by Annie Evans
Licking her bottom lip, she asked, “Is that what this is?”
“Well, yeah. At least I hope that’s where it’s headed. I’m shit with finding the right words, but I can tell you I don’t wanna be just your Friday night fuck-buddy.” He dropped his hand from her thigh to prop it on his hip and she immediately missed the warm weight of his touch. “If I’m freaking you out or saying something out of line, then tell me. Am I wrong to want that with you?”
“No. It’s just that you should know I’m not used to having people do stuff for me. At all. I’ve always been self-reliant, so this sort of thing,” she waved her hand toward the stack of wood, “even though I’m terribly grateful, it still knocks me off my axis a little.”
The sexy grin was back. “Sugar, I’ve been knocked off my axis ever since I met you.”
* * * * *
The first order of business once they reached Eli’s house was a bath because he knew he reeked from playing lumberjack. He gave Bellamy a quick tour, showed her where his washer and dryer was located, and ducked into the bathroom for a shower while she sorted and started a load of laundry.
Once clean and shaved, he found all the items she needed for the pie, honestly shocked that he had most of them with the exception of allspice—seriously, who keeps that crap on hand?—then helped her scoop, chop and cook the pumpkin. Watching her make the crust was fun, especially since the closest thing he had to a rolling pin was a bottle of beer. He loved the way she moved, so confident in everything she did. The process seemed to come back to her easily, as if she’d just made one with her grandmother yesterday. When she had the pie assembled, the edges of the crust crimped just so, they popped it into the oven to bake.
“Now that we have some time to kill, show me the rest of your property,” she said after dusting flour from her shirt and washing her hands for the umpteenth time.
Eli knew plenty of ways to kill that time and all of them included his bed and their naked bodies, but if she wanted to see his land, those ideas could wait until later. He led her outside to the back porch, which he’d equipped with a stainless-steel grill, small refrigerator, tables and seating, and a large flat-screen television.
“You spend a lot of time out here?”
“When it’s not too hot. The fans help cool it down, though. So do the trees.”
They stepped off the porch, wandering toward the back of his land. “It’s so quiet and peaceful. I like that you can smell the pine in the air.”
“That’s why I only cleared an area big enough for the house and a little yard. I wanted the trees to muffle any noises from the highway.”
Shielding her eyes with one hand, she asked, “What’s out there, beyond that fence?”
“A neighbor’s pasture. The fence marks the back of my property line.”
As they drew closer to the fence line, Bellamy made a small gasping sound, her eyes going wide.
“What is it, Bell?”
She pointed. “The horse.”
He glanced out at the big paint standing about two-hundred yards away. “Yeah, so?”
“I’ve seen it before, I think, in a painting hanging in Kai’s store.”
“Huh.” Eli still didn’t understand why she found the animal so interesting. It was just a lone horse grazing in a pasture. Nothing special, really. But then he remembered the things she’d told him last night in her kitchen. The letter. Her desire to work with horses exclusively.
Shoving two fingers between his lips, he whistled loudly. The horse lifted its head and started ambling in their direction. Eli’s gaze swung to Bellamy. Her face lit up with pure joy, hands wrapped tight around the top strand of fence wire. “Looks like he wants to say hello.”
“He?” she asked.
Eli nodded. “It’s a gelding. Back when I first cleared the spot for the house, we met briefly a few times. I re-fenced this whole place because the original fence was in pretty bad shape. While I was working, he’d wander over to investigate.”
But as the sociable horse drew nearer to them, the smile on her face withered before disappearing altogether. “Oh no,” she murmured.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look at him.”
He did, but Eli knew next to nothing about horses. The gelding’s bones weren’t protruding like it was starving. Sure, there were a few scratches on his legs, a long healing cut across the white patch on his chest, and the tail and mane were matted. Well, the patch on his chest was supposed to be white. Really, it was more a dingy gray. Other than those obvious things, he didn’t have a clue as to its overall condition. “You’re the vet and the horse person here. Explain what you see.”
