Alex

WATCHING LACEY WIN PEOPLE over was like watching the sun shine through the clouds after a cool Montana day. It was well received but also not the best conditions to work in. I saw the effect she had on people and her attitude to life was just hell-for-leather at breakneck speed. She didn’t reach an obstacle she couldn’t overcome often; I was sure of it. I liked how direct she was, no bullshit, and I admired how she controlled the direction of her energy, not giving one solitary shit for what may lie in her way. She was tough and charming as all hell. I knew everyone at Bishops liked her; she was easy on the eye and as nice as pie. No one saw the bite except me.

The barbeque was great; the kids loved it and it was a nice way to thank Mabel and Eric for all that they do and actually spend downtime with them and Johnny. I knew Johnny thought I worked too much, and he often said that the last time he saw me truly smile was when I beat him at Super Mario Galaxy ten years before—back in the days when I had time to play video games. I guess I got laid since then, so I must have smiled at some point. Johnny worried about me, but he didn’t say, instead he joked around and tried to get me to be like him. Normal.

I wasn’t like him; I had Mom and the kids and no one to help me. I would never be like him.

Lacey didn’t feel sorry for me, she didn’t pander to my situation or look at me like some guy who had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Quite the opposite, when she wasn’t looking at me like I had pissed her off beyond repair with my dismissal of her shit, she actually looked at me like she could eat me alive. People in this town steered clear of the Millers, women in this town who didn’t steer clear knew I was Amber’s ex and hoped we’d get back together. Sometimes I caught Lacey looking at me like I could visit her again and bend her over the bed just like I did before. It made me hard thinking about it.

“So you taking me to see the venture?” she asked, her lips pushed out in a goading pout as she asked. I had finished my beer and Lacey was nursing a small amount of wine in her glass.

“I can...” I nodded, suddenly nervous about actually showing someone. “It might not be what you had in mind.”I sighed.

“Back street abortion clinic?” she asked bluntly with a serious tone and I dropped my jaw at her crude joke. “I’m joking obviously. I know you’re not medically trained.” She smirked and threw back the remainder of the wine.

“It’s less invasive and involves just the one person,” I shook my head and couldn’t help but laugh at her.

“Hmmm,” she tapped her chin with a manicured finger, “webcam stripper?” she raised her eyebrows and looked hopeful.

“Look,” I stood and pointed at her with my empty beer bottle, “you won’t guess so I’ll show you, let me go speak to the kids.”

She stood, as I turned back to jog inside the house. I threw the bottle in the garbage and padded upstairs. The house was no longer as neat as it had been when Mom was around. She was by no means a neat person, but she did tend to give a shit about things not lying around the floor. Upstairs since we had been without her, the floor was covered in crap. I stepped over laundry and abandoned bags and walked to Logan’s room. I peeked around the door to see him sat up in bed asleep. The light from the TV glared throughout the room but he was asleep with his mouth wide open. I walked inside, turned off his TV and bent to kiss his head, pulling him to lie down. His hair was getting long, I’d need to take him to the barbers the next week. “Night, buddy,” I said. I covered him up with his sheet and left.

I walked across the corridor and tapped lightly on Sara’s door, “Sara,” I said a little louder than the knock and I heard her rustling behind the door. She appeared and gave me a tight smile. “I’m gonna head to the workshop for a half hour, you good here?” I asked her. I just wanted to converse without attitude and I was pleased to see her stance relax a little. Maybe having company had mellowed her a little.

“Sure,” she shrugged.

“Can you listen out for Logan?” I mumbled.

“Uh huh,” she added.

“Right,” I sighed, turned and jogged back downstairs. When I reached the bottom step, I heard a noise in the kitchen and moved to lean on the doorframe to see Lacey washing up her wine glass. “Ready?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she turned on a grin and I raked my eyes over her. Girls like Lacey didn’t exist in Celebration Falls. She was effortlessly put together and despite only wearing jeans and a sleeveless blue and white striped shirt that tied at the waist, she rocked it. “Let’s go.”

I took a deep breath as she walked towards me and caught her scent as she neared. She managed to smell awesome and sweet despite spending hours earlier out on a horse. I always smelled of sweat and hard work. I followed her out of the front door and pulled it closed behind me. “It isn’t far.”

I led her in the dark, down the veranda and into the night lit by stars. There were no street lamps on the farm, but I knew the place like the back of my hand. “Alex,” she hesitated at the bottom step.

