by Mia Carson
The woman’s eyes sparkled as she took his hand. “Well now, I was hoping that was the case. I’m Mrs. Fitz, but you can call me Flora.”
“Nice to meet you, Flora, and I’m not sure if we’re really a couple yet,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. Did he want to be her boyfriend? Hell yes, he did, but he wasn’t sure if that’s what she really wanted yet. Spending time with Kris was the highlight of his day, and he liked to think she felt the same, but sometimes, Kris was hard to read despite the bluntness of her mouth.
“Well, why are you spending so much time with the girl if you’re not her boyfriend?” Flora asked with a knowing grin. “Come on to the kitchen. I just finished making some bourbon balls.”
Edmund sat in the chair she pulled out as Mr. Fitz took the one opposite. Flora set down two glasses and poured lemonade for them both before sitting down to join them. Edmund turned his glass one way then the other, picturing Kris outside working on the tractor in her mechanic jumpsuit, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and leaning over so the fabric showed the perfect curves of her ass.
“What are your intentions with Kris?” Mr. Fitz asked sternly, and for a second, Edmund swore he was staring at Grams through the man’s eyes.
“I… uh, I like her,” he said lamely. Then, when the old couple burst out laughing, he sagged in his chair. “I just came out of a bad relationship, and Kris, she’s an amazing woman. I can’t believe no one’s scooped her up yet.”
“She’s too damn good for anyone in this town,” Mr. Fitz said and smacked his hand on the table. “She deserves someone who will treat her like a woman, respect her. None of those shitheads she dated before knew what they were doing, and they were always after one thing.”
Flora nodded enthusiastically, her gray curls bobbing around her face. “Horrible, the lot of them. The things they said after they dumped her.”
Edmund’s hand held his glass tighter. “What things?”
“She’s never talked to you about the ex-boyfriends?” Flora asked, surprised.
“I only know about Charlie, but they seem to get along well enough.”
“Oh, those two, they’re like peas in a pod,” Flora said with high fluttery laugh. “He should’ve been her brother, not that Dennis, always kicking up trouble just like her parents.”
Mr. Fitz patted his wife’s arm. “Now, dear, he is doing better these past few months.”
“Yes, but I hear their parents are back in town. Is that right?”
Edmund leaned back in his chair, his lips pursed as he tried to find a polite way to answer her question and ask about what these other men had said about Kris. “Yeah, they pretty much kicked her out of the house. She slept at the garage the first night and uh, and…” He trailed off, coughing to cover his nerves, but Flora giggled like a little girl and Mr. Fitz winked. “Right, do I need to worry about these other guys? They wouldn’t hurt Kris, would they?”
The couple exchanged a glance, and Flora shrugged. “Roy’s the only one who’s been running his mouth since you came to town,” she said. “He always was the jealous type. Said he loved Kris, but the second she refused to—well, you know—he broke it off and told everyone she was a tease. And that’s putting it nicely,” she added in a whisper.
Edmund’s anger grew. Kris was anything but a tease. She was filled with love and life, and he didn’t think she could ever hurt anyone, at least not on purpose. “Anything else I should know?”
Mr. Fitz crossed his arms over his chest, and his wrinkled face scrunched. “He’s been blabbering about her turning into a… into something that I will not say out loud. The rumors are all over town about you two, and while most people don’t mind, he’s not being very cordial about the situation.”
“I guess I’ll have to have a little chat with Roy if he can’t keep his mouth shut,” Edmund muttered. He wondered if he was at the bar the night he and Kris kissed, if he’d spotted her leaving the inn the other night, or seen her leave with him this morning. If he went near Kris, if he hurt her, he’d have to take care of it.
Edmund and Tommy never talked about it, but they had been in a few fights of their own during their college days before Tommy joined the army. Edmund might appear thin and lean, but he packed a punch that had knocked many a man to their knees.
Flora leaned over and whispered in Mr. Fitz’s ear, and they grinned, laughing quietly together as she leaned against his shoulder.
