“It’s me, Noah.”
Shalan’s voice shocked me.
“Who’s me?” I played like I didn’t know her, because obviously I didn’t want her to know I was arguing with my ex.
“Noah, come on. It’s Shalan.”
“Shalan who?”
The line got quiet. Maybe I’d taken the joke too far. I opened my mouth to speak, but she started talking.
“I’m sorry I haven’t called. Things got crazy and then I dropped my phone in the airplane toilet, as it was flushing. That blue dye got inside of every crack, and it wasn’t salvageable. I had to wait to get a new phone, and then look at my last bill to get your number. I thought you’d check your email, but obviously you never did.”
I closed my eyes and thought about the last time I’d checked my email. It had probably been two weeks. I knew I needed to link it to my phone, but all that was on there was bills and advertisements. “Sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she murmured. I could tell she seemed sad. “I told you I’d call you back and you didn’t hear from me for days.”
“Darlin’, I missed hearin’ your voice.” After my discussion with Perry, I figured I’d be in a bad mood all day, but the truth was that this one phone call had calmed my nerves.
“Me too. So guess what I’m doing?”
I shrugged, even though she couldn’t see me. “What?”
“I’m booking my flight for Friday. I got the go-ahead from Shelly that I can have the next whole week off. What time did you want to pick me up, morning or afternoon?”
I had to admit that hearing she was coming, after I thought she’d written me off had me speechless. All I wanted to do was tell her to hop on the next flight and forget about waiting. “Mornin’ is fine. I’ll have someone cover for me so we can spend the day doin’ whatever you want.”
“There’s one thing in particular that I really want.”
I laughed. “My huge cock?”
She giggled. “I should have known you’d say that.”
“It’s been a shitty day, up until now.”
She ignored the question. “Are you excited to see me? Do I need to bring anything special? Should I wear a cowboy hat and boots?”
I sighed and let out an air-filled laugh. “No. You can dress normal. I wear a baseball cap just about every day. The last time I saw a cowboy hat, it was on some schmuck at the airport in New York.”
“I got you something while I was away.”
“You did?” I wondered if I should run out and get her a gift. “What?”
“It’s a surprise.” She paused. “Okay, I’m booked for Friday. I can’t wait to see you, and meet your family. Did you tell them about me?”
I felt bad. Bells knew about Shalan, but I hadn’t told my family. Now I knew I had to prepare them. “Yeah, they all know you’re comin’,” I lied.
“I miss you, Noah. I mean, I was really busy this week, but once I lost my phone, I felt lost not being able to talk to you.”
“Me too. I honestly thought you wrote me off. I thought you found some rich old man with wrinkling balls to bide your time.”
“Eww. You’re sick.”
“And you’re beautiful.”
“I get that a lot,” she teased.
“I sure hope you don’t. This cowboy might have to start kickin’ asses.”
“I can’t wait to see you. Promise me that we can spend the first night alone.”
“Definitely.”
“Okay. I need to go. I’ve got an appointment in a half hour. Call me tonight, alright?”
“Sure thing.”
When we hung up it felt like all of my problems had gone away.
I think that’s when I finally came to grips with what was happening.
Shalan wasn’t just some chick I’d met and started sleeping with. She’d become a whole lot more. In fact, I was pretty sure that I was falling for her, and I didn’t know what I was going to do about it.
Shalan
Being on the road with a real band was like a dream come true. I kept busy, working on their songs and even writing some of my own. Noah was never far from my thoughts. In fact, every single song that I’d been working on had something to do with either him, or the way he made me feel.
That also made things hard.
As much as I knew I was moving toward a career as a musician, I wondered how I could keep Noah, knowing I wouldn’t be around much. A man like him needed the attention of a good woman, especially being raised by one who did nothing but take care of her man. Noah didn’t seem old-fashioned, but I had this feeling that when he was ready to settle down, it would be forever.
I couldn’t wait to meet his parents and the rest of his family, especially his sisters and Bella, who he always called Bells. We’d spoke on the phone a couple times, when he was giving me a hard time and she’d snatched the phone to let me know he was pulling my leg. She seemed nice, and most of all, I knew he was important to her.
That also meant that meeting her was a little scary. If she didn’t like me then she’d tell Noah. It was freaking me out thinking that he might respect her feelings enough to stop seeing me.
I started filling my new suitcase with clothes for my trip to Kentucky. I’d bought new underwear that I couldn’t wait to share with Noah, and even some jeans that looked like something a country chick would wear. Honestly, I had no clue how they dressed or lived, and making an impression was my top priority.
Then I grabbed Noah’s gift, a handmade crocodile skin belt from Australia, with a decorative buckle. A man had a whole case of them he was selling in the town we were in. It looked so cool, and had cost me almost half of what my first check was. Since I owed him money, which he refused to talk about, I’d decided that a gift would be acceptable. I’d seen him wear a belt before, so I knew he’d at least consider liking it.
My phone started to ring and I smiled when I saw it was him calling. “Did you forget to tell me something?”
“Yeah. Don’t pack underwear. You won’t need them.”
