Meadowlarks

by Ashley Christine

  “I love you, Miss Cole.”

  She smiles, telling me she loves me too, and gets out.

  My nostrils flare when I see his elation as she walks up to greet him. They walk in the big glass sliding doors together.

  “Everything will be just fine as long as you keep your damn hands to yourself, Reid,” I say in the quiet rumble of the cab of my truck. Saying his name puts a bad taste in my mouth.

  The drive home usually doesn't take this long, but I feel like I'm going at a slug’s pace so I don't have to pull into the driveway and see Jeremiah and Alex. In the beginning, I wasn't bothered at all by guys staring at her; they did it almost everywhere we went. Hell, I was proud to be with her and wanted to show her off like a trophy. I think it's the fact that he touched her. Even though I know in a job like hers there's always physical contact—but not the way his fingers were on her skin.

  “I hope you're ready for the best bachelor party of your life!” I'm not even out of the truck before Alex jogs over, cupping his hands on either side of his mouth to make sure I hear him yelling.

  I'm still in a shitty mood, but surprisingly, what he says makes me laugh. “Yeah? What do you have planned? We aren't going to Vegas, are we?” I slam the door of the truck, and we walk over to the barn where Jer is filing buckets with feed. “So, what am I in for?” I ask Jeremiah.

  “You know we can't tell you. Besides, if I did, you would probably say no.” He grins and shrugs. “Well, the old Blaine wouldn't, but this one would.” He points to me and smirks.

  “I didn't go anywhere,” I say. “Let's hear it!” I grab a handful of grain and throw it at him; he ducks and laughs.

  “Can't. Sorry. You'll just have to wait until Friday night.” He's not going to give me any details; Jeremiah is pretty good at keeping secrets, and if he wants me to have a good time, he'll keep his lips sealed until I find out when it's actually happening.

  Since I'm not getting any more information out of either of them, I change the subject from my stag party to Addison's doe.

  “Riley called.” I don't even finish, and Alex perks up at the mention of her name. “She's coming to Sheridan and taking Addison out.”

  “Oh, is she?” He pretends not to show he's anxious, but it's oozing from his pores. Jer and I both joke and get him going about his feelings for Riley, and he spills about their time together last year during our visit to Maine.

  After lunch my phone rings. “Hello?” I answer.

  “Hey, baby.” It’s Addison. She clears her throat. “I'm not feeling well; I've thrown up twice. Can you come get me?”

  “Yes, of course. I'll be right there.”

  “Are you sure? Ruth offered to drive me home if you can't.”

  Why couldn't I? “I'll be there in ten minutes.”

  When we got home, she took a long bath and curled into our bed, under three blankets. “I think I've got the flu,” she whimpers.

  Even when she's sick, she looks beautiful.

  “Go to sleep.” I brush a lock of hair from her face. “I will stay with you.”

  “No, I'm okay. You can go back out to work; I promise I'll text you if I need something.” She smiles and closes her eyes.

  “She okay?” Alex asks while loading boards in his arms for the new fence. “She never gets sick.”

  Considering she works in a hospital, I'm surprised it's taken this long for her to catch a cold or the flu. Suddenly, like someone said it but no one heard a word, the three of us all look at each other, knowing exactly what the other is thinking.

  “Bro, is she pregnant?” Alex almost looks scared.

  For a moment, I feel my knees get weak. “No, she would tell me...” I hope she would; besides, she's on the pill. I remind myself to Google the effectiveness of that tiny capsule she takes every morning.

  If she is, then it's something we will tell everyone together. I change the subject and try to get some work done. The fencing is so old that we've needed to replace it for years. Having a third person really helps, so we're able to get it done faster. The ground has thawed, so we can bore holes for the new posts, and by five PM, we're all exhausted.

  “Ready to call it a day?” I take my baseball cap off and wipe the beads of sweat from my brow.

  “Sounds good to me. C'mon, Alex; let's get going.” Jer shakes my hand and rests the shaft of the shovel over his shoulder. “See ya tomorrow, buddy.”

