by Vicki Green
“Nice night,” his low and rough voice carries through the night, and I jump. A breeze hits me, and I cross my arms as I look at him on his deck across the way. “You better get inside, warm up, and get yourself some sleep. Work comes early in the mornin’.” I turn to go inside but stop, moving my head his way again. Illuminated by the moonlight I see he’s staring, a small smile on his mouth, and a chill sweeps through me.
I go inside, close the doors, walk over and lock the bedroom door, and turn off the light. I climb in bed, pulling the sheets and comforter over me and close my eyes but all I see is him.
“Rise and shine, princess!”
Bang
Bang
Bang
I startle, my eyes snap open, raise my head and look at the alarm clock. Four o’clock in the morning. Shit! My muscles protest as I push the covers away and move my legs over the side of the bed. I groan as I sit up, lean my elbows on my legs and put my face in my hands. It’s too freaking early, and I feel like I can barely move! I finally manage to get up and walk into the bathroom, do all my business and brush the tangles out of my wild long hair then tie it up into a ponytail. When I walk back into the bedroom, I sift through my suitcase and get out another pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and after putting them on, I literally have to fight with my feet, trying to get them back in the too small boots. I’m not sure what’s gonna kill me first: the chores or these fucking boots!
I clomp down the stairs, freeze as I walk over to the house, and once inside I go into the dining room. Breakfast actually smells amazing! I don’t think I’ve ever been this hungry in my life. I sit down in the same chair I’ve been sitting in and pick up the bowl of scrambled eggs in front of me and freeze, looking around at everyone. They’re already eating. Memphis looks up from his plate, his fork up to his mouth and winks. I drop mounds of eggs on my plate, grab my fork and scoop several pieces of bacon then spear a few sausage links. I nab a piece of toast, take my knife and smear butter on it and take a huge bite, closing my eyes. I swear I let out a moan. Silence. I open my eyes slowly and see everyone staring at me. “What?” They all start chuckling and start eating again. Haven’t they ever seen someone enjoy their food before?
One by one, Mac and Dallis finish and get up from the table, leaving Memphis and me alone. I cram the last bite into my mouth and pick up my plate and the empty bowl the eggs were in as I stand. “Uh.” I stop as Memphis begins to speak and just look at him. “After you milk this morning, gonna take you into town to get some better, uh….” His eyes move down my body and back up to my eyes. I shiver with his intense inspection. “Clothes.” I nod and take the dishes into the kitchen. Mable is bustling around the kitchen so I go back into the dining room to get some more dirty dishes and find he’s gone.
“Nice of him to take you shoppin’ today.” My head turns as Mable walks quickly into the room and starts gathering up dishes. “Has no idea what to do with a young girl. His ma passed away when he was just ten. Poor thing. His pa was like him, didn’t know what to do with a child, alone. But after time they got even closer.” I turn my head, looking out at the front door, thinking about what she’s saying. “He’s a good man.” I turn back towards her and see her smile. “Wouldn’t hurt a fly but don’t ever cross him. He’s gentle but mean when he needs to be.” She leaves the room, and my dad’s face enters my mind. Gentle. Not sure what that feels like. Loved, yeah, don’t know that one either. I sigh and pick up more dishes and take them into the kitchen.
Milking the cows took forever. God, I hate that fucking job. There should be an easier way to do that shit. I had to take a shower because I was all stinky from the cows and the barn. Now, I’m looking out the window of Memphis’ truck, watching the scenery fly by. It really is kind of pretty out here but so desolate, so far away from any excitement, fun. I miss my phone, my friends, and suddenly, I feel so alone.
We finally pull into town. I don’t really even remember seeing much of it before. I guess I didn’t. He was in such a hurry to get home. He pulls into a parking space in front of some stores, and I can’t help but notice how weird everything is. It’s like an old movie. A western movie. I turn my head when a horse and buggy goes by us with an older couple sitting in the cab. An old cowboy movie. Ugh!
