by Alicia White
She had long, black hair with swooping bangs that had taken forever to grow out the way she wanted them. Her eyes were brown, nothing special there. She stared at her body, wishing that she was twenty again. She felt old. She did have a cute figure, though, and she thanked her mother for that. She had always thought her boobs were her best assets, a smidge too big for her five-foot, three-inch frame but full and plump. She turned and stared at her backside in the mirror.
“Yup. These are my favorite jeans.” She shook her ass and smiled at her reflection. She saw the clock and knew she didn’t have much more quiet time before Mrs. Johnson arrived. She already knew how that conversation was going to play out. Maybe that was her problem. Every day felt the same. It was like she relived the same day over and over again, except she kept getting older.
Selena stepped into her shoes and left her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She tiptoed down the hall into the dining room area. She flipped on a few lights as she went toward the entry way. She lit some incense, pulled out her yoga mat, and sat down. She sat straight, rested her hands on her knees, and took deep, cleansing breaths, letting the lavender take away her stress. The hints of gardenia and jasmine were her favorites. She always felt so rejuvenated and happy after she meditated.
She heard the sputtering of an engine and smiled. Mrs. Johnson was arriving. She stood up, folded up her yoga mat, and hid it back behind the chair. She moved through the dining area to the kitchen and held the door open.
“Good morning, Mrs. Johnson,” she sang out.
“Good morning,” she growled. “We aren’t doing this every morning, Selena. It’s stopping today! Call me Ruth right now or I’m not coming in.” She crossed her arms over her chest and arched a brow, daring her to disobey. Selena wanted to laugh. She loved their morning routine and hated to see it change, but she knew that she needed to have some change in her life.
“Okay, you win,” she put her hand up in surrender. “Good morning Ruth.” She harrumphed and walked up the stairs, past Selena and into the kitchen.
“What’s for breakfast today?” she asked, her stomach already growling, and Ruth laughed, shaking her head.
* * * *
Ruth moved around the kitchen, picking out different ingredients. They usually always followed a specific calendar, but she was sick and tired of the routine. How could Selena live every day without any excitement? This morning when she arrived, she already knew what their conversation would be and that’s why she had put her foot down. She loved Selena as if she was her own daughter, but the girl needed her world shaken up a bit.
Ruth still remembered when Selena had come to visit her great Aunt Hattie. She had been such a sweet little girl—always outside playing, hiking, and fishing. It seemed that her parents’ divorce and then her Aunt Hattie’s death had changed her somehow. The poor girl rarely went out and had fun, except, of course, with her friend Lana.
Selena had moved to Spirit almost seven years ago and ever since then, she had been working her fingers to the bone trying to make this place popular again. All her hard work had paid off, and the B and B was exactly how it had been originally. Ruth had known that she was needed here, almost as if Hattie herself had come to her and asked her to help her niece. Ruth had showed up at the door and offered to help with the cooking once the place had been restored, and Selena had been grateful, still was grateful.
“How about waffles? We can add strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with some fresh whipped cream. I’m also thinking sausage links and bacon.” She turned and looked at Selena, and she nodded vigorously and licked her lips.
“That sounds delicious,” she said, and Ruth smiled. “I guess I’ll start folding the napkins. If you need an extra hand, just let me know.”
Ruth watched as Selena grabbed the laundry basket and started folding. She had asked about her sons staying here because she knew that the three of them would hit it off. The only problem would be getting Selena to take some time for herself. She already knew that both Andrew and Sam would love her. She was just so easy to love. They both got to work, preparing for the morning rush.
She still remembered her last conversation with Hattie. Her health had been failing, and Ruth had been visiting her on a daily basis, trying to help her to keep the B and B running. It had been impossible there at the end, though, and she knew that the only way to get the place back off the ground was to have new blood come in a run the place.
“Ruth. I want to thank you for helping me. You’ve been a good friend.”
“That’s what we do here in Spirit. We take care of each other. Now, just rest and try to relax,” she had said, hoping her friend wouldn’t die. Her time was coming, though. She was weakening, giving up.
“I need you to do something for me,” Hattie said, her voice almost a whisper.
“Of course. I’ll do anything.”
“Please help Selena run this place. Help her find some happiness here in Spirit,” she pleaded, and Ruth had taken her hand. She would do anything to help this place get up and running again, to help Selena carry on Hattie’s legacy. “She’s a good girl. I’ve missed her so much. I can still remember when she used to run through this house laughing and playing. I just want her to love Spirit as much I do. She belongs here. I can feel it.”
“I’ll watch out for her. I help her anyway that I can. Don’t worry.” Hattie closed her eyes and nodded, a tear dripping down her cheek, and Ruth wiped her face, trying to give her some comfort in her last days. She wouldn’t let her friend down. This place would be full of laughter once more.
Ruth blinked rapidly. She wouldn’t cry. She had come here and fulfilled her friend’s last wish. Now it was time to help Selena find the joy she needed.