  Addison hasn't messaged me, so I quietly open the door to the house, hoping she's still sleeping. I pull off my boots and set them down gently. Rex barks at the door.

  “Shh! Boys, come on.” I open it and let them both in. Luca heads right for the living room and flops down in front of the warm hearth.

  The old wooden stairs creak a little when I try to tread lightly up them, and when I get to the bedroom, I see she's still asleep.

  She must be really sick; she's snoring softly, and I can't help but smile. Her hair is an absolute mess, and when she stirs, she rolls onto her side and breathes heavily with her mouth wide open. Now that is sexy. I grin, trying to keep myself from chuckling.

  Closing the bathroom door behind me quietly, I turn the shower on and pile my dirty clothes into the wicker laundry hamper. I exhale deeply and stand under the heat, pressing my hands against the tile in front of me. I lean so the water beats down the back of my neck. After I wash, I turn the knobs off and step out. I dry my hair quickly with a towel and then wrap it around my waist. I wipe off the fog on the mirror above the sink and lather my face with shaving cream. While I'm rinsing off my face, I turn to see her coming into the bathroom. She squints from the light and blocks it with her hand.

  “Hey, you. How are you feeling?”

  She looks rough and stumbles a little. I quickly reach out and catch her. “Whoa! Baby, are you okay?”

  “I'm okay, and turn around! I don't want you to see me like this.” She giggles sleepily.

  “Oh, believe me; I've seen it all.” I clear my throat and laugh. “I even heard a little snoring earlier.”

  “No, you didn't! I don't snore. I'm a lady.” She pulls from my arms and sits down on the toilet. “See!” She pretends to curtsey while she's sitting, and I can't help but laugh out loud.

  “Quite the lady. I'm glad to see your sense of humor is back. You must be feeling a little bit better.” I pull the towel from around my waist and toss it on the counter. I walk right by her while she's still sitting there, I’m completely naked. Even though she's a hot mess, she's still her and I'm slowly hardening.

  “I'm not feeling well enough for that!” she yells from the bathroom and leans to slam the door shut behind me.

  I put on a pair of pajama bottoms and climb into bed. When she comes out I pull the blankets on her side back so she can get in.

  “Thank you.” She smiles and lies down, and I cover her up all the way to her chin. I get under the enormous pile and try to get close to her. “Blaine, no! You can't. I don't want to get you sick.”

  “Anything you have I would have caught by now anyway. I would risk it just to be close to you.” I pull her into me and kiss her hair. “I love you.”

  “Mmm. Back at ya, handsome.” She nuzzles into my chest and kisses my heated skin.

  “You know, your brother thought you might be pregnant.”

  Silence.

  “Ha, he would think that, wouldn't he? I'm not though, baby. I took a test at work before you came to get me.” She looks up; her big eyes are more gray than blue. “Besides, you know I would tell you if I was.”

  “I know. He was just being Alex. He got really excited when I told him Riley was coming.”

  She chuckles a little. “He's got it bad. He just won't admit it. Too bad I don’t think Riley would ever give him a real chance.”

  We sleep in each other's arms. I wake up sweating from the heat of being under all the blankets and being against her hot flesh. I slowly lift her so I can get out of bed, laying her back down gently. She mumbles something I don't understand and smiles
sweetly in her sleep. Her cheeks have a little color; hopefully she's almost kicked this bug. I call the hospital to tell them she won’t be in, which they fully expected, since she left early after throwing up.

  It's Thursday, so Jeremiah and Alex are both off. I want to stay around the house in case she needs something, so it looks like an uneventful day for me. I tidy up the kitchen, putting away the clean dishes from the dishwasher. Collecting all the laundry, I do a few loads and watch some TV while I wait for the washing machine to finish.

  Addison has been sleeping almost all day. When she wakes up, she's going to be starving, and I have no idea what she'll want. Chicken noodle soup, maybe? I open my laptop and Google a recipe, since I was unsuccessful in finding a can in the pantry. When I find everything I'll need, I set it all on the island in the kitchen and smile, pleased with myself for having such a great idea. I exhale loudly and cross my fingers that I can pull it off.