The gelding wasn’t shy, shoving his head across the fence for Bellamy to stroke his muzzle and pat his neck. She cooed to the big animal, concern still shadowing her face. Eli’s nose burned at the strong scent of dirty horsehide. Dude could use a bath.
“You can’t turn a horse loose in a pasture and forget about it. It might live, yes, but it won’t thrive. They need other food sources besides grass. Hay, sweet feed, mineral supplements to keep ’em healthy. Variety. You can look at the condition of his coat, the loss of muscle definition and his eyes just to begin with. Healthy horses’ eyes are bright and alert. His look dull and a bit listless. His coat should be shiny and his muscles firm and delineated. And I seriously hope that stagnant pond out there isn’t his only water source. Have you seen any other horses in the pasture with him?”
“Nope, just him.”
She shook her head, running her palm over the gelding’s forehead. “That’s disappointing too. A horse is naturally a herd animal. They enjoy having companions just like we do. They play and loaf around and groom one another, even huddle together for warmth when the weather’s wet or cold. Did you know horses take turns watching over each other as they sleep?”
“No,” Eli said, patting the animal’s shoulder, his heart heavy with the things she was telling him. Crumbling to pieces over the troubled look on her face.
“They do.” She scratched the paint’s nose, chuckling when he gave her shoulder a nudge. “He shouldn’t be alone and forgotten.”
Neither should you.
“The painting was so misleading. I wish now I’d never seen it. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a hard blow when I found the real thing.”
“I’ll have to see this painting you’re talking about.”
“It’s beautiful. Kai said it’s a local artist, but he prefers to remain anonymous for now.”
“That’s interesting.”
The gelding snorted and withdrew from Bellamy’s touch, moving away to feed on a patch of dying grass. Wiping her hands on her jeans, she asked, “What, the anonymity?”
“Well, yeah. Serenity’s so small and gossipy. Hard to keep secrets here. And with that kind of talent, why would you want to?”
“Maybe he doesn’t want the notoriety. Could be a crazy recluse. Artists are sometimes known for being eccentric or even bipolar. Look at Van Gogh—a drunk nut who sent his severed ear to a prostitute. Pollock was an alcoholic who died in a car crash at age forty-four. Michelangelo was said to never bathe and slept in his clothing and boots.”
When she looked over, he quirked an eyebrow.
She shrugged. “I took a few art history classes in college.”
Eli leaned over and kissed her, aiming to keep things light, even though he was feeling anything but. Just a soft brush of lips at first, until she grabbed his belt loops and tugged him against her body. She tasted like mint and honey from the hot tea she’d brought along to his house. He pressed closer, holding her face in his hands, catching her sigh with his mouth and deepening the connection. All it took was touching her and his intentions drifted off with the breeze.
Of course, his phone would pick that moment to interrupt, vibrating on his hip. He started to ignore the call, but Bellamy must’ve felt it too because she pulled away, glancing down at the offending device. “You better get that. Could be another calf b
irth.”
He unsnapped the phone from its clip, reading the display. “No, it’s Ruby. Hey, Ma. What’s up?”
“I was calling to invite you to supper tonight. Fritz and Kai are coming. Sage too. You’ll be the only one missing if you don’t show.”
In this case, Ruby playing the guilt card was warranted. Eli hadn’t seen his folks in two weeks. He glanced at Bellamy then muffled the mouthpiece on his phone. “You wanna have supper with the whole family?”
“Sure,” she said. He smiled, liking that she didn’t hedge or hesitate for even a second.
“What time?” he asked his mom.
“Around seven.”
“We’ll be there.”
“We?” Ruby asked.
“I’m bringing a date. It’s a surprise, so don’t ask. And we’ve even got dessert.”
Panic hit Bellamy’s face full force. “Oh my God, the pie!”
Chapter Nine
“Well, if it ain’t pretty Miss Bellamy Haile,” Ruby declared, flinging her arms wide for a hug.
Bellamy blinked at the welcoming gesture then stepped into the embrace, knowing it was going to knock her further off that axis she’d been trying so desperately to cling to since she’d met Eli. She was right. Ruby’s hug was full of warmth, genuine affection and homey smells. It reminded her of the way it had felt to be around her grandmother.