“There’s a shop just two doors up. You should be able to find just about everything you need in there. Get what you need and just tell ‘em to send me a bill.” My head turns to his low rough voice, and I shiver again. Shit! I hope I’m not coming down with something. “Go on now. I’m just gonna head across the street and get a few things in the hardware store.” He opens his door, so I do the same. As I step out and close it, I watch him look up and down the street and then cross. I can’t help but scan his body as he moves. He keeps really fit. The muscles in his arms flex, and his bottom sways a little when he walks. He sure looks good in those jeans.
A horn honks, making me jump, and shakes me out of my daydreams. I turn around and walk to the sidewalk, take the small step up and am a little fascinated as I make my way to the shop. Each store seems quaint, in its own way. I open the door to the shop and I look up as a little bell sounds above me. Yep, just like out of an old western movie. Flannel and cotton plaid shirts hang on wooden racks. Cowboy hats laying on wooden display tables and further down are rows of cowboy boots. “I wonder when John Wayne is gonna walk in.” I sigh.
“Ha! That’s a good one.” I turn when I hear a girl’s voice and see her leaning on a counter, a register setting beside her. She’s wearing a half t-shirt. Through the glass of the counter, I can see a sparkling stone in her pierced belly button, just above the waist of her short, short jean shorts, cut off and fraying at the ends. “We’re not that bad. You’re new around here.” She gives me a smirk so I give one back. She has no idea who she’s fooling with.
I walk over and stand in front of the counter, my arms folded across my chest. “Obviously.”
She stands up and smiles. “Cool! I like your attitude. Where ya stayin’?”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and walk a little closer, letting down my guard but only a little. “I’m out at the Johnson place.”
“Ah! Memphis Johnson. What a fucking hunk.” She sighs and looks dreamy. Really?
“Um, yeah. He’s okay, I guess.” I scrunch up my nose.
She laughs and then squints. “Are you serious? He’s to die for. Have you seen him with his shirt off? Those tatts.” She sighs again. “And those bedroom eyes with those long lashes. I could get lost in them. But word has it….” She leans down and crooks a finger at me. I look around and slowly approach her. “Since his pa died he only has the homestead on his mind. I don’t know if he’s ever even had sex before. Well, there was Nikki Garber but no one knows for sure if they actually went all the way. What I wouldn’t do to get the chance to lay him down in a big bale of hay, if you know what I mean.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and I scrunch my nose again. “Names Tilly Cowen.”
“Uh, yeah. Gotcha. Sadie Tisdale.” I look around again and walk even closer. “So what’s there to do for fun around here? I feel like I’m dying a slow death at his place.”
She smiles. “I can help with that. There’s a farm about two miles away from where you’re stayin’ that a bunch of us meet on Friday and Saturday nights. We hang out, smoke some weed and drink. It’s Joey Spriggs’ place. You’re welcome to join us, if you like.”
My eyebrows raise, and I smile. “I would love that. I could use some drinking and definitely some weed. But for now, I need to get some decent work clothes. Ugh! I swear! I think he’s trying to kill me.”
She laughs and walks around the corner, puts her arm around me and smiles. “I’ll take care of ya.” She finds me a ton of shirts, jeans, a couple pair of boots and even a few tank tops I’d missed when I walked in. Hell, if Mr. Memphis Johnson is gonna pay for it, I might as well give him a ton to pay for.
We laugh and talk about getting together this Friday. I feel a little better kno
wing someone in town, someone who can help take my mind off my situation here. I explain that I don’t have a cell phone or any way to communicate, so she tells me she can come over to the homestead and help sneak me out when the time comes. Finally! Something fun and a little daring to do. I’ve missed that! Maybe my incarceration won’t be so bad here after all.
Chapter Three
Memphis
I load everythin’ in the back of my truck just as Sadie walks out of the shop. She seems almost happy as she carries several bags, puts them in the back seat and then gets in the truck. Wonder what got the burr outta her ass? I get in the truck and start the long drive home. I shift my eyes to her and see her almost smiling. Almost.
“Got some good work clothes?” She turns her head at me and smirks. Yeah, there she is.
