Chapter Sixteen
IN ALL HIS years, Brett had never watched a sunrise. He’d been awake through sunrise, he’d ended his evenings at sunrise, but he’d never actually sat and watched the dawn of a new day crawling across the sky. He’d never seen the grass go from dry to dewy or heard the crow of a rooster—until today. He and Sophie made love for the umpteenth time—yes, made love, because what he had with Sophie was so far beyond sex, he couldn’t even think in those terms anymore. After washing up in the barn bathroom, they bundled up in blankets in the yard to greet the day. He was sure they’d witnessed the most glorious sunrise that had ever occurred, but that might have had something to do with watching it with the woman he wanted to spend every minute with.
Hours later, as the morning sun warmed the air, with Nana and Poppi’s burly old retriever, Breeze, by his side, Brett carried a bucket of fresh eggs out of Sophie’s grandparents’ chicken coop and reached for her hand. She looked beautiful in a pair of skinny jeans, red rubber boots, and a flannel shirt tied above her belly button. Her grandparents lived on fifty acres down the road from Sophie’s parents, in a quaint yellow farmhouse surrounded by beautiful gardens. They had two barns, three horses, a few cows, and a handful of chickens. He and Sophie hadn’t arrived early enough to take part in the milking, but Nana promised to drag them out of bed tomorrow so Brett could experience it firsthand. He was actually looking forward to it.
“I think we need a farm. I’m having farm-girl fantasies that we have no business acting out on your grandparents’ property.”
She wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Does this mean you’re done with your city-girl fantasies?”
“You don’t think I’m that limited, do you?” He set the bucket down, and Breeze shoved his nose into it as Brett gathered Sophie in his arms. “We’re only getting started, baby. I have office fantasies, Sophie-in-the-snow fantasies.” He kissed her deeply. “Car and truck fantasies, elevator and poolside fantasies.” He licked the column of her neck.
“I love when you do that.” Her fingers pressed into his side. “I have fantasies, too.”
“Do tell.” He gazed into her eyes, loving the lusty look in them.
Her cheeks flushed and her gaze skittered around them, as if she needed to make sure no one would hear her. Nana was up at the house, and Poppi was with the horses. There wasn’t a chance in hell anyone could hear them.
“It’s okay, Soph. You don’t have to share them with me. I’ll enjoy discovering them all on my own.”
“But how can you if I don’t tell you what they are?”
He waggled his brows. “I’ll just have to try everything.” He slid his hand beneath her hair and pulled her closer so he could speak directly into her ear. “You said you wanted everything with me, remember? I have a very good imagination.”
“Yes, but some of my fantasies aren’t sexual, like walking around all day naked with you or taking a bubble bath together.”
“Baby, I love that you don’t think those are sexual.” He pressed his lips to hers, then whispered, “Remember our shower?”
Breeze pushed his nose between them. Brett stole another kiss before giving in to the needy dog and kneeling down to love her up.
“What do you think, Breeze?” he asked the dog. “Can I walk around naked all day with Sophie and keep my hands to myself?”
The dog answered with a woof!
He grinned at Sophie. “If those are your nonsexual fantasies, I can’t wait to hear the ones you’re too nervous to tell me.”
She looked around again as he rose to his feet and picked up the bucket of eggs.
“I’ve never been blindfolded,” Sophie said tentatively as they headed for the house with Breeze on their heels.
“Now we’re talkin’. Good thing I brought a tie.”
She bit her lower lip.
“What else?” he urged.
She shrugged, blushing a red streak. “I’ve never done it outside or made out in a theater. This isn’t sexual, but I’ve never ridden double on a horse with a man, and I think that would be romantic.”
He draped an arm around her shoulder and said, “I’m going to make all your fantasies come true, and from now on we’re implementing Naked Saturdays.”
“I like the sound of that. I have another fantasy.” She gazed up at him with those trusting baby blues, and his heart thumped harder. “I would like to see your place. We always stay at mine, and I want to see you in your natural surroundings.”
“Like an animal at the zoo?” he teased. “Baby, I want you in my apartment, in my bed, on my couch, on my dining room table.” He nuzzled against her neck. “When we leave we’ll pick up a few things from your apartment and stay at my place. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect,” she said as Nana came out the side door and Breeze trotted off to greet her.
Nana crouched to pet the dog, looking spry in a pair of jeans and a white sweater. “I thought you two got lost in the henhouse.”
“I wanted to, but your granddaughter refused me,” Brett teased.
“Silly woman.” Nana shook her head. “You’ve got to seize the moment! Every moment!”
“He was kidding, Nana.” Sophie hugged her. “Want help making breakfast?”
“I would love that. I’d like to make banana bread, too. How hungry are you?”
