by Sky Winters
“That’s good! See, Sasha, I told you they were fine. Everything is fine.” Yeah, Sasha thought sadly, everything was fine until her mother died. Her shoulders slumped a bit before she smiled at her mom, taking the tray to the kitchen.
Wyatt noticed the change and frowned slightly. He didn’t like that Sasha was always thinking her mother’s death wouldn’t make a difference- that she would go back to New York and everything would go back to normal. It wasn’t healthy, and he followed quietly with one last look at the frail woman. She was dying faster than the doctor anticipated.
“Sasha.” Looking up as she leaned over the kitchen sink, Sasha straightened and quickly wiped her eyes.
“Yeah? What is it?” Her voice cracked and she almost winced, but Wyatt took a few steps towards her with a sigh. His wife beater was covered in sweat from being outside, and his jeans slung low against his hips. If she weren’t on the verge of crying she’d be drooling.
“I think you know what it is, darlin’. What I wanted to tell you was that Franklin knows about your situation and wants to help you out, so he’s paying plus a half.” Tensing up, Sasha felt her mind reel at this new development. Plus a half. That was so much money she wouldn’t need to pay rent for a year.
Then the tears started to fall. It was overwhelming to be here, taking care of her mother and the farm. It was hard to watch her mom die. What’s worse, she was going at a rate the doctors hadn’t expected, and her four to six months had been cut down to one if she was lucky.
“Hey, hey…” Whenever Wyatt flirted with her he was usually joking, or playing around, but when he wrapped his arms around her Sasha could feel he was sincere. It was different and she felt weird about it. She didn’t push him away though, because he was as close to a friend as she was going to get out here.
“I just wish this never happened.”
“I know, darlin’. It’s okay, though. I’ll stick by ya’.” Sniffling softly, Sasha looked up into swirling dark eyes to see nothing of the cocky man she’d come to know. Wyatt was dead serious, and she was glad that for once he wasn’t trying a blatant tactic to get into her pants.
This, though, was much worse.
“Thank you.” Pushing herself up on her toes, Sasha pressed her lips to Wyatt’s cheek before taking a step out of his embrace, and he let her. She wiped her face, and put her big girl face on. She could cry at the funeral. Right now she needed to make sure her mother went as peacefully as possible.
“You need anything, Sasha? I have to go to town.” Nodding, Sasha was glad for the change of subject.
“Yeah, I need Mom’s pain meds.” That was another problem for Sasha. Her mother was deteriorating so fast because of the meds, but if she didn’t take them she would be in pain. Watching Wyatt nod firmly, though, she felt like she was making the right choice. At least she wouldn’t have to watch her mother suffer any more than she was.
“Will do.” Walking back out the front door, Wyatt rubbed his jaw absently on his way to the corral Marie was in. He may have had a touch too much confidence, but not even he could watch his mother die like Sasha was doing and not be a complete wreck.
Sasha paced the length of the kitchen with a growing sense of anxiety. Her mother might not be in pain, but now she hardly ever talked and almost never left the recliner that Sasha had bought to keep her comfortable. It’d only been a few days since Wyatt’s uncharacteristically tender hug, and she felt like she needed another one. The stress she was under had made her hair start to turn gray at the roots, and she rubbed her hands together to get them to stop shaking.
“Sasha, I- it’s… not good. I don’t think she’ll last the night.” Sasha felt her knees give out at the information. One night. One night was all she had left with her mother. The abruptness of it made her heart lurch in her chest. Now, of all times, her mother was going to die and she had no one around to comfort her. Wyatt was in Dallas for a rodeo, and wouldn’t be back until morning. Falling to the floor, she pushed her knuckles into her mouth to stifle her sob as her eyes became watery. She needed more time.
The doctor, she didn’t even care to know his name, helped her to a chair and Sasha held her face in her hands.
“I left some morphine in there.” He didn’t say anything else before making his way to the front door, and Sasha didn’t look up to watch him go. Now that death was at her doorstep she felt like there was so much missing- so much she needed to say. It was pathetic that she’d spent the past three weeks trying to act analytical about her mother’s passing.
