by Jude Ouvrard
Six cleaned stalls later, I’d switched to singing Sam Hunt when I found Val staring at me. Not just staring at me, something had changed in her eyes. She was devouring me. “Are you okay, cowgirl?”
“I want to marry you. Right here and now, cowboy.”
My heart skipped a beat. Beg pardon? “Wh–what?”
“If you keep singing like that, I’m going to go down on one knee and ask you to marry me.”
I chuckled and rubbed away the sweat on my forehead. “Isn’t it supposed to be the man’s place to propose?”
“Well, then, what are you waiting for?” she dared me.
I tried to catch any humor in her words but it never came. “I think Montana’s gotten the best of you. You’re drunk in love, cowgirl.”
She continued cleaning her stall, her second. “No, I’m not drunk in love, Beyoncé. I’m feeling extra happy right now. So damn happy. So loved.”
Her words tapered off as she went back to work, but I kept watching from my spot until I heard a sob. Dammit, something wasn’t right.
“Hey… Hey, Val,” I whispered then removed the shovel from her hand. “What’s wrong? I thought we had a good day today. Where did it go wrong?”
She hugged me. “There’s nothing wrong. It’s the opposite, actually. Everything’s so perfect here. I love you, Miles. Today’s been emotional for me, plus I’m lacking sleep. Your grandparents are lovely. We’re in your family house,” Val rambled.
“Shh… I love you, too, cowgirl. Plus, you’re kinda hot in that hat. Today was also special for me. Bringing you here was important to me. You mean a lot.” Not just a lot, she was everything. “You should rest now, Val. I’ll be done in about half an hour.”
Despite being surrounded by horse manure, I still thought everything about the kiss was amazing.
Once she got outside, she picked a spot on the grass to relax while I hurried back to work disregarding the burning in my arms. My mind kept replaying her words and the vision of her going down on one knee. Would she say yes if I asked her?
No, Miles, stop thinking like that.
The timing wasn’t right. It was still too soon. We’d met less than two months ago, and had just moved in together. Rushing to get married wouldn’t be a good idea, and to be honest, scared me shitless.
Stephen had all the feeders stocked with food, so we were ready to let the horses in for the night. Seems I’d lost the physical stamina needed to work in the stable because, damn, I was tired.
“Hey, boy. I got this. Go take care of your girlfriend. Make her a nice dinner with candles. She looks wore out,” Stephen said, the corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile.
Glancing through the barn window, I saw she’d fallen asleep in the middle of the grass. There was a duck watching her like she was some kind of alien. With a laugh, I agreed to go collect Val and take care of her. “Thanks, Stephen. Tell me, how are my grandparents really holding up?”
“Clark is great. He’s still strong and unstoppable, but Dorothy, well, she’s tired and needs more rest but won’t admit it. My wife comes once in a while to help her clean up the house and cook some meals.”
Shit. “They are getting older. I hate the idea of leaving them here alone but also know they won’t leave, no matter what I say.”
“You’re right, they won’t.” Stephen laughed for a few seconds at the idea. “You know I’ll contact you if I ever think something isn’t right. I’m here for them, you don’t have to worry, Millard.”
“Yeah, I know, but I do regardless. They’re all I have.”
“Don’t forget that girl outside.” The wise old man pointed out the window. How could I forget her?
Val had fallen asleep curled up in the grass and her arms were covered with goosebumps when I reached her. The house wasn’t too far, so I lifted her and carried her inside, where I tucked her in on the couch under a warm blanket. Knowing I could view her from the kitchen, I went to start on dinner.
My grandmother had always been a good cook, and her food, which was flavorful, was made with love. First off, I checked the freezer for something to reheat or cook. I found a homemade chicken pie in the freezer, which reminded me of our early days on the ranch, Lisa and me that is. It comforted me as it warmed and filled the kitchen with its appetizing aroma, and it made me feel like I had a mom again. There was no doubt in my mind the food would make Val feel at home. While the pie cooked in the oven, I joined Val back on the couch to wait. We both stank and needed to clean up. A shower or a bath with her would be great.
