Mending Fences
"Hey, Randy. What do you need?" Blair climbed down from her gelding and patted its rump, wiping at the sweat. She had known Randy since the third grade, but he hadn't shown up at her house since...well, for a long time.
Now, he was standing here in front of her barn, looking nervous. He was still as sexy as ever, though. She licked her lips.
"Randy? Is something wrong?"
"No, Blair." he finally looked up, looked her in the eye. "I mean, yes. But not really."
She raised an eyebrow.
He huffed, then spoke fast. "Listen. Things have been a little rough since Maria left, and I need some extra work. I thought maybe you had some mending to be done around here, and could use the help."
"Oh." Blair looked around as her heart dropped a little. Of course he wasn't here to ask her for a date, where had that idea come from, anyway? They'd had their chance, too long ago.
As for the ranch, she'd been thinking about this just yesterday, actually. The barn needed some work, and with winter coming on, she would have to get a shed built for the firewood. The old one had collapsed in early June, after twenty years of rough New England weather.
Could she handle him being so close, though?
"If you don't, I understand. Just thought I would come around and ask. I'll leave you to your day."
"No...I mean, wait, Randy. You're right. I do need a lot of help at the moment. Come in for some coffee and we'll talk about it."
He nodded, his eyes filled with relief. Those gorgeous brown eyes. She turned back to her gelding, her heart beating fast. "Just let me put Flurry away."
He raised an eyebrow. "Flurry?"
She smiled, feeling shy, and brushed a stray curl from her face. "I name them for the weather on the day they were born. It helps me remember."
He chuckled. "That's new. I bet you've got a Stormy, too."
She felt silly now. Nobody named their horses after the weather. "Yes. And Sprinkle, and Cloudy, and Heatwave, and Flash."
"Flash? For lightning?" His grin was growing bigger and sexier by the minute.
"No, I have a Lightning. Flash is short for Flash Flood. Be right back."
Taking Flurry's reins, she hurried inside and didn't relax until she was safely hidden by the darkness of the barn. Good lord, that was embarrassing. She'd never had to explain her horses' names to anyone before, so she didn't know how goofy it sounded to others. He must think I'm an idiot, she thought.
After putting away her tack and quickly brushing the quarter horse down, she stepped back out into the sunshine. Squinting, she looked around, but didn't see him anywhere.
Maybe he went home. She knew Randy, knew it had been hard for him to come here and ask for work. He was a strong man, especially now that he was alone. He'd built that big house for Maria, and bought her the life she wanted even though he couldn't afford it on his salary.
Her heart squeezed at the pain he must be feeing. It had been almost a year since Maria had disappeared. Theirs was a tiny town, and everyone knew what had happened. She was surprised that Randy had even stuck around.
Well, no matter. There was nothing she could do for him. She dusted off her clothes and started toward the house.
"Hey! Where do you want this?"
She turned, too fast, and saw stars. Dizzy. She groped for the corral fence and missed, landing on her butt.
Blinking the stars away, she saw him drop the armful of wood he was carrying and run toward her. She groaned and closed her eyes again. Way to go, Grace. She grimaced.
"You OK?" Randy knelt in front of her and put a hand under her chin, turning her face to his. "Blair? Are you all right?"
She opened her eyes and looked at him, and they both laughed. "I'm fine," she giggled finally. "Just a klutz."
"No, no. It was my fault. I think," he said, which made her burst into giggles again. "Really. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No worries." She took his offered hand and stood and brushed the dust off her ass. "Let's go inside and work this out."
"Yes, ma'am. You obviously need more help than I thought."
"Very funny."
They spent the rest of the afternoon agreeing on what needed to be done, his salary, and how to work around his schedule at the factory. She could see how much he hated his job there, and almost hired him full-time on the spot, but held her tongue.
You can't save the world, Blair. She could almost hear her late mother's voice. She could save this man, though. She needed the help, and she could afford it. And most importantly, he needed saving. She could see it in his eyes. She held her tongue, though.
His laughter filled her house and her head. She'd thought she was over him. It had been years, after all, but they slid into their old friendship without missing a beat, even though she kept a tight rein on her emotions. She had been hurt too badly before, and she wouldn't dare let it happen again. He only tried to probe into her personal life once, and she ignored it, keeping the focus on the ranch. She was proud of herself for this.
*
After he left, she felt restless. She made herself some supper, but didn't really feel like eating it. She flipped the TV on and then back off, picked up three different books, but couldn't concentrate on them, either. Damn.
She'd made peace with the fact that she couldn't have Randy a long time ago. They'd dated all through high school, and everyone - including Blair - had known they would marry someday. She had been the happiest girl in town for a lot of years. Even their freshman year of college went well. She'd travelled down to the Carolinas for school, while he stayed closer to home.
They didn't start to grow apart until their sophomore year. It was a tough year for both of them. Blair's mom had died, Randy's classes had gotten tougher, and they were just so...busy. They'd decided together to cool it until they were finished with school, and get together again after graduation to talk about marriage.