“What?” Edmund asked, lips twitching. “Did I miss something?”
“Not at all,” Flora said on a sigh. “Why don’t you go check on her? I’m sure she’d like to see you while she works on that blasted tractor.”
Edmund stood and walked out the back door Flora indicated, wondering what the old couple murmured about as soon as he walked away. He opened the screen door and saw Kris leaning over the tractor. He stepped quietly down the steps and a smile stretched across his face at the sight of her doing what she loved. She was covered up to her arms in grease, but as soon as he reached her, she dropped the side panel back in place and climbed up the wheel to sit in the seat.
“Hey,” she said, looking down at him.
A smudge of grease covered her cheek, and his chest swelled. She was never fake around him. “Hey. Get it working?”
“I think so. It was a pretty easy fix this time,” she said and turned the key to get the tractor going. The beast of a machine choked to life and hummed. Kris nodded, satisfied, and turned it off. She stood to climb down. With a laugh, she leapt into Edmund’s arms. He caught her easily and spun her around as they kissed. “Thanks for catching me.”
He set her on her feet, her body sliding sensuously against his as he did so. “Anytime.”
“Right then, ready to go riding?”
His smile fell as he glanced into the pasture. “You sure? I don’t think I can do this.”
“Course you can,” she assured him. “I’m going to change real quick, and we’ll get them saddled up. You can just ride behind me at first if you want.”
He pictured her astride the horse, cradled in his lap and leaning against his chest. “Sure, we can do that first,” he agreed.
She kissed him on the cheek, and his heart fluttered before she took off around the front of the house. He leaned against the fence, watching the horses walk around the field before a large brown one with white patches lifted its head and neighed at him. He thought of backing away from the fence as it turned his direction, but he stayed put, drawn in by the animal’s round, brown eyes. The horse drew nearer and brushed its large, soft nose against his hand. Edmund was used to being within twenty feet or so of horses at the stables, but he had not touched once since the accident. The scar on his cheek tingled, but the horse nudged his hand again, and he raised it, resting it on the beast’s face. He ran his hand down the white stripe, scratching as he went, and the horse lowered its head even more.
“Alright, I’ll admit it,” he whispered to the horse. “Maybe it is time.”
The horse stomped its front hoof as if in agreement then shook out its mane. Edmund’s hand shifted to its neck, running down the short hair.
“What’s your story, huh?” he asked the horse. “You don’t look too old.”
The horse turned back to him and gazed into his eyes. Edmund’s hand paused. The longer he locked gazes with the horse, the more he saw the same emotions he’d felt not too long ago. Loss, anger, fear maybe? The horse pressed its nose hard against Edmund’s shoulder, and he leaned his face against its large nose, running both hands down its mane.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Mr. Fitz said from behind him, and Edmund turned to look at him and Kris staring in wide-eyed amazement. “I thought you said he hadn’t been near a horse in years?”
“He hasn’t,” Kris said. “How did you do that?”
“Do what?” Edmund asked. “He—is it a he?” They both nodded at him. “He came up to me.”
“I’ve had that horse for two years, and he ain’t ever come up to anybody,�
�� Mr. Fitz said in awe approaching the fence. The horse whinnied but didn’t move away from Edmund. “He hasn’t taken to someone like this since he was removed from the racing world.”
Edmund frowned. “What happened? He’s still pretty young.”
“His trainer was killed in an accident,” Kris said sadly. “Somehow, the horse knew, and no one could ride him, or even approach him, he was so out of control. Mr. Fitz caught word they were going to put a horse down, so he drove up to Louisville and bought him, brought him here, and this is the first time I’ve seen him near anyone.”
Edmund smiled at the horse. “Well, I guess we just have a connection.”
“Yeah, and now you’re going to ride him,” Kris said. “It’ll be good for you both.”
“What? I can’t just ride him like that! He’ll throw me,” he argued with Kris as she marched to the gate and opened it, Mr. Fitz following.
