by Aria Scott
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“It’s good to be home.” I smiled and nodded toward the big house that had just come into view. “Looks like mom’s waiting for us.”
The house stood like a white sentinel between the pine trees, its old Victorian rafters and dormers making it look like like something out of a gothic novel. Still, it had a homey feel to it, with its shutters and well-tended flower beds. At the moment, it appeared very welcoming, with almost all of the lights on the first floor ablaze despite the late hour.
“Wow. It’s beautiful.” Aubrey was gazing at the ranch with wide eyes, and I realized that she’d never been here before. All of a sudden I remembered how quick our engagement announcement had been, and how unlikely my mother was to believe it without some serious questioning.
Just as we headed for the house, my mom rushed out the door with a big smile on her face. She walked toward me, stretched up on her tiptoes and gave me a hug. Then, without missing a beat, she clasped Aubrey in a much longer hug.
Looking a little overwhelmed, Aubrey returned the embrace. Her gaze found mine, and I read the worry in her eyes. I gave her a little nod. Everything will be okay.
“So, you’re the woman who’s finally managed to get Chase settled down,” Mary said. “Thank God you came along, because I was really starting to get worried about him.”
A fleeting smile crossed Aubrey’s lips. “Thanks, Mrs. Wilder. I’m Aubrey O’Malley.”
“Please, call me Mary.” She hooked her arm into Aubrey’s and started leading her toward the house. “So, are you excited?”
I jumped to follow them, and Gage fell in behind me. My mom had always claimed to have eyes in the back of her head, and she rarely missed a thing. How much would she see tonight? I could only hope the late hour would blind her, at least a little.
“It’s all happened so quick,” Aubrey replied haltingly. “I don’t even know what to think.”
“Well, it’s certainly surprising. And to think, you were right here in Grove the whole time.” She shot me a curious look before returning her focus to Aubrey. “I’m glad he found a country girl from Oklahoma. I never liked those Miami women. They’re so phony, don’t you think?”
I noticed Aubrey’s shoulders relax a little. “You wouldn’t believe how phony.”
Mom patted Aubrey’s hand as she led her toward the stairs. “You’re home now, honey, at least for a few days. It’s time to relax and let us pamper you for a little while.” They paused at the bottom of the stairs, and then Mom turned toward me. “I’ll show Aubrey to your room, Chase, and then I’m going to bed. Don’t you two boys stay up too late talking, you hear?”
I felt my gut tighten with excitement at the idea that I’d have Aubrey in my old bed. The bed wasn’t big enough--and didn’t have enough pillows--for the Great Wall of China. And I sure as hell wasn’t sleeping on the floor.
“Okay, mom,” Gage and I both said, almost in unison.
She shook her head and then disappeared up the stairs with Aubrey.
Gage turned toward me. “You must be still keyed up from that flight. Wanna have a quick beer?’
I shrugged and followed him into the kitchen. I sidled up to the old wooden bar along one wall, and Gage grabbed us two hop-devils out of the fridge. Moments later, we were both downing cold, delicious suds.
“So, how’s it been going with your fiancée?” Gage asked, after we’d enjoyed those first sips.
I shook my head. “Don’t you want to know how the off-season’s been going? Or who has an injury? Or which player has been sleeping with another player’s wife?”
Gage shrugged. “Dude, you’re in the middle of the biggest scam of your life. I don’t give a shit about football right now; I wanna know how it's going with Aubrey.”
“You never did beat around the bush much,” I observed.
“C’mon, bro, open the kimono,” he cajoled. “You two getting along?”
I sighed sharply. “Yeah, we’re getting along.”
“Are you...intimate?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“Inquiring minds want to know.”
“Screw your inquiring mind.”
Gage grinned. “So, you’re not intimate.”
“Is this why you invited me in here? So you could grill me at 1 AM?”
“You get signed back onto the team yet?” my brother pressed.
I threw back another gulp of beer, then put my bottle on the counter.. “My agent says that’ll happen soon.”