Then, in his junior year, he'd come home with Maria. He had met her while he was away, and when he brought her home, Blair could tell that he was crazy about her.
Maria, on the other hand, didn't seem too crazy about Randy. She was a slim exotic, beautiful girl, but she was demanding. At the welcome home party that Randy's mother had thrown for them, Blair had watched as Maria ordered Randy around for two hours, and then refused to step foot outside 'in the dirt', as she put it, when he suggested that she might like to see the horses.
No one in town thought it would last, according to Beth, down at the diner, but as far as she knew, no one had mentioned that thought to Randy, either. He wouldn't have listened anyway. He was set on making Maria his queen.
When they had finally married, she immediately tried to get him to abandon his land and move to Chicago. He had refused, but it had been a hell of a fight for a long time. Finally, they reached some sort of agreement, because he stayed home to work while she made twice monthly trips to the big city to do...whatever it was she did there. Beth thought it might have been the beginning of the end for them. Blair secretly agreed, and wondered how a woman could just demand whatever she wanted and expect to get it.
In any case, Randy avoided town a lot more after that, and every time she did see him, he looked older and more worn out. More worried. Of course, he was still as sexy as ever, she didn't think that would ever change, but his marriage to Maria was definitely taking a toll.
It broke Blair's heart, but there was nothing she could do. It was his choice, and she had her hands full running her own ranch. Her mom had left a mess, but Blair was confident that she could straighten it all out, and then sell it. She couldn't stick around to see him living his life without her.
She shook her head. Those were old memories, and right now she wanted a bath. A hot bath always cleared her head and made her feel better.
She climbed into the old clawfoot tub and settled into the hottest water she could stand, sighing. Leave the past in the past, she told herself. She was ten years wiser and twenty pounds heavi
er than she'd been back then, and this was strictly a business arrangement. A temporary business arrangement. It wouldn't do to forget that.
Still, her heart hurt, and that was a problem. How could she work with him this way? Maybe she had made a mistake. She would call him tomorrow and tell him so.
But what about his situation? He did need the money, and she did need the work done. If she fired him and hired someone else to do it, that would only add insult to injury. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. What had she gotten herself into?
She would just have to deal with it. It was only for a couple of months. He would be busy most of the time. She could almost avoid him altogether.
OK, no she couldn't, and if she was honest with herself, she didn't really want to, even if it hurt. She let her water drain, dried off, and climbed into bed thinking about his chocolate eyes and big strong arms. It was a delicious torture.
Snuggled in bed, she felt the familiar tingle of desire run through her and smiled. Whenever she pleasured herself, it was Randy's face that she pictured, his arms and lips and body pressed against hers. Her body was only responding as it always did when she thought of him. She let her hands roam across her breasts, brushing the nipples lightly. They hardened immediately, and she sighed. She cupped them and squeezed gently. Her thighs clenched together, and one hand floated across her belly to stroke the mound between them, tugging gently at the short curly hair. She imagined him, impatient, pulling her legs apart. As she placed a finger on her clit, she thought about how good his tongue would feel there, flicking and tasting, his hot breath on her legs.
She moaned and slid a finger into herself, gently, as she thought he would, and squeezed her breast again before letting go of it to slide her other hand down to her clitoris.
She moaned as her legs fell apart, allowing her access to herself. Another finger joined the first one inside of her and she pumped it in and out a few times.
Rolling onto her stomach, she spread herself so that her fingers could continue their work while she toyed with her clit. Moaning now, she bit her lip and imagined Randy taking her from behind, rubbing her back and letting his hands tease across her butt, maybe even smacking her a little. He would fill her completely and fuck her gently until she began to buck back against him, letting him know that she wanted it harder, faster...
Her hands and thighs were soaked now, and tiny shudders rolled through her body until she was climaxing, lost in thoughts of the man she would never have. She was only vaguely aware of her own voice moaning her desire into the darkness.
When she was finished she cleaned herself up, curled into a ball in her bed, and cried just a little for what she had lost so long ago.
*
At six o'clock on Saturday morning, he was standing on her front porch in a flannel shirt and jeans that hugged his strong thighs. Lord, have mercy, she thought, and shivered as she let him in. Cold air rushed in around her bare legs and toes, but she barely felt it.
"C'mon in. Grab some coffee," she said, gesturing toward the kitchen. She pulled her short robe tighter and ran for the bedroom to get dressed. He was earlier than their seven o'clock agreement, and she hated that she hadn't even combed her hair yet. Get hold of yourself, Blair, she warned. This isn't a social thing, and this man will break your heart without even knowing he's done it.
The weather had turned almost overnight, making it cold, so she tugged on a pair of jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. When she met him back in the kitchen, he was seated at the table, grinning.
"You always run around half naked in the mornings?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Yes. Er, no. It's none of your business!" she said, pouring her own cup of coffee.
Behind her, he chuckled. "Just wondered. What would I find if I showed up at five tomorrow?"
She sat down across from him at the table and shot him a glare. "I'd shoot you if you showed up at five in the morning."
"What? Why? I thought you would appreciate such a hard worker." He looked hurt.
