Chapter Fifteen

James

 

I scanned through e-mails as I sipped on my morning coffee. The clock on the bottom right of my computer screen was more interesting than anything in my inbox.

An ad for the local feed store, a couple junk e-mails, and the top stories for the news site I subscribed to were all clicked open, scanned half-heartedly, and closed. I didn’t want to appear too eager when Evelyn pulled up, so I busied myself with the news stories while I waited. I checked the clock again. It was almost nine fifteen, and we’d set the time for nine.

I watched out the window, looking as far down the road as my vision would allow. Nothing. I went back to my news stories.

Finally, the familiar engine sound nearing the house lifted the worry that she’d stood me up.

I grabbed the picnic basket I’d packed with brunch items and headed out the door.

Evelyn walked towards me, her red hair pulled into a tight ponytail and tied with a pink ribbon that matched her lips.

“You look like you’re ready to ride,” I crowed.

“I don’t know if ready is the word I’d use,” she hesitated.

She wore the same jeans from the auction night. I knew they were the same ones. I remembered unbuttoning them, sliding them from her body. My jeans started to tighten as I let my mind wander to the wonderland that was Evelyn’s body.

“You’ll do fine. You have a great teacher,” I boasted.

A faint smile appeared on her lips, one that displayed her anxiousness about our plans. I found it quite adorable that she was scared.

“What’s that?” Evelyn asked, motioning to the basket I held in my hand.

“Brunch,” I replied, my cheeks starting to blush as she seemed to be thinking I was adorable.

“What, a man can’t pack a picnic?” I sputtered.

“Beer and pizza?” Evelyn teased.

I grinned, nodded, and hid the basket behind my back when she tried to sneak a peek.

“C’mon, I’ll introduce you to Queen,” I reached towards Evelyn’s hand, only to be denied.

She pretended that she didn’t know I was trying to hold her hand, mussing with her hair and keeping them busy as she followed beside me, but not too close.

In the barn, I noticed her stand a little closer to me once we entered the stables. I took her hand while her defenses were down, and guided her towards Queen.

“You want me to ride her?” Evelyn cautioned.

“Sure. She’s a gentle giant, and I trust her,” I explained.

Evelyn’s head shook as her pale skin grew paler.

“What about him?” she pointed to Goofy.

I chuckled as I looked at the graceless thoroughbred.

“Goofy?” I gasped.

“Why is he named Goofy?” Evelyn asked.

As if on cue, Goofy proved he’d earned his name. He pushed his head sideways between two slats in the gate, trying his best to gain Evelyn’s attention. Queen stood upright, regal, her head comfortably over the short gate, not smashed against boards like her neighbor.

“You aren’t serious, are you?” I questioned.

Evelyn let go of my hand and moved towards Goofy’s gate. Her hand rubbed against his snout through the wood while I stood back and watched curiously.

“The deal was I would ride, not that you could choose who I rode,” Evelyn specified firmly.

“I don’t know if I trust Goofy. I’m the only one who’s ever ridden him,” I pleaded.

“I trust him,” she stated, snapping her fingers above the gate to pull the horse from his crazed position and to her hand.

I had to admit, she seemed at ease around him, and that was half the battle. Goofy took to her quickly. His stance was firmer than his usual flimsy manner. He was gentle, slow and steady with his movements, almost as if he knew she had fears to face.

“Okay, but if he makes one wrong move, we’re trading,” I insisted.

“He won’t,” she smiled.

Evelyn’s petite frame stood confidently next to the brown and white spotted thoroughbred as she entered the stall. I watched in amazement as she brushed down his body carefully grooming him as if he were her own. She checked his hooves, grabbing the pick to remove pieces of dirt stuck inside. As she worked readying him for our ride, I leaned against Queen’s gate whispering to her about how much I liked the little redhead.

Once she was done, Evelyn turned to me, a strange smile on her face.

“I don’t think Goofy is the right name for him,” she beamed.

“I couldn’t think of a horse with a better-suited name,” I chuckled.

“No. His name is Gulliver,” she beamed.

“Why Gulliver?” I queried.

“Gulliver’s Travels. He has a curious and pure heart,” she stated firmly.

“And you’re the little person to his giant,” I chuckled.

“That’s not what I meant,” she sneered.

“Okay, Gulliver is his name,” I confirmed.

I helped Evelyn with the saddle, although I was certain she could’ve done it on her own, but would’ve required a stool.

My hands cupped together, giving her step as she slid her left foot in the stirrup. Her right leg slung over the horse effortlessly, and with obvious skill, she gripped the reins just tight enough to keep him steady without my assistance of holding his snout.

“You’ve done this before?” I smiled.

Her back straightened, and she took perfect control of the large and powerful beast as she followed me and Queen from the stables.

I’d thought it would take time to ease her into riding, but she took off without fear. Queen didn’t even need me to nudge her into the fast trot as she chased after her stable neighbor.

I took the lead to head her towards the lake at the back of the property. It would be a long ride, but one with an amazing place to enjoy the picnic strapped to the back of Queen’s saddle.

The trees shook from the light morning wind, the sun beating down through the branches to our faces. Evelyn slowed to a walk with Gulliver, her head tilting back to enjoy the warmth of the sunlight.

Her beauty was heart crushing.

“You gettin’ hungry?” I asked.

She turned to me with a smile. There was a peacefulness about her that I’d never noticed before.

“Where do you want to stop?” she asked.

“It’s a ways. If you’re hungry, we need to pick up the speed,” I warned.

“Well, don’t worry about me keeping up,” she laughed.

I grinned as I took off, Queen showing her true skills as thick muscles beneath me rumbled. Evelyn had proven her abilities, but Goofy, or Gulliver, hadn’t enjoyed a fast run in the past times I’d ridden him. He liked to stop, for no reason, and smell the air or to look at a butterfly.