  “Mmm, something smells good.”

  Startled, I sit up. I must have fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for the soup. “Hey, you.” I hold out my arms to her, and she sits on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You look so much better. How do you feel?”

  “Much better. Thank you for taking care of me.” She touches my nose with hers and smiles. “Did you make chicken noodle soup from scratch?”

  “I did! You seem surprised.” I snort. “Hungry?”

  She sits with her legs crossed on the couch, covered by my mom's quilt, blowing the steam from the bowl in her hands.

  My phone buzzes.

  Jeremiah: How's Addison feeling? R U still up for tomorrow?

  I reply to Jeremiah’s text. She's better. I'll let you know, I don't want to leave her if she's sick.

  Jeremiah: K. Talk to you in the morning, bro!

  “How is it?” I ask Addison, putting the phone on the coffee table and turning to face her.

  “It's delicious. Old family recipe?” She smiles.

  “Google.” I laugh.

  I don't hear her phone ring, but she does. “My phone. Can you bring me my purse, babe?” She looks around for it and points to the small wooden table by the front door. When she pulls it from her purse, she narrows her eyes and presses a few buttons, then holds it up to her ear. “Alex, hey…Yeah, rude, considering I've been sick!” She looks at me and rolls her eyes. “I know; I didn't forget. Okay...See you later.” She hangs up and puts her phone down next to mine.

  I raise my eyebrows, waiting for her to tell me what that was all about.

  She does. “He texted me about tomorrow night, making sure I'm not going to keep you at home because I'm sick.”

  “Well, I'm not going to leave you here alone while you're sick.”

  This time she rolls her eyes at me. “No. I'm feeling much better. Please, don't not go because of me. You're only going to have one bachelor party, you know.”

  I grin and pull her hand up to my lips, kissing her knuckles. “Well, for now...” I look at her and smile; she drops her jaw in astonishment.

  “Well then, when I'm at my party, I'll have to keep an eye open for my next husband!” Picking up her bowl of soup from the coffee table, she takes a mouthful, then points her spoon at me with narrowed eyes.

  I love this woman beyond words. She's everything I could ever want, even when she's dishevelled in PJ’s with her hair piled on her head in a messy bun. She's perfect.

  By the next morning she's back to her normal self, up and out of bed before me, showered without me and downstairs making breakfast.

  “Mornin'.” I smile when I reach the bottom of the stairs.

  “Mmm! Good morning! I'm in a huge rush; sorry but I have to go.” Since we haven't pulled her car out of the garage where it was stored for the winter, she grabs my keys off the hook by the door. “Can I take the truck, or do you need it today?”

  “Nope, go ahead. See you tonight.” I wrap my arms around her, inhaling her sweet scent, and kiss her goodbye.

  “Love you!” She smiles and heads out the door.

  “Love you.”

  Jeremiah and Alex pull into the yard about five minutes after she leaves for work. They both almost hop out and skip over to the porch where I'm standing drinking a cup of black coffee.

  “Are you ready for tonight?!”

  I don't know whether Alex is asking me a question or making a statement. He's beaming ear to ear.

  “I'm starting to get nervous considering the two of you look like kids who are about to touch their first pair of tits.” I hold my hands up to my chest, circling in a motion to resemble breasts, and I laugh. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Can't say, sorry.” Jer is stone-faced serious, with a slight smirk in the corner of his mouth. Wherever it is, I know I'll probably have a good time.

  “Let's get to work, make this a short day then.” I take the last sip of coffee and set the mug down on the wooden step of the porch. “Come on, boys!” I whistle to Rex and Luca, who get up from laying on the grass and follow us out into the field. “I was thinking of buying Addison a new car; do you think she would mind?” I ask Alex.

  “If you're offering, I'll take one, too!” He laughs.

  “Nice try. Want to go into town?”

  Jer slices into the ground with the mouth of his shovel, pushing down with his boot. “Yeah, I bet Bruce—”

  I cut him off. “No Dodges.” I smirk.

