Love is Thicker Than Blood (Country Romance Series)

by Ivy Alexander

  “You’re welcome. We should do it again sometime.” Zack stood as well and as they walked out of the restaurant, he spoke up, “I’ll walk you to your car.”

  “Oh you don’t have to,” Jen said holding up one hand.

  “I know, I want to,” he replied smiling at her.

  They reached the car. Zack walked to the driver’s side and opened the car door for her. She turned to thank him. “Today was great. I really appreciate it.”

  “I have a confession to make.” Zack was suddenly looking at his feet. “I wanted to take you riding today and to dinner tonight to try and make up for my rude behavior a couple weeks ago. You know, making fun of your clothes and shoes, and then to have them ruined by dirt and mud. I realize they’re important to you.”

  Jen thought for a brief moment about how shallow that made her sound, but it was true.

  “Anyway, I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends,” Zack said with a smile.

  “I forgive you. There is a lot of dirt and mud in this town. I guess if I’m going to be here I might as well get used to it, but today really helped. I realized I don’t even mind getting dirty when I’m riding!”

  “Glad to hear it.” Zack reached for her hand. “Good night Jen.” He leaned in and Jen’s heart began to race. She closed her eyes and felt a soft kiss on her cheek. Zack smiled at her again and walked away.

  Jen tried to analyze the intense disappointment she felt rising in her. Did she really expect something different? It wasn’t a date, she thought to herself as she drove home. It would have been weird for him to kiss you when you weren’t even on a date! She sighed heavily. Get over yourself Jennifer, she scolded.

  The house was quiet when she got home. She slipped into her pajamas and lay on her bed, thinking about her day, about her night. It had been a long time since she went on a ‘friend date’. She was used to forward gentlemen who had no intention of being friends, or anything else for that matter. Her brow furrowed as she recalled some of her past relationships. But tonight was different. She had had more fun tonight than she had on any date in… well, never mind how long, she thought. Fun or not, relationships really weren’t her strong point, at least not romantic ones. They were complicated and messy, a lot more work than they were worth, and certainly impossible to maintain with a full time job. Still, she couldn’t shake the feelings that were growing for Zack LaFaye. She needed to step back, get out of the clouds and come back to reality. She wasn’t staying in Ohio. She was leaving at the end of August, only two months away. Summer flings never ended well and she wasn’t a teenager anymore. That settled it; she wasn’t going to spend one on one time with Zack anymore. It just wasn’t worth it.

  With her mind made up and determination strong, Jen let herself drift into sleep, her mind swirling with thoughts of Zack, Annie, (that girl was growing on her), and Stallion. She definitely wanted to see Stallion again.

  Chapter 8

  Jen awoke on the last Sunday in June. She rolled onto her side and looked at the clock; 6:42. She winced. With all of this early rising Aunt Gabby was doing, Jen was finding it harder and harder to sleep in past 7:00. She lay there for a few minutes before she decided she wasn’t going back to sleep.

  She rose and put on a pair of black slack shorts. Funny, they were tight; tighter than she remembered them. The front button was cutting into her stomach. She frowned and traded them for a pair of khaki shorts; they too were tight. In shock and horror Jen ran to the bathroom and pulled out the scale. She stared at it, heart beating. Did she want to know? With a feeling of dread Jen closed her eyes and stepped onto the scale. She waited, not daring to look. She knew she had been eating more than usual. Ice cream, pie, BREAD! “Please let the number be small, please let the number be small,” she chanted to herself as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked and calculated. Her heart sank in utter despair. Twelve pounds! Twelve pounds!!! She got off the scale and held her chest. She couldn’t breathe. How on God’s green earth had she gained twelve pounds in five weeks!? She had to do something; stop eating! Yes! That always worked. No that’s silly; Aunt Gabby would never allow that. Run! That’s it! She just needed to start running! She realized she hadn’t done as much as one Pilates workout since she had arrived in Ohio. But… twelve pounds!? “Why me?” she cried out loud to no one in particular.

  After finding an outfit that still fit her, Jen made her way downstairs to find Aunt Gabby making breakfast. Waffles, syrup, jams, fruit, whipped cream, eggs and coffee lined the kitchen counter. Jen was torn; she was hungry. Maybe she’d start her diet tomorrow? She mentally slapped herself and sat down at the bar stool.

  “Good morning,” she grumbled, eyeing the whipped cream and fruit.

  “Good morning dear, you seem a little gloomy this morning.”

  “I’ve gained twelve pounds,” Jen stated, not trying to hide her shame.

  “Oh that’s wonderful!” Aunt Gabby exclaimed. “I bet you feel so much better and full of energy. You were entirely too thin when you got here ya know. I determined the minute I saw you that I was going to work to fatten you up a bit.”

  Jen stared at her, not believing her ears, “You mean you’ve been TRYING to make me gain weight?”

  “I have simply been TRYING to make you healthier darling. You looked like you were going to blow away. And now look at you, rosy cheeked and bright eyed. It’s done you good.”

