I stood in front of the mirror brushing my hair. I had slept late. Jack was downstairs. I could hear him talking to Sarah before I got in the shower. I didn’t know why I had been so tired for the last few days. It had been almost two and half months since I met Jack at Suzie’s Diner. My report was finished. I just needed to print it out. About three weeks into my contract, I realized I needed more time to complete the job and Jack was more than happy to extend my time here another thirty days. My time was up in two days and neither Jack nor I had brought up what would happen next.

I was too nervous to ask. I had practically thrown myself at him, I begged him to let me stay here to begin with. For that reason, I had told myself—no, I had promised myself that I would wait for him to bring it up. There was no doubt in my mind that Jack cared for me, but he hadn’t told me he loved me yet. I knew that he had to be leery after everything he had been through with Tiffany and I knew that making things permanent between us would be a huge step for him, but I wanted to stay more than anything. I loved him more than anything. I loved the farm more than anything.

In just two months, I truly felt like I had found my home. I had found my life. I found where I wanted to be forever and what I wanted to do forever. In the beginning, aside from my strong connection to Jack, it had been the beauty of the land that drew me to this place. Now, it was not only the land, it was the people as well. I had met almost every single farm employee and many of their family members. One of Jack’s foremen, Tom, who had been a friend of Jack’s since high school, introduced me to his wife, Shelly. She and I became fast friends. Jack and I had had dinner with them several times and Shelly and I made a day trip to Nashville together to go shopping. But the new friendship I had come to appreciate the most was mine with Sarah, Ted’s wife.

As I stared at my reflection in the mirror, I thought about the day I met Ted and Sarah for the first time. It was a few days after my father had come to visit. I was on cloud nine. I still didn’t know how Jack had managed to convince my father to change his mind about me working for him, but I had decided to let that stay between the two of them.

We were standing on the front porch with our hands clutched together as I watched Ted step out of Jack’s SUV. The first thing he did was pick up a Colton Farms ball cap out of the back seat and pull it down over his white hair. His skin was brown and weathered from years of being in the sun, but he looked strong and healthy for his age. He chuckled when he saw Jack and me standing on the porch.

Jack barked, “It’s about time you brought back my truck old man. I was wondering if I was ever gonna see you again.”

Ted shook his head and grinned. “It doesn’t look to me like you’ve had time for wondering much, Jack.” He nodded his head towards me. “Who’s the pretty lady, I don’t recall her being here when we left.”

Jack smiled and then I noticed Sarah for the first time, standing behind Ted. She was tall and lean and appeared to be much younger than Ted. Her skin was brown from the sun, her hair was salt and pepper, cut in a neat bob that hung just above her shoulders, and her eyes were cornflower blue and inquisitive. She was a stunning woman. She was smiling, but something told me that she wasn’t too keen to see me standing there next to Jack.

Jack introduced us. “Ted, Sarah, I want you to meet Claire Hawkins, she’s going to be staying here for the next few weeks. She’s doing some consulting for the farm.”

Ted snorted in laughter and looked at mine and Jack’s hands locked together. “So that’s what the kids are callin’ it these days, consulting, huh?” Ted shook my hand and smiled at me warmly and I could feel heat rush to my cheeks. “Glad to see you here, Miss Hawkins.”

I smiled at Ted, “Oh my goodness, please call me Claire.” 

Jack chuckled, “She answers to ‘Freckles’ too.”

I glared up at Jack and Ted laughed and looked back at Sarah, “Sweetheart, I believe someone has kidnapped Jack while we were gone. Replaced with someone who looks a lot like him—but a happier, maybe smitten version of him. What do you think?”

We laughed, and Sarah playfully hit Ted on the shoulder, “Leave the kids alone old man—not everyone has to be a grumpy as you.” She turned to me smiling, “It’s nice to meet you Claire. I don’t know if Jack told you, but I do most of the cooking around here, so if there is anything special you’d like or foods you don’t eat, you’ll let me know, won’t you?” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

I grinned back at her. “I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I won’t eat.”

She smiled politely, “Well then, I best get inside and start some dinner.”

I looked up at Jack waiting for him to object, but he didn’t say anything. “Jack?”

He grinned down at me. “What?”