Brett shrugged. “I can wait as long as it takes. Or if you’d prefer, I can run out and grab breakfast from someplace in town and bring it in for everyone.”
Nana pursed her lips together. “We’re going to break you of that restaurant habit, city boy. While Sophie and I make a breakfast worth eating, would you mind checking on my husband and making sure he didn’t overdose on sugar? I swear eating poorly runs in male genes. He thinks I don’t know about his secret stash of Ho Hos or the ridiculous number of sports magazines he hoards in the tack room. As if I don’t realize it doesn’t take two hours to muck out three stalls. That man would eat sugar and read sports all day long if he could.” She sighed with the same dreaminess Sophie did and said, “I do love that man, though he’s a sneaky Pete.”
Brett gave Sophie the bucket of eggs and a quick kiss before heading down to the barn. He found Poppi pushing a wheelbarrow toward a stall. The pungent aroma of manure and damp straw greeted him.
“Grab a pitchfork, son. Lemme show you how country boys build muscle.”
Brett reached for a pitchfork. “I could use a few tips. The gym’s getting old.”
“Somehow I doubt that.” Poppi opened a stall and said, “Taking care of a horse is a lot like taking care of a good woman. You want to make sure she’s got a clean bed, a roof over her head, and every once in a while you’ve got to take her out for a nice long ride.”
He proceeded to show Brett how to muck the stalls. Brett had never been around horses, but mucking stalls was pretty basic. Pitch the soiled bedding into the wheelbarrow, toss it in the manure pile out by the woods, and then replace it with clean bedding.
“Are you from the city or…?” Poppi asked.
“Born and bred. My family is there.”
“Then I guess there’s no sense in trying to get you to convince Sophie to come back to Oak Falls permanently.”
Brett smiled at that. “She loves the city, but she also loves being here. I think she’s found a happy medium.”
“That she has.”
Thinking of Sophie, he said, “I wonder if you might be willing to teach me how to ride.”
Poppi set aside the pitchfork and grabbed a shovel, using it to scoop up the remaining wet bedding. “Sounds like my granddaughter has gotten under your skin. I thought I saw the look of love in your eyes. That unmistakable look that makes smart men appear a bit…vacant.”
“I’m not sure how I should take that.” Brett laughed. “Vacant?”
“You know, delirious, like you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing. The heart will make you forget things you never thought you could and remember things you never wanted to.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Brett said as he tossed a load of wet straw into the wheelbarrow.
“When you’re a young man, another organ takes over your brain for a while. But in the end the heart leads you where you’re supposed to be. I’d be honored to teach you to ride, especially for Sophie. Round these parts, kids learn when they’re tykes. Let’s get this chore done. Then we’ll saddle up and see if we can make a real man out of you.”
After they mucked the stalls and put the tools away, Poppi disappeared into the tack room and returned with two Hostess Ho Hos. He handed one to Brett and winked. “Don’t go yappin’ to my wife about these. She’s got this thing about food that isn’t made from the heart.” He tore open the wrapper and bit off a hunk of the pastry. “Tastes mighty good to me.”
“I have to admit, I’ve never had a Ho Ho.” Brett bit into the spongy treat. “Not bad.” But not nearly as good as a slutty pumpkin bar.
“Not bad my ass. These are delicious.” Poppi pointed to the door at the back of the barn. “Go in there and put on my leather boots. I’ve got Ruthie all warmed up. I took her out for a short trail ride just after dawn.”
“Really? You rode that early?” Brett asked.
“Absolutely, as I’ve done for many years. Now, get those cowboy boots on so I can make you into a real man.”
Brett did as he asked and then followed Poppi out of the barn to a small riding ring, where a beautiful chestnut-colored horse was waiting.
“She’s gorgeous. Can I pet her?”
Poppi made a clicking sound with his mouth, and the horse sauntered over and pressed her muzzle into his sternum. “How’s my girl?” He stroked her jaw. “Ruthie’s been with us twenty years. Get on over here and give her some love.”
Brett came to his side.
“Talk to her like you might a potential lover.”
Brett tried to figure out what that might sound like, and once he did, he wasn’t sure he wanted to say it to a horse.
He must have taken too long to respond, because Poppi said, “I hope you weren’t this nervous when you asked my Sophie out.”
“I didn’t get nervous with Sophie until I realized how much I liked her. Only then did it mess with my mind.”
“That’s that heart thing. It gets ya right in the britches.” Poppi pet the horse and said, “Well, son, you gotta make friends with Ruthie before she’ll let you ride, so go to it.”
The horse appeared to be looking at Brett warily, as if she knew he was nervous. He didn’t know why he was nervous, except maybe because he wanted to learn to ride because it was a part of Sophie’s life and he didn’t want to screw it up. It couldn’t be harder than revealing his secrets had been.