  “Aunt Gabby let me explain something. I have an extensive, high priced wardrobe consisting of sizes two and four. My two’s no longer fit me. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

  Aunt Gabby was chuckling to herself, “Sounds like we need to go shopping. The Fourth of July fair is Saturday. We’ll go get something cute to wear.” She grinned at Jen like she had just solved the world’s problems, but Jen wasn’t satisfied.

  “Aunt Gabby, I have plenty of clothes. I just need to start working out again and eating less.”

  Aunt Gabby was busy piling food onto a plate and didn’t seem to hear her or wasn’t paying attention.

  “Aunt Gabby,” she said, louder this time.

  She looked up, “Yes dear?”

  “You don’t seem to grasp the gravity of my situation,” Jen stated seriously.

  “What situation is that?”

  Jen let out an exasperated sigh, “The situation of the extra twelve pounds hanging on my ass!” She tried to not sound dramatic but it couldn’t be helped. “What am I going to do about that?”

  Aunt Gabby looked up from what she was doing, smiled and placed a large plate in front of Jen. The waffle was covered with syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries. Two fried eggs were nestled to the side along with four strips of bacon. Jen stared at the food, her feelings conflicted. She had to admit it looked amazing.

  “Embrace it,” Aunt Gabby said holding up a fork; the twinkle in her blue eyes made Jen smile. She looked down at the plate in front of her then back at Aunt Gabby. They both giggled and Jen accepted the fork.

  That Friday morning Jen, Aunt Gabby and Annie went to the local mall to try and find something to wear for the Fourth of July fair the next day and the dance on Sunday night. Jen was having difficulty finding something that suited her style. As they walked from store to store, Jen suddenly spotted one that caught her eye. A New York boutique! Jen squealed with delight and darted in as Annie and Aunt Gabby followed. Jen quickly found what she was looking for; a black pencil skirt and matching vest, with a white, loosely fitting blouse underneath. Clean, classic, and right up Jen’s ally. She held up the outfit so Annie and Aunt Gabby could marvel at its classic beauty.

  “Are you going to a funeral?” Aunt Gabby asked.

  “Or a business meeting?” Annie chimed in.

  Jen felt a little deflated. “What do you mean?” she asked, looking at the outfit, “It’s adorable and very fashionable!”

  “It’s adorable and fashionable for New York City, but not for Ohio. You’ll look like a security agent,” Annie’s tone was soft. “And it’
s… black,” she finished.

  “Black just happens to be a timeless color,” Jen stated, a little irritated.

  “It’s the Fourth of July, Jenny.” Aunt Gabby was ready to put in her two cents. “You need something patriotic!”

  Jen’s eyes narrowed. “You mean like, Red, White and Blue?”

  Both Aunt Gabby and Annie nodded in unison.

  “Well, I don’t know how to dress for these sorts of events,” Jen complained.

  Annie took the outfit from Jen and hung it back on the rack, then she slipped her arm through Jen’s, “You leave it to me, I’ll find you the perfect outfit.” She seemed giddy with excitement. “You’re going to look amazing!”

  Jen looked at Aunt Gabby who nodded her approval. She seemed to think that Annie picking Jen’s outfit for both the fair and the dance was a great idea, so Jen decided to go with it.

  “Trust me,” Annie said as they walked to one of her favorite stores. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll look like a born and bred Ohioan!” Annie giggled and Jen laughed nervously. As Annie pulled Jen into the store, Jen caught sight of the name, Western… something. This was going to be interesting.

  Chapter 9

  The fair was full of people. Ferris wheels, cotton candy, kettle popcorn and even a ‘deep fried anything’ booth were among the many attractions that scattered the area. Jen was having a blast! Who knew these things could be so much fun? Aunt Gabby had shown her around and introduced her to quite a few people. The day was beautiful; not too hot. At least, Jen didn’t think so. She actually felt quite cool in the outfit Annie had picked out for her: a pink and blue plaid shirt with sleeves that went to her elbows, tucked into a pair of cut-off jean shorts that sported a belt with a downright legitimate western buckle! The outfit was pulled together by a pair of brown cowboy boots that Jen felt good in. Annie was right; she looked like a born and bred Ohioan.

  Jen separated from her aunt and walked into a grassy area away from the main bustle of the fair. There was a slight breeze and Jen lifted her head to let it catch her hair. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep.

  “Looks like Annie got her way.”

  Jen spun around to face Zack, a smirk on his face.

  Smiling, Jen folded her arms, “Her way with what?”

  Zack walked up to stand beside her. “Annie told me she was going to give you a makeover, so I bet her that you wouldn’t agree to it. Looks like you did, so she won.”

  “What did you bet?”

  Zack smiled and popped a couple pieces of kettle corn into his mouth as Jen waited for him to explain. “Kettle corn?” he offered, still grinning like a child.

  Hmmm, so you’re going to be like that! Jen thought. She rolled her eyes and turned to start walking.

  “You wanna go on the Ferris wheel?” he asked, clearly changing the subject.

