Country Bride (Country Brides)

by Catori, Ava

  “Really? Thank you so much, let me know how much I owe you.”

  “Out here you help your neighbors; it’s how we all get by. It’s what we do.”

  “At least let me offer you something to eat, maybe a drink,” she said, amazed by his kindness. It was unexpected after yesterday’s meeting.

  “A sandwich would be nice, thanks,” he said, heading back inside with her.

  “Oh good, I’m starving too.” Thankfully she’d grabbed some supplies and food before leaving town yesterday.

  Sitting at the table, they made small talk. She thought she wanted solitude, but realizing he’d be leaving soon – Kristin realized how lonely she was. This last year she’d isolated herself after losing Greg, but sitting here talking, it felt nice, and made her realize that while she wanted quiet, company was nice too.

  She looked across the table at the doctor. He spoke with passion about the animals he treated, and shared some of his experiences with her. When he spoke, he drew you in, his voice warm and deep. There was something soothing in his tone, and it lulled her into a sense of security. He was an attractive man, something that was hard to notice yesterday when they got off on the wrong foot.

  She noticed small crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiled, and his tanned skin said he worked outside as often as he worked inside. His smile was genuine, and made her want to smile back.

  As Ty spoke, he looked at the girl across from him. She couldn’t be more than thirty, and had the softest skin. He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, which took him by surprise. Sitting across from the girl he realized that he was attracted to the woman from New Jersey, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

  Finishing up, Ty needed to head out. He had appointments later this afternoon to attend to. Thanking him for his time, and writing a check for the house visit and medication, they parted ways.

  The truck backed out of her driveway, and Kristin turned to check on Molly. “I know girl, very weird. I wasn’t expecting him.” She had a small smile on her face thinking about the handsome man that had just left. This is wrong – she hadn’t thought about a man since she lost her husband. Pushing away the feelings, she brushed it off.

  “Let’s clean up, and get you your medication started,” she said to her buddy who sat looking at her.

  Chapter 3

  Just as he stated, Ty showed up a few days later to fix the gate out back. Kristin was on the porch swing as he pulled into her driveway. Molly was by her side, still stumbling, but the medication helped steady her.

  “How’s Molly doing?” He asked, getting out of his truck.

  “She’s hanging in there.” It was hard to see her tipping over, not having control of her body the way she usually did, but she was growing used to seeing it, so each day it got a little easier.

  “In about two or three weeks, she’ll start to feel more like herself, getting stronger, having her balance back again.” He stooped down to pat Molly’s head. Molly’s tail wagged in greeting.

  “I brought the stuff to repair the fence and gate. I noticed a few spots that could use some help, so I’ll patch those as well. We don’t want her wandering off.”

  “I wish I could tell you she wouldn’t take off, but given the right squirrel taunting her, she’d go after him in a heartbeat. Thank you again.”

  “Sure thing, do you want to help me bring some of this stuff around back?”

  “Sounds good,” she stood, stretching.

  Working side by side with him, Ty showed her what he was doing and how. He was patient, and instead of just doing it himself, he helped Kristin learn how to do some of the repairs, so she’d know how in the future.

  The talk between them was comfortable, and as they worked, a mutual attraction grew.

  “This place has been empty for a while,” he said. “It gets rented out time to time, but it’s nice to see someone will be here for an entire year. It will give us some time to get to know you.”

  “I’d love to invite you and your wife over for dinner one night. I’m not a great cook, but it’s the least I can do for all your help.”

  “I’m not married,” he said. The words hung in the air between them.

  She didn’t mention her very brief marriage – it felt too personal at the moment.

  Standing beside him at the fence, she took notice of his size and strength. His shoulders were broad, and his arms pushed out of his sleeves, with biceps that spoke of hard work. They weren’t cut like a bodybuilder’s physique, but from a man that worked outside, a natural shape and bulge that had her wishing she hadn’t noticed. She kept stealing small peeks, a blush spreading across her cheeks. Was this the same man she met just a few days before? How was it even possible?

  His smile was genuine and warm, and for a minute, she forgot about their first encounter.

  “How did you decide to become a vet?”

  “I grew up on a farm, so I’ve always been around animals. Though I work with larger animals as well, being a country vet you have to be adaptable, I’m partial to domestic breeds like cats and dogs. What do you do?”

  “I used to work at a large telecommunications company, but I needed to take a break from life. I’d like to write, and thought I could use this year to work on some creative things.”

  “So you just up and quit a secure job?”

  “Sort of,” she felt young and foolish on hearing his tone.

  He shook his head. “I guess that’s great if you can take that chance in life.”

  “I had some money put aside, life made a dramatic turn on me, so I needed some time off.”

  “I guess everybody has their own path to travel. How did you decide on our area?”

  She flushed, embarrassed by her impulsiveness. “I threw a dart at a map, and went from there.”

  “A dart chose your destination?”

  “Well, general area. I looked it up, and it seemed like the kind of place that might offer me some solitude.”

  “I see.”

  She felt judged. Kristin was embarrassed to have answered. She should have said something different.