“Cowgirl, I think we need to shower before dinner. Do you want to come with me?” My index finger brushed from her chin to her ear while I coaxed her awake.
Without opening her eyes she mumbled a quiet, “Yes.” The trip had exhausted her to the fullest.
“Come with me. My bathroom is upstairs.”
After helping her up, I guided her up the thirty-two stairs and to my room. Undressing and caressing every part of her body made my heart beat faster.
“You’re beautiful, Val.” I kissed her lips tenderly. “You can go ahead to the bathroom, I’ll see you there in a minute.” I expected to hear the shower turn on, but instead came the sounds of a bath being drawn. A bath? Even better than a quick shower. Turning the oven down before joining her, I rush to the bathroom to find her.
When I stepped inside the bathroom, Val was already in the tub, although there wasn’t more than an inch of water yet. She’d found some kind of bubble bath and bubbles were forming under the stream of water.
“Do you mind if I join you?” She’d never say no to that, right?
“Absolutely not.”
She shifted her legs, which left me enough space to sit facing her. Once I’d gotten settled in the bath, my hands found her feet and started massaging. She moaned, and it turned me on so much. Her perky breasts were uncovered, her tattoos showing. She never showed signs of embarrassment or shyness around me and I loved how comfortable in her skin she was. Was it possible to fall deeper in love with her? After today, and what we’d been through in the last twenty-four hours, I had no clue. In my life, I’d never felt such a powerful love for someone. It scared me, but having Val here with meant nothing could go wrong, because she loved me just as much.
“Be careful with your tattoo, cowboy. Keep it out of the water.” The green of her eyes made an appearance and she chuckled. “I don’t know what’s up with this place, I’ve never felt like this in my life.”
“What do you mean?”
“I feel like you’ve taken me to Bora Bora. Everything’s beautiful around here. The views around the ranch are breathtaking. Words can’t quite describe my feelings; they’re too powerful.” She paused for a short moment. “And you, or I should say us. Something’s changed, made us tighter. My insides are fluttering, blooming with feelings. Good ones,” Val added with a glorious smile.
Good to know we felt the same way. Like she’d said, I didn’t know what was up with this place, but there was something magical here.
“So, Miles, are you going to kiss me now or what?”
Of course, a man would never say no to that. “And so much more, cowgirl.”
Repositioning in the tub, without sending water over the edge, proved to be a tough exercise. Once my body covered Val’s, my lips left a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her lips. I’d missed the sweet taste of her mouth. A small giggle escaped her as my lips tickled hers. And when our mouths connected, I had no intention of letting go. Everything we had and were poured into our kissing. Val’s legs circled my waist and pulled me closer.
Damn, how am I supposed keep my senses about me when I only want to get lost in her?
“Val, I don’t have that much control.”
“I don’t want you to hold back, cowboy.”
Jesus Christ, Valerie Emma!
In one swift move, our bodies connected and we began loving each other. The water splashed in every direction with the rhythm of my thrusts. Her moans deep into the cu
rve of my shoulder sent me faster over the edge. As her legs started to tremble around my waist, my body screamed with exhaustion. Feeling like my ribcage was about to crack open from the drumming of my heart, I fell over the edge and lost myself inside her.
Her long legs loosened, and I let my body fall onto hers. Whether strength would return to me tonight, or if we’d need to stay here all night, remained to be seen. I needed a minute, or two, at least.
The following morning, footsteps downstairs in the kitchen woke me up.
Oh, shit!
My grandparents were back, and our clothes were all over the floor. Finding my boxers in the mess without waking Val presented a challenge. Our clothes smelled like shit, ironically, but I pulled on my dirty jeans before hurrying down to join them.
“Good morning, young man. Aren’t you looking handsome? Did you have a good night?” Grandma smiled at me, and I blushed.