“Yeah?” I turned to see her looking a little unsure.

“Um, it’s dark and what if we get separated? Should we have a flashlight?”

“Here,” I held out my hand, “I know my way around this place with my eyes closed, you’re good with me.”

She smiled and glanced down at my hand, leaning forward and taking it, “Okay.”

Her hand felt tiny inside my own. The silence of the night was deafening as all I could hear were the sounds of our breathing. The night we’d spent together had been crazy and unexpected but now that I held her hand in mine it was all I could think about—her soft, tan skin and the way she felt underneath my body. She was addictive and although I knew it wasn’t a great idea, the more I was with her, the more I forgot why.

“Almost there,” I whispered in the darkness as we neared my grandpa’s old workshop and Lacey gave my hand a gentle squeeze. When we reached the door, I dropped her hand and pulled the padlock key from my pocket. I found the lock, feeling for the hole with my index finger and once unlocked, I pulled the door open. As soon as I could I reached around and flicked on the light, shrouding us both in the glow from the workshop. I turned to see Lacey step inside and she gave me an easy smile.

“Where have you brought me, Alex?” she smirked.

“This,” I indicated around me with my hands, “is where my grandpa taught me some of his old tricks and it used to be his workshop, and now,” I watched her as she took in the surroundings, “it’s mine.”

She walked past me and to the back of the workshop, her eyes trained on the furniture I’d made sitting at the back. She looked at me quickly over her shoulder and grinned, “You made these?”

I nodded and lowered my head shyly, following to where my new pieces were sitting at the back of the barn. She swept her eyes over the furniture that sat waiting to go to its home and I stood quietly behind her. There was a rocking chair, a dining table and chairs that I had been commissioned for, and a toddler bed I had carved the name Mason in, also commissioned. All of which were in various stages of varnish.

“You made these?” she repeated, her face agape in shock and what I hoped was awe.

“I did,” I nodded, “it’s a hobby that I’m making a little money off of.”

“Wow,” she let out a low whistle, walking to sit in the rocking chair, “how on earth do you find the time?”

I shrugged, “I guess it’s what I enjoy, so I come out here most nights to clear my head and before Mom...” I didn’t like talking about my mom’s failing in front of her. She was the owner after all and had yet to meet my mom since she'd found out about her difficulties. I’d already said enough. “Before she got sick, I used to get out here more.”

“So you make money off this stuff?” she asked, her business brain kicking in.

“I could make more,” I grunted out, “but I get a decent turnover when I sell a piece. I have more that I’m working on.”

“How do you sell?”

“Online or via a small local shop a few towns over,” I told her, “I could do with better marketing.”

“You need to be able to meet the demand if it takes off though,” she eyed me and walked back to where I stood. “This sort of stuff is very popular, and you could build a pretty decent demand but you need to have stock.”

“I could build stock,” I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms. I knew she was challenging me to see how viable the business was, but it felt like a criticism. I was too used to that.

“Can someone help you, like an assistant?” she rolled her eyes upwards in thought. “I’m wanting to get my bakery and farm foods idea off the ground and you could feed into that.”

“Um,” I stuttered, “I could teach someone.”

“Maybe when your mom gets back, you could focus more on this and she could take back the reins of the farm.” I rubbed the back of my head. If only. My mom had never really held the reins of the farm and although she was officially the manager, it was always me working the day job. I took the mantle from Grandpa at a young age and although I had ideas about other things I wanted to do, the farm had been my life to date.

She turned and looked up at me, her blue eyes shining with excitement and I couldn’t take my eyes away from her beauty. Lacey was the type of girl who was dangerous to any guy; she should come with a warning. She smelled, looked and tasted too good to be true, like an old-fashioned siren. I had no doubt that as anyone’s girl she would be high maintenance and maybe that’s why she was getting a divorce, too much to handle. She ran her tongue over her lower lip and her eyes dropped to my lips.

“You are a man of many talents, Alex,” she grinned, and I took a step back.

“Thanks,” I bowed my head and looked away. Sure, she was a single guy’s fantasy all wrapped up in my workshop, but I had distanced myself enough from the other night not to be weird, so it definitely could not happen again.

She took the hint and gave me a dazzling smile that covered any other feelings that I may have seen, “Let me know what you can produce, how much you can charge, and I’ll put together an investment plan. A few hundred a month would be ideal to start with.” She nodded suddenly businesslike again.