“And then you divorce her?”
“That’s the deal,” I confirmed, my annoyance growing. “What’s been going on with you, bro? Hope you didn’t sign up for any bull-riding contests, because you’re about to get a boot up your ass.”
Gage snorted. “I honestly can’t believe you went through with this whole scheme.”
“I did it for the love of football.”
“Yeah, but to actually get married, in order to convince the team owner to sign you…”
I viewed him with narrowed eyes. “If you’re done judging me, I think I’ll head upstairs.”
“How the hell are you going to keep her from taking all of your money when you’re divorced?” My brother shook his head, his expression saying I was the stupidest dude on earth.
“Time for bed,” I growled, and plunked my empty beer onto the counter. Without waiting to hear his reply, I spun around, only to find myself staring into Mom’s blazing green eyes.
I took a quick step back.
“Oh, shit,” Gage said.
She put her hands on her hips. “Good Christ.”
My stomach twitched with a sudden bout of nausea. My face got hot. I opened my mouth, stuttered, closed it again.
“Did I just hear that correctly?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are my ears failing me?”
“Uhhh…” I gulped in some air. “Don’t jump to conclusions--”
“You mean you aren’t caught up in some kind of fraud? Marriage fraud?” She took a step closer to me. “You mean you’re not paying that sweet girl upstairs to pretend to be married to you, so you can play your precious football?”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her so angry. I could almost feel the fire of her rage. My entire body flushing with heat, I took another involuntary step back.
“Talk to me, Chase,” she urged, her voice catching a desperate note. “Why did you do this?”
I could only shake my head. “I love football, mom. You know that.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“Maybe not for you, but for me, it is.”
Several moments passed. Mom just looked at me, then Gage, then back at me again. Finally, she walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a decanter of Dad’s old brandy. I winced as she poured herself a few fingers of the stuff and took a sip. Mom had never been a drinker and hadn’t touched brandy for years.
This wasn’t a good moment.
She lifted one eyebrow as she studied me. “I thought I raised you better than this. Are you sleeping with her?”
“No, no, God no, it’s strictly business.”
Gage, who’d been quiet up to this point, snorted loudly.
“Good,” she said, with a quick look at Gage. “You need to keep it that way.”
“We will,” I replied, with just the slightest tone of outrage--as though I hadn’t spent weeks plotting new ways to get her naked and on top of me.
She nodded and went quiet again. Suddenly, a thoughtful look entered her eyes. “Do you love her? Because I’m having a hard time believing you’d ever get hitched to someone you didn’t love.”
“It’s business,” I insisted, past a little cough that came out of nowhere.
Her eyebrow lifted a little higher. “Does she love you?”
“Nah, she just wants to get paid for her...role-playing.”
“I see.”
More silence. I shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Suddenly, I had a vision of my f
ace and Aubrey’s splashed across the front page of a sports magazine. “Mom, promise me you’ll keep this to yourself.”
“Of course I will.” She threw back the rest of her brandy and set the glass down hard on the countertop. “But you have to promise me, Chase, to do right by this girl.”
“I’ll take care of her,” I agreed, though I wasn’t entirely sure what ‘do right’ meant.
She looked pointedly at the living room sofa. “I’ll get you a pillow and blanket.”
The next morning, I woke up in the living room, to the smell of coffee and the sound of breakfast being made. I lifted my head up enough to look out the windows, and saw that the sun had just come up.
Damn, it was early for Mom to be up.
I sat up, rubbed my stiff back and then glanced upstairs, to my bedroom, where Aubrey was no doubt curled up on my big, comfortable bed.
The bedroom door was open.
My eyes widening, I stumbled toward the kitchen, and paused on the threshold. Her face fresh and glowing, Aubrey stood by the stove, cooking pancakes.
“How many do you want?” she asked.
I groped my way over to the coffee maker and poured myself a big cup. “You look like you slept well.”
“I did,” she confirmed, and slapped two pancakes on a plate, which she then handed to me. “Start with two. If you want more, I’ll cook them for you.”