She knew what we’d been up to last night, and knowing she knew embarrassed me. The idea of my seventy-something-year-old grandmother referencing Val and me “being together” left me in an awkward state of speechlessness. Kissing her cheeks twice before hugging her, I did manage to ask how she was doing.
“I’m old but I’m doing great. Right, Clark?”
“We’ll need to adjust our diet a bit in the upcoming days, but we’ll figure it all out. Diabetes isn’t the end of the world.” Grandpa seemed optimistic. He came up to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “It’s good to have you back. Does your girlfriend like the place?”
“She really does.”
Grandma smiled while she and Grandpa exchanged some unspoken words. “We had our wills adjusted recently, and well, when we die, all this will be yours, Millard.”
Their wills, and the subject of their impending deaths, weren’t a good subject to start the day with. In my heart and mind, I would never be ready to discuss the matter. “Thank you, but—”
“No ‘but,’ Millard. You can sell it or keep it when it’s yours. We want you to have it because it’s as much yours as it is ours.”
“We’re in no hurry to leave, though.” Grandpa always had the funny comments to make an uneasy situation better.
“I don’t know what to say, other than thank you. It means a lot that you trust me enough to care for what you guys spent your whole life building.”
The morning had taken an unexpected direction. Well, the whole trip had been unexpected. Val had wanted a relaxing weekend, but it had turned into so much more, with travelling, heartfelt emotions, and now this. My mind had processed so many things I wished I could take a breather or a real vacation. Too bad for me, with my new job and Val’s two jobs, that wasn’t something we could think of at the moment.
“How are you feeling? I want all the details,” I asked. Grandma had the habit of downplaying everything. This time I wouldn’t accept any lies, I wanted the truth.
“Your grandmother will be just fine. We have to go back to the hospital Wednesday, but until then we’ll be fine. They put her on a new medication. It really isn’t a problem.”
“You can go back to Seattle, Millard. I’m okay. I’ll rest today and tomorrow because I didn’t get to rest at the hospital. That bed was so uncomfortable. Even a dog wouldn’t be able to sleep on it.”
“I better try to wake up Val then. She’ll probably want to spend the day outside with the horses. I’ll help Stephen.”
Later, while Val brushed the horses, I called the airlines to book seats on a flight for that night. The departure was scheduled for 9:45 p.m., which was enough time to enjoy a last day on the ranch.
“Would you like to go on a ride?”
She shook her head and kept brushing the horse’s mane. “I haven’t been riding in years. Long enough that I might as well say I’ve never ridden.”
“Ride with me, please? I would really love to do that with you.” My goal hadn’t been to beg her, but it looked like I was. If it would get her to say yes, I’d beg all night.
“It scares me. These aren’t regular horses. They’re tall and beautiful.”
“I’ll help you. Come on, please say yes.”
After a few more minutes of pleading, Val gave in so I got the horses ready to go. Without laughing, I helped her onto the back of her horse. She struggled, but I pushed her up and made sure she was settled and comfortable.
“Everything okay?” She nodded, so I went over to my horse and, in one swift move, mounted the saddle and clasped the reins.
“Now you look like a bonafide cowboy.” She giggled and mimicked my move by taking her reins into her hands.
Her piercing green eyes watched me while I explained how the leads worked and what the horse would do depending on her actions. It reminded me of the afternoon we’d spent together at the tattoo shop, how serious and full of concentration she could be. I could’ve watched her all day—her blonde hair dancing in the soft breeze, the smile that traced her lips, the way she kept her bottom lip between her teeth when uncertain. I would forever remember this moment with her. It might even start erasing the bitterness my heart held with regards to this place because of the loss it represented. Valerie Lee had become my healer.
We rode for over two hours in a slow and relaxed rhythm. Part of me wanted to go faster but fearing Val might not be ready, I held back. Unless… I surprise her. I laughed to myself and urged my horse up next to hers.
“Hold on tight, cowgirl.”
“Miles. I see what you’re doing. Do not do that.” The glare in her eyes was murderous yet worried at the same time.