“Eli never brings a girl around, so this is a really nice surprise.”
“Mom!” Eli barked from behind Bellamy.
Ruby turned her loose and grabbed her son for a squeeze, giving his cheek an embarrassing pat when she pulled away. “Just stating the truth, eldest.”
Bellamy bit back a laugh, waving at Fritz, Kai and Sage, who were scattered around the big kitchen in various spots.
“We brought pie,” Eli said, no doubt an attempt to steer his mother away from his dating habits. “Homemade pumpkin. Bellamy made the entire thing from scratch.”
“The crust got a little too brown around the edges,” Bellamy said. “We were distracted by a horse.”
When Fritz coughed into his hand, Kai pinched him hard enough to make him yelp while Bellamy’s face went up in flames.
Ruby laughed, oblivious it seemed, and fluttered a hand. “I’m sure it will still taste delicious.”
“Oh, it does,” Eli said. “She had to sample it before we left the house, see if it passed muster before we subjected y’all to it.”
“Whoa. Wait just a second.” This from Sage. “You baked a pie at Eli’s?”
Bellamy nodded while Eli scowled, saying, “I cook all the time.”
“But pies require spices, I assume.”
“You’ve had my homemade barbeque sauce before. Said it was some of the best you’d ever tasted. And I make cinnamon toast for breakfast at least once a week. The rest was common staples—eggs, butter, milk, flour.”
“Well, aren’t you Mr. Domestication,” Fritz drawled.
“Kiss my domesticated ass, both of you.”
Kai shoved Fritz into Eli. “There, maybe some of it will rub off on you.”
Everyone cracked up laughing.
“Okay, enough arguing,” Ruby said. “You boys set the table while we girls bring in the food.”
Kai nudged Bellamy as the sons filed out of the room to do their mother’s bidding. “Friday night, eight o’clock, Sam’s Tavern. Me, you and Grace are having ourselves a much needed girls’ night out.”
“Done,” Bellamy said.
Halfway through dinner, which was as delicious as expected, Eli nodded toward Bellamy’s mostly cleaned plate. “You didn’t get any chicken.”
Uh oh. Busted.
“I don’t eat it.”
He frowned. “You don’t eat chicken?”
“I don’t eat meat.”
The whole table went silent. Forks stopped moving, jaws stopped chewing, all eyes moving from Eli to Bellamy, back and forth.
Eli’s mouth worked around words he couldn’t seem to say.
“I’ve been a vegetarian since high school,” Bellamy explained.
“You’re sitting at a table with three budding cattlemen and you mean to tell me you don’t eat beef?” Eli asked, but without any real indignation. He was teasing because, like her, he was wrestling with a smile.
“That’s what I’m tellin’ you.” Then she glanced at Ruby. “No offense to your cooking, Ruby. Everything I ate was wonderful.”
“Oh, none taken,” Ruby said with a dismissive wave.
Meanwhile, Eli appeared to still be in a mild form of shock. “But…you fed me sausage that morning I brought your payment for pulling the calf.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Did I?”
Next to her, Kai started to giggle, then Ruby clapped a hand across her mouth, her shoulders shaking with mirth.
Eli pointed at her with his fork. “Bellamy Haile, if you fed me tofu, so help me God—”
“You’ll what?” Bellamy smiled. “Drown it in sorghum syrup and not know the difference? ‘Mm-mm, this is sooo good’!”
His grin won out, and he shook his head at her while the whole table erupted with laughter. Even Joe, Eli’s dad, who’d barely uttered a syllable all evening, wiped tears from his eyes.
“You’ll pay for that,” Eli said, just loud enough for Bellamy to hear, and all her girly parts went warm and tingly.
They were finishing up Bellamy’s pumpkin pie—a hit, despite the crust being too brown—when her phone trilled her mother’s ringtone from the back pocket of her jeans.
“Excuse me,” Bellamy said, stepping out of the house to answer. “Hi, Mom. You and Dad having a good time?”
“Oh yes. So much so that we’ve decided to stay longer. Your dad wants to visit Arizona and New Mexico.”