“I can manage that,” I mumbled.

“Great.”

“Right, um,” I mumbled a little awkwardly, “let’s get home. I’ll walk you.”

“I meant what I said today. I can watch Sara if you guys want to go away overnight. It would be my pleasure.” She added sincerely, and I gave her a thankful smile just before I switched the light out.

“You better take my hand again,” I said gruffly as I locked the door and she slipped her small, soft hand into mine.

“Alex?” she said quietly as we walked. Although I couldn’t see her face, I had an idea of the topic by her serious tone.

“Yeah,” I sighed.

“You’re a good guy, you know that? I’m sorry you had some shitty stuff happen to you.”

I let out a breath in a quick laugh and smirked, “You’re pretty cool ya'self,  Lacey. Sometimes bad stuff happens to good people, but we gotta power through, huh?”

She squeezed my hand, “Let me know when you wanna do that perimeter check with Logan, okay?”

“Thanks,” I smiled. It was a strange feeling to know someone had my back for a change, that the buck didn’t just stop with me anymore. Sure, I’d kicked against the owner and Lacey being there was the last thing I'd wanted, but somehow her being around had me feeling less alone and although she’d only been at Bishops a short time, it was starting to feel like she had always been on my side.

 

That weekend Logan and I prepared for our overnight expedition with Eric. Sara was over the moon excited to stay with Lacey at her cottage and Logan was practically bouncing like Tigger at the prospect of camping. Logan and I packed our camping stuff. He wanted to take his Hulk torch, and I was making sure we had enough food to keep us going for one night since Logan liked his snacks. Although the summer days were warm, it could also get pretty cold out in the elements at night.

“Come on, Loge, make sure you pack warm stuff!” I yelled up the stairs. “We need to set off before noon.” We had to be out on the horses to reach a good point to be able to conduct our checks within two days. Of course, Logan would slow me down but I wanted to teach him like Grandpa taught me. We could do it quicker in the truck, but Eric was old school and camping on the land was all part of the fun for him and Logan. Bear sat the bottom of the stairs raising his head as people walked past, he knew something was off. Lacey had offered for him to stay with her, also Sara wouldn’t have left him.

With packed backpacks and wearing our riding wear, which constituted long sleeves, boots and our Stetsons, we set off. Firstly, I walked Sara and Bear to Lacey’s. When we got there, she was already sitting outside, reading on the veranda.

“Hey, guys,” she stood and waved as we approached, “all set?” she asked me with a smirk.

“Sure are. Logan is more excited than I’ve ever seen him.” I nodded to her and removed my hat as we walked into the shade.

Sara gave a huge sigh, “Logan needs to get a life.” She added.

“Oh Jeez, have you forgotten what it’s like to be ten,” Lacey grinned and placed her hands on Sara’s shoulders. “I wish everything was as exciting now like it was back then.”

Sara groaned, “I don’t remember being excited,” She glanced to me.

“You were born moaning,” I swatted her head and gave her a tight smile. “No cheek tonight and mind your manners.”

“Duh,” she rolled her eyes and dropped to hug Bear, “we’re gonna have a blast.” She said, rubbing his head.

“Thanks for this,” I gave Lacey a nod, and she smiled.

“It’s gonna be awesome. We can get pizza, do our nails, but don’t worry no short skirts.” She teased.

I narrowed my eyes recalling what happened last time she was left alone with Sara. Things seemed to have changed so much since then that I actually trusted this woman who I had known a month. “Right, we’ll be back around five tomorrow.”

“Great,” Lacey slung her arm around Sara’s shoulder and they waved me bye as I walked away, looking over my shoulder as I walked. It seemed the hellish devil Sara was usually, became tamed around Lacey and I was grateful but... no more dates.

I got back to the house just as Logan had started carrying both our backpacks to the stables, “Whoa there, Loges.” I grinned as I approached. “Eager beaver.” I grabbed my backpack, and he started to pull his on.

The camping fly and mat were already packed in the saddlebags. We didn’t need a tent as it was summer and so we’d just find a tree for the fly if it looked like rain. However, I knew we wouldn’t get any. July in Montana was dry, hot and dusty. Eric was waiting at the stables and had saddled up his horse, Blue, one of the smaller horses who Logan favored named Max, and Bullseye.

“Y’all ready for an adventure?” Eric asked in his deep baritone voice, laughing on a cough as he did. Eric smoked forty a day until ten years ago and although he quit, the deepness of his voice was forever affected.