“Sit forward on the saddle, press your feet into the horse’s flanks, and hold the reins closer, tighter.” Her worried eyes turned to me. Following my lead, her horse started going faster so I urged mine to follow.
Val cursed me out loud while I laughed my ass off as our horses took off at a steady cadence.
“I’m here, cowgirl, I’m here. See, it isn’t so bad.”
We kept our faster speed until reaching the stables. After dismounting from my ride, and while holding the reins of both horses, I helped her down. She punched me on the shoulder. Hard.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“You know exactly what you did. Wait until I tell your grandmother.”
Her actions had me laughing, she’d loved every second of it, and I knew it.
After cleaning the stalls again, I went back to the house. While reaching for the handle, I heard Val and Grandma talking. My curiosity got the best of me and I stilled to listen.
“Miles spent many years here, but I always felt like one day, it wouldn’t be enough. He’s a smart man, and he loves his job. Something has always been missing, though. When Lisa died, it got worse. The small light of joy I used to see in his eyes had left. It worried me, and Clark as well. The Miles who came into my room yesterday wasn’t the same man who left here broken and devastated all those months ago. A new Miles stood tall with pride and kept you close to him. You’re a beautiful young lady, and you’ve given him back the light he had as a kid. It may not always be easy, he does carry heavy baggage, but please be patient. I can tell he is deeply in love with you.”
Val kept quiet for a couple of seconds. “I love him, too. He sort of helped me out of this situation I was in…” Her voice cracked. “There’s something about him. His compassion, maybe? We first met in Boston on a fluke, and when I saw him again in Seattle, I just knew.”
I wondered how much she remembered because, from what I recalled, Val had been drunk at the time. She’d been in no state to make any decisions.
“He came to where I work. I’d had too much to drink since we were celebrating my boss’ birthday. Miles gave me a ride home, and I just knew. With him, I never had a doubt that I was safe. It’s hard to explain.”
“I understand, dear.”
The floor creaked under my weight and both of them looked over at me as I opened the door and entered. “Hi.” Since I’d been caught, I waved at them. “I’m going to head upstairs for
a quick shower and to pack our things.”
“My stuff is already packed.”
“Hold on, Millard. I have to show you something first.”
Following Grandma in the direction of Mom’s old room, I took a last look at Val, who had her hands in the sink doing the dishes. She blew me a kiss, and I caught it. I hadn’t been in this room since the age of fourteen.
It’s impossible to avoid the inevitable.
VAL
We made it home before midnight. The apartment felt too small compared to the ranch and its grandiose rooms. To be honest, I didn’t want to come back here. Dorothy had so many stories to tell, and I wanted to hear them all.
We both had to be at work tomorrow. Miles had a normal eight-to-five schedule, while mine was anything but normal. Between the bar and Ink Me, I worked mornings, afternoons, and most nights. Being away this weekend, and going out on the horses, I’d realized it was time to decide which job I liked best. I couldn’t keep doing all three of them. Between barmaid, tattoo artist, and graphic designer, there was no way my relationship with Miles would survive. I’d never see him. I’d wait until after my birthday to make my final decision, however.
I hadn’t told Miles next weekend was my birthday. He had a habit of making me feel special every single day, so I didn’t want him doing anything more because of a day on the calendar. My Starburst stash had run out while we were in Montana, and the lack of my sweet addiction almost got the best of me by the time we had to leave the ranch. Miles must’ve noticed because he bought me two bags as soon as we landed in Seattle. How freaking amazing was he? Gosh… I love him.
It was only Wednesday and my limbs were too tired to move. The week was taking longer than usual to pass. I thought for sure an eighth day had been added. At least tonight I’d be staying home with my man once I got out of here.
While drawing at my station in the shop, I noticed Miles slip by, his hands filled with Chinese take-out he must’ve picked up on his way home. My stomach growled with approval.
“Hey, Val. Kyle won’t be in tomorrow… or the rest of the week,” Levi mentioned, taking my attention off Miles’ ass ascending the stairs to our apartment.