I took the plate and my mug and sat in front of the countertop. She brought out the butter, maple syrup, milk and sugar, and put them all in front of me. I had to admit, I liked the way she was fussing over me. “You really know your way around the kitchen already.”
She shrugged and started making another round of pancakes. “All kitchens are mostly the same. Besides that, don’t forget, I used to waitress over at Lucy’s Grub Hut.”
I nodded, but privately thought that her waitressing days were over. I’d make sure of it. With a little smile, I sliced the pancakes up and shoved a big stack of them into my mouth. They tasted good--light, and soaked with butter and maple syrup.
“Do you like them?” she asked, and seemed so eager for my approval that I ended up smiling stupidly as I raved over them.
She grinned in response, and I shut my trap by filling it with another bite of pancakes. Quietly I ate, as she worked and cleaned up. And as I sat there watching her putter around the kitchen, looking so hot and acting so sweet, I decided that I had spent my last night on the sofa. Tonight, after the small engagement party my mom had planned was over, I would be in that big bed with her, and there wouldn’t be any of those damned pillows between us.
Silently I planned my strategy and, after we’d both finished breakfast, I asked her if she’d like to go with me to check in on the rescue dogs that Gage had housed in one of the barns on the property. She agreed, and I suggested she wear jeans and boots. Then, once she’d left, I waited for Hilda, our housekeeper, to show up at around 7 AM.
“Hilda,” I said, as the elderly woman walked into the kitchen and stopped short, when she saw me lounging around with a fresh cup of coffee. “I’m taking Aubrey down to the barn at the far end of the property. Pack a picnic lunch for us, will you? And by the way, Aubrey left some pancakes for you in the fridge.”
Hilda’s hands fluttered a little, but then she went to the refrigerator and started looking through its shelves. “How’s chicken salad, olives, pickles, a loaf of Ciabatta bread, and some sparkling water?”
“Sounds perfect, except for the water. Do we have any white wine laying around?”
“I’ll pack a bottle,” Hilda promised.
Later, I went out to the barn behind the house and selected two horses that Gage said needed exercise: a chestnut thoroughbred and a mare with a little white blaze across her nose. I saddled both of them up and walked them to the front drive, where I hitched them to the porch railing. Luckily, the day’s weather had cooperated with my plans--some early morning clouds had given way to sunshine, although the day was chillier than expected for June.
Next, I went inside and found Aubrey. She was sitting in a chair in the living room, chatting with my mom and doing something with a needle and thread. She had jeans on, as I’d suggested, and also a soft flannel shirt that was buttoned up almost to the neck. When she saw me, her cheeks flushed and she tried to distract my attention from what was laying in her lap: my old rugby sweater, from college.
“I found it in a drawer. I was going to wear it -- it’s a little cold outside and I didn’t bring a jacket,” she explained quickly. “Your mom said it was one of your favorite sweaters, but it has a big hole in it, so I thought I’d sew it up for you--”
I smiled. “Thanks, darlin’. You’re sweet.”
“You two heading to the barn to see the rescue dogs?” my mom asked.
Hilda walked in with a backpack slung around her arm. I took the backpack from her and nodded. “We’re going to have a picnic lunch down there.”
My mom lifted an eyebrow. “Well, have a good time, then.”
Aubrey finished the sewing and then began to fold the sweater. I put my hand on her arm to stop her. “Wear it,” I said.
With a vulnerable little look my way, she slipped the sweater over her head and stuck her arms into the sleeves. It looked ridiculously big on her--it hung way past her waist. But she looked adorable. Wearing my colors, I thought, and got a hard on. I turned quickly to hide it. “Let’s go.”
We walked outside. Beneath the sweater, she was fiddling with her shirt. When she saw the horses, she stopped short. “We’re riding?”
“Sure. Why not? It’s a beautiful day.” I walked her over to the mare. She paused and began to caress the mare’s nose, her fingers tracing the outline of the mare’s white blaze.