“Sure are,” Logan squealed. “Can’t wait.”

We rode for a few hours, stopping where the fences needed repairing or where the maize was damaged and needed attention. We noted any issues with the fields we passed and made sure to sweep a couple over the few hours to check for unwanted critters and damaging weeds. Eric and I usually split up when we did this but because Logan was with us we stayed together and chatted shit as we went.

We stopped for a drink and watered the horses at six. “I think we ‘oughta push on till a little later and find somewhere up near the creek to camp.” Eric added once we’d re-mounted.

“Sounds good,” I nodded, kicking Bullseye to push on. I stayed behind Logan, and Eric led the way. Logan was a very accomplished rider, he’d been on horses from birth pretty much and although I’d always ridden, somehow he was just a natural. I guess Mom’s passion had always been the horses and by default she spent more time babying Logan than with us. He was her latest kid and the one I’m sure she swore she’d do right by. I wonder if she still thought she was.

We pushed ahead and came to the creek before dark. Eric set up his mat and started a small campfire. I tethered the horses and made sure to water and feed them. Logan roamed around the land a little and although he was being adventurous, he kept looking back to make sure we knew where he was. The small guy had been through a lot and I didn’t realize until Mom left that he really didn’t have that one solid anchor, so I must be it and I decided I needed to take that role seriously.

Eric sizzled sausages, made beans, and fried eggs. We’d brought bread, coffee and soda and all relaxed around the campfire feeding our faces. Eric had scones that Mabel had sent with jelly. They were huge, fluffy and buttery which tasted like pure heaven. She always sent more than we could physically eat. Afterwards Eric told stories around the fire about when he met Grandpa and the times they had been out and done the very same perimeter checks that we were doing. He told wild tales about them confronting a grizzly, how Grandpa stood up to the big guy and he ran away with his tail between his legs. He told the story I had heard before about indigenous American Indians who thought Bishops Hill belonged to them. I had heard these tales from the day I was born and forgotten about most of them. I had no idea if they were fact or fable and probably never would, but Logan listened and watched Eric with wide-eyed enchantment.

“So you and my grandpa were basically badasses?” Logan asked.

“I guess we were the original badasses,” Eric chuckled. “He was the best buddy any guy could ask for.”

I smiled at Eric as I noted his sentiment. He missed our grandpa and so did I. It was such a shame that all Logan had of him were stories and old photographs, no memories of his own. 

Not long later Logan fell asleep and Eric and I relaxed by the fire. We’d brought a couple of beers and sipped them as the twilight shone around us.

“He’s a good kid,” Eric sighed a little later.

“Yeah,” I glanced to my skinny, little brother, his thick lashes resting on those freckled cheeks and his shock of brown hair wayward as he lay sprawled in his sleeping bag. “It’s Sara who makes my blood boil.” I grunted out.

“Well girls are different,” he held his bottle of beer up and pointed it at me, “I should know, I got two.” He shrugged, “they get emotional and hate you one minute, then love you the next. They want the world and without giving nothing in return.” He rubbed the white scruff of a beard that lightly dusted his double chin. “I guess boys just let everything out with a punch.”

“Sara hates me,” I shook my head, “and I can’t say I’m all too keen on her.”

“Nah,” he shook his head, “she loves you and you love her, but families are hard work and being her brother is a damn sight different to what you’re having to be now.”

I gave him a tight smile, “I just wish Sara understood that.” I sighed.

“One day she will,” he nodded, “and she’ll be grateful. One day.”

We were up with the birds the next morning and Logan was excited to cook bacon and eggs for breakfast. Eric and I were both loving his enthusiasm, and it was by far the best perimeter check we’d done for a while.  Logan had an energy that was infectious and even if he were not my brother, I’d still think the kid was cool as fuck. By the time we turned home and worked our way back without a map, just Eric’s skills, the day was drawing in.

We were all a little saddle sore and glad to see the house when we pulled up at the stables at dinner time on Saturday. It has been two days of male bonding and camping which Logan had thoroughly enjoyed. I felt proud that we’d been able to take him, he deserved some fun for once. “Don’t forget how to treat your horse, Loge,” I told him.

We washed the horses with cold water once we’d removed the saddles, fed them, petted them and left water and clean hay for them to get comfortable. I knew I needed to walk and get Sara, but we said our goodbyes to Eric and I decided I’d drop our things at home and maybe shower before walking down there. However, on pulling the screen door open the most delicious smell of tomato and garlic filled my nostrils making my stomach growl.