Ruth mixed the batter quickly, getting the last of the lumps out and poured it into the waffle maker. She closed the lid and listened to the batter sizzle against the hot surface and then moved around the kitchen, cutting fruit and preparing the sausage and bacon. She really loved being at the B and B. It reminded her of happy times with Hattie. This place would always have a piece of her friend connected to it.
She heard quiet humming and turned to watch Selena as she finished folding the napkins. She would be the perfect match for Andrew and Sam. Now, she just needed to get the three of them together and watch the sparks fly. Ruth smiled as she thought about the future.
Chapter 4
Sam woke up early. He needed to pack and then get to work. Things had been really busy for them this past year, and they had quite a few projects that needed to get finished on a tight deadline. Luckily, they had a good team, otherwise he wouldn’t feel comfortable about leaving to go visit their parents. He pulled his suitcase out of the closet and laid it on his bed, doing a mental checklist of what he needed to pack.
He walked to his dresser, grabbed a pile of T-shirts, jeans, socks, and boxer briefs, and laid them next to his suitcase. He heard a knock on his door and turned slightly to see Andrew leaning against the wall, dressed for work.
“You’re already packing?”
“You know I hate waiting until the last minute. It stresses me out.”
“When are we going to talk about moving to Spirit? You know our parents are getting older. I think they need us there.” They had this conversation every year, and he knew that Andrew was right. Their parents did need them, even if they didn’t come right out and say it. He could tell that their dads needed the extra help with their construction business, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to leave Santa Fe, New Mexico, for good. Especially since they had jobs in progress.
“Business is booming right now. We have at least a half-dozen jobs in progress with a lot more people asking for quotes and designs. It’s not the right time.”
“When will it ever be the right time? Last year we couldn’t move because the economy wasn’t good enough. This year it’s too good.”
What his brother forgot to mention was that this time last year they had just started to date a woman
named Torrey. She had seemed great, and she had wanted a ménage relationship. It wasn’t until meeting her mother that they realized it wouldn’t work. Her mother had been overbearing and rude, two huge red flags as far as he was concerned. Most women turned into their mothers, and the last thing he wanted was a woman playing at being submissive when she wasn’t.
“I don’t know. Let’s just wait until we get there. We can assess the situation and talk to our dads to see if they want us to move there.” He didn’t want to commit to anything yet. If or when they moved, he wanted it to be a smooth transition, and he definitely didn’t want to move back into their house. “Maybe we should look at a few houses while we’re there, just in case.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Did you get reservations at Aunt Hattie’s B and B like Mom said?” Andrew asked.
“I called yesterday, but all the rooms are booked up.” Sam counted out seven shirts, jeans, boxer briefs, and socks. He laid everything inside his suitcase in straight lines.
“Shit. I know Mom really wanted us to stay there. She said something about a girl she wanted us to meet. Anyway, I’ll call Mom and ask if she made us a reservation.”
“A girl? What girl?” He turned and stared at Andrew, wondering what conversation he had missed. Was their mother really trying to set them up again?
“Don’t you listen to Mom when she talks?” He tried to listen. The only problem was that she seemed to call at all the wrong times. “Selena Easton is her name. Mom’s been trying to set us up with her for years. She runs Aunt Hattie’s Bed-and-Breakfast.”
A warm feeling ran through Sam’s entire body. He still remembered her sweet voice, and when she had said, Yes, sir, his cock had hardened immediately.
“Why are you smiling like that? It’s kind of creepy. Stop.” Sam immediately schooled his features. Creepy? Seriously, that’s how he looked when he thought of Selena’s sexy voice. He’d have to remember that.
“I got us a room at the High Country Inn just in case. I’m sure Mom will be fine. It won’t be an issue and we can still have breakfast every morning at the B and B with Mom.” He walked into the bathroom and started packing up his razor, shaving cream, and other toiletries.
“We need to head to work. Stop packing. You have plenty of time to do that later. There is coffee waiting on the counter.” Andrew’s voice trailed off as he walked away, and Sam knew he was right. He quickly threw the bag into his suitcase and started changing. It was getting late, and he had tons to do.
Sam did a mental checklist of his day while he put on his work boots. He was needed at a work site in Santa Fe, and then he needed to get back to his office to finishing drawing up plans for a new hospital that was being built. He was glad that he had talked Andrew into adding on to their house instead of purchasing an office downtown. He really liked being able to work from home. It was comfortable and convenient.
He grabbed his backpack that had his laptop, phone, and equipment and headed into the kitchen to get his coffee. Sam really liked this house. Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to leave. The place was perfectly designed for all their needs. Eventually he did want to get married, but he just wasn’t ready to change his life yet. Marriage equaled change, and he really hated change.
Sam grabbed his coffee and keys off the counter and headed outside into the chilly morning. The weather was always changing, so he made sure to dress in different layers. It could be cold one minute and hot the next, and regardless of what most folks thought, it did rain and snow in New Mexico as well. Nothing compared to Spirit, but still he was always prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw his way.
His phone started ringing, and Sam started his engine, pushing the button for his Bluetooth. “This is Sam.”
“Have you left the house yet?” Andrew asked, and Sam rolled his eyes. He didn’t always run behind schedule, but this morning he had needed to start packing for their vacation.