  “Are you serious?” Jen laughed. Stopping, she turned to look at him, “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

  “Ouch. I’m not that old. Besides you are never too old to have fun at the fair.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “Am I right?”

  “That’s a common misconception,” Jen stated as she began walking again, “you can definitely be too old to do certain things.”

  Zack followed her. “Why are you always so uptight?” he asked, chewing his popcorn as he walked. You seem a little young to have forgotten what it’s like to be young.”

  Jen stopped, and for a moment seemed far away in thought. “I guess I got so busy with law school and work that I forget sometimes that I can have fun,” she finally said.

  “So, what could we do to fix that?” he asked, his head slightly tilted to one side. Again, Jen thought of a puppy.

  “Fix what? How to have fun?” Jen wanted to make sure they were on the same page. Zack asked a lot of questions and she didn’t like trying to fill in the blanks. Why couldn’t he just say what he wanted to say? After all, that’s how miscommunication happens. People assume and don’t communicate clearly what they mean. She saw it a lot working with her cases. Miscommunication leads to a lot of problems in today’s society.

  He smiled at her, “I would like to fix…” he paused, “I want to get to know you better. I want to show you how much fun you can have. I thought we had a lot of fun together the other day, going riding. I want to create more experiences like that one. After all, we’re friends, right?”

  Jen thought a moment, looking up and tapping her foot, as if it were a very big decision. She finally smiled and nodded but didn’t say anything.

  Zack laughed, “See! We’re friends, and friends have fun together.”

  “So this friendship,” Jen paused as if she were thinking deeply. “What are the benefits? Do I get your first born if you make fun of my wardrobe?” she asked jokingly.

  This made Zack laugh out loud, and Jen realized again how handsome he was. “Oh, well no, unfortunately, being friends with me does not protect you from the teasing. But I could probably take it down a notch, just until you get a little more used to my style.”

  “I counter your proposal with one of my own. If you still get to tease then I get to ask you five questions, and when I do, you have to answer them, truthfully,” Jen proposed.

  “Oh wow!” Zack laughed, “I forgot you’re a lawyer. Are you using your lawyer tactics on me right now?” He gave her a suspicious look that Jen couldn’t help but laugh at.

  Zack continued, “This is good, I feel like we’re making head way. I’ve learned a lot about you this week.” Holding up his fingers he began to count off. “You’ve grown to like horses…”

  “One horse,” Jen corrected, “Stallion.”

  “Okay, Stallion…” he continued counting, “You’re nosy, I mean, you want to know everything about me… you don’t own a pair of boots or jeans… and you are against kettle corn?” He lifted the bag and gave her a questioning look.

  Jen looked him in the eye for a moment. “Just because you like to analyze everything about me does not mean you know anything. I happen to LOVE kettle corn!” She accepted a handful of the corn offered to her.

  “You,” he said shaking his finger at her teasingly, “you’re a tricky one.”

  She laughed as she chewed.

  “Okay, what would you like to know about me?” Zack offered.

  Jen hid her smile, “What did you and Annie bet?”

  “Ahhh,” Zack said with mischief in his eyes. “Does this count as one of the five questions?”

  Jen shook her head, pretending to be serious, “Oh no, I’ll save those for emergencies only.”

  “Good to know. So what happens if you ask me a question and I lie?” Zack raised his eyebrows in question.

  Jen thought a moment, “Then you will have lied to me. And you’ll have to live with the guilt.”

  Zack nodded and grinned at her, “Fair enough.”

  “The bet..?” Jen was curious.

  “Oh, I just said that she couldn’t get a beautiful, sophisticated girl like you to wear country jeans and a T-shirt. She took the challenge and said I had to buy her lunch if she won. So, looks like I’m taking my sis to lunch.”

  There was a moment of silence. Jen shifted her feet; she wasn’t used to not having something to say. She couldn’t quite figure this guy out. He was charming; too charming at times. She had mentally promised herself that she wasn’t going to spend one on one time with Zack because she couldn’t afford to get involved with him. However, she was beginning to like him. In fact, she liked him a little too much, and that could lead to problems.

  Despite Jen telling herself this wasn’t a good idea, she couldn’t resist walking and talking with Zack. He was so different from the other men she had been with. He seemed to enjoy life, and was driven only by what each day had to offer, rather than schedules, datelines and appointments.

  The conversation flowed effortlessly as they continued walking together. They talked about summer, the fair, and riding together. Zack opened up and shared some stor
ies from when he was young and Jen found herself listening intently. They talked of places they’d like to see and the difference between Ohio and New York. Laughing, they quoted favorite movie lines, and divulged embarrassing stories about high school. Zack revealed he played the saxophone and loved ballroom dancing. Jen told him how much she loved to paint, and that she secretly wished she could be an artist. The afternoon sped by and Jen couldn’t remember the last time she opened up on this level with a guy.

  “So,” Zack started, when they had come to a break in their conversation about favorite foods, “Can I buy you a deep fried Twinkie?”

  “Seriously?” she asked.

  “Oh we don’t joke about deep fried things here.”