“I’ll have you know that I bought some new ones that I was going to bring.”
“I can’t stop picturin’ you naked. It’s makin’ my dick hard, and I’ve got a ton to do today.”
“Are you alone?” I fell back down on my bed and traced the skin between my breasts. “Do you want to play?”
“I’ve got a better idea.”
“What’s that?”
“Change your flight to tonight. I want you here, and waitin’ is goin’ to kick my ass.”
Aside from my afternoon appointment I had nothing going on. Sure, I wanted to get my hair trimmed, and I definitely needed to polish my nails, and shave my legs and any other appendages that needed it. “What if I come tomorrow?”
“Call me later and give me a time.”
“Are you sure? Don’t you have to work?”
“You can spend the day relaxin’. There’s plenty to do.”
“Okay. I will get online and change my flight.”
“I can’t wait to see that sexy ass.”
We hung up and I looked around the apartment. It was tiny, but all that I needed. Besides being grateful, I had a couple other people that lived in the building with me. One was about to cut her first album. She’d been doing recording sessions for the past two weeks and they were finally thinking that they had enough material.
I called Shelly, who seemed to be my go-to with all things work related. Reluctantly, I asked her if it was okay if I skipped my voice classes for a few extra days. At first she didn’t like the idea. She even made a point to remind me that I was under a contract, and the importance of sticking to a schedule. So I pulled out the tears and told her that Noah and I needed to take care of some personal matters. I told her that he needed me for a few extra days, and promised to be back promptly that following Sunday.
Finally she said yes.
I threw as much as I could fit into my suitcase, and got online, finding that the only flights availa
ble were not only totally booked for the next day, but every day until my original flight. My only option was to catch the last one for the day, which was in less than two hours.
Without looking in the mirror, applying makeup, or shaving my legs, I grabbed my suitcase and jetted to the airport. After security and checking my bag, I made it just in time to board the plane. Then I realized that when I was going through security I’d stuck my cell phone in my carry-on that was packed above my head. I stood up to grab it, but a person came and sat on the end seat. I sat down realizing that I was flying to Kentucky and Noah had no clue about it. He was either going to be very excited, or extremely overwhelmed.
The flight, being only about an hour, went by so fast, mostly because I was so nervous. I looked like I’d just woken up, and wasn’t even dressed decently. It was a good thing that the airport had bathrooms. After going to luggage claim I rushed into a handicapped stall and opened it up, looking for the most appropriate outfit.
Once I was dressed, I walked over to the mirror, brushed my hair and applied makeup. It wasn’t bad for a rush job, and my clothes, aside from needing a good ironing, covered every part of my body.
With shaky hands I called Noah, hoping and praying that this hadn’t been a huge mistake.
“Hello?”
A female voice answered and my stomach dropped. “Is Noah there?”
“Um, I’m not sure. Hang on.” I could hear her calling out for him a couple times. “I guess he left his phone when he went back out. Can I take a message?”
I didn’t know what to do. “Is this Bella?”
“This is Noah’s mother. Bella is still at work. Can I leave them a message?”
What was I supposed to do? Noah said they knew I was coming, so I figured it wouldn’t be a big deal to get his mom in on the surprise. “Actually, this is Shalan, his…friend. I know my flight wasn’t supposed to come in until this weekend, but I switched it to surprise Noah, so now I’m at the airport without an address to the tell the shuttle person.”
She said nothing for a second. “What did you say your name was?”
“Shalan.”
“That’s a pretty name. Noah didn’t tell me about a friend coming in, but I’m sure he’ll appreciate the surprise. A taxi, or even airport transport will cost you an arm and a leg. How about I come and get you instead? I’m obviously going to need to grab some more food, because you don’t want to eat anything he prepares.”
We both laughed, and then I was reminded that she didn’t have a clue who I was. “Is it much trouble?”
“None at all. It’s going to take me about an hour to get there. Can you hang tight until then?”
“Sure.” I didn’t have a choice.
She told me where to wait for her, and gave me a number, then we hung up. After the call I literally sat down and bit off all my fingernails. My knee rattled my seat and I felt like I was going to vomit.
This wasn’t just Noah’s mother, but a woman that has survived breast cancer. I know it was silly, but thinking about her made me think of my own mother. I missed her so much, and the idea of being around a real family was overwhelming. I’d been so caught up in seeing Noah that I hadn’t considered what it would feel like to be around the rest of them.
I spotted the SUV exactly where she said she’d be. I kept my head down low as I approached the vehicle. I don’t know why I expected some old lady to get out of the vehicle. I certainly didn’t expect a woman with long brown hair and a beautiful smile climbing out. She was wearing a pair of khaki’s and a form fitted polo shirt, with jewelry that accented the color. One of the pieces was a charm bracelet that I’d seen on commercials. You could buy different charms for all of your favorite events in life. “You must be Shalan. I’m Savanna.”
I shook her hand, still in awe that she was Noah’s mother. “Nice to meet you.”
“Let’s get your stuff loaded so we can head back to the ranch. You must be exhausted after flying. I know I hate the whole process of being in an airport. Noah’s dad and I try to drive whenever we can.”
