyone else, Mother. See this?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out her license. Her finger jabbed at the printed date of birth. “I turned into an adult two years ago.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I can date whoever the hell I like.” She tossed her silverware down and stood.
“Sit back down, and talk to me in a new tone.”
“No. I won’t sit back down. If you don’t stop ordering me around like I’m some five-year old then I’ll pack my stuff right now and go back to school. I’m trying really hard to get along with
you and to change our relationship but you’re not helping any.”
“Samantha…”
“The choice is yours now, Mother—stay off my ass or I’m leaving for good.” She stomped out of the kitchen. The door slammed behind her as she ran across the yard.
* * * *
Where was Noah? She glanced down the field to the barn, but no sounds greeted her except for the normal animal noises. She ran inside the barn to make sure he wasn’t in there. Culata neighed at her. “I’ll visit you later,” she called out. The next stop was through the woods. She would check if he was at home. He had to be.
The woods were always a welcoming place to her. The sense of being alone made her love nature. She’d always had a very adult-filled life so this was where she had gone when she needed time to herself. There was no way anyone could miss the trailer. It stood out against the lushness of the land.
A small patch of grass had been mowed at some point but the rest of the field was filled with tall grass. Wildflowers poked up along the make-shift road her dad must have had put in for Noah.
Even though the trailer seemed out of place, it was a welcome sight. But his truck wasn’t there.
“Shit.” Had he left for town or was he actually parked at the house somewhere and she hadn’t noticed? His trailer was close enough for him to walk home if he wanted to get a bite to eat or had to use the bathroom.
With the way her mother treated Noah, it was rare to see him anywhere near the family house. He was always welcome according to Dad, but Mom did everything she could to keep him away. Maybe she should see if he was home. As she got closer to the trailer, she watched for any signs that he was there but received none. The curtains were closed and no movement was visible as she got closer.
She walked up the two steps and gently knocked on the flimsy door. Getting no response, she turned the knob gently. What would she actually say if he was inside? What if she caught him at a private moment? The doorknob turned in her hand. She let the door swing all the way open.
Curiosity took over and she stepped inside. The t
railer slightly swayed with her weight inside.
The living room was small, as expected. Blue sat in a cage on the counter. Noah had a television in the corner with a loveseat. A small table and bookshelf filled the remaining space. Nothing matched. Definitely a bachelor pad. She walked through the living room and into the kitchen, but there was no clear distinction between the two rooms. Another small table, a tiny refrigerator and bare counters. No family pictures. Noah had been telling the truth.
“Noah?” A small pile of books were stacked on the table in the living room. She slid her fingers over the cover of the top one. She’d heard of the author and knew there were some graphic sex scenes in the book. Did Noah get turned on while he read those parts? A small tingle of feeling fluttered between her thighs.
A quick peek into the bathroom brought on more fantasies. Noah. Soapy. Wet. Naked. She imagined him in the shower, turning around, and showing off his rock-hard erection.
She fanned her face as she walked down the hallway past the bathroom, but glanced over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t inside. Or maybe she wanted him to come in. Having him catch her in there might be exciting. She didn’t know what she wanted yet. Something excited her about being in his living area. She could feel his presence without him being there. His scent filled the trailer,
making her grow warm in intimate parts of her body.
She remembered his lips on hers that day at the river. His touch had been so gentle as he teased her nipples or stroked the insides of her thighs. She pushed the thoughts aside, but couldn’t shake the intense heat building up in her intimate areas.
Almost to the bedroom. What would it be like? Big bed? Small? She figured it would be clean since the rest of the place was spotless. Nothing was out of place in the bedroom. He had a large, made bed with a warm comforter on it. A small dresser stood in the corner but again, the room was absent of any personal possessions such as family photographs or life memorabilia.
She crossed the short distance to the bed and sat down. The idea of being alone in Noah’s trailer without him knowing turned her on, even more than she was already.
What would she do if he walked in? Play innocent? Or maybe she’d get the nerve to actually seduce him. Now that was hot. Walking over to him and sliding his t-shirt over his head. She nodded to herself. If he came in, that’s what she’d do. She pictured her hand sliding down those toned muscles that ridged across his torso. She’d let her fingers play against the button on his jeans.
Her body slid nicely across the comforter as she unbuttoned her shorts. Images of them together ran through her mind again. After sliding her fingers down her pink panties, she quickly realized that wouldn’t do. She hastily pushed off the jean shorts, along with her panties.
Samantha spread her bare legs wide apart and let her fingers find the spot of soft flesh that would eventually rock her body. Her fingers started moving into a gentle rhythm as her mind filled itself with images of Noah walking in. What would he do if he found her naked on his bed? Would he tell her to get out, or turn away?