“Yes. I’m pulling out of the driveway now.”
“Are you going to the Santa Fe site first?” He felt like he was dealing with one of his dads. Andrew was always checking up on him, and it was weird since he had always been considered the responsible one.
“Yeah.”
“Okay good. I just got a phone call. I guess there are some issues this morning with the electrical. I’m heading there as well. See you in a bit.” Sam groaned, and Andrew hung up.
He didn’t want to deal with any issues. The week needed to go by smoothly so that they could leave town. He had been looking forward to the gun show and visiting his parents for quite a while. They hadn’t had a real vacation for at least a year.
Sam pulled onto I-25 North and drove toward Santa Fe. He was hoping they could solve the issues and get back to work. This project was due to be wrapped up within the week.
* * * *
Andrew stepped on the gas pedal and maneuvered quickly through the morning traffic. He needed to get to the site and finish this project. He had been trying to wrap up all their projects, hoping that they might be able to move back to Spirit. His parents had been asking him, not directly, but he knew that they needed help.
His dads had a construction company, and he knew that with their architecture backgrounds and experience in construction they could take over and turn the company into the business they had here in New Mexico. The only problem was Sam. He was a man that liked his schedules and hated change. It had been hard getting him to leave Spirit and come to New Mexico to start a business in the first place, but Andrew was prepared for the challenge.
Andrew pulled off the exit leading to downtown Santa Fe and went to the site. He was hoping that the electrical issues would be minor so that Sam wouldn’t need to get stressed out. He didn’t want their trip being canceled or postponed. Technically, he could leave and go on vacation, but he didn’t want to leave Sam behind. He also didn’t want to move back to Spirit without him. There were a lot of decisions that needed to be made.
Andrew pulled into the lot and parked his truck. He jumped out and walked inside the new complex that they had just finished. One of their employees was standing by the door waiting for him, a look of concern on his face, and Andrew cringed internally.
“What happened, Charles?” he asked, hoping that the older man would talk quickly. If he could figure out the issue before Sam arrived, then they could end the day on time.
“Well, I got here this morning and flipped on the light switch.” Andrew followed Charles into the building to that specific switch and looked around. He saw glass on the ground and knew what had happened before Charles finished his story. “The light bulb exploded. I went to the fuse box.” Andrew followed him outside to the fuse box and could smell burnt plastic. “I opened the box, and it looks like we have some burnt electricity.”
Andrew had an idea, but he needed to move fast. He knew that Sam was only minutes away. “Okay. Let’s flip the breaker, replace the bulb, and try this again.” He wanted to see if this was a short circuit. If that was the case, then there could be a major problem. The short circuit could be in the walls or in the attic of the building. Andrew took a deep breath and crossed his fingers. He flipped the breaker and went back to the light, careful not to cut his fingers as he replaced the bulb.
“Okay Charles, flip the breaker,” he yelled. Andrew waited until he saw Charles come back into the building, and then he flipped the light switch. The light bulb exploded, and Andrew leaned his head against the wall, trying to figure out his next move should be.
“Damn it!” The sound of Sam’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. He knew what his brother was thinking, what he always thought. He thought of the worst-case scenario for each situation. Andrew considered it having a negative attitude, but Sam would always say that he was a realist. They had a difference of opinion where Sam’s little freak-outs were concerned.
“It’s fine. I’m troubleshooting the situation, and it’s going to be fixed today. It’s minor.”
“Are you kidding me? This is
a short circuit. Which means it’s in a wire that is probably located in one of these walls.” He motioned around the room and the finished building. It was due to have its grand opening next week. In fact, they were planning to start moving the office equipment in. “We’re going to have to strip everything down. This is going to take weeks.” He paced the room, looking grim, and Andrew tried to think.
“It could be a bad circuit breaker.”
“How many brand-new circuit breakers need to be replaced?” he asked sarcastically, and Andrew just shook his head.
“I’m going to spend time troubleshooting before breaking down any walls. I’ll take care of this. Just go finish the cosmetic issues so that the office equipment can be brought in here. We’re staying on schedule.” Andrew walked out of the building. He needed to go purchase a new circuit breaker. As he drove down the street to the hardware store, he said a silent prayer that this wouldn’t be a major issue. He didn’t want their vacation to be ruined.
Andrew jumped out of his truck, rushed into the hardware store, and purchased the different materials he needed. On his way back to the site, he thought about how much better their lives would be if they moved to Spirit. It had that small-town feel to it, even after all the years they had been away. It was growing, so their services would be needed, but they wouldn’t have to work on dozens of projects at once. Spirit was more affordable and they could get a nice house or even build something, if that’s what Sam wanted to do.
Andrew pulled into the work site just as gray clouds rolled in, covering the sky. In a matter of minutes, rain started hitting the windshield. He jumped out of his truck, grabbed the plastic bag, and walked inside the building. He didn’t see Sam or Charles, so he assumed that they were busy checking out the rest of the building. This project was due to end and he knew they didn’t have much time. The goal was always to come in on time and under budget.