“The flight wasn’t that long, but I get what you mean.”
We started driving before she asked another question. “So, where did you fly in from?”
“New York.”
“Ahh, you’re the reason Noah’s been going to New York.”
So they knew about his trips, but not me. “I have to ask this, and forgive me if I seem a little outspoken, but did you really not know about me? Noah told me that he’s talked about me. I never would have just shown up if I knew that.”
Noah’s mom kept her focus on the road as she talked. “Noah doesn’t tell us a lot of things. Don’t take it personal. He and his father have a difficult relationship. It’s really because they’re just alike, but you can’t tell Noah that without getting into it with him.”
“I’ve seen it, firsthand.” I thought about that time he’d taken out his anger on me. I got chills thinking about it.
She clearly didn’t feel comfortable talking to me about it. “So my son invited you to the ranch?”
“Yes,” I looked out the window, admiring the fact that we were out of the city and driving down a country road. “I was supposed to come this weekend, but he asked if I could get an earlier flight. I’ve been away for work, and decided to surprise him. I guess it was a terrible idea.”
“Nonsense. If Noah invited you, then you’re are very welcome, no matter when you arrive. That boy doesn’t invite his friends over, especially women. He keeps his life private, which is probably why we’ve never heard about you. I’m sure it has nothing to do with how he feels about you.”
How he feels about me? Obviously he felt something, but now I wanted to know what. If I was invited and that was such a privilege, was Noah falling in love with me? “Thanks for saying that.”
“Can I ask you something, Shalan?”
“Sure.” I turned to face her.
“Are you the reason that Noah broke up with Perry?”
It was like a stab to my heart. I had to keep my composure until I was alone and could rationalize with what the woman had just said to me. Did Noah have a girlfriend this whole time, only breaking up with her recently when we’d become something more than just acquaintances? “Not that I know of.”
“That break-up was just so sudden. I thought maybe he’d told you about it. I’m sorry for asking. Obviously they aren’t together now, and I just wondered if you knew.”
Already this woman thought I was some floosy that had stolen a man from another woman. This trip was a mistake and I was half tempted to tell her to turn around an take me back to the airport.
She must have noticed that I was silently freaking out. “It’s good to meet you, Shalan. Any guest of my son’s is a guest of mine.”
We drove for a ways talking about Kentucky and the town I was originally from in Ohio. Then she asked another question I wasn’t prepared for. “So does your family still live in Ohio?”
Did I lie, or tell her the truth? “I don’t have any family, not anymore. It’s just me and the great big world.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Noah’s probably mentioned how big our family is. You do know that some are coming to visit this weekend, right?”
Another thing he hadn’t told me about that was going to get him a swift kick in the balls when I saw him. “Of course. I’m excited to meet everyone. I’ve never been around such a large family before.”
That made her laugh. “Honey, you picked the wrong family to test it out with. We get a little crazy from time to time. Don’t judge us too harshly.”
I let out a little laugh. “It can’t be that bad. You all love each other, right?”
“Yes, that we do. When our family loves, we love big, and we love forever.”
She was so kind. Even when she spoke, her voice was sweet. I was already amazed by her.
Then I got the shock of my life.
We pulled up to a large white security gate. I’d noticed it as we wer
e driving. It had been over a mile long in the direction that we’d come from. For as long as I could see in the opposite direction I could see white. The main gate had a keyed entry, and a tremendous sign hung over the top of both gates, saying Mitchell Family Ranch.
This wasn’t a farm, it was a fortress.
Driving down the paved driveway we passed by several large barns, and plenty of equipment sitting outside. A giant mansion faced us, and my heart started beating out of my chest. “Oh my God. Is this your home?”
She laughed. “It’s my mother-in-laws house. She lives here with her housekeeper, and an occasional straggler family member. It’s too big for me, if you want my opinion.”
I stared at the beautiful white house as we pulled in. “Wait here for a second. I need to run this inside.”
I sat there admiring the beautiful home, and wondering why Noah had been so modest. I suppose he didn’t want me to know where he came from. It certainly wasn’t what I suspected. I actually felt like I was dreaming.
When his mom got back into the vehicle we started driving down a more narrow driveway. It went through a patch of woods on both sides. “If you don’t mind, I need to get these groceries in the freezer before they thaw.”
We pulled up to another home, this one made of logs. It was a beautiful golden brown in color, and had a wrap around porch that was to die for. We climbed out and I heard a horse neigh from somewhere close. It startled me and I turned around ready to run.
“The horses are in their stables. They just sound closer than they are.” She handed me a bag. “You’ve never been on a farm before, have you?”
“No.”
“Noah’s going to have to show you around. Come on, let’s get these inside so I can take you to his house.”
We walked inside and I almost passed out.
First there was the smell of maple syrup and bacon. I could feel my mouth watering as we headed in the direction of the kitchen. Then I noticed the cathedral ceilings, where the animals hung on the walls, and the beautiful lodge décor everywhere. That wasn’t all that caught my attention. On every wall were pictures, and I recognized Noah as a child right away. “He’s so little.”
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