“Only if you start panicking,” she grinned. “Come on, let’s get him saddled up.” She strolled towards the barn, and a white horse whinnied, rushing over to nuzzle her neck with her nose. “Hey, girl,” she whispered to the horse. “Missed you too, Babydoll.”
“Babydoll,” Edmund repeated and glanced at his horse as it approached him on the other side of the fence. He stiffened as the tall beast neared him, but when he lowered his head so Edmund could rest his hands on it, he relaxed. “You’re sure not a Babydoll.”
“He’s Judge,” Mr. Fitz said. “Damn fine race horse, too.”
“Well now, maybe you’ll be my horse,” Edmund whispered, and Judge whinnied loudly, stomping his hoof several times.
Mr. Fitz watched the exchange before leading Edmund into the barn, Judge following closely behind. He did exactly as Mr. Fitz told him. Judge wouldn’t let anyone else close to him to put the saddle on, so it was all up to Edmund. He talked quietly to the horse the whole time, easing on the bridle and saddle with light touches as Kris and Mr. Fitz looked on, stunned. Once they were both ready to go, he placed his boot in the stirrup and hoisted himself up. Kris led the way out of the barn, and the two horses took off at a soft trot through the pasture.
“There’s a trail that leads into the woods,” she said as they bounced along. “We’ll go that way. Should be fairly easy.”
As they disappeared under the thick foliage of the old white oaks, Edmund let the beauty of the woods soothe his nerves about riding a horse again, and Judge didn’t fight him or buck at all. He walked side by side with Babydoll, whinnying every now and then. Kris and he stayed mostly quiet, but it was peaceful and he was able to enjoy her company. The path wound up and around a creek the horses crossed easily, one after the other, and when they started to climb, Kris grinned and said he was really going to enjoy the view in a few minutes.
When they crested the hill, Kris pulled Babydoll to a stop and Judge did the same beside her. “Wow,” Edmund breathed. “That’s the town.”
“Pretty cool, huh?” she said. “I love coming up here and staring down at it. Looks so small.”
“You can see everything,” he mused.
Kris climbed down from her saddle and draped the reins over a nearby tree branch. Edmund did the same, getting down a little less smoothly than she had, but he didn’t fall on his ass and counted that as an achievement. She sat down, facing the view of the town, and he plopped down beside her.
“Thanks for this,” he said. “It’s pretty incredible.”
“You’re welcome.” She leaned her head against his shoulder, resting her hand on his thigh.
They sat like that for a long while, watching the world go by as the horses grazed behind them. The shade was cool even as the warm breeze blew past their faces, but Edmund could have sat there all day with Kris. Every now and then, they spoke about his childhood or hers, about cars and horses, but it never turned to money or his future at the companies his family owned. He relaxed, enjoying the refreshing conversation with a person who actually cared about him and what he wanted in life instead of what his parents wanted or what his money could do for him. That was all his other friends wanted to talk about, and he never realized how tired of it he was until that moment on the hill.
“We should probably head back,” she sighed.
“Might be a good idea,” he agreed, but neither of them moved. He rested his cheek against the top of her head and frowned. “Kris?”
“Yes, Ed?” she asked, and he heard the smile in her voice.
“Do you… uh, do you think maybe we could… that you might be interested…” He stumbled over his words and rolled his eyes heavenward for help. “Would you want to be in a relationship with me? More than we are now, I mean.”
The wind picked up, blowing across the hill as he waited anxiously for her reply. His hand curled in the dirt beside his leg, wondering if he should have said anything, but she pulled away from him, grinning brightly, and kissed his lips.
“All the time,” she replied. “But what happens when your car is fixed?”
He’d thought of that, too, and so far, no solid solution had presented itself. “I won’t disappear on you, I know that much.” Worry filled her hazel eyes, and he wanted to chase it away. She blinked, and it was gone.
“We’ll worry about it when it happens, I guess,” she said as she climbed to her feet.