“Hello?” I yelled, dropping my backpack. Bear barked straightaway and ran to us. Logan dropped to hug him as he licked the little guy's face like we’d been gone two weeks.

“Hey, boy,” Logan was giggling, “did you miss me?”

I looked up and saw Lacey stood in the doorway by the kitchen. She wore jean shorts, a loose-fitting tee, no shoes, and her hair was all bunched up on her head with some bandana headband keeping it all off her face. “Hey, cowboys,” she grinned, holding a wooden spoon in one hand. “I thought you’d be hungry.”

“Starving,” I said with a half smile, “everything okay?” I creased my head in question.

“Oh sure,” she shook her head, “Sara’s upstairs. We came back to make dinner, but we had an awesome time. She was an angel.”

I let out a laugh and walked past Logan to the kitchen. Lacey watched as I walked, and I didn’t miss the way she licked her lips. I guess grubby farmhand did it for her or she was going stir crazy out here and I was her best bet. Either way I liked it. I walked past her, and she followed me to where I had a peek at what she was cooking. I glanced over the top of the hob, grabbed a glass and ran water from the tap for a quick drink.

“Pasta?”I asked with an eyebrow raised.

“I think we may have overdone it a little,” she said pulling her mouth wide dramatically.

“What we got?”

“Well I made carbonara, cannelloni and lasagna,” she shrugged, “garlic bread also.”

“Whoa and who is eating all of this?” I smirked.

“Well, um, us.” She laughed, and her beautiful smile lit up the room. She lowered her eyes as she talked to me and I sensed a hint of embarrassment which was so unlike Lacey it made me frown.

“What?” I asked.

“Is it okay me barging in here and cooking up a storm?” she asked, and I put down my glass and walked towards her.

“Yes,” I nodded, “very, very, okay!” I gave her a goofy smile, and nodded my head repeatedly and she laughed. I wanted to snake my arm around her waist and pull her to me, but I flexed my hands instead and stepped away. This wasn’t an episode of ‘One Tree Hill’ and she wasn’t some girl trying to impress me. No, this was a situation that not even I could fathom but flirting with my boss in my kitchen wasn’t a great idea.

“Hey, I got time to shower?” I asked, breaking the eye contact and watching as her wide smile dropped a little.

“Yeah,” she nodded. Just then Logan entered the kitchen.

“Are you making real food, Lacey, like on the stove?” he asked, his eyes wide like saucers.

“Sure am, bud,” her soft voice uttered.

“Yesssss.” He hissed.

I showered and found clean shorts and a t-shirt. I ran my hand through my wet hair and checked myself in the mirror. It had been years since I actually gave a damn how I looked. Even when I was with Amber that was never a consideration; she loved me regardless or at least I thought she did. Since my teens being good looking or even caring what I wore was just something that didn’t enter my head, I always had more pressing problems. Like the farm, my job, the debts, the kids and then... Mom. Yet tonight, I wanted to see did I still look good?

No one around Celebration Falls would ever look twice at Alex Miller with the baggage of a Boeing 747. I guess I never thought after Amber I’d bother to date again, but I knew under all the shit, I still looked good. My eyes were as light as they always had been, my skin dark from hours spent out on the land and my face drew in enough admiring looks as it always had. I was bigger than in high school because I had naturally bulked up and although Lacey was probably used to richer, smarter guys, I bet the only hard bodies she met were from hours spent in the gym not days of hard labor. 

“Hey,” I re-entered the kitchen and Lacey was bent over the stove. It was a beautiful sight as I got to see her butt cheeks peeking out from the bottom of the frayed shorts.

She stood quickly, “Hey,” I watched her gaze rake over me and she smiled. “Ready to eat?”

“Yep,” I nodded and rubbed my hands together, “cannot wait, I’ll go get the troops.”

“Logan! Sara!” I shouted up the stairs, “dinner’s ready.”

I walked back to the kitchen and set the large oak dining table that had always been where we ate when I was a little kid. My grandparents made this house a home back then and Mom never quite managed to replicate that with the other kids. She was all about oven pizza and micro meals that were nothing like my Grandma used to make.

I grabbed some glasses, filled a jug with water and ice, and set it down as the other two filtered through the door, “we’re sitting at the table?” Logan asked.

