Jason

“Morning, Billy,” Delilah says, as her hands press against me.

I take a step back and let her tend to the eggs in the pan like we weren’t just caught. Looking over my shoulder, I see a goofy wide grin spreading across his face as the screen door slams shut behind him. I shake my head. “Your timing sucks.”

“Good morning to you too, sunshine.” He sits down at the table, making himself at home like he’s staying awhile. “So what ya cookin’ over there, other than some delicious-smelling bacon and freshly brewed coffee?”

Replying while crossing my arms, I glare at him. “Nothing now. What brings you out to the farm?”

He chuckles and takes off his hat just as Delilah sets a plate in front of him. “I could ask you the same thing.” He smiles up at her. “Thank you.”

She pats his back. “You’re welcome.” When she turns to me, she says, “Hungry for food?”

I catch the food emphasis. “Starved.”

“Sit down and let me feed you.”

“I can make a plate.”

“I’m happy to make it for you, Jason.”

“Thank you.” I head upstairs into the bedroom, getting my exercise for the day, and grab my shirt. Pulling it on over my head, I return to the kitchen. Sitting across from Billy, who waggles his eyebrows, I give him a harder glare than before. He just laughs and shovels more eggs into his mouth. After drinking some coffee, he says, “Man, your eggs are the best.”

My jaw tics. I don’t like him talking about her eggs and how they’re the best. I try to shake off my annoyance at how casually he walked into her house, moved around her kitchen, and sat at her table like he’d done it a million times before. She’s mentioned that Billy had been helping out a lot, but they’re so familiar with each other. Am I setting myself up again for a huge lot of hurt?

She sets a plate in front of me and sits in a chair between us with her own plate made. “Thanks, Billy. You’re out here early.”

“I’m heading to Kerbyville for supplies for the week. Wanted to check in with you to see if you needed anything other than the usual.”

Delilah starts to get up, but I touch her knee. “You should eat breakfast while it’s hot. I can help you guys after.”

“Okay. Thanks.” A soft smile plays at the tip of her lips. “Not much to get, but I’ll make a list when we’re done eating.”

After cleaning the kitchen, Delilah and I go back upstairs while Billy heads outside to the barn. “How much does Billy help you out here?”

“Don’t get jealous,” she says, poking me in the side as she passes. Sitting in a chair, she pulls on a pair of socks and then steps into her work boots. Heaven Almighty. My memory seriously had failed me when it came to this woman. She is no girl at all. With grownup curves and a sense about her that draws me to her like a moth to a flame, she’s a fantasy come to life, easily outshining any centerfold I’ve ever seen.

Rolling in the hay and riding in the saddle take on a whole new filthy, oh-so-dirty meaning with the vision standing before me.

“What?” she asks, with her hands planted on her hips again.

“You sure do have a lot of sass with that hot ass.”

Shaking those same sexy hips as she passes by me, she says, “You seem like the type who knows how to handle a woman.”

I smack her hard on her back end, making her squeal, as she turns to me. I pull her by the belt loops until we’re face-to-face, a breath away. “You know I do. No seeming about it. If you want to be bent over this bed or a hay bale in the barn, I suggest you keep doing exactly what you’re doing now.”

Watching her lick that bottom lip is about to do me in, but then she douses the fire burning inside me. “As tempting as you make hay sound, Billy’s waiting out back.” She takes my hands and lifts up to kiss me. “Spend the day with me.”

“That’s a hard offer to turn down.”

“Then don’t, and I’ll make sure hard is all you are later on.”

Cupping her jaw, I bring her in for another kiss. This time with purpose and passion, a thank you, ma’am and I look forward to later kiss. A deal struck and sealed with our lips. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

She nips at my jaw and then kisses the spot. “I’m hoping you’ll hold me to a lot of things later. But first,” she says, walking away, “we’ve got work to do.” I’m still standing there admiring the view when she stops and looks back. “C’mon now. Daylight’s burning.”

“So am I,” I mumble and then laugh. She heads outside and I sit and put my socks and shoes on. When I’m done, I go into the bathroom and scrounge around until I find a toothbrush. I bust open the package and brush before I head out to help. I feel better just in case we need to kiss at the feed store.

In the cab of Billy’s dad’s truck, they talk upfront. It’s a nice ride, so I get more comfortable in the backseat and stretch my legs out when I decide I should text my mom. She’s not been my keeper for many years, but I know she worries about me.

Me: Hi Ma. Helping Billy and Delilah out today at the Noelle farm. Just checking in.

I lead with Billy, hoping that doesn’t tip her off to ask too many questions.

She doesn’t reply right away, but I get a return text before we reach Kerbyville town lines.

Mom: Hope you got some breakfast out of the deal.

Me: I did.

Mom: I meant food, Jason.

My mom’s got jokes this morning. Although I’ll always be her baby, as she constantly reminds me, it’s nice that she treats me like I’m a man.

Me: Ha! I’ll be home later. Let me know if you need me to stop and get anything for you.

Mom: Have fun.

Me: You too. Love you.

Mom: Love you too, son.

Delilah rests her arm on the seat and looks back at me. “What’s so funny?”

I lift my eyes to her curious ones, and reply, “Just texting with my mom.”

“That’s sweet.”

“I hate worrying her.”

“She’s such a sweet lady.” She glances out the windshield and then back to me. “Have you spent any time with Fred Carver?”

“No. Just when I went to General Hardware a week or so ago.” What an odd question. “Why?”

Her eyes go slightly wide and she turns to face away from me. “Oh, no reason.”