  The three of us wipe the dirt off our clothes and pile in Jeremiah's truck; Alex leans over the front seat from the back and cranks the music. We fly down the dirt road and sing our hearts out to Jason Aldean’s Dirt Road Anthem—how fitting. Usually I turn the tunes down when the pavement begins, but not today. We drive down the street with the bass thumping and the windows down.

  When we approach a stop light, we pull up beside another truck with two pretty girls in it. Alex leans out his window, serenading them, slapping his hands on the door to the beat, and the girls giggle at each other. When the light turns green the driver, a pretty blonde, floors her black Chevy, and the sound of them laughing is louder than the music flowing out of the truck.

  “Catch them!” Alex yells like he's a captain of a pirate ship after some sweet booty.

  Why not? I think to myself, and Jer floors it, quickly shifting into second gear. We are on a long stretch of road with no other cars around. It takes about four seconds to catch the girls in the Chev; we pull up beside them, and the guys go crazy. The passenger, another blonde with very curly hair, blows a kiss, and Jer holds his hands over his heart dramatically. She laughs.

  At the next light, we're stopped beside them again.

  “Where you boys headed?” The driver asks, biting her bottom lip.

  “Wherever you're going, baby!” Alex shouts from the backseat.

  They laugh, and when the light turns green, we all fully expect them to drive straight again. She pretends to, but turns right at the last minute, and we can hear them yahoo-ing and cat-calling as they drive away.

  “Awe, damn.” Alex pouts.

  When we arrive at the Ford dealership, Derek, who I usually do business with, walks out of the big sliding doors with his arms open. “Mr. Blackstock! Where is that big bad truck of yours?” he says, obviously noticing I arrived in the competition.

  “My girlfriend has it today, but I'm actually looking for a car for her.”

  “Oh, very nice! Let me guess; she's a Mustang girl!” He's good.

  “You should see the 'Stang she's got now! Sixty-seven Fastback…” Alex pipes up as he climbs out of the Dodge.

  Derek doesn't say anything, just puts his hand on my shoulder and walks me over to a long line of cars. They're all freshly washed and sparkling in the sun. He stops in front of a Fiesta, and I curl my lip. I can't picture her in that.

  “We like the new Taurus. An SHO would be even better.”

  Derek's eyes light up. “We have twelve right over there. Let's go check 'em out!”

  I trail my fingertips along the hood and fender of
the Taurus. This is the one. Black and sleek just like my truck, a matching pair.

  “I'll take it.”

  Alex gapes, and I grin.

  At Derek's desk, I sign all the paperwork, writing Addison's name as the title owner.

  “Our current promotion also gives her two years of free oil changes and a three hundred dollar gas card!”

  “Even better! Thanks, Derek.” I lean over his desk and shake his hand.

  “Always a pleasure, Mr. Blackstock.”

  Alex is sitting in her new car when I get outside. He's almost drooling.

  “Jealous?” I smirk.

  “You know, my birthday is coming up soon.” He laughs and gets out of the car. “She's gonna freak!”

  For a second, I'm nervous.

  Freak? Freak good, or freak bad? I decide to text her. When is your lunch break today?

  She replies. In about 30 min. What's up, babe?

  I don't text back. The guys are going to The Wolfbarrow for lunch, and since it's one of the last places I want to be, I drive over to the hospital to surprise Addison. While I sit in the parking lot for a few minutes, trying to think of how to tell her I just bought her a car, I see Reid get out of a Lexus SUV parked one car over. I narrow my eyes watching him. He looks like a snake; something about him crawls under my skin, like poison, and I shudder remembering the dream I had about him and Addison.

  I have the car engine off, but my window is down and I can hear him talking when he pulls out his cell phone and makes a call.

  “Yeah, you got it all right? I told you to get some extra just in case...Hell, yeah. Buddy, it's gonna be good!” He looks around and must see no one because he keeps talking. “Whatever, man. I’m trying, and she's worth it. Fuck, you should see the ass on this girl.” Then he catches a glimpse of someone coming out of the hospital doors. “Shit, call you later.” Reid jams the phone into his pocket. “Hey, there she is!”