by Vicki Green
“Hmmm, I didn’t hear anything, course I sleep like the dead after a hard day’s work,” Dallis mumbles.
“Yeah, I ain’t heard nothin’.” Mac looks up, responding to Jag. He looks at him and then me, staring at me or more like glaring, then looks back at his plate. Does he know too?
Jag looks down and scoops up some biscuits with gravy on his fork. “Must have been coyotes or something.” He starts eating in earnest but I got his meaning. He heard us.
Sadie never joined us for breakfast. I was glad that she could sleep in but sad I didn’t get to see her. I let Mable know I told her to sleep in today and if she didn’t want to work today that would be fine. “You’re smitten.” Was her response. She was right, of course, but I’m not gonna give her the satisfaction. Yet.
I set off to check on the construction, finding them working on the roof and smile. I might just have to give everyone a day off to celebrate once the extension is closed in. At least with fall around the corner they’ll be able to start working inside where it’s warmer. Guess I’ll go tend to the horses and then maybe help them some. Sooner we get that part done, the better.
Sadie
I awake feeling refreshed. Stretching my arms above my head, I yawn, groan and then smile as I lower them. Flashes of last night hit me and my smile broadens. Memphis. Okay, so he has a name that sounds like a city but damn, he’s fine. I never imagined I could go for a country guy or even a normal guy. I’ve always been drawn to the “bad boy” type, the one out for danger and a good time. Jag’s face enters my head and I brush it away then Memphis’ face resurfaces. That southern drawl makes me swoon, those tatts and muscles, the slim waist. And oh, my God, those tight abs, when I raked my hand over his chest, feeling his nipple and hard body! It makes me wet just thinking about them. Damn! A giggle escapes me. What a fantastic kisser and those hands? Those hard working, rough calloused hands. Rough, yet gentle. And magical fingers. Shit! I’m horny again.
After talking a very long shower, one that didn’t relieve my sexual tension, I do the rest of my business, get dressed, and go downstairs. The house is eerily quiet. The only sounds are the creaks on the stairs. I walk over to the main house. The sun has already risen, but I notice the light frost still on the ground. When I walk in, I see the dining room table is clear and clean, so I walk into the kitchen and find Mable cleaning the counters. “Morning,” I say with an obvious smile in my voice.
She stops and turns her head, her smile matching mine. “Mornin’, girl. You look very rested this mornin’.”
I lean back against the table, my smile frozen on my face. “I am. Thank you.”
“Here. Let me get you some coffee or would you rather have tea?” She starts opening a cabinet door but I stop her.
“No! I can get it. Is there still some coffee left in the pot?”
She stops and moves back as I breeze by, getting a cup and walking over to the coffee pot. “Yes. I’m surprised the guys didn’t drink it all this morning. Seems that Memphis and Jag both didn’t sleep well last night. I figured they would have drank it all and asked for more. I wonder why they had such a hard time sleepin’.”
I pick up the pot and freeze, turning my head towards her and then back. Shit! “Oh?” is the only response I can think of. Way to go, Sadie. I fill my cup and turn around, leaning back against the counter. She’s back to working on the counters but there’s a smile on her mouth.
“Yes. Jag said he heard noises that kept him up and Memphis seemed kinda weirded out by that.” She turns and winks at me and I feel my entire face flame up. There has to be the ugliest redness all over me now. She knows. “Funny, I didn’t hear anything but I rarely do, living in the other house. Although when I hit the bed, it doesn’t take much for me to go to sleep. I even have my window up a notch. I love the fresh air and listening to the sounds in the night. I sometimes can hear Memphis, if he’s out on his balcony and when the wind is blowing in the right direction. Not last night though.” She raises an eyebrow and winks. “But I have a very good imagination and woman’s intuition.” Yep, she knows or has figured it out.
I take a big drink of my coffee, the heat scorching down my throat, but I’m barely aware. I walk over and sit down at the kitchen table and set my cup down. “You know,” I whisper and swallow hard when she turns around. She sets her cloth down on the counter and walks over, sitting in the chair beside me. Her hand covers mine and smiles.