The ride back down to the barn was filled with laughter as he told her stories of his time in the stables before the accident. Every time she smiled, it sparked a deep sense of belonging within Edmund that he never had with Jenny and knew he could not live without. No matter what happened after his car was fixed, he would find a way to be with Kris. She was the woman he wanted by his side, and if he had to disown his family to do it, then so be it.
“Have a good ride?” Mr. Fitz asked as they reached the barn and dismounted.
“Perfect,” Kris told him. “Judge did really well with Edmund.”
“Then I guess Edmund will have to visit more often,” Mr. Fitz said with a wink.
“I guess I will,” he agreed, but he wasn’t looking at the old man. He was looking at Kris, hoping she heard the truth in his words and saw the promise in his eyes.
Chapter 12
An alarm went off somewhere, and Kris threw her hand out in the darkness, searching for the source of it, when her palm landed on a face instead. He grunted, and she smirked, running her hand lower across Edmund’s naked chest until she reached his quickly swelling length.
“Oy,” he grumbled with a throaty laugh. “Too early.”
“Never too early,” she replied but removed her hand as she climbed over his body to grab her cell and turn off the alarm. Her splaying over him gave him access to her ass, and he squeezed it before tickling her sides. She cackled, trying to get away, but he rolled her over and pinned her down, tickling her until she begged him to stop. His lips slanted over hers, and he kissed her deeply, pushing her down into the pillows as he took her cell from her and tossed it on the couch.
“Too early,” he repeated and curled her against his chest. “Go back to sleep.”
“I should get to the shop,” she said lamely, not wanting to move out of the warmth of his arms.
“It’s Saturday,” he murmured and nuzzled her neck. “I think you can take a morning to sleep in.”
He had a point, and Kris only had one delivery coming in that afternoon. The engine for his Mustang was finally arriving, which meant she no longer had an excuse not to work on his car. She drifted off to sleep for a while longer before her cell dinged again and she sighed. Edmund’s arms closed around her tighter, but when it started ringing, he cursed and released her from his hold.
She kissed his cheek and hopped out of bed to grab her cell off the couch. “What’s up?”
“Your delivery came early,” Charlie told her on the other end. “I just wanted to let you know.”
“Why are you at the shop?” she asked, confused.
“Because the guy got here, and you weren’t here yet,” he said. “It’s nearly noon.
”
“What!” Kris peeked out the curtain and cursed. “Alright, I’m on my way over. Just put it by the Mustang and lock up.”
“Sorry to interrupt your morning,” he said through his laughter, and she hung up on him.
“What’s wrong?” Edmund asked sleepily, sitting up in bed.
Kris’s heart skipped a beat at the sight of all that bare skin she wanted to tackle back to the bed, but she needed to get to the shop and start working on the engine. It would take a few days to get everything put back together—if she took her time, which she planned on doing.
“Nothing. We slept ‘til noon, and your engine just arrived.”
“Oh,” he said quietly. “Great, that’s great.”
“I’m going to head over and get started on the work,” she said, but he got up from the bed and caught her hand as she walked towards the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”
Desire and worry warred in his eyes as he stared down at her. “Do you have to start working on it right away? I mean, it is the weekend, and we missed breakfast. We should get lunch first so you’re not hungry while you’re working.”
Kris loved that he was trying to stall and gave in without hesitation. “Lunch first, then,” she agreed.
He said he’d get the shower going, and with a bounce to his gait, he scurried into the bathroom. She heard the faucet turn on as a knock sounded at the door. Slipping on her jeans and his t-shirt, she closed the bathroom door so no one would catch a glimpse of him naked and peeked out the eye-hole.
“Kris, I know you’re in there,” Grams said sharply. “Open this door, or I’ll open it for you.”
“Shit,” she whispered. Her palms sweaty and feeling as if she was five years old again, Kris unlocked the door and stepped out into the hall. “Morning, Grams. I was just… uh, just paying Edmund a visit to talk about his car.”
Grams held up her hand to stop Kris’s babbling, and to her surprise, the old woman smiled. “Don’t lie. It doesn’t suit you well at all.”
Kris let out a breath. “So you’re not going to lecture me?”