It was too late to fix it now.
Wiping her face roughly, Sasha didn’t take her eyes off her mother as she stared at her from the furthest spot in the living room that she could get. It’d been hours since the doctor had left, but all she could do was stare- gazing longingly at the woman she’d neglected for so long.
“I love you Mom. I really, really love you.” Whispering, a crackling, broken sound, Sasha noticed her mother’s chest deflate completely. It didn’t make the right connections in her head, though, and she didn’t bother trying to force them. All she did was stare with a growing emptiness inside her. Wyatt wasn’t around to help her, and she felt truly alone- the kind of alone that a kid feels like after being left at a daycare for the first time. Alone, and scared and overwhelmed.
When Wyatt walked into the house he could sense something was different. The horses were out in the field, and all hung their heads with a somber air to them. Not even the foals frolicked or played. It only meant one thing, and he felt like an idiot for deciding to go to Dallas.
“Sasha.” One word was all it took for Sasha to come crumbling down, and Wyatt dropped to his knees to wrap his arms around her as she sat on the floor. If it weren’t for the tragedy he’d missed he would’ve marveled at how soft she was, but now wasn’t the time to think about that.
“Hey, she’s in a better place now, darlin’.” Wyatt knew it’d be tougher on Sasha because she’d blocked it out for so long, and wasn’t surprised when she full on bawled. She wasn’t a pretty crier either, and he was glad his shirt needed to be washed anyway as her tears and runny nose mixed together on the fabric.
Sasha only briefly registered that Wyatt helped her stand and led her out of the living room before picking her up in an impressive display of strength. He walked up the stairs and pushed open her bedroom door with his foot before laying her in her bed, but she couldn’t let him go. She needed him and she wasn’t proud enough to hurt herself out of stubbornness.
So he laid down next to her and stroked her hair. His body heat was comforting after the cold she felt slither through her veins.
After a while, Sasha couldn’t find it in her to produce more tears so she just lay there, sniffling occasionally while Wyatt ran his hand up and down her back under her shirt.
“Darlin’ you’ll be alright, okay? You got me, and the horses. You know what they say, right? Horses are a man’s best friend.” Nodding slowly in acknowledgement, Sasha didn’t want a horse- sure they were therapeutic, but she liked her current position. Lifting her head slowly, she couldn’t find it in her to be surprised that Wyatt was so close to her face that his breath fanned across her lips.
“Are you going to stay with me?” Hoarse and soft, Sasha’s whisper made Wyatt nod with a slight smile on my face.
“Can’t get rid of me, Sasha. I told your mom you’d be my girl, after all.” Blinking slowly, Sasha furrowed her eyebrows as she tried sluggishly to pick out even a hint of joke or cocky confidence but there was none.
Before she even knew what she was doing, her lips brushed against his and she whimpered softly. Wyatt’s hand pressed firmly against her back, and she reached up to cup his cheek before he kissed her firmly. She could feel passion that he was restraining, but she didn’t want to be safe. Wiggling to get closer, she wanted relief from the sadness, no matter how brief. Hiking her leg up on his hip, it didn’t take him long to give in.
Their kiss turned ravenous, and Sasha opened her mouth
so Wyatt could push his hot tongue past her teeth. She needed this- to feel something other than emotional pain. Moaning softly when he began to grind against the juncture between her legs, she moved her hand from his cheek to tangle her fingers in his hair. His own hand slid up to grip her breast tightly, and she pulled away, gasping, to arch her back.
“Don’t hate me in the morning, darlin’.” Ducking his head, Wyatt ripped open Sasha’s button down shirt to lay his gaze on the caramel colored breasts that strained against her bra. Pulling the fabric down, he rolled her over so she was on her back to hold himself up on his hands and knees. He sucked hard in her nipple, and she moaned softly.
Fortunately Wyatt didn’t waste time as he unfastened her jeans. Sasha lifted her hips so he could pull her pants and underwear off, and she fumbled with the clasp on her bra before tossing it over the side of her bed. Moving back to her lips, his shirt brushed her aching nipples and she shuddered as her hands searched the muscle on his shoulders before moving down his back.
