Mr. Always & Forever

by Ashlee Price

  Shaking his head, he looked at his pocket watch and realized he still had another hour before he was supposed to go up to the house and get his first instructions. There was no way he could sleep though, so he moved into the small bathroom, inundated with the smell of her. She was driving him crazy and she wasn’t even there. Bella had left behind some shampoo in her rush and Jake used it, just so that he could be reminded of her.

  He settled into the room, wishing they had been bunking together. She hadn’t said much, hadn’t shared anything, but her body and a moment of her pleasure. Jake tried to forget her, keeping himself busy when he finally left for the ranch-style house to get some breakfast and his duties for the day.

  When he knocked, it was almost immediately opened by a short, rotund woman with dark brown eyes. She introduced herself as Betsy and ushered him in. “Now you will have to get here earlier for breakfast or there won’t be anything left. Big appetites around here, but I will make you some eggs to get you going.”

  Jake thanked her and took a seat, introducing himself to the other three men that were sitting around the table. One guy name Trent asked him where he was staying.

  When he told them the number, everyone got quiet for a minute.

  “I thought Bella was staying in there last night.”

  “She was.”

  A few eyes went to Betsy, but she was humming like she hadn’t heard a thing. Trent eyed Jake, wanted to ask him more, while Jake felt unease about saying something and decided not to say anything else. He was given a couple of horses that needed to be saddle broken. It was actually not that hard and Jake figured that they were warming him up for something more challenging. When he saw the horses though, he had a feeling that it was a test instead an easement into the job.

  Trent walked up to a couple of pens in the back. The first horse that caught his attention was Smudge and he was big, angry and so beautiful. There was no wonder why they wanted him trained, he was a race horse in the making.

  “I see I got the crazy one.”

  “Oh yeah, that horse should have been called the Devil. A few have tried and if they don’t get him trained soon, they will send him south.”

  “What’s south?”

  “Bella.”

  Jake nodded like he was supposed to understand, not wanting to ask a bunch of question. “So you stayed with her last night?”

  “Yes. It was late and she was already in there.”

  “What I wouldn’t give for that chance. Everyone around her has tried, but she doesn’t pay us any mind after what happened with her husband.” Jake didn’t hear much else after finding out she was married. He was looking at the horse, watching it move, tuning the young man beside him out.

  “She’s Betsy’s daughter, so just be careful what you say around her.”

  It just got worse. He had slept with the boss’ daughter who was married, on his first night there. Jake felt like he had fucked up big time and at the same moment, wondered if he would get another chance to do it again.

  Chapter 4

  Bella still thought about Jake. It was one of those things that each time she closed her eyes, she thought of him and her body ached a little inside. It was the first time in a long time that she had thought about going home for a visit. Usually she just made quarterly visits to pick up horses and to bring the trained ones back for the customers. She called it the three month miracle. The un-trainable went with her to her ranch in the south. But she wanted to make an earlier trip, see if the new trainer was still around.

  She couldn’t though. She knew that and Bella tried to forget about him. It was hard, but it was easier to just chalk it up as a hot one night stand. It wasn’t the first one that she’d had, but it was the one that seemed to stick with her the most. Why was he on her mind so much? It just didn’t make sense. Bella was musing, her eyes on the corral in front of her when her phone rang in her pocket. She almost didn’t answer it, but it was her mother Betsy and she needed to see what she wanted.

  “Hey mom.”

  “Hey hon. Are you busy?”

  Bella shrugged to no one. “Just here with Thunder.”

  “How is he doing?”

  “Better. I really think that something happened to him. That is why he

  is so spook-easy.”

  “I don’t know. He was a rescue from another horse ranch that wasn’t feeding him. There really is no telling, but the blood lines…”

  “Yea I know. He will sell for a lot, but I kind of want to keep him.”

  “Have you become attached?” Her voice sounded surprised and that irked Bella in a way.

  “No, but I am not sure I can be sure of him, that he won’t throw somebody off of him in the wrong situation. That is not only a liability, but also puts our customers in danger.”

  Betsy sighed. “Well keep him down there if you want. That is the second one this year.”

  “I turned 6 around from your rescues, but some aren’t meant to do much else then roam around. Thunder will never be able to race. I don’t care where he comes from.”

  “Okay. So how is everything else going?”

  “Fine. Same old thing around here.”

  “Are you getting out?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Which means no. You need to…”

  “Was there anything else?”

  Betsy heard the change in her tone and knew that the conversation was quickly coming to an end. “Yes, I was wondering if you could take one more in.”

  “I am full.”

  “You just said you wouldn’t be training Thunder.”

  “Fine, but I wasn’t planning to come up that way.”

  “That’s okay. I was going to send one of the trainers down with him. Show him around if you don’t mind.”

  “Why?”

  “I think he is going to be around a while and I wanted him to get used to all aspects of the business.”

  “Okay ma, well listen just call me before you send him down.”