“I lost my mama when I was ten. I wanted to go with her. It was hard especially because I had two younger brothers to tend to. Pa did his best but he didn’t know what to do with a young girl, kinda like Memphis.” She winks but then her smile turns into a frown. “I never married, finding work here in this small town, cleaning and cooking for the Johnson’s. Evelyn, Memphis’ Ma, was already bed ridden with cancer when I found them. That’s why they needed help. I got to know her and was heartbroken when she passed. She was a good woman, one of the best I’ve ever known. Memphis was lost for a long time. Rebelling in high school, takin’ his grief out on everyone, but mostly himself, feeling life’s unfairness. His pa finally helped him to see right from wrong, the beauty of the land and what it means to be proud of something, of yourself.” She pats my hand again and her smile returns. “He’s never been in love. Never felt love from a woman, other than his ma, but you know what I mean. He’s had his fair share of women who eyed for his attention but never love. He always told me he wanted someone he could take care of but that would take care of him as well. Someone he could spend the rest of his life with, share the wonders of the land and someday have babies with. Said he wants a love like his ma and pa had, if that was even possible.” I smile, my chin quivering slightly. “It is possible.”
I pulled my hand out from underneath hers and then laid it back on top, squeezing her hand gently. “Thank you. I’ve not had someone to talk to for a long time. Someone who cares.” She smiles, and I can see wetness in her tired eyes. I focus on her, the wrinkles I hadn’t noticed before, the gray in parts of her hair and how blue her eyes are so kind, so loving. “Now. I know he told me I could take today off but I’m antsy. What can I do to help?” I need to change this conversation before I start bawling. That or go out looking for Memphis. I feel like I want to hold him, tell him I’m here for him, have him hold me tight in his strong arms and kiss me again.
“Well, there’s more berries that need to be picked and some vegetables too in the other garden. Need to get as many picked that we can before a harder frost hits which may not be too long from now. I can do some more canning and freezing today if you’re up for it.” I smile, nodding my head eagerly. I take another sip of my coffee as she stands and walks back over to the counter, picking up the cloth. “Oh! One last thing.” I swallow, setting my cup back down. “Sometimes people may seem to be good when underneath they aren’t. Just be careful of who you become friends with along the way.” Cryptic much? I take another drink and she goes back to cleaning. I wonder what she means by that.
After drinking two cups of coffee, I grab the baskets from the closet and head outside. I shiver when the cool breeze hits me. I wonder just how cold it gets here but look up, shielding my eyes from the sun, and look in the distance at the snow peaked mountains. I bet it gets freaking cold here. Coming from the west coast, I am not used to the cold. I walk down the deck stairs and into the grass, continuing until I reach the gardens. Setting down the baskets, I take one and walk into the vegetable garden and start picking heads of lettuce, green beans, tomatoes, and other various vegetables as I hum. I could get used to this, to the hard work of the land. What in the hell is happening to me?
The day ends up going by too fast. I have a great time helping Mable in the kitchen. We jar and freeze a ton of the vegetables and fruits I’d picked, laughing at stories she tells me about Memphis when he was younger. Feelings stir more and more inside me as I listen and some sadness about how loving his family was, the fun times they had, the closeness. I wish I had that. Maybe someday.
She finally tells me to go outside, enjoy the last of the sun. I walk out onto the deck, sitting down on a wooden bench and stretch my legs out in front of me. When I hear hammering coming from the construction of the barn, and I look up in time to see Memphis remove his shirt. I lick my lips self-consciously as his muscles stretch, taut, tight. He reaches up, hammering in a nail into a board above his head. My legs move back closing my thighs tight as wetness pools, and my heart starts beating faster. Damn! What he does to me just by looking so sexy. No shirt, filling out those jeans, his boots and that damn black cowboy hat!
