Chapter 12
SAMANTHA
I head inside the Redwood’s house with a spring in my step. I can hardly believe my luck. In my mind, this was going to be a very short trip. I was expecting to see Weston one last time and then wash my hands of him completely. Now, I’m going on a horse ride with him and his son. And did I imagine it, or was he flirting with me a few minutes back?
I shouldn’t dwell on it too much though or get my hopes up. After all, he’s still wearing a wedding ring. Even if his wife is somehow out of the picture, he’s clearly clinging to her. If he still has a wife on the scene, that makes him kind of scummy and untrustworthy, given his performance a few minutes back. Either way, I shouldn’t be pursuing him. But this trip is only going to last a week. Then, I might never see him again. I guess I’m just buying myself time before I have to give up on the idea of him forever.
As I enter the kitchen, I find Madeline cooking something on the stove. She doesn’t turn around.
“For the last time, Eric, no more cookies today!” Madeline says wearily. I chuckle.
“What about for me?”
Madeline turns in shock. The moment she spots me, she starts grinning.
“Samantha, dear! What a lovely surprise! How are you feeling?”
“Good, good. Actually, I came by to drop off some gifts for you all, to say thank you for helping me! Here, I got you this…”
I dig the jams out from the bag and hand them to Madeline. She gasps in glee, taking the set carefully from my hands.
“Oh, how lovely! So thoughtful of you, Samantha. You really shouldn’t have. Are you staying for tea? I just got a white bloomer from the bakery, we could make some toast for the blueberry jam…”
“That sounds lovely, but actually, I was going to head out with Weston and Eric on the horses…”
There’s a newfound gleam in Madeline’s eye. “Not to worry. We can try some when you get back!” She reaches out to pat my cheek affectionately. “It really is good to see you again. And I’m certain Weston is glad you came back, too.”
I blush scarlet, making Madeline smile more.
“Don’t keep him waiting, dear. He’s not the most patient of men. Though I suppose I should be talking him up…”
“No need,” I tell her, “I think he’s lovely.”
***
Half an hour later, I’m sitting atop Weston’s horse and we’re riding around the lake. Eric rides out ahead, filled with a childlike confidence that I wish I had retained myself. Cherry is a very gentle horse, but I can’t help being a little nervous, dolled up in unfamiliar riding gear on a creature I don’t know. But with Weston pressed against me, I don’t have to worry about how far I will fall if the horse bucks. He knows what he’s doing. I’m in safe hands once more.
But there’s a different kind of nervousness that comes from being so close to him. I can feel his crotch pressed against my butt, which is enough alone to make me blush. His arms are wrapped around me to keep hold of the reins, and his breath is warm on my neck. The saddle is only made for one person so we’re as close as we possibly could be. I’m not complaining, though. Having a sexy man so close to me is definitely the cure to thinking of Colin.
“I love the lake best at sunset,” Weston says, so close to my ear that I almost flinch as his breath tickles me. “It’s so calm and still. You see a lot of wildlife around that time, too. Though to be honest, not many people come out this way. Especially when summer is coming to an end.
“It’s stunning,” I say, although I haven’t been paying much attention. Now, though, I’m beginning to notice what a romantic location it is. The sunset is reflected on the clear water, coloring it orange and yellow. It’s like the whole world is on fire, and I’m burning with it, set alight each time Weston’s body moves even an inch.
“I like to come out here alone, sometimes. Now that Eric is a little older, he always wants to come with me...but when I’m on my own, it clears my head. Gives me the time I need to think.”
I wonder what a man like Weston could possibly have to worry about. Surely it’s not the financial problems. He’s got a beautiful house in the back-end of nowhere, a lovely son and a caring nanny. The only thing missing from the puzzle, I guess, is a woman. I keep coming back to the questions his wedding ring pose - where is his wife? Is he holding on to someone who doesn’t want him anymore? Or am I assuming it’s a wedding ring when he wears it for something else?
I wish I could ask, but I’ve already overstepped enough. But then again, I would never want to come between a couple, if he is in fact married. If I’m reading the signs from Weston right and he really is interested, I don’t want to be the reason a marriage breaks down. I’ll always resent Christian for coming between Colin and me, though something would have happened eventually, of course. It’s not necessarily his fault. But still, who am I to ruin a good marriage?
Although Madeline does seem keen on me...surely she wouldn’t encourage the idea of us if Weston isn’t available?
“Something on your mind?”
I snap back to reality, shaking my head. “No...just admiring the view.”
“Oh really?” Weston murmurs. And I swear, as he does, he shuffles ever close to me. “You seemed to be thinking pretty deeply.”
I’m certain I’m not imagining the pressure of his crotch on mine growing. He shuffles back from me a little, coughing to himself.
“Um...Eric looks like he’s slowing down a little. Let’s dismount and take a rest for a little while.”
I can barely breathe. Something about Weston’s presence is so intoxicating that it’s almost impossible to catch my breath, even though he’s barely done a thing. His heat moves from me as he hops down from the horse. Am I imagining it, or does he look a little flustered too? He offers his arms to me without a smile, his large hands cupping my waist. I hop down, trusting him completely to take my weight as he places me delicately on the ground. He does it with ease, and I almost don’t want it to be over. But the second my feet touch the ground, he takes his hands away, leaving me with the feeling that I’m missing something without them there.
The sunset is in full force. Eric rushes to my side.
“Aren’t you glad you came?” Eric asks me. I glance at Weston, who has put as much distance as possible between us. Am I glad I came? I’m not sure. When it comes to Weston, it feels like I take one step forward and another back. Will there ever be a stability between us, or are we destined to be unbalanced for as long as we know one another? If that’s it, I’m not sure how much of this I can take.
But that’s not what Eric wants to hear. So I lie and say I’m glad I came.