  “He’s on his way now. Should be there in an hour or so.”

  She groaned into the phone, uncaring how it sounded. It was rude at best. “Thanks for the warning. What if I would have said no?”

  “You never do.”

  “Love you, gotta go.”

  She hung up and stared at the phone. It was just like her mom to overpower her will with a smile on her face. It wouldn’t be so bad if she was there, but on the phone it was even harder to say no. Bella went back towards her house and sighed to herself. It was true that she was another part of the business, but she didn’t like the idea of random trainers being sent to her. The way Betsy was talking, there seemed to be more to it than what originally met the eye. Her mother had something up her sleeve.

  ***

  That something turned out to be Jake. She thought she recognized him when he got out of an old beat up pickup, but she couldn’t believe it. He looked good to her senses and her body remembered him quite well. It was still early morning, so he would have had to drive all night to get there. He didn’t look tired though, he looked, arousing. His dark hair was a little longer and blowing in the wind. Jake had a trimmed beard now and she really liked it, fighting the urge to touch it with her hands as he came closer.

  “You are a sight for sore eyes.”

  She smiled, not quite sure what to say and trying not to seem too eager to see him, even though her heart fluttered as he stopped in front of her. “Can’t believe Betsy sent you down here.”

  “Why?”

  Bella shrugged. “You’re just new is all. No big deal, I will help you get the horse off the trailer. It’s just the one, right?”

  He nodded. “You never know with Betsy.”

  “Your mother is nice.”

  “Everyone says that if she cooks for them.”

  “She is a damn good cook.”

  Bella had heard it before. It was one major thing she missed when she moved out, but she enjoyed her peace more. “So which one is it?”

/>   “Glory.”

  “I don’t think I remember him. Is he new?”

  “Yea, they picked him up last week.”

  “Who tried training him?”

  “No one that I know of.”

  It was strange because Bella usually got them as a last resort. Her mother was up to something and she wished she knew what it was or why he was there. For the last year, it had always gone as before. Pick up and drop off every third month. She liked to keep things orderly and scheduled. Peeking her head through the slots, Bella could see that the horse was anxious.

  “Well, let’s get him out and fed so you can get out of here. I know it is a long ride back.”

  Jake’s face fell. “I thought I was supposed to stay for a couple of weeks. Betsy said she wanted me to get comfortable down her because I might be here full time.”

  “What?”

  Her plan was becoming clear and Bella wondered if her mother knew what would happen between them. She doubted it, Jake not looking like the sort of man that would boast. Sighing, she held open the back of the trailer. He was in the process of telling her to be careful when she jumped in the back. Touching the horses head, she talked to him in a breathless tone that drove the man wild and the animal docile. He had personally been bit twice and he couldn’t believe the difference.

  “Your mom said you had the magic touch. I have to agree with her.”

  “Yes I have been always been able to tame wild beasts.”

  Chapter 5

  “I know now why you left.”

  “Oh?”

  “You are married right?”

  “I was.”

  “So you are not anymore?” There was something akin to glee in his voice and it made her look back at him sharply.

  “My husband died, so no, not anymore.”

  All mirth left his face. “Look, I am really sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Why should you?”

  She turned her back to him and patted the horse on the head. It calmed her as much as it calmed the animal. Grabbing the reins in her free hand, she led him out and into the nearby corral. She took her time feeding him and getting him settled into the barn eventually. Jake was sent on small chores away from the barn, away from her. It was not what she had anticipated for the day and she was starving by the time she had run out of ways to stall.

  “Are you hungry Jake?”

  He nodded his head, changing with her mood. It was clear to him that he wasn’t supposed to be there and more importantly, he didn’t think that he was exactly wanted there at all. It had been a shock when Betsy had asked him to go down there. Jake had asked Trent a little about her, trying not to seem too desperate, but as the weeks had gone by, there was nothing else he could think about. Now she was there walking a few feet in front of him and it was not going like he had seen it going in his head.

  “So is it just you out here?”

  “There is a ranch hand that comes out a couple a times a week for the dirtier jobs, but the rest of the time it’s just me. Horses do better with one handler instead of several. For the harder ones, you bring them out here, bond with them and they will do whatever you want.”

  “You make it sound so easy.”

  “It is.”

  She handed him a plate and she cut her own sandwich.

  “Are we really not going to talk about what happened?”

  “What is there to talk about?”

  Jake was dumbfounded, his pride and ego damaged with her offhanded approach to the best few moments of his life. Was it that routine for her?

  “I don’t know. I’ve never been with someone like that and then not talked to them again.”

  “You’ve never had a one-night stand?”

  “No.”

  “You are at least 30.”

  “31, but what does that matter?”

  “It’s just kind of old to never have had one before is all.”

  “I like to get to know the person I am romantically involved with.”

