by Emerson Rose
He’s right, again and as usual. I did accept the job on his ranch first. He bargained for it but I could have said no and I didn’t. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my boss at the clinic that I had another job already. “Oh, Mr. Smith I’m going to have to turn down your position because I forgot I already have a job.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
“Okay? You’re going to honor your commitment at the Hill ranch?”
Wow, he’s really pulling out all the stops with the honor thy job commitment thing.
“Yes, I’ll honor our agreement.”
“Good, now as my employee your first act of business is to get over here and kiss me.”
“Am I going to have to kiss all the animals on the Hill ranch?”
He chuckles, “No, just me.”
“That’s a relief.”
He pulls me down and presses his forehead against mine. His hand covers mine and slips it under his t-shirt against his warm skin, moving it until it’s over his heart.
“This is yours now, you saved my life today, I owe you.” He presses on my hand and I feel his heart beating steadily under it.
Wow, this feels serious. I mean I felt like it was serious last week but this, this feels super serious. Should I say “Thanks” or “Okay” or “You don’t owe me anything, we’re good.”
I think I’ll go with “Okay.” He smiles when I respond and kisses me until I can’t see straight so “Okay” must have been okay.
“You ready to bust me out of this place?” he says with his lips still touching mine.
“Uh, huh.”
“Good, let’s go rent a room at a hotel.”
I jerk my head back, “What? I’m not wasting money on a hotel room when I live twenty minutes away.”
“No, you aren’t, I am. I want you to ride me all afternoon like the cowgirl you are and I’m not doing it in that lumpy ass excuse for a bed you have.”
I like the sound of that but he just spent the morning in the ER recovering from a diabetic coma. Having sex all afternoon might not be the best idea.
“Do you think that’s a good idea after all this? Maybe you should take it easy today.”
“That’s why you’re riding me. You’re going to be doing all the work.” He smiles a shit-eating grin and I have to say, this is one time I will not mind doing all the work.
24
Sinful temptations
Beau
Long distance relationships suck but with a little creative video “chatting” and me visiting Charlotte often we made it. Charlotte graduated from ISU last week and took her boards yesterday.
I attended her graduation ceremony sitting as far away from Jack, Sarah, Stella and Jack Jr. Deardon as possible. They took her out to dinner after and she came home to me in her apartment lounging on her very comfortable, very plush, very new mattress.
Today she is coming home and we plan on breaking the news to our families that we are a couple. So far we have been able to keep things under wraps, with her being there and me being here, but the time has come to spill the beans.
Ever since that hiccup the week after we met when she quit talking to me it’s been smooth sailing. Things are easy between us, we don’t argue often, she gives me a little sass, but not too much, and I spoil her like the princess that she is. The fancy Rolex watch I gave her as a graduation gift and the brand new Nissan Titan pickup in my driveway is proof of that.
Things are perfect and I don’t like it when things are perfect. It means shit’s about to go bad because nothing’s perfect. No doubt telling our families we are in love is going to take us a few notches down from perfect, but what other choice do we have?
We are telling her family at the airport when she lands. Its public I know, but we figure they might not make such a fuss if people are watching.
We have had many late night discussions that bleed into morning on how we are going to tell my parents. Mom has deteriorated a lot over the past few months despite the excellent care that Constance has given her.
It’s the nature of the disease and Alzheimer’s is nature’s biggest bitch. There are days when she doesn’t recognize dad or me at all. I don’t want to tell him about Charlotte on one of those days. He’s a cheating ass, but Alzheimer’s is punishing him for those sins and I don’t feel like I need to rub salt in his wounds.
Since it’s a crapshoot with mom’s memory and she always seems to be better in the morning that’s when we are going to tell her. Charlotte and I are crossing our fingers and toes that mom won’t remember the Hill/Deardon family feud.
Dad knows I hired a new vet, he just doesn’t know it’s Charlotte Deardon. We decided that after we tell my mom we will head to the barn and I’ll introduce him to our new vet and my girlfriend/princess/wife to be.
Yep, when the dust settles I’m asking her to marry me.
The infamous womanizing, player, bad boy, Beau Hill is settling down and getting married, if she says yes that is, and she’s going to say yes.
I don’t get nervous but today when I walked into the airport I had a flash of apprehension. Charlotte is the most important thing that’s ever happened to me and I need this thing with our families to be over.
I want to have a family with her, how are we supposed to raise kids with grandparents and aunties and uncles who despise each other? Will they hate our kids because Hill and Deardon blood will flow together through their veins?
I will protect Charlotte from our families if they decide the feud is more important than seeing their children happy. If it comes down to it I will leave Whisky Hill Ranch and take her away to start our own family ranch. Leaving my land, my home would be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do but I’d do it for her. I’d do anything for her.
I love it here, I grew up here and I’ve worked every day of my life building Whisky Hill into the most beautiful place on earth, but none of that would mean anything to me without Charlotte by my side.
It’s four forty five, her plane lands at five. I’m making my way to the airport’s entrance from bum fuck Egypt, where I had to park, when I see the Deardon’s.