“What do you think? You did see all the bags I lugged out.” Dang, she’s almost sneering at me. I chuckled down deep. Silence. I take a peek at her again and see she’s starin’ at me. “What?” She turns her head quickly and looks out the front window.
“Nothin’,” I reply with a grin. Okay, that was kind of weird but then again, it is her.
We get back to the farm, and as soon as I park she quickly jumps outta the truck, grabs her bags from the back, and runs into the employee house. I start unloading the supplies from the back. She doesn’t show up to supper, and I get a little worried but Mable stops me from going over there, tellin’ me maybe she needs a little time to herself. She says girls are like that. Shit! I’ll never understand them. I’m so in way over my head!
Oh, I’ve had me a few women, there was Nikki Garber. She was quite a looker, but I never seemed to have a bunch of extra time to just be a guy, out for a good ole time or sex. I always had too much work to do. Pa used to try to get me to go out, have fun and ‘be a man’ as he’d say, but I would feel bad leaving him here alone. Now, I’m not a virgin by any means. Nikki and I had some really great times, as well as a couple of others, but it was just meaningless sex and not that great, if you know what I mean. Wasn’t my fault, she just didn’t do anything but lay there. No affection, no wanting to give me any TLC, and I got tired of doing all the work for nothin’ in return. Guess some women are just like that, I reckon. What I wouldn’t give to find me a woman who loved me. Wanted to take care of me as much as I want to take care of her. Felt about this land as I do. Sometimes I feel so alone. I shake my head at myself. Ain’t got time for that nonsense.
I sit down at my computer, needin’ to head to bed soon. I look at the clock. It’s nine and morning comes pretty early. There’s an email from that Jagger feller and he tells me he’ll be arriving in two days and what time the train will come. I reply letting him know I’ll be there to pick him up. I shut it down, turn off the lights and go upstairs. I walk into my bathroom, turn on the shower and remove my clothes, throwin’ them in the hamper next to the toilet. Stepping in, I feel the hot water hit my skin. Then, her face appears in my mind. Sadie. I know I shouldn’t feel this way about her, but she’s beautiful, strong, alive, feisty and so damn stubborn. I love that about her. It’s been too long since I’ve held a woman in my arms, kissed their lips, felt their soft skin against mine or made love. Okay, had sex. I kind of feel weird that I’m havin’ these feelings for Sadie. She’s younger, not by much, and so wild in her ways. She’s so opposite of me. Maybe that’s what attracts me to her and not being laid in so long. Dammit!
I lather up the soap and take my aching cock in my hand, stroking it up and down as I visualize her beautiful face in my mind. It’s almost as if I can feel her presence, smell her. I stifle a moan against my arm as I continue pumping my cock harder, faster. Pressing my mouth harder into my arm, her name leaves my lips as I release in spurts. Damn, that felt good. It would have been better if she’d been here but right now, I’ll take what I can get. Besides, I shouldn’t be feeling this way about her. Not when she’s here for my help. What kinda man am I? I guess I’m a man that ain’t dead yet. Feeling guilty, yet a little relieved, I dry off, brush my teeth, walk into the bedroom, and get in between the sheets. However, sleep doesn’t come. All I can think about is her.
After breakfast, the next mornin’, I walk into the barn and see Sadie already at work. “I think you’ve milked enough cows, don’t you?” Her head turns as I get closer, her brows lower in her confusion. “Wouldn’t you like to learn somethin’ else, like help tend to the horses, learn to ride?”
“Uh, not really,” she sneers.
“Good.” I hear footsteps walk into the barn and see Mac then turn back and smile at Sadie. “Mac? Why don’t you go ahead and hook up them milkers.”
Her face is priceless when he brings one of the milkers over and hooks Patsy up to it. She watches him intently, her face heating up, growing angrier by the second. Once he turns on the machine and milk starts shooting down the large tubes rapidly, she turns her head to me and growls. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Her face is beet red as she stands and storms at me, her finger pressin’ into my chest hard. Well, hard for a girl. “You made me go through all that? And for what? To teach me some bullshit? I hate you!” She walks past me, her boots stompin’ on the dirt and hay. She gets to the door opening, stops and turns her head at me. “No! I don’t want to ride horses, learn about them, or anything else as long as you’re around! I don’t want to be anywhere near you!” She walks out in a huff.