Something twisted, sharp and tight, in her gut. “Oh. Then you won’t be around for Thanksgiving, I’m guessing.”
“I doubt it. Maybe you can spend the holiday with a friend?”
She blinked away the sudden blur of tears. Her mother’s news shouldn’t come as any real surprise, so why did it sting so much? Being around Eli’s family, seeing how fun and close they were together, open and warm, only served to shine a glaring spotlight on the things missing from hers.
Good thing she’d made a few friends, but it sucked having to rely on an invite or spend the holiday alone. And she’d just bet Christmas would be the same story.
“Maybe.” Bellamy tried to hide the quiver of disappointment in her voice. “Where are you now?”
“The Grand Canyon.”
Apropos, considering the emotional distance that seemed to stretch between them. A yawning empty cavern, dry as a bone left lying in the desert sun.
“Still there, dear?” her mom asked.
She nodded at no one, fighting for a sound to emerge.
“Bellamy, did I lose you?”
Clearing her throat, she managed, “I’m here.”
“Oh good. Cell service has been spotty. I called to tell you we received the tax bill on your grandmother’s place.”
“You’re getting mail while you’re gone?”
“One of our neighbors I trust is helping us with it. She sends the important stuff by overnight mail whenever we know we’re going to be staying someplace for more than a few days. Most of the RV parks will let you receive packages.”
“I see.” Bellamy stepped off the Carters’ back porch, crossing the yard to a wooden picnic table covered in crispy brown leaves. They crunched beneath her bottom as she sat down on the top, bracing her feet on the bench seat. “About the tax bill. You sending it to me to pay since I’m living there now?”
It was only fair, she supposed.
“Yes, but I wanted to give you a heads up before you received it. It’s a lot. All of the exemptions have finally dropped off, now that your grandmother’s dead.”
Can’t you call her Mom? Jesus.
“How much is ‘a lot’?”
“Almost five thousand dollars.”
“Ho
ly shit,” slipped out before Bellamy could stop it. She didn’t have that kind of money saved. Being a large-animal vet in small-town Georgia wasn’t exactly proving lucrative. Not that she ever intended to become rich doing it, just comfortable. Perhaps able to pay off her student loans faster and afford a newer vehicle at some point.
“But you have until the end of the year to pay them. Gives you some time to save up the money. Or you could just sell the place. Mr. Treadway, the neighbor who owns the adjoining land to the west, has wanted to buy it for several years now. Since before your grandmother ever got sick. I still have his number in my address book. I could give him a call for you.”
“No! Don’t. I’m…not sure that’s what I want to do yet.”
“Oh Bellamy. The place is too much for you and it’s falling apart.”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She didn’t want to have this conversation anymore. “I gotta go, Mom. You and Dad take care, okay?”
“We’ll talk again at Thanksgiving.” Then she hung up. Thanksgiving was over three weeks away.
Bellamy stared down at the phone, noting the brief time they’d talked, the hollow conversation of nothing but bad news and a total lack of interest in how she was faring, before a fat tear landed on the display. Damn. And Eli chose that unfortunate moment to come looking for her. She swiped the dampness off her cheeks while he made his way across the yard, grateful for the mostly dark night to help hide her features.
He climbed up on the picnic table to sit down beside her, wrapping a warm arm around her shoulders.
“You’re going to turn into a Popsicle out here without a coat. Everything okay?”
She nodded, glancing away toward the fields behind the house.
“Something tells me it’s not.”
“Can we go back to your place? I need to finish my laundry and wash the dirty dishes we left in the sink.”
“It’ll all be there tomorrow, Bell.”
“Please?”
One side of his mouth curved before he kissed her temple, but it didn’t erase the concern on his face. “Sure.”
* * * * *
Bellamy didn’t say two words on the ride back to his house. Hadn’t, in fact, uttered a noise since they’d told his family goodbye. Eli kept glancing over at her in the truck, but her face was averted while she stared out the window. Something was wrong, courtesy of the phone call she’d gotten, and it upset her enough to make her cry. Even with her best attempts at hiding the tears, he’d seen them.