Shit, I figured they were already here. I planned on hanging back until Charlotte came off the jet bridge so we could do this together but it’s too late, Jack Jr. just spotted me and he’s whispering to his mom.
I don’t see Stella with them this time. Good, she caused enough trouble when she filled Charlotte’s head with her judgmental opinions about me.
Jack Sr. whips his head in my direction when Sarah tells him I’m here. He gives me a look, the kind of look that says what the hell are you doing here? Like I don’t have the fucking right to be at the airport the same time they are.
I try not to react but I’m pretty sure my irritation is written all over my face. This isn’t starting off well. Here goes our perfect.
We arrive at the automatic doors at the same time, go figure. They slide open and I wait for them to go inside first. Jack Sr. stops right inside the door and confronts me.
“What the hell are you doing here Hill?” He says with so much venom you’d think I murdered his first-born.
I smile all polite like and say, “Nice to see you too Jack, here to pick up a friend like you I suppose.”
He snorts and Sarah points her nose upward, closes her eyes and turns her head away from me like she’s royalty shunning a slave. What the hell is wrong with these people?
“Keep walking Jack, we don’t associate with his kind,” Sarah says pulling on Jack’s arm. He looks back at her for a second and back to me.
“What kind would that be Sarah?” I ask because I can’t help it.
“The trashy, lying, arsonist, adulteress kind.”
Ouch, wow, what a bitch and this bitch is going to be my mother in law. I think mother in bitch works much better for her.
“Those are pretty strong words Sarah. I don’t recall ever lying to you, setting anything you own on fire or cheating on anybody. How are you gonna say things like th
at to me?”
“Yes they are strong words Beau Hill. Evil people have to be dealt with, with strong words. And you might not have committed any of those crimes yourself but your family did, and those sins are your sins when you share the same blood.”
“That’s an interesting concept Sarah. So if I’m hearing you right, you’re saying if your daughter and I had kids they would be responsible for the sins of both our family members all the way back to the beginning of time?”
She gasps and her hand flies to cover her mouth, “Oh my good Lord Jesus Christ, don’t you say such despicable things Beau Hill!”
Jack Sr.’s mouth is hanging open and Jack Jr. is fast turning bright red.
“Oh Sarah, whew, I’m glad we agree on that one. It would be ridiculous to think an innocent baby could be blamed for the hundred year old sins of their forefathers.”
Another gasp, and this time a wheeze. I hope she’s not asthmatic or something, Charlotte never mentioned that.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. The idea of you and my daughter together…” She shivers, an actual shiver shudders through her body at the very thought of Charlotte and I together. This is going to be harder than I thought.
Sarah is a religious woman, this I know. I am not a religious man however my grandma, God rest her soul, was. When I was little she made me memorize many a bible verse.
“Here’s something I don’t understand Sarah. If you’re such a God fearing woman and a wonderful Christian, which of course I’m sure you are, how do you explain Colossians chapter three verse thirteen that says “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.”
She opens her mouth to respond but I cut her off, “Or Matthew chapter six verse fifteen through sixteen that says “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.”
“Seems to me your bible is teaching a lot about forgiveness but you haven’t learned anything.”
The doors open and we all move as a group to the right out of the way while a family with three small children enter with full-on smiles looking like they’re ready for the vacation of their life. Right about now I’m wishin’ I was going with them.
“Beau Hill, stop spewing bible verses at me that you don’t know anything about,” Sarah hisses.
“Sarah, how come you always call me by my full name? I don’t call you Sarah Deardon. And how do you know what I know about the bible. My grandma Mazy taught me a lot before she died. You remember my grandma Mazy don’t you Sarah? She was the choir leader, welcome committee leader, launderer of vestments…”
She interrupts me with a scowl and a pointed finger, “Well she was a Hill too so obviously she didn’t have any idea what she was teaching you, and being involved at church don’t mean you got all the answers.”
This woman is unbelievable. I can’t believe she and Charlotte share DNA. I can’t believe Charlotte isn’t one seriously fucked up individual.
“You need to move on Beau, stop upsetting my wife. We need to pick up our daughter.” Jack Sr. says.
“Dad? Mom? What’s going on?” Charlotte’s voice floats through the terminal, music to my fucking ears. Now we can get this over with and be on our way.
“I thought you were meeting me at the gate,” she says her eyes moving from her mom to her dad and then Jake Jr. “Where’s Stella?”
“She was busy this afternoon, she says to say hello. And I’m so sorry we were late sweetheart.” She flicks her hand at me dismissively in my direction. “Beau Hill, here was holding us up with his nonsense about the bible. Let’s get your bags honey and get you home.”
Charlotte eyes me, brows knit together and confused. “The bible?”
“Yeah baby, don’t ask.”
Time stands still in the terminal like we’re in a movie and someone pressed pause. Tension builds in the air and everyone around me, including Charlotte, is processing the fact that I just called her baby.
This was not how we planned on telling them, we were going to ease into it nice and gentle, try some calming tactics and slide it into conversation, so much for that.