I cross my arms over my chest, my hand rubbing my chin. “Feisty little thing, huh?” I turn and look at Mac as he walks up beside me, lookin’ at where she just stormed out.
“Shit, Mac. Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Helpin’ people. I feel like I don’t know what the hell I’m doin’.”
I feel his hand on my shoulder and watch him shake his head. “Nah, you’re doin’ okay. It’ll just take time. Sometimes you gotta put them in their place, get their dander down a notch before they can start appreciatin’ the help you’re givin’. She’ll come ‘round.” I nod as he pats my shoulder and then walks back to finish hookin’ up the cows. “I hope.” I tense at his last words and wonder if he’s right.
I didn’t see her the rest of the day. I helped Dallis do some work on the new addition to the barn, and then I decided to take Clancy for a ride before supper. We rode across the pasture and out in the south forty of the land. I slowed down when I spot Sadie, sittin’ down leaning against pa’s favorite tree and starin’ out in front of her. She doesn’t hear me at first but then looks my way, her head turnin’ back quickly, and I can see her wipe underneath her eyes. I come up closer then stop Clancy and hop outta the saddle, releasing the reins so he can graze. I walk up and just stand there, lookin’ out at the greenery and beauty of the land.
“When I was younger, I didn’t really appreciate the beauty of the land. The sun risin’, the green grass, the trees. When Ma....” I clear my throat. “I was ten when Ma passed and then Pa passed a couple of years ago. I took so much for granted back then, so much time lost and not appreciated. Now, I try to live life to the fullest. Work hard, tryin’ to keep the land beautiful as it should be.”
“But what if you’re alone?” I look down at her as she looks up at me then she looks back out at the land. “My mom passed away when I was seven.” She swallows and keeps starin’ straight ahead, yet I can see the glimmer of wetness in her eyes. “Daddy was too busy to ‘deal’ with me. He was always working, business always coming first, and would just give me money to keep me happy. Happy. Ha! That’s a laugh.” She laughs, but it’s a sad one. “I wish I would have had even a bit of what you did.”
My heart breaks for her. I couldn’t imagine not havin’ the love I did. I feel fortunate.
I lean against a tree a little away from her, not wantin’ to scare her or make her nervous. “So, you kinda did what you wanted. Partyin’? Stayin’ out til all hours? That kinda thing?”
“Yeah, kind of. But I dunno. I guess I thought why not go out and live life, have fun. No one else really wanted me around, cared, or wanted to spend any
time with me.” She looks up at me, sadness filling her eyes, and my heart breaks even more. “No one cared if I was at home or not but my friends liked having me around.”
I squat down, my brows furrow as my face turns sad. “Yeah, but darlin’, did they really care about you or was it your money they really cared about?”
She shoots up, hands on her hips and scowls at me. “What do you know about it? You don’t know anything!” She takes off runnin’. I stand up and watch her run away. That’s one lonely girl there. No one really showin’ any kind of love or spendin’ any time with her. I had love growin’ up, was cared for and my parents showed it all the time. I can’t imagine how she feels not havin’ love around her. Well, I aim to fix that. She needs to know that people do care about her. Thing is, I want to give her more than attention. This girl, woman, has gotten under my skin. I want to show her love, care for her and anythin’ else she needs. Lord help me. I need to slow myself. She needs more than what I can give her right now. I think I’m way over my head here. I walk over to Clancy, gather his reins and hop up onto his saddle. I think I’ll go back slowly and let her have some time then I think I need to talk to Mable.
Sadie
I’m so mad! Fuming! I jog almost all the way back to the house, and by the time I get there my freaking feet hurt from these new boots, and I have a cramp in my side! Dammit! I run in the front door, slamming the screen door behind me, then upstairs until I’m in my bedroom, slamming that door then locking it. After throwing myself down on the bed, I did something I haven’t done since Mom died. I cried.