“Why would I spend time with Fred Carver?” I see Billy glance over to her and she looks at him before she tries to keep avoiding the question. “Delilah?”

With a heavy sigh, she angles back in the seat again to face me. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Yes, you should.”

Worry creases her forehead, the look not good enough to grace her face. “Tell me. Please.”

Looking at her side, her hands twist together. When she finally looks up, she says, “Your mom and Fred have been dating. From my understanding it’s casual, but she told me she likes him.”

“What?” I’m shaking my head in complete denial. “No, no way.” She turns around, but I see her cringing face. “Is she really?”

Billy says, “Rumor has it that it’s more than casual.”

“Why do I get the distinct impression that you are enjoying this a little too much?”

He shrugs. “Because I am.”

“Fuck you, man.”

Delilah says, “Hey. Hey. Settle down. She’s a grown woman with needs.”

Grabbing Billy’s cowboy hat from the hook across the cab from me, I put it on and sink in the seat. I lower the brim, and say, “No. I do not want to hear about my mom’s needs, so let’s end this now.”

Her hand taps my leg. “You might have to get used to the idea of her dating, but I’m surprised she hasn’t mentioned him to you or that you haven’t seen him hanging around.”

I grumble, “He’s smart enough to stay away from my mom.”

The sound of her laughter fills the truck, and then Billy joins in and says, “While you’re in town.”

“I’m not in a hurry.”

Delilah looks at her lap, but from this angle, I see the smile on her face. Billy busts into our moment and adds, “It’s been good to have you around again.”

“It’s been good to be around again.” Leaning forward, I give her elbow a little squeeze. “How are you doing up there?”

Looking back, she flashes that sweet smile like she’s been saving it all day for me. “Good.” Her eyes tell me all I need to know and remind me of how they shined at two in the morning after we finished another round of fun under the covers.

“Can we just get it out in the open because all this sexual tension between you two isn’t so subtle, if you know what I mean.”

I chuckle. “No, what do you mean?”

“It’s obvious I interrupted something this morning. I’m curious if what I walked in on started last night.”

Leaning back again, I lower the hat to cover my eyes. “Sorry. I’m not one to kiss and tell.”

Delilah is laughing, and then I hear her say, “Don’t look at me like that, Billy Langston. A girl has a right to keep some secrets, even from her friends.”

The truck parks and I sit up, hanging the hat back on the hook. He cuts the engine and says, “You two are ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s going on here. Let’s just hope the whole town doesn’t get wind. Boy willy, they’ll have all sorts of stuff to occupy their time and talk about.” He hops out of the truck and shuts the door.

My eyes meet Delilah’s before she gets out. We both know we can’t avoid what we so easily avoided last night for long. Her smile has faded. Reaching forward, I touch her arm. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”

The high we were riding has lessened, a damper put on our fun. It felt good to feel careless for a night. Nothing good can last forever. And then I look around.

Three garage doors on the right side for large load trucks.

Two sets of double doors in the far back corners.

Four doors at the front entrance.

“Jason?”

I look behind me. Delilah is standing there with a curious look built into the tilt of her head. “What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing.”

“Billy wanted your help over there.”

“Oh. Okay.”

I start to go, but she asks, “Where do you go in that head of yours when you disappear like that?”

“Nowhere good.” Like her, old habits are hard to break.

I help load some bags of chicken feed then slam the tailgate closed. Billy had already loaded the rest of the supplies. While he pays, Delilah leans on the side of the truck, her boots kicked out showing off those long, tan legs of hers.

Two cowboys walk by blatantly checking her out. Jealousy rushes through my veins, striking deep in my chest. I step over her boots, straddling her legs and lean forward caging her in. “I don’t like all these eyes on you.”

Her arms come around my neck and she looks at me, seeing right through me. “I only care about your eyes on me.” Leveraging herself against me, she kisses me as if she has a point to prove. Maybe she does.

I do too. I don’t need to prove it here, but I’m no fool. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I lift her up and kiss her deeper, getting lost in the sensual caress.

“I knew it,” I hear Billy from behind me. “Break it up and save it for later, preferably when I’m not here.”

We start laughing, the kiss broken but replaced with smiles. We get back into the truck. We don’t make it out of the parking lot before he asks, “So you guys are a thing again?”

It’s strange that labeling something grounds a feeling that was freeing just minutes earlier. I stare out the window. I’m not sure what to say, so I’ll let her say what she needs and back her on it, but I have a feeling that conversation is going to happen now whether we want to have it or not.

She replies, “We’re not going to complicate things just yet.”

Lowering my head, I scrub my hands over my face. What am I doing? What was I thinking? It was supposed to be a few days, visit my mom, and then head off. To where? I don’t know, but I know I have to be careful. My past could catch up to me if I’m not. And here I am, possibly dragging Delilah into my messy life like there couldn’t be any repercussions to hers.

Her hand covers my knee, and I look up. She doesn’t have to use words for me to know what she’s thinking. The crinkle in her forehead, the lilt of her lips, and the sorrow that’s returned to her eyes tell me everything I need to know. I take her hand and raise it to my lips and kiss. There’s not much else I can do while trapped in this truck.

Most of the ride back is in silence, the three of us in our own thoughts. I don’t mind the quiet. I’ve spent more time alone than with others in the last three years. Being a loner was sort of a job requirement, so I was a natural since I was looking for a way to escape. To hide.

I made a few friends, bonded with a woman on the last job, but that bond only went friendship deep. A deeper connection is what I’ve been missing. Looking at her through the space between the front seats, I’m feeling connected to Delilah already. I don’t know if I should protect my heart, but it’s feeling like it’s already too late.