“Yep,” I told them and they both sat down. They were used to dinner in front of the TV and so this may actually kill them, having to make conversation and not having one eye on whatever garbage the TV was pumping out.

“Okay,” Lacey smiled. She walked over with two chopping boards and laid them in the center of the table, “I’ll put it all in the middle and you guys can serve yourselves.”

I watched as her ass sashayed in those little shorts and seeing her barefoot in my kitchen I felt a primal need to claim her but she was far from mine. I doubted very much that Lacey would ever belong to anyone.  “Can I help?” I yelled after her.

“I’m good, maybe get plates?” she turned back holding two casserole dishes, that I didn’t even realize we had, and laid them down in the center of the table on top of the boards. Wow, they smelled and looked delicious.

I grabbed plates and handed them out as the Millers all looked down at the Italian banquet like starving orphans. She came back a second time with another dish and a tray of garlic bread. She took a seat next to me and sat down with a small smile, “Dig in!” she said, and we didn’t have to be asked twice.

“This just smells divine,” I told her and I leant forward and scooped two tubes of cannelloni onto my plate.

“I hope it tastes as good as it smells,” she winked at me and I nodded.

We ate a slice of heaven with Lacey’s food. Who knew the girl could cook? “How d'you get so good at this? Dinner parties in the city?” I asked between bites of lasagna. It was so rich and creamy, and perfectly garlicky. It was restaurant quality.

She shrugged, “I had no time for that stuff, but I like to cook. My mom taught me and I like cooking shows so...” She looked down at the pasta she was twirling round her fork, “I’m glad you guys like it.”

“We love it!” Logan added enthusiastically, “a lot.”

“So what did you girls get up to whilst we were gone?” I asked, looking to Sara who half smiled as she thought. It was good to see her happy and a welcome change.

“Well we painted our nails,” she wiggled her finger nails at me and I assessed them like I was really interested. I nodded my appreciation, “then we did face masks, ate pizza, popcorn, and watched some old movies.”

“Well,” Lacey pointed at Sara, “they were from my era, so old is not exactly true.”

“Ten years is a long time, Lacey,” Sara told her seriously, and we both laughed.

“What movies?” I asked.

“’Bride Wars’ and ‘Something Borrowed’,” she told me.

“Have I even heard of them?” I asked, shoveling more pasta into my mouth.

“Probably not,” Sara shook her head, “Kate Hudson is in both, who you have probably never heard of.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “I bet last time you saw a movie Tom Cruise was still hot.”

I laughed, “I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies.”

“Well...” Lacey drew out the word, “I loved those movies when I was younger, and so I have them on DVD at home for emergency situations like hangovers or sick days.”

I nodded, “and babysitting duties?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t need a babysitter.” Sara spat out.

“Girly nights in.” Lacey added coolly and patted my arm.

I smiled at her; she could defuse a potential teenage meltdown at fifty paces and I was grateful.

I washed the dishes with the help of Sara, who dried and put them away. Logan ran upstairs to shower and change into his pajamas. Lacey wiped the table, and I tried to get her to sit but she struggled to relax and let us do the work.

“Pour some wine,” I told her, and she busied herself doing that and then sat as we were finishing up.

“Right,” Sara said about to head upstairs to her teenage hidey hole.

“What do you say?” I reminded her.

“Thanks for dinner,” she said a little awkwardly to Lacey, “and last night.”

“Hey my pleasure,” Lacey grinned. “Any time, sweetheart.”

I sat down next to her at the dining table again, holding the beer I’d just taken from the fridge and wanting to reach out and touch her naked thigh but stopping myself.  “Thanks for everything.” I said quietly.

“What coming out here and pissing you off with my ideas?” She pursed her lips in a smile and I couldn’t help but grin back, rubbing the back of my head.

“I sorta meant the last two days,” I said, and she laughed, “but I guess you coming here hasn’t been as bad as I thought.” Her beautiful azure blue eyes found mine, and she bit her lip. We were held there in that moment and I had no words to explain what it was that I felt or how much the need for her was clawing its way up me like an unwanted parasite. My heart was pounding, and my dick was twitching.

“Alex,” Logan said from the doorway, wearing only his pajama shorts, “do I have a clean top?”