“Hi there, Ruthie,” he said, feeling a little silly for his hesitation.
“Get your hand up there and give her some love.” Poppi took Brett’s hand and set it on the horse’s cheek. “Atta boy. She feels your hesitation. How on earth did you rope my granddaughter? Pull out your swagger, Brett. Make this girl feel safe. Let her know you can handle her.”
He’d never met a woman he couldn’t handle, but he wasn’t about to say that to his girlfriend’s grandfather. Thoughts of Sophie brought a surge of confidence. “Don’t you worry, Poppi. I’m a master at safety. I’ve got this.” He gazed into the horse’s big brown eyes and stroked her cheek. “Hey there, sweetheart. Think you can teach a city boy to ride?”
Ruthie’s big head swung toward him, and he continued petting her. “That’s a girl. I can ride a Harley, but Harleys don’t buck, so you be good to me and I’ll be extra nice to you.” He turned to Poppi and asked, “What do you give a horse to thank them afterward?”
“Huh. You are good,” Poppi said with a warm smile. “We brush them down real good, love ’em up.”
“Great. I can do that.” He continued talking with Ruthie, moving to her side as he pet her thick, strong neck. “What do you call this kind of horse?”
“She’s a chestnut quarter horse with a flaxen mane and tail, but we call her part of the family.” Poppy chuckled. “Some people choose their horses. Ruthie chose us. A friend was having financial problems and had to give up his farm. I went over to check out some equipment, and this little lady wanted all my attention. Once Nana saw that, she decided it was time to celebrate our newest family member.”
“Nana’s something else. Her zest for life is contagious.”
A faraway look came over Poppi, and he cleared his throat. “Losing a child will do that to you.”
“I’m sorry.” Brett’s gut clenched. He continued petting Ruthie as he said, “Sophie mentioned that you had a son you lost when he was young. I don’t know if she told you, but I lost a sister, Lorelei, when she was eight. She would have loved your farm, and I imagine she’d be like Nana, squeezing every last drop of enjoyment out of every day.”
“Sophie didn’t share that with me. I’m sorry for yours and your family’s loss. There’s no greater pain than losing a loved one at any age.” Sadness rose in Poppi’s eyes. “Our Joey was a special boy, as I’m sure your sister was. He was with us for six wonderful years. He had a heart condition that went undetected. He was running with some boys after school and dropped on the field. They tried to revive him, but…” He shook his head.
Brett’s throat thickened. “I’m sorry. We lost Lorelei to leukemia. It happened fast, and it tore us apart.” He hesitated for only a moment before sharing, “Our family didn’t make it through so well. Do you mind me asking how your marriage survived?”
Poppi leaned against the hitching post and pushed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, gazing thoughtfully up at the house. “I used to wonder that myself. Joey was our firstborn, and as you can imagine, that boy was the light of our lives. When we lost him, Nana cried for four straight days. I was sure we were destined to live under a dark cloud. But one day she woke up and said, ‘Joey was an amazing boy and we need to celebrate him. We need to appreciate all the things he can’t.’ She saved me with her outlook, that’s for damn sure. I wanted to hole up and disappear. And then, like a miracle sent from the heavens, two weeks after we buried our son, Nana found out she was pregnant.”
“Angel?” Brett said softly.
“Angel Josephine. Another reason not to disappear into grief.” He stroked the horse’s neck. “I’m sorry to hear your family didn’t come through it whole.”
“A piece of each of us was lost when she died, but it destroyed my father. Short of dying himself, I don’t think anything could have kept him from falling apart.”
“And you?” Poppi asked.
“I was a mess, too. Got into a lot of trouble between ten and twelve years old. I’m sure I added to my parents’ grief.”
“You were a boy dealing with a loss. Can’t place blame on you for that. Losing a loved one can make you stronger, braver, more able to appreciate things in life, like Nana, or it can gnaw away at you like a wild animal. The middle ground is confusing as hell. When I found out Nana was pregnant with Angel, I wondered if I could handle it.” He squared his shoulders. “If I had to do it all over again, I would, even knowing we’d lose Joey. Nothing and no one could have given us what Joey did in those six years.”
Brett thought about Lorelei twirling in the front yard, holding her head up high as they paraded into the theater with him playing bodyguard. Dozens of memories flew at him at breakneck speed. Lorelei was one of a kind. He’d never thought in terms of whether he would go back and relive the same life again, because it was so painful to know what lay ahead. But now, hearing Poppi’s confession, he thought he’d choose the same. But he’d work like hell to change his own behavior after she died. The trouble was, he knew he couldn’t have changed it then, which meant he’d live the same troubled life over again. Sophie didn’t deserve a troubled life, and he sure as hell didn’t want one.