“Do you like her?” I asked.
“She’s beautiful.” She gently petted the mare.
“I never asked you if you rode. Do you?”
“I took lessons years ago.”
“Good. You shouldn’t have any problems, then. Ready?”
She nodded, and I clasped her around her hips. “Get your foot into the stirrup,” I instructed, the warmth of her thighs seeping right through her jeans.
She put her small foot into the stirrup, and I lifted her high. For a moment, I had a great view of her ass, and I relished the sight. Then I settled her down onto the saddle. All I could think about at that point was the thought of long legs spread wide to straddle me, as she settled herself down onto my hard cock and began to ride me.
“How far away is the barn?” she asked.
“About a thirty minute ride.” I handed her the reins and then mounted my own horse.
She bent over to pat the mare’s neck, and I suddenly realized why she’d been fiddling with her shirt. She’d unbuttoned several buttons and as she leaned forward, the sweater and her shirt gaped open. I saw every detail of her full, round breasts, and I even caught a glimpse of her nipples.
I froze. I couldn’t drag my gaze away. I made a weird sound--like a strangled groan.
She noticed where I was looking, but she stayed bent forward, and let me look. I was electrified by the thought that she was flirting with me, and my hard-on raged even harder and hotter.
After a few moments, she lifted her head a little and smiled at me, her pink lips curving sweetly with an unmistakable invitation. My heart began to pound in my chest. I lifted my hand to touch those gorgeous breasts, to fondle those hardened nipples, when suddenly she straightened, leaving me bewildered.
“Wha…” I muttered.
“Ahem.”
The sound came from the porch. Aubrey’s smile changed slightly, became merely pleasant. I turned around impatiently.
My mom stood there, eyebrows raised. I knew that look. She’d seen something that made her think. “Make sure you’re back in time to get ready for the party, Chase.”
I gave her a nod, and nudged my horse into a walk.
Aubrey gripped her reins confidently. She gave me another one of those mysterious s
miles and nudged her horse hard, then snapped the reins. The mare took off at a fast pace across the front lawn.
Jesus.
I took off after her, my heart beating hard again, this time with fear. Obviously she didn’t know much about riding horses… When I saw her approaching the small fence that surrounded the front lawn at almost a full gallop, my stomach clenched.
“Aubrey, slow down!” I yelled.
She kicked her horse harder. Seconds later, they were sailing over the fence like seasoned pros.
I raced after her, bouncing around and banging my balls against the saddle until they throbbed. Suddenly, she darted into a shallow forest of pine trees that bordered our property, and her mare started weaving in and out between the pines. My horse was bigger and, scowling and nearly sick with worry, I was forced to slow him down. Finally we emerged from the trees and the horses charged up a hill. She got there first, and slowed the mare while she watched me race up there after her.
Finally I was atop the hill too. We let the horses walk, a crisp breeze blowing the mare’s mane and Aubrey’s silky hair alike. At that point, my horse decided to show off for the mare, and did a lot of side-stepping and high-spirited kicking that made me look like an incompetent ass. Giving him an angry glare, I pulled the bastard up next to Aubrey and bit back an urge to yell at her. “You could have killed yourself, sweetheart.”
She grinned at me. “I guess I forgot to tell you, I was the steeplechase champion at the county fair a few years ago.”
The fear was still with me. But her prank had been a good one. All at once, I found myself smiling back. “You played me. But charging through those trees that way wasn’t the smartest thing you could have done.”
She laughed in my face. “I’ve ridden a lot harder than that, Chase. You caught up with me only because I let you.”
“If it wasn’t for that forest,” I countered, “you would have been eating my dust.”
She chuckled with appreciation, and then kicked the mare into another fast trot. Again, I raced off after her, this time with a little less alarm. We charged across the fields, the wind whipping her hair and the horse’s manes, and I felt this exhilarating sense of freedom that I’d known as a kid, but had forgotten about since joining the pros. She looked happy and relaxed too, and suddenly I felt lucky that I was able to share the moment with her.