  “Anyway,” she changed the topic, “I think this should be the last one,” she said, weaving in the last piece of fencing to patch a small hole. A section of the back yard offered a split rail fence, with a wired mesh to fill in the gaps. “Can I offer you a sandwich? I don’t have a lot of stuff, I need to get back into town for more supplies, but I make a fabulous peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” she smiled.

  “Sure, that sounds nice, thank you. This will be the second time you’ve fed me; maybe I could return the favor and make you dinner some time.”

  Kristin looked down, was he asking her on a date, or was it a friendly gesture? She couldn’t tell, and wasn’t sure how to respond. She certainly wasn’t ready to date already, but if she turned down a friendly gesture, she might insult him.

  “That would be nice,” she finally said.

  His smile lit up. “Would I be able to trouble you for a glass of ice water with that sandwich?” He wiped sweat off his brow, and then followed her inside. “So a pretty girl like yourself, no husband, and you end up wanting solitude in Wyoming. What’s that about? Or is that too personal to ask?”

  Kristin wasn’t sure how to answer. “Life threw me a curve ball,” she simply stated, washing up at the kitchen sink.

  Pulling out the bread and fixings, she plated up a couple of sandwiches. “Do you want something besides water to drink?”

  The conversation circled away from her choice to come to Wyoming thankfully, and Ty spoke of the weather and wildlife.

  Her mind was still circling the dinner invitation. Was it a friendly thing, or was he asking her on a date. It felt weird not knowing, and he didn’t make it obvious. She hoped it was a friendly gesture, and would feel rude canceling, but what if it was more. What if in his mind, he thought it would be a date – then what?

  She asked him about growing up on the farm, and shared stories of her home in
New Jersey.

  “You’re a long way from home, pretty lady,” he smiled.

  “This is home for now,” was her only reply.

  “I should be going, I’ve overstayed my welcome,” he stood to leave.

  “Thank you for your time. Truly, I appreciate your help. I should be heading into town soon anyway to stock up on more supplies. I don’t think I truly understood how far I’d be from town when I made my plans.”

  “You’ll grow used to it, once you get into a pattern. So dinner, how about Friday night? I’ll come and pick you up, so you don’t get lost on the back roads.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said, still wondering if he saw it as a date. It’s not that it would be horrible; she just had no intentions of dating, not now, and not for a long time. She was pretty sure he was just being friendly – though sometimes when he looked at her, he looked a little longer than she’d been expecting.

  Kristin walked him to his truck. She almost didn’t want him to leave. She wasn’t sure why, she just felt better when he was here. He’d come to her rescue with Molly, he helped her outside, and in some weird twist she felt warm and safe around him. It was a far cry from their first meeting.

  As he pulled his truck out of her driveway, she turned to see Molly sitting on the porch waiting for her. “What? It’s not like that,” she cheeks flushed a crimson red, but both she and Molly were aware that something was going on.

  Chapter 4

  Kristin felt a pang of guilt. She shouldn’t have a growing attraction to a man she barely knows; it was too soon. Hanging her head in shame, she let herself back inside. “Come on, girl.”

  After cleaning up, she wrote a few pages of notes. Finishing up, she set it aside and made a list. She needed to pick up more groceries and supplies. She was running low on a few things. Ty unexpectedly crossed her mind again.

  The guilt rushed through her. How could she even think about another man? That was disrespectful to Greg. Her heart was heavy, thinking back on their life plans, cut short by a freak accident. Resting her head in her hands, she got lost in thought, realizing that life goes on even when you don’t want it to.

  Widowed, it was such a hard term. It would plague her for the rest of her life, knowing that she’d lost her new husband, the man that she hoped to grow old with. When she lost him, life ceased to exist in her eyes. She could barely function – and after tumbling headlong into depression, she knew she needed a change.

  Wyoming promised her something different – peace and quiet, solitude, exactly what she expected. What she hadn’t expected was Ty Addison, the handsome veterinarian and handy man that offered to make her dinner.

  “Want to go for a ride?” She turned to Molly, watching her head pop up.

  Grabbing her list, she started out the door. It was hard to see Molly so unsteady on her feet, and carefully, she helped her up into the truck. Her normal ability to jump into it herself was temporarily halted.

  With the windows down, she headed into town. Radio reception was horrible out here, so she clicked the radio off and listened to the sound of her tires on the gravel and dirt. Finally pulling onto the paved road, she was happy to leave the dusty trail behind her, no longer kicking up dirt as she drove.

  Stopping to check for mail and pick up a grocery order, she made her way back home. Everything felt far away here. Back east, she’d been seven minutes from her local market.

  Ty crossed her mind when she saw a truck similar to his. His hands showed years of hard work, small lines carved into them, as if they’d been aged prematurely. He was easily ten years older than her, but his hands were that of an older man. Maybe it was the time on the farm when he was younger or spending a lot of time outside, doing repairs at his own house, but they were hands that had put time in, and knew what they were doing. She was embarrassed to have studied them so much, and to even spend time thinking about them.