"If you get me out of bed that early, I'll say something appreciative at your funeral."
He raised a hand, laughing. "Ok, ok. Peace. I get it. Besides, if I showed up here at five, I wouldn't be here for work...."
She froze.
"I'd just be here to see what you were wearing."
A blush crept across her face.
"Ahh, I see."
"No, you don't! I mean...." she sighed. This was already getting out of hand. "Can we just get to work?"
"Calm down, Blair. I was just kidding. Can I finish my coffee?" He was still laughing.
"Of course..." She had overreacted. "I know you were kidding."
"I hope so." His expression became serious as he looked at her in the morning light. He opened his mouth, and then closed it again.
"What?" she asked. The tension in her little kitchen was suddenly thick. "What?"
He shook his head. "I was just going to thank you again for doing this. Hiring me, I mean. Without your help, I'll lose everything, and you know what that ranch means to me."
Oh. She had thought, for a split second, that he was going to say something else. Mentally kicking herself, she answered, "It's really no problem, Randy. I do need the help, so you're doing me a favor."
His face brightened. She could only imagine the beating his ego had taken these last few years, and she didn't want to add to his misery. A lesser man would have broken already.
"You're a good friend, Blair. Really. I don't think I've ever told you that."
She waved his words away. "Randy, we haven't been close for years. You don't have to say things like this." She stood abruptly, banging her thighs on the edge of the table. "Let's get to work, OK?"
He looked up at her for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes, and then nodded. "I'm ready. Let's go."
She strode quickly ahead of him out into the barnyard, trying to calm her heartbeat, trying to remember that this was just business. He'd had his chance years ago, she told herself, and he had blown it.
So had she, a tiny voice in her heart whispered. She could have fought for him, could have tried to make him see....
Forget it, it was over. Jeez, he'd been here fifteen minutes, and she was already exhausted.
Once she got him busy repairing a couple of the stall doors and the corral fence, she climbed into the loft to start moving last year's square bales into place for this year. The new hay would stack up behind, from the lift, so that nothing would go to waste.
It made her feel good to use her muscles. Lifting the heavy, dusty bales took almost all of her strength, and once she got into a rhythm, she didn't have to think either. That was a good thing, she decided, as Randy's forearms flashed through her thoughts. Her heart had almost stopped when he rolled up his sleeves and she caught a glimpse of sexy skin and muscle. She groaned and worked harder. She could hear him below her, tearing out the wood and replacing it. His pounding reverberated through the barn, making him impossible to ignore.
The day began to wear long, and no matter how tired she was getting, the idea of the sexy man just a few yards below was wearing her out.
When there was nothing left to move, she swept out the loft and made sure the lift was working properly. Then she made sure that the barn roof was sound, with no apparent holes or loose tin. Of course it was. She was out of ways to avoid him. Besides, his pounding had stopped.
Climbing back down the ladder, she peeked around to where he was and almost ran back up to hide in the loft again. Instead, she simply stared.
He was drinking from the jug of water she had brought out. His shirt was off, thrown over a stall door behind him. Sweat glistened in the hair on his chest and belly, and ran down to the waistline of his oh so low-slung jeans. She licked her lips, imaging what it would taste like to-
"Blair? You OK?" He was staring at her.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and walked quickly out into the sunshine. She heard him follow.
"Blair?"
&nbs
p; She waved a hand over her shoulder, and heard him retreat back into the barn. Damn. This was too much. She couldn't stand it. It had been a mistake to let him come here. He hadn't even been here a full day, and she was already regretting it.
She'd thought that she was over it. Over him. She'd thought that she had moved on. She was a successful woman, for heaven's sake. She owned her ranch, and it was finally turning a nice profit after her years of hard work. She had gotten over her heartbreak years ago, and she wasn't about to let him hurt her again.
She called, without looking, "I'm going in for some lunch. Be back in a bit." What if he followed her? Shit. "I'll bring you a sandwich."
She thought she heard him answer, but didn't wait to find out. She couldn't. Almost running to the house, she slammed the back door and collapsed against it.
This wasn't his fault. He was just being a nice guy. Other than his teasing this morning, he'd been nothing but a gentleman. A friend. Her own head was creating her problems. But how did she make it stop? She fell into a chair, trying to think.
She had told herself for so long that she was over him. She had dated every guy she had been even remotely interested in in this town over the last few years, and when none of them had held her interest for more than a few weeks or months, she had learned to be on her own. She wanted to be on her own - no one to cook for, no one to answer to....
So what the hell is my problem? The thought had barely crossed her mind when her problem came through the door, shooting her a worried look.
"Hey," he said softly, sitting down across from her. "Are you sure you're OK?"
She nodded.
"C'mon, Blair. Spill it. Something's wrong all of a sudden, and I can't help unless I-"
"I'm not asking for your help," she interrupted, more sharply than she had intended. She felt so vulnerable, so defensive when he was this close. At least he had put his shirt back on. She wished he would go back outside.
He stood. "Oh. I'm sorry, then. I didn't mean to interrupt." His voice was still soft, still polite, but now he sounded hurt, as well.
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