Somehow his pants were off, and Sasha groaned loudly when Wyatt pressed the tip of his penis to her entrance. Bracing herself with her hands in his hair, she knew this was no love making- it was raw and passionate and was going to wipe her thoughts away. It was exactly what she needed, and what she wanted.
Shoving himself inside her with a grunt, Wyatt fisted the sheets as Sasha let out a cry into his mouth, giving his tongue the opportunity to search her more. She reveled in the feeling of being full, of having so much muscle over her, and when he pulled out she sucked in air through her teeth.
“Y- yes!” The guttural moan that escaped her mouth even surprised Sasha but she didn’t have time to think about it. Wyatt started to move faster, his thrusts became harder, and he pulled away from her mouth with a harsh noise. Her nails dug into his back, and her nipples were rubbing raw against his shirt before he decided to ditch the fabric.
“You feel so good darlin’.” Groaning out the praise, Wyatt nailed her with force. The bed creaked every time he thrusted into Sasha’s sheath, and her moans floated around the room. He could see her eyes rolling behind her eyelids, and he paused to lift her thick legs over his shoulders. Squeezing down on him, her heat started to quiver around his phallus, and he ground his teeth together.
Sasha was a screamer- she’d never realized before but then again she’d only had sex a handful of times and it hadn’t been very satisfying. When her orgasm washed over her she couldn’t hold in her cries as her body arched off the bed and her nails broke the skin on Wyatt’s back. Her shrieking was only muffled by his hot flesh, but he gave her no time pulling out of her to lie down and tug her on top of him.
“Yeah- Sasha, ride my cock.” Lowering herself heavily onto his penis, Sasha braced herself against his chest and rocked her hips. Her hair fell over her shoulders as she let her head fall, and her chest heaved as she panted. Strong hands moved her waist back and forth, and with every thrust she came closer to another orgasm.
Somehow Sasha ended up on her hands and knees some time later, but she wasn’t sure how. Her mind was hazy and blank as Wyatt’s hips hit her backside in a hard, steady rhythm and his hands squeezed her love handles.
“W- Wyatt, oh G- God!” Clutching the sheets for dear life, Sasha had a spasm as she came with a vengeance. Behind her, Wyatt groaned and his thrusts became more erratic. She didn’t even care though, and clamped down on him only to hear a rough growling noise. Her insides tightened the longer her orgasm bore down on her, and she almost wish she’d worked out. She was using muscles she’d never used before and knew she’d be sore for more reasons than one.
“Fuck.” Wyatt couldn’t deny the tingling in his spine or the way his balls drew up when Sasha cried out his name. It was an impossibility and he couldn’t fight it. Thrusting hard a few more times, he didn’t even consider pulling out as thick, creamy ropes shot from the spongy head of his penis to coat her inner walls.
Panting heavily, Sasha collapsed with shaking limbs and Wyatt fell over her to get himself into a spooning position. She liked to snuggle, and was glad when he tangled their legs together and threw his arms around her torso.
“My city girl, huh.”
When Sasha fell asleep, Wyatt carefully pushed himself up out of bed. Maybe he’d made a mistake by sleeping with Sasha when she was mourning her mother, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. He’d given her what she wanted, and it boosted his ego more than the fact that he’d won the bull ride.
Now, though, Wyatt pulled out his cell phone from his discarded pockets and ran his hand through his hair.
“Hey, yeah, Morgan Funeral Home? I need to make arrangements for Mrs. Johnson…”
When Sasha stumbled down the stairs in the biggest shirt she could find, she felt a lump clog her throat when she looked into the living room to find her mother was gone. Wyatt sat at the kitchen table, and she rubbed her eyes roughly to wipe away the sting that buzzed behind them.
“Hey.” Croaking out the greeting, Sasha made her way to the coffee pot and leaned on the counter, staring at the stained wood.
“Hey, how you feelin’ darlin’?” Shakily pouring the brew into a mug, Sasha shook her head a little before turning around.