  Kristin spent the next few days working on her writing. She had an idea for a book, but could only jot down snippets of thought.

  Friday, as the evening rolled around, she hadn’t put any thought into what she should wear. She didn’t want to overdress, making him think she was interested, and yet didn’t want to look like she put no effort in. Settling on a pair of jeans, Kristin added leather boots and a soft blue shirt. Pulling her hair up in a high pony tail, she stood before the bathroom mirror. Should she put on make-up?

  She stood debating with herself. If she made herself up, was it to impress him, to act like it’s a date, or was it because she wanted to wear make-up. The internal struggle played with her mind. She decided on a light touch, a slick of lip gloss and a dab of mascara.

  When Ty showed up, he told her she could bring Molly with them if she wanted. She thanked him, but left her to sleep at home for now.

  He’d picked up some charcoal steaks to grill up, and fresh corn. Wrapping the corn in foil, he placed it on the grill with the meat.

  Ty’s house was simply decorated in masculine tones of brown, and understated. She immediately felt comfortable around him, which took her by surprise. Each time she was around the man, she found herself more drawn to him.

  He shared funny stories of things that had happened to him when he first went into practice. The conversation was light and easy, and as Kristin relaxed she felt safe to finally share why she’d come out west.

  “My life was about to change,” she paused, “I’d just gotten married. We had our future planned out, children, a house, and then the accident happened. I didn’t know what to do with myself. I was in shock, so much pain, and then the depression set in.” She hadn’t talked about it in ages, not since it happened. “I couldn’t see living there anymore, and needed to escape. I thought a year of solitude would be healing. I took the money we’d saved to buy our house, and rented this place for the year, and have enough savings to get me supplies this year.”

  “That’s quite a story. I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. Only something happened in that moment. He realized that what he thought was a possible first date, she thought was a friendly gathering, and she was here as a friend. She needed a friend, he saw that. He could be a friend. He put his attraction to her on hold, and offered friendship instead.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve gone on about this,” she realized she was rambling.

  “No need to apologize. It sounds like you chose the right place for some peace and quiet. Hopefully you find what you need while you’re here. I didn’t realize you were married. You’re not wearing a ring.”

  “I finally took it off. I had to leave life behind. There was no way I could move forward when I was clinging to the past.”

  “Running away is rarely an answer.”

  She was taken back, almost hurt by the statement. “Do you know what it’s like to lose the one you love? Until you’ve gone through that, how can you even pretend to know how you’d react?”

  “I guess I can’t know, but I can tell you that running away from your problems won’t make them go away.”

  “Thank you, all knowing one,” Kristin’s sarcastic tone gave away her annoyance.

  “I’m not saying it won’t work for you, I’m just saying, there are two ways to handle problems in life. Trying to get away from them or tackling them. I prefer to face my problems head on.”

  “Good for you,” she said flatly. “And how do I tackle the fact that my loved one died?”

  “Do you really think moving away will change anything?”

  Her voice got quiet. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to come off harsh. I guess I’m a little rough around the edges at times,” he said, realizing how he sounded.

  “Anyway, I’m settled here now.” She was ready for dinner to be ready, and ready for him to bring her home. Whatever little attraction she’d been feeling was passing. His true colors were coming out, and she knew she wouldn’t be accepting any more dinner invitations from him.

  “Listen, I thought…” hesi
tating, he decided to follow up, “I thought it would be nice to spend a little time with you, get to know you better. But it sounds like more than anything, you’d like some quiet and time alone. You’ll find that in Chester Hills.” He wanted to say, I’ll leave you be, I won’t stare at you longer than I should. He wanted to say she had the prettiest blue eyes he’d ever seen, but all she wanted was a friend – and he wasn’t even good at that it seemed. He did more damage the more he spoke.

  The phone rang, interrupting his thought. One of the neighbor’s dogs got into a fight, and came home scratched up and bleeding. “I need to run out for a bit,” he said. “Go ahead and eat without me. When I get back, I’ll run you home.”

  She loved how he dropped what he was doing to help a wounded animal. It helped her forget about his more abrasive side. Tact wasn’t his strong point, but helping animals won him major points in her eyes. There was something about him that she liked, and yet something else rubbed her the wrong way.

  When he returned home, she’d cleaned up, and wrapped up his dinner. He asked if she minded if he ate some supper before driving her home. They talked about the house call he was on and said that the dog would be okay. It had gotten into a scuffle with something bigger.

  On finishing his meal, he stood, stretching. “Why don’t I bag up these scraps for Molly,” he offered.

  “That’s sweet, I’m sure she’ll appreciate the treat.”

  “Kristin, I’m sorry I’m not smoother, but I wanted to tell you I like you. And while I’m not coming onto you, if you get to a point where you’re comfortable thinking about me that way, or would like to go on a date sometime, I’d sure appreciate taking you out.”

  She wasn’t expecting it, and was caught off guard. “Ty,” she started, unsure what she was going to say. “I’m flattered, really I am. It’s just; I’m not ready to date, not yet.”

  “I understand,” and because he couldn’t stop himself, “You’ve got the prettiest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”