“Sure, buddy.” I hopped up and Lacey looked away instantly, taking a sip of her wine. I jogged lightly to the laundry room and Logan followed. The room was disorganized chaos and although most of the stuff was clean, it hadn’t moved to the next stage of being put away. I just closed the door on this shit but sometimes my method betrayed me. “Here,” I found a batman t-shirt.

“This is clothes, not pajamas,” Logan whined.

“So pretend,” I patted his head, anxious to get back out to sit with Lacey.

“Um,” he looked at the shirt, then back up to me, “okay.” He turned and ran back out to the living room with the shirt in his hand.

“Hey, buddy!” I shouted as he ran, “you wanna thank Lacey for dinner?”  

“Thank you, Lacey!” he yelled quickly, still running to the TV.

“Well,” Lacey finished her wine and stood, “um, I better get going.” She glanced at her phone from out of her back pocket, “Almost nine on a Saturday night. How my life has changed.”

“You don’t have to leave,” I told her, looking at her like a puppy probably would and hating myself for it. I didn’t need to be the next guy to fall at Lacey’s feet.

“Look, I bet you’re tired and have unpacking to do and...” she trailed off. “I’ll go.”

“It’s dark, I’ll walk you.” I nodded at my decision and she looked at me with question.

“I’m fine.” she said.

“I’m walking you.” She slipped into some jeweled sandals at the door and I found some sneakers that were mine in the mass of abandoned shoes. “I’m walking Lacey home, guys!” I yelled throughout the house. No one answered.

We walked into the night, Lacey was already halfway down the veranda steps when I got outside. I jogged to her side. The night was lit by hundreds of stars and although we had no streetlights it was always just light enough to make out the person beside you. I was used to the inky nights in Montana and the land, but Lacey was still new to all of this, yet she slotted in like the guest we never realized we needed. We walked side by side the five minutes to her cottage.

“I would have been okay to walk myself,” she said, turning to face me. I glanced over to her and nodded.

“I know,” I added solemnly, warring with wanting to touch her and leave her the hell alone. I saw the cottage on the horizon and although it used to be ours it seemed very much hers now; she had even decorated the veranda with various pot plants and had added an outdoor light.

She jogged up the steps, and I followed. She unlocked the door, and I stood silently behind her. As she opened the door, she turned in the doorway and looked at me. Her easy smile was gone, replaced by an uncertainty that was very rarely there. She was so self-assured, so put together and to see any vulnerability was fleeting. I stepped forward and took a lock of her silky hair in my hands. It had fallen free of her updo and was hanging temptingly by the side of her bandana. She shivered as I touched her.

“Alex,” she said quietly and closed her eyes at the contact, “you said...”

“This was a bad idea.” I uttered.

“Yeah,” she opened her eyes again and watched my gaze that was focused on her cherry red made-up lips. My stare was hungry and tortured.  I knew what I wanted but also that it was a bad idea.

“I’m thinking it was a great idea, the best.” My voice was hoarse with need.

“You couldn’t get out of here quicker after last time,” she gave me a wry grin, “I... I’m all for a bit of fun, Alex, but not if you hate yourself for it.”

“You think,” I dropped her hair and lowered my head, “you think I hate myself for it?” I shook my head and looked up at her, “being with you is the one thing that I don’t hate myself for actually.” I laughed at the thought, “but everything we have here depends on you, Lacey, and if things go bad...” I didn’t need to elaborate, she knew she held our precariously balanced lives in her hand and although that used to worry me, the more I got to know her, the more it relaxed me. She was a businesswoman, but she was fair.

“You’re right,” she stepped back, and her face remained serious, “we shouldn’t mix business with pleasure.” I felt my stomach lurch with disappointment and the need to touch her again was almost overwhelming, I had never craved anyone this much. Never even needed to jack off between sex as I was always too exhausted, but this girl made me crave something so primitive it scared me.

“I’m not sure I can do that,” I added in a deep voice, watching her face for a reaction. She swallowed hard and her breathing became hurried.

“Not sure you can do what?” she asked breathlessly.

“Stay away,” I growled, stepping to where she stood in the doorway and taking her cheek in my hand as my lips crashed down on hers. Last time everything happened so fast, last time I was angry and turned on and had no idea who Lacey was. This time I wanted to taste her, feel her, make sure to savor her. She tasted sweet and her tongue was silky and warm. She teased me with her tongue, her hands finding my hair and urging me on.

I stepped forward into her cottage and slammed the door shut as she walked backwards, her lips still firmly clamped to mine and my cock straining to find its way out of my shorts.