It’s like he can feel my stare, turning his head as he lands flat on his feet. A smile graces his handsome face and I smile back, sitting up straighter. He winks and then turns back, leaning down to get another nail from the bucket beside him then lifts the hammer, driving in another at the bottom of the board. His muscles flex again, his thighs bulging with muscles as he squats, and I reach up to my mouth, hoping I’m not drooling. Even being a virgin, I’ve had my fair share of groping, kissing and getting close to going all the way but I’ve always hesitated when getting to the point of going that far. I’m not prude, by any means, but I’ve longed for the right time, the right one. Weird, I know. Most girls my age would have already taken that plunge. I guess Mom instilled more in me than I thought. Is he the right one? He feels right. Then why am I so apprehensive? Why am I so scared? I’ve always felt that making love to someone is giving part of yourself. So personal, so powerful, that it should be given to someone you love, someone you care for with your entire being, your heart. I may seem wild and selfish, but really I’m pretty open hearted. Too much sometimes. I guess that’s why I keep my heart guarded, or try to. I sit back and think of him, his touch and what it would feel like having him inside me. Damn, I’m gonna need a cold shower soon.
Chapter Seven
Memphis
Fuck! The look on her face, in her eyes when I took off my shirt makes me want to drop the hammer, walk over to her and scoop her up in my arms. Other women have told me what a nice body I have with my muscles and toned abs, but I’ve never thought about it. I guess hard work has just always paid off, in that respect. But my body has needs, desires. Right now, I want to take her upstairs, lay her down on my bed and make sweet love to her. I can visualize her long dark hair splayed out on my pillow. The hunger in her eyes as she looks at me and wanting me as much as I want her. Damn! I need a cold shower!
It’s almost time to quit working. The sun setting making it harder to see. Dallis just placed the last board covering the wall frame, and we’re almost done with the outside of the extension. Paint tomorrow and then we can start working inside. Feels good to have it almost done. I think we can all take the rest of the day off tomorrow, once that’s done. That won’t take long. I think everyone deserves a break, especially since it’s Friday. Maybe we can have a celebration, cook out on the grill with steaks, corn on the cob, vegetables, salad and all the fixin’s. I’ll talk to Mable once I get inside.
After taking my cold shower, I walk into the kitchen and find Mable sittin’ down at the table drinking tea. Her favorite. “I need some things from the grocery store. Do you think you will go into town soon?”
I walk over and grab a beer out of the fridge and sit down beside her. “I’ll make a special run. Just write down what you need.” I take a big draw from the bottle then set it down.
“That would be great. I have some vegetables, jams and pies that you can sell, while you’re there.”
I’m getting low on cash so that will be a big help. Thank God for Mable. I shift in my seat, my mind runnin’ in a different direction. I look around, hopin’ there aren’t any ears within close range. My eyebrows lower, my forehead creases. “I have a problem, Mable,” I whisper, still unsure if anyone’s around.
She leans over, pats my hand and smiles. “What’s troublin’ you, dear?”
Clearing my throat, I suddenly feel self-conscious. I’ve always been able to talk to her, and she’s always been willing to listen, givin’ great advice. Why am I so nervous? “Well, I….” I shift in my seat again and take another big drink of my beer. “I kind of feel like I’m disrespectin’ one of the people that hired me and my place to help them out.” There. I said it. I don’t feel any better.
“I’m not sure I’m followin’, dear.” Shit! She’s gonna make me spell it out.
Shifting in my seat again, I take another drink. “Sadie,” is all I can manage to get out.
She leans back in her seat, a smile on her face. “Ah. I understand.” She does? I don’t even understand. “I’ve known you most of your life, Memphis. At times you were a handful.” She’s not kiddin’. “But you’re a good man, turned out to be so much like your pa.” I feel wetness in my eyes with her words. She leans forward again as her face grows serious. “There’s nothin’ wrong with having feelings for Sadie, dear. Her pa may have hired you to help straighten out her life, when obviously he couldn’t, but she’s an adult. She’s a good girl, I see it and feel it and you’re a good man. Nothin’ wrong with you two getting together.” She pats my hand again and gives me her “Mom” look. “Just make sure it’s for the right reasons. Not because you’re lonely or because she happens to be the only woman here.” She sits back again and smiles. “I know that’s not the reason you feel as you do. I know you and I know you don’t give your heart easily, frivolously. Your parents would be so proud of you. They are proud of you. I know they’re keepin’ an eye on you.”