  She stopped the comeback and took a bite of her sandwich to still her mouth. Bella took a drink and then a nervous glance to bide her time. “It was one time and I just woke up horny, you were hard and it just happened.”

  “Never to happen again?”

  There was a hesitation before she said no. When she looked back up into his eyes, she wanted to change her answer to probably not or maybe. Looking away, she got up and put the dish in the sink.

  “Are you always this antsy?”

  “Do you always ask so many questions?”

  “I just told you that I wanted to get to know you.”

  “And I told you that we are not romantically involved.

  ***

  Jake was incorrigible at best and he seemed to have a hard time letting it go or respecting what she wanted. He wanted her and that was all he was focused on. By the end of the day as the sun went down, she was exhausted just trying to keep him busy so she didn’t have to see his hot, sweaty body. When he took his shirt off, she steered clear of him all together. Then he came in shirtless and she was forced to look at his hard lines and rippled abs.

  Biting her lip, she moved to the back of the house and checked on the spare bedroom. Going back to the living room where he was still standing, she invited him back to show him where he would be sleeping.

  “I was hoping to bunk with you tonight.”

  “There’s no need Jake. There are five bedrooms here.”

  Her tone didn’t have him pressing anymore. He had to fight the urge to touch her, to pull her to him every moment they were together. He had seen her looking and saw the look in her eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came and she was back to business. It just left Jake frustrated as he followed her back down the hallway. Passing one door, his was all the way at the end. The light was on and she moved back to let him in. “Shower is down the hall, towels are under the sink.”

  “Thanks Bella.”

  She looked up to meet his gaze for a moment before she turned around and walked back out. The attraction was there, giving him a small sense of hope.

  Chapter 6

  Jake stayed for two weeks and then he finally left. Bella was a mixed of emotions, which she seemed to be having more of than normal. For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, whether he was there or not, but it was much harder to deny her feelings for him when she ended up getting to know him. He was as sweet as he was handsome and she had forgotten how lonely she had been since her husband passed. Her heart was still delicate though and she worried about those feelings. She had promised herself that she would never love again, but it was hard not to care for Jake.

  She tried to forget about him and was soon given something else to worry about. The last few days since he’d gone, Bella had been feeling drained and getting sick in the mornings. It wasn’t like her and she chalked it up to a nervous stomach. By the fourth morning, she was starting to think that it was something else. When she looked at her calendar and the quotations for each month, she knew it was something else.

  “Shit.”

  Bella sat there for a long time, thinking about what that meant. It was bittersweet to find out. It was something she had wanted since she’s gotten married, but never like that. She had expected it to be with Carlos. Not a one night stand.

  But Jake wasn’t really a one night stand anymore. They hadn’t had sex again, though they did share a few kisses. She had gotten to know him though and the more she had been around him, the more she had started to like him more. But like and good sex was not enough to raise a child with a person, someone that she wasn’t even dating. He might freak out.

  She didn’t know how she was going to tell him, but she knew she had to, eventually.

  ***

  Eventually didn’t come until her hand was forced. It was time for her quarterly pickup and she had 4 horses to bring back. Thunder was staying behind with her, but the rest would all be off to new owners. She had a few to pick up, more than usual. When s
he complained about the extra two horses, Betsy had dropped another bombshell.

  “Oh, well Jake is coming down with another trailer.”

  “Okay that is better than having to make a second trip.”

  “He’s going there to stay.”

  Bella knew that she had told her over the phone instead of in person, because maybe she would have had more objection grounds. “I don’t need any help down here mom.”

  “He’s really good Bella. He can do more there and you can teach him, but he has the gift.”

  “I know it’s just, I like it out here by myself.”

  “You shouldn’t. That big old house has to get lonely.”

  “You are just full of surprises today aren’t you? I have one of my own.”

  “What is it?”

  “You’ll see.”

  She left it at that and Bella was almost home before she got a call from Betsy again. Her mother liked to be in control and the one thing she hated was a surprise. If something was brought to her at the last minute, she did not have time to plan.

  “So what is the surprise? Am I going to like it?”

  “I’m driving. I will see you in a bit.”

  “Okay, but are you bringing anyone with you?”

  “In a way.”

  Bella hung up again, enjoying her discomfort a bit too much. She forgot that she hadn’t told Jake yet and she sobered up thinking about it. There was nothing she could do though, the bump was already visible on her short frame and all of her clothes were getting tighter as she grew. Her anxiety grew as well, the closer she got back home.

  About twenty miles from her destination, one of the trailer tires blew and she was left on the side of the road with no spare. She called Betsy back to get one of the spare tires at the ranch. Betsy said she would send one down in a few minutes, thirty minutes later it was Jake that showed up. Looking down at her stomach, she pulled her loose jacket over herself and smiled at him.

  Jake stopped with the look, so different than how she had looked at him before. There was a vulnerability and desire that she had always kept hidden from him. He wanted to kiss her, but was afraid to break the sudden spell that she had over him.