It could be any way she wanted in her fantasy. She want to flick open the button on his jeans and slowly slide them down until the pants fell to the floor. While he kicked them off of his feet, she’d lay back on the bed, revealing how wet the very thought of him made her.
He came to where she lay on the bed, rubbing his hand up her leg, then letting his fingers slide over that glorious place between her legs until she reached the point of explosion that shook her whole body with pleasure.
Once it slowed down, she took deep breaths.
After the rush came guilt.
CHAPTER 11
Suddenly worried that he would find her there, masturbating on his bed, she slipped her panties up over her hips followed by her shorts. Once the jean shorts were zipped, she hopped off his bed. She tiptoed down the hallway and out of the living room. The door shut softly behind her. She looked in both directions, then darted toward the main road.
The whole point of going in there was to find out more about Noah. She wished she’d found out more about him, but her question remained. What was Noah’s story?
Too embarrassed to see him, she planned a trip to town to find a dress for Jackie’s wedding. Maybe a black one, she thought with a laugh as she walked up through the yard, when a movement at the edge of her peripheral vision caught her attention. There was a man sitting on the ground up against a tree. She couldn’t see the upper body, but the jeans were sitting out with work boots on the large feet. Yes, definitely a man.
A sniffle came from that direction. Who would be crying? The man? Did he have someone with him? The tree was big enough to block her view. A smaller person could be sitting on the other side and she wouldn’t be able to see that person at all. She walked closer. The work boots had the familiar purple paint splotch on the back.
She walked around the tree and stopped in her tracks as he swiped his tears away. She’d never in her life seen her father cry. He looked away from her as she sat down, probably to hide his red swollen eyes. Whatever was troubling him, it was serious.
“Daddy,” she whispered.
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” She put her hand on his, took a deep breath, and leaned against the tree. “Please tell me what’s wrong.” For a while they both sat in silence and watched the squirrels play tag around them.
“I can’t do it anymore, Sammy.”
“What are you talking about?” Not wanting to upset Dad any more, she kept her voice calm. Before leaving school she’d talked to him and had gotten the feeling something was wrong. Now she knew for sure and was dying to know what it was but didn’t want to be pushy in finding out.
“The ranch.” He put his hands over his face.
Her mouth dropped open and she jerked her face in his direction. “What? Daddy, what are you talking about?”
“My body is too tired to continue with farming, Sammy. I can’t do it anymore.”
“But, Daddy, you love it. It’s your whole life.” It would kill him to give up such a big part of his life. It was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done. Tears slid down her cheeks as well.
“I do love it, but it’s not my whole life. You are, Sammy.”
“I’m kind of confused. What about Mom?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“We’ve been having problems for quite some time.”
“What are your plans? Do you think you’ll sell the ranch and move to town? Are you going to divorce Mom?”
“Oh no, I would never sell the farm unless I absolutely had to.”
The taboo subject stayed pushed back from the conversation even though she wanted to know. Instead, she asked, “What did you have in mind?”
“My original intentions were to give you and your future husband the ranch. I wanted to clear out the pasture and have a house built for you. You would be able to take over the business and not be around your mother so much. That was the plan for the distant future, but it seems you have no interest in staying here.” He wiped her tears away with his handkerchief and smiled through his own.
How could her parents give up her childhood home? She loved it even though her mother brought her great pain. She couldn’t think about never coming to the farm again. She’d always envisioned her own children coming here to play, baking cookies with Grandma, and chasing the animals with Grandpa. She was here to fix the issues so everything she wished for could actually happen.
The summer was twisting her life around and it was out of her control. If he wasn’t going to sell the farm or make her take it over, then the only other option was to give it to another member of the family. Her cousin Lucas?
“Don’t worry, Daddy, if you want…”
“I understand why you don’t, Sammy. I accept that.”
“I had no idea those were your life goals for me. I wish I would’ve known. I could’ve made other decisions for my life.”
“I needed to let you make your own ch
oices. That was part of letting you grow up. I wouldn’t have been a good father otherwise. Anyway, my other idea is to give the farm to Noah.”
“Noah.” The name came out in a gust of air. This would mean that Noah would be involved with her family for the rest of her life. Was it a good thing or was it bad?
“I’ve been considering it, but I know you’ve been dating him.”
“That’s okay, Daddy. Don’t let that influence your decision on things.”
“But it does. I don’t want to cause any more friction in your life. If he knows he’s getting the farm, then he might think he is obligated to date you. I don’t want that decision to affect your life.”
“Any decision regarding the farm affects my life.” She rested her elbows onto her knees, then covered her face with her hands.