“Better.” It was nearly 7pm, she wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep but she knew that Wyatt had gotten back just after sunrise. Sipping her hot coffee, without any cream or sugar, she didn’t know if she wanted to bring up what happened between them.
“Your mother’s funeral is tomorrow morning.” Gnawing on her thick bottom lip, Sasha nodded absently. She knew her mother’s death would be hard on the town because she’d been a part of it for so long. Despite the color of her skin, Mrs. Johnson had always been respected in this town for her hard work. Wyatt, though, wasn’t done talking and glanced up at her as she walked over to sit down across from him.
“The horses are being picked up at the end of the week too. Pretty soon you’ll be able to go back to New York if you want to.” Leaning her head back, Sasha frowned lightly because she didn’t know if she wanted to go back to her flat. She was torn between New York City and staying here to work out everything. It wasn’t fair to Wyatt to leave him with all of her problems.
“I don’t know. I think I’ll stay a little while.” Sasha wanted to fix up the house as her mother would have liked it.
She was just confused about everything, but she didn’t try hard. Figuring things out took time and effort.
“Sasha- about this morning… I wasn’t comforting you just to try to get into your pants this time.” Wyatt’s confession made Sasha crack a smile. She already knew that. Even though she liked it when he did try all of his tricks to flirt with her, she preferred it when he was sincere. Cramming flattery down her throat wouldn’t get him far.
“I know, I don’t regret it. My mom was right, you know- you’re a good guy.” Breathing a discreet sigh of relief, Wyatt leaned back in his chair and smiled at Sasha before arching an eyebrow.
“So you wanna go again, or is that pushin’ it?” Drinking her coffee, all she did was shake her head but she felt kind of light hearted at the jibe. Her reaction, though, only made Wyatt’s smile grow.
Instead of playing into it, Sasha started talking about how she wanted to really fix up her mother’s house. She had cousins and other family that would be dying to get their hands on it for the value of the land alone, but she didn’t want that. If anything, she wanted it to be the place she thought it should be, with a perfect mix of rustic and modern.
“You know, you try not to care about this place but it grows on you like mold.” Wyatt’s interruption made Sasha drop her chin into her palm and furrow her eyebrows to watch him. Sometimes he was right, and it infuriated her.
“Look, I’m not trying to push you or anything darlin’, but you talk about letting this place go. Why not just live here yourself? Dallas is only an hour away, and no one is expecting you to look like a country girl if you don’t want to.”
Furrowi
ng her eyebrows, Sasha could admit that she’d never thought about actually living here- it’d always been that she would go back to New York City. After a moment of thought, though, she only sighed heavily.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.” True, she loved New York, but Wyatt was right, Dallas wasn’t far away. The commute she didn’t mind either.
“Tell you what- you stay for a couple more weeks, we fix up the house, and you can think about it more. We can even have some more fun.” Growing a smirk, Wyatt’s suggestions made Sasha roll her eyes as she stood up to put her cup in the sink.
“As much as I enjoyed it I’ll take a pass, Wyatt. There’s just too much going on. I need to think a lot and I can’t do that when you’re always on me.” Sasha didn’t even really realize what she said until it was out of her mouth, and she whirled around with a budding flush to her cheeks just as Wyatt lifted himself from his chair with a smug expression.
“Why, that’s the best compliment anyone has ever given me, darlin’! Don’t shoot me down now!” Wyatt’s playfulness made Sasha giggle by accident before he pounced on her. His fingers assaulted her sides, where she was most ticklish, and as sick as she seemed she laughed hard as she tried to push him away. It didn’t last long, though, when he started to feel her up, his hand gripping her left butt cheek hard.
“I mean it, though, serious now. I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. ‘Especially not if your sweet ass is gunna be stickin’ around and neglecting to wear pants.”
Wyatt smiled devilishly as his hand crept under Sasha’s shirt and she felt her blush flare before pushing his chest. He didn’t have to move, since she didn’t push him hard, but he did anyway with that smile plastered on his face.