It was time to lay those ghosts to rest once and for all.
“What do you say we get you on this horse?” Poppi patted the saddle, pulling Brett from his thoughts.
“Sounds good to me.” He felt closer to Poppi, and that made him feel closer to Sophie. “Thanks for talking with me and letting me into your family. I appreciate it.”
Poppi put an arm around Brett’s shoulder and said, “Son, we can let you in, but whether or not you choose to stay is up to you. Now, let me give you the lowdown on riding so you don’t fall on your keister.”
“Do I need to wear one of those awful helmets?”
“If you were on someone else’s horse, or if I thought you were stupid enough to try to ride hard or bully Ruthie, yeah, you would. But I trust my girl here, and I trust you. Plus, I know how young guys like to look manly.” He winked and said, “In my day, kids rode without saddles. Just don’t do anything dumb.”
After receiving a very thorough explanation about riding and safety, Poppi put a saddle on Ruthie, and then Brett mounted the horse. He gripped the reins the way he was told, aligned his body, and stroked Ruthie’s mane. “How about this, girl? Make me look good, and I’ll give you a nice rubdown when we get back.”
Poppi said, “I used that line on my wedding night. Let’s go make a man out of you.”
“NANA, WE’VE BEEN cooking and baking for almost two hours. Brett’s probably starved. I’m going to run breakfast down to him before he passes out.” She grabbed a banana muffin.
“He’s a man, honey. When he’s hungry, he’ll come knockin’.”
“Unless Poppi decided to have him build a new barn or something.” She kissed Nana’s cheek. “This has been fun. I can’t wait to go pick apples at the orchard tomorrow. I wonder if Brett’s ever done that.”
“Doubt it. There aren’t many orchards in the Big Apple.” She laughed at her own joke and pulled a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. “Take some orange juice, and give me two seconds to wrap up some egg sandwiches for our men. They need protein.”
Breeze went paws-up on the windowsill and barked.
“What is it, Breezy?” Sophie gazed out the window. Her grandfather was standing on the porch looking out at the yard. Her heart stumbled at the sight of Brett riding a horse toward the house. “Holy cow. Nana, you’ve got to see this!”
Nana sidled up to her as she put the wrapped sandwiches into a bag. “Well, look at that. Your city boy’s looking a lot like a hunky cowboy right now.”
“You’re telling me!” Sophie pulled open the door and hurried outside. Brett Bad was a panty melter all on his own, but riding a horse? Wearing a black Stetson and cowboy boots? He scorched those panties right off.
“Hey there, darlin’.” His cocky smile brought even more butterflies to her stomach.
She put her hand on his leg, feeling his muscles strain against the denim. “You’re riding!”
“No, babe. We’re riding.”
Poppi put a hand on Sophie’s back and set one of the chairs from the porch on the grass beside the horse. “Your man could have been born here, sweetheart. He’s a quick learner and a damn good rider. Climb on up.”
“I can’t believe it!” She climbed onto the horse behind Brett and put her arms around him. He smelled like the summer days of her youth, familiar and happy, with a hint of pure, masculine yumminess.
“Do you want to take breakfast?” Nana held up the paper bag.
Poppi put his arm around her and said, “I think these two could survive on the love between them.”
“True, but we might be out for a while and need the nourishment.” Brett reached for the bag. He turned and kissed Sophie. “Ready, beautiful?”
“For anything.” She held him a little tighter.
His hand covered hers as he tipped his hat to Poppi and Nana and said, “Pretend we’re riding off into the sunset.”
They rode through the pasture to the trails Poppi had taken Sophie on when she was a girl. When they came to the meadow where she did her first cartwheel, Ruthie slowed to a walk.
“Whoa, girl,” Brett said, bringing her to a halt. He dismounted and reached up to help Sophie down. “We survived.”
“We more than survived. That was the hugest aphrodisiac ever.”
“Mm,” he said against her neck as he placed a kiss there. “I told you, I’m going to fulfill all your fantasies, sexy girl.”
She pushed her hands beneath his shirt. His skin was hot, his muscles hard, and when she gazed into his eyes, she saw just what her touch was doing to him—and loved it.
“Careful, baby. There’re no trees around here. I’ve got no place to tie up the horse.”
“Who needs to tie her up? All you have to do is stand there.” She dragged her hands down his abs and hooked her finger into the waist of his jeans. “Have I told you about my cowboy fantasy?”
His eyes smoldered.
“Don’t let go of the reins, big boy…” She unbuttoned his jeans and pressed a kiss to his stomach, then proceeded to fulfill a steamy fantasy she hadn’t even known she possessed until her panty scorcher rode up on the horse.