I smile, thinking about my parents. “I just…. I’ve never felt this way before. I want to take care of her, not just help her get her life back on track but hold her in my arms, really have a relationship with her.” I look down at the table and visualize her sweet face. “She’s beautiful, kind, gentle and has such a big heart, if she’d just let it open.” I look back up at Mable. “I want her, Mable. All of her.” I look up, tears are falling down her face, but she’s smiling and nodding at me.
“Then tell her, Memphis. Show her how you feel.”
I can’t stop from getting out of my chair and giving her a hug. “Thanks, Mable. You’ve always been like a ma to me. I appreciate that.” She pats my shoulder and as I sit back down, I see her wipe a tear from under her eye. “Okay, no more heavy talk,” I chuckle. She laughs, but we both stop abruptly when we hear a noise from the dining room. My head snaps to the left, and I barely see dark brown hair before it leaves my view. Shit! I stand, my chair falling against the floor with a loud bang and jog into the room. The front door is wide open. I run out, onto the porch, and look around. Did I scare her? Where did she go? I look to my left at the other house and nothin’. Looking to my right, I catch a fleeting glimpse of her running around my truck, rounding the side of the house, and I take off runnin’ down the steps.
It’s not easy to run in boots, but I manage to keep her in my sight. She’s heading towards Pa’s tree. Her running is more at ease, having tennis shoes on, but she’s also slowing down. She’s probably getting tired, out of breath. She hesitates at the gate to the pasture, looking over her shoulder and sees me coming after her. Her eyes wide with fear, nervousness or maybe somethin’ else. I run, and watch her havin’ a hard time openin’ the gate, but she finally does and runs through, leavin’ it open for me. I’m panting now, running out of breath, as I reach the gate, stopping to close it behind me, then take off again. She climbs the small hill, slowing down even more, but then passes it. Where is she going? I stop by the tree, leaning my hand against the large trunk, my breaths coming out fast. I watch as she continues. She’s heading for the creek. She hasn’t been out that far. I take off runnin’ again, my lungs protestin’.
By the time I get close to the creek, I find her kneeling, sitting back on her feet. Her hair is shrouded over her. I stop a few feet away, bending over and putting my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. Finally, I stand up and walk a little closer then sit down close to her, but keepin’ my distance. I pull my legs up and rest my arms on my k
nees.
“Sadie,” I whisper. “I don’t know what you heard but….”
Her voice is quiet, so much so I almost have trouble hearin’ it over the water streaming in the creek, the birds chirpin’ and the wind blowin’ the leaves in the trees around us. “No one’s ever felt that way about me. No one’s ever really cared. After what you said to me last night, I really want to believe you have feelings for me but after earlier experiences, I was afraid that maybe you only said that in the heat of the moment.” Her head turns, half still covered with her long hair, but I can see she’s been cryin’. Tears stain her beautiful skin, her eyes still full of wetness. I hate that I made her cry. “Guys normally just want me for my body, or try to. Then there’s Daddy’s money but no one’s really wanted me for me.” She looks down and pulls on a blade of grass. My heart hurts listenin’. “Ha! They’ve only wanted fun times, laughs, and sex but….” She looks up and into my eyes, hers pleading. “I’ve never let them go all the way.” Her whisper is faint, but I heard it. She shakes her head and tugs the grass so hard it pulls from the ground. “I’m just not that kind of girl, even though most the guys back home think I am.”
I bow my head, sadness fillin’ me hearin’ her words. I look back up and watch her starin’ at the blade of grass in her fingers. “You’re not a bad person, Sadie. I’m sorry if I upset you. I had no idea that you were in the next room. I….”
Her head snaps around, her eyes bore into mine. “No! I mean…. I liked what you said.” My heart races as she pushes herself up from the grass then takes the few steps, sitting back down beside me. She wipes away a few unshed tears and licks her lips. “I…. I like you too. In that way. It just feels….”