Calling Charlotte, baby, is second nature to me. I didn’t even realize I’d said it until Sarah went pale, Jack Sr. swayed and Jack Jr.’s jaw twitched.
Charlotte sighs deeply and takes my hand lacing her fingers with mine. “Well, cats out of the bag I guess. We were going to tell you today anyway, just not quite like this.” She straightens her back and squeezes my hand. “Mom, Daddy, Jack, Beau and I are dating, we’re in love and I’m going to be working full time as a vet for the Hill family and living in Beau’s house.” She turns to me, “Do you have anything to add babe?”
“Naw Princess, I think you pretty well covered it.”
“Like hell you are,” Jack Sr. says. “Deardons don’t mix with Hills, you know that. No way in hell are you dating this, this… Hill!” he yells.
Sarah’s been trying to form words, when she does all she can get out is, “Princess?” on a disbelieving whisper. Staring at Charlotte her eyes move to our linked hands and back to her face. It’s nice to know she can be shocked into silence.
“You better get your fucking hand off my sister Beau before I kick your ass all over this terminal,” Jack Jr. says through gritted teeth.
“I do believe she took my hand Jack Jr. I know you’re just trying to protect your sister, that’s very noble of you by the way. But I’m twice your size and she doesn’t need protecting from me. I love her, I wouldn’t hurt her for anything in the world.”
Jack Jr. is dense but not dense enough to follow through with his empty threat. Instead he stands between his parents, red faced and fuming with his hands balled up into fists at his sides.
And that’s when Sarah finds her voice. She sees Charlotte’s Rolex glimmering in the sunlight shining through doors on her wrist.
“Charlotte, my Lord in heaven, don’t let this serpent tempt you into sin with his expensive gifts. He only wants to take your innocence and tarnish it with his evil ways.”
Everyone looks at Charlotte’s watch, including Charlotte. “Look, Mom, he isn’t tempting me with anything. This was a graduation gift, we have been seeing each other for months and he would never lead me into sin, or whatever you just said, I love him.”
“You don’t,” Jack Sr. says taking a step forward in Charlotte’s direction.
Charlotte leans into him on her toes and says firmly, “I do, Daddy.”
“No, I forbid it. Haven’t you been listening to me all these years? The Hills tried to ruin our family, they can’t be trusted.”
She reaches out to place her hand on his shoulder. “Daddy, that is ancient history, if it’s even history at all. How do you know any of that stuff really happened? It was so long ago. Can’t we just be reasonable adults and leave all those stories in the past where they belong?”
“No, we can’t. Now let go of his hand, Charlotte and let me take you home.”
“Daddy, I’m twenty-two years old, you can’t tell me what to do.”
“I’m still your father and I’m telling you, let go, we are leaving.”
“Listen to your daddy Charlotte, he knows what’s best for you.”
She shakes her head. “No. He. Doesn’t. I’m not going home with you. I’m moving into Beau’s house, all my things have already been shipped there.”
“No daughter of mine is going to shack up, especially not with a Hill,” her dad says quietly in a menacing tone. He’s got about one thread of sanity left before he completely snaps.
“I’m not shacking up. Beau lives in the main house with his parents. He’s renting me his house so I can be close to the animals in case of an emergency.”
I lean over like I’m going to tell her a secret and say loud enough for her family to hear, “You’re not paying rent baby. The house came with the job offer remember?”
/>
Her eyes are still trained on her dad when I feel her sharp elbow in my side. Damn, I was trying to help.
“See? He’s tempting you! Watches, houses, jobs, he doesn’t love you, he’s just wants your virginity.”
A few people passing by our little family reunion turn and look when they hear that. My poor Charlotte turns a brilliant shade of crimson that just happens to be one of my favorites. However, usually it’s me, not embarrassment or anger that flushes her this way. Knowing that she is embarrassed instead of hot and bothered pisses me off.
“That’s it, come on baby. You don’t have to listen to this insanity. We’re going home.” I pull on her arm but she doesn’t move.
“I can’t believe you just said that mom. Am I so unlovable that a wonderful man like Beau couldn’t possibly love me for anything other than my virginity? Is that what you’re saying? Because I’ll have you know that I’ve already given it to him, a long time ago, and guess what? He still loves me! And those temptations you keep talking about, those are just a few of the ways he proves to me how much he loves me too.”
“I didn’t say you were unlovable honey, please come home and we can talk about it without him influencing you.”
“No, I’ll be at Beau’s house if you need me for anything call. But if you can’t accept that we are together don’t bother.”
She turns away from them yanking on my arm dragging me with her.
“Baby, you sure you want to leave it like that?”
“They aren’t going to listen. Talking to them is like talking to a brick wall. They’re so stuck in the past it’s gonna take a time machine to get them caught up to the twentieth century, where people don’t have stupid ass family feuds about stupid ass things that probably never even happened.”
She’s strong when she’s mad. She dragged me all the way to the truck while she ranted. “Baby, Princess, hey, stop that was us.” I point to my truck a row behind us. She stops short and stares at it. “Oh, okay. Sorry,” she mumbles and I pull her into my arms for a hug.