Feeling I’d given enough time to create a distance between us, I looked back expecting to find her frustrated with the Goofy horse. What I did find was Gulliver taking well to his newly given name, so well, in fact, he was passing Queen.

I struggled to keep in pace, falling behind a time or two. By the time we reached the lake, Queen was exhausted, but Gulliver appeared to be filled with energy as he decided to get his drink before letting his rider get down.

I slid from Queen’s back, took her reins and walked her to the lake for a drink at the shallow edge. I laughed as Evelyn sat on Gulliver, his head sliding into the water at a sideways slant back and forth to create a splash.

“You sure about his name?” I questioned.

Evelyn sneered in my direction, her eyes narrowed and sarcastic. She leaned in, rubbed Gulliver’s mane and whispered something in his ear.

After the horse finished playing in the water, I helped Evelyn down, my hands tight around her small waist. She slid down into my arms, our bodies close and I was certain hers trembled in my hands.

I wanted to kiss her so badly, but she quickly squirmed away and walked towards the water. She sat on the edge, slid her boots off her feet, tossed a pair of gray nylon socks behind her and bent over to roll up her pant legs.

Evelyn, a once self-proclaimed city girl, stood in the water up to her calves. Her pretty pink toenails were sunk into the muddy bottom, little minnow probably nipped at them, and she looked happier than I’d ever seen her.

I spread out the blanket under the tall tree after tying up the horses. While Evelyn played in the water, splashing like Gulliver had done earlier, I pulled everything from the basket and arranged it neatly on the blanket.

“You’re gonna get eaten by a shark,” I called out.

The look on her face as she turned to me in surprised panic was priceless. She ran from the water, falling onto the blanket and then rolling to her back as she gasped to catch her breath.

“There are no sharks in there,” she exclaimed, reaching her arm towards me in a swing.

I pulled back, not allowing her to make contact and worked on controlling the laughter burning inside of me.

“No. There aren’t any sharks in the lake,” I confirmed.

“You really are a city girl,” I teased.

She sat up, ignoring my comment, and instead scanned the blanket at the food I’d brought along. Her eyebrows raised as she looked up at me, obviously impressed that I didn’t bring beer and pizza.

Evelyn passed on the bacon, egg and cheese biscuits, the bowl of fresh fruit, and even the chips and assorted dips. Instead, she grabbed the bunch of carrots, quickly standing to her feet and headed towards the horses. I leaned back on the blanket, watching her feed the horses, whispering to them, stroking them, treating them with respect and love. My heart swelled against my chest. Damn, this spicy little redhead has me wrapped.

A sweet sigh escaped her lips as she plopped down beside me. She leaned back with her elbows bent in a makeshift lounge chair and stared out towards the water.

“You really love this life,” she sighed.

“I do,” I replied.

“Even when I was in the SEALs, my heart never left this place. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world,” I replied.

“I can understand that. It’s just so much work,” she sighed.

“Anything worth having is a lot of work,” I smiled.

Her warm green eyes were brightened under the sunlight, rays creating sparkles as it beamed down on her face.

She was a lot of work, but I knew she was worth it. I wanted to tell her, but instead, I handed her a sandwich.

“I plan on building a house right here,” I blurted aloud for the first time to anyone.

“Yes, that would be amazing,” she gasped excitedly.

I told her about the plans, ones I’d worked on since I was just a young boy. I wanted the bedroom where the sun would peek in during the morning, a large set of double doors to open to a private deck off the master for a view of the lake.

I grabbed her around the waist, pulled her to me, and snuggled against her with her back towards me. She smelled so sweet, so delicious. I wanted to taste her right there under the large tree.

“We’re not doing that anymore,” she protested, pulling away a little, but not giving much fight.

“I just want to hold you,” I pleaded.

Her body relaxed, and she snuggled against me contently.

“So, what do you love so much about this place?” she asked.

I told her about old man Jasper, how he’d taken me in and taught me everything about working a ranch. I must’ve gone on for a while because soft snores rolled from Evelyn’s nose.

I rested my head on my arm, wrapping the other around her tightly as she slept. Thoughts of her living in the house I built roamed my mind, wondering if that would ever, could ever become a reality. This case wouldn’t be going on for much longer, and she wouldn’t be my lawyer. There wouldn’t be a reason for her to fight the obvious attraction she had for me.

I woke to Evelyn squirming in my arms, her ass pushing against my crotch. I lifted up, looked over her shoulder to find her still asleep. Her lips parted, and soft moans escaped. She squirmed again, wriggling herself tighter against my body.

My cock twitched as it and my mind both realized she was aroused, dreaming about something. I hoped it was about us.

“I thought we weren’t doing that anymore,” I whispered in her ear, desperate for her, but smart enough to know not to make a move while she slept.

Her eyes opened just as the last moan rolled from her lips, this one stronger, louder. She pulled loose from my arms, quickly made it to her feet and stepped at least ten feet from where we were napping.

“Making love to me in your dreams can’t be as good as the real thing,” I smirked.

Her face was bright red. Her arms crossed over her body to cover the hardened nipples that poked from her t-shirt. I‘d already noticed them, scanned them into my memory, so she could hide them all she wanted.

“I think we should go back now,” she stammered.

Fuck.

The look in her eyes told me she wanted to stay, that I could persuade her if I really wanted to, but her words were clear.

The thought of riding back with an erection was enough to release some of the blood my cock had been hoarding.

“Okay,” I agreed, wishing like hell she’d change her mind and jump into my arms.

Like I said, anything worth a damn requires hard work. Evelyn was not an exception.