I looked at Sarah, “Why don’t you let Jack and I cover dinner. You’ve been on the road for hours, I’m sure you must be exhausted. I’m sure between the two of us, we could come up with something that you and Ted could eat, right Jack?” I looked at him with the best stern eyes that I could muster.

He burst out laughing and looked at Sarah and then looked back down at me, “I know good manners dictate that I’m supposed to say ‘yes’ here, but it feels like it’s been a year since I’ve had Sarah’s cookin’.”

I looked at him in shock, “Jack Colton, are you really gonna make this woman cook after she’s been on the road for ten hours?”

He smiled at Sarah and shrugged, “Do you mind?”

I hit him on the shoulder and smiled at Sarah again. “Ignore him Sarah, we got this covered, you can just relax.”

She shook her head and laughed, and her smile finally met her eyes when she looked at me. “That’s the sweetest offer I’ve gotten in a long time Claire, but to tell you the truth I’ve been sitting still for so long, I’ve been looking forward to getting back in the kitchen and moving around a bit. I’m thinking chicken n’ dumplins, that sound good to everyone?”

Jack smiled and said, “Hell yeah, one of my favorites.”

She ignored Jack and looked at me, “What about you honey?”

“That sounds wonderful, I’ve never had them before.” Sarah looked at me in shock.

Jack laughed, “You’ll have to excuse Claire, she’s one of them Yankees.”

I rolled my eyes and Jack and Sarah laughed, “Well, we will have to fix that, won’t we?” She made her way towards the door.

I called out to her, “Sarah?”

She turned towards me. I nervously asked, “Would it be okay if I helped? I’ve been wanting to learn to cook, I didn’t really get to learn much growing up.” She looked at me in disbelief—I couldn’t quite read her expression. Before she answered, I quickly added, “But if you think I’ll be in your way, maybe I could just watch?” 

She had a wide smile on her face before I can even finish. She came over and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, “Come on darlin’, I’d love for you to help.”

Jack yelled over his shoulder as we walked inside, “Don’t let her fool you Sarah. She made Grandma Colton’s Chili a couple of weeks ago and it was spot on.” Sarah squeezed my shoulders tighter after she heard Jack’s words.

When we walked in the front door, she gasped when she saw the old dining table and other things that we had brought up from the barn that belonged to Jack’s parents. She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes watered up. “You got him to do this, didn’t you?” She whispered looking down at me.

I cleared my throat, “Yeah. I mean I just thought it might be homier for him and the stuff was just down there in the barn.” I was getting more nervous, the more I explained. “Is it okay? I didn’t mean to…”

She cut me off, “Claire—of course. Now I see why he seems so happy. Thank you.”  She gave me a full out hug. Normally, I wouldn’t have liked having someone I barely knew that close to me, but for some reason, her embrace was comforting. She whispered, “You’re bringing him back to us.”

From that night forward, Sarah became like a second mother to me. She had taught me how to cook. She taught me how to garden—which had become one of my favorite things to do. She was even teaching me how to sew. We made mismatched cushions for all the chairs surrounding the farm table. She was teaching me all the things that I wished my own mother could have taught me. Sarah meant a lot to me already.

I sighed as I walked out of the bathroom with a towel still wrapped around me. How could I ever leave her? How could I ever leave this farm? But most of all, how could I ever leave Jack? I wondered if I should say something to him and then decided that I would ask Sarah for her advice. She seemed to know him better than anyone. I turned my head and sniffed the sheets. I could smell him. Jesus that man drove me crazy. Planting season had officially started, and he was out on the farm from early in the morning until late in the evening for the last couple of weeks. He made time for me—he always made time for me, but I still missed him, which was crazy.

It had been nearly four days since we had made love. I sniffed the sheets on his side of the bed again and felt a familiar throbbing between my legs as I thought back to Saturday night. Sex with Jack was unbelievable. Sometimes I wondered if it was like that with everyone. Sometimes it was hot and wild and kinky and other times, it was soft and tender. It was as if he knew what I needed and when. I hadn’t touched myself since I made love with Jack for the first time—well I hadn’t touched myself without him there. But I was feeling extra horny and slipped my hand between my thighs. I gently rubbed my finger between my folds the way Jack did and closed my eyes and replayed Saturday night in my mind.

I had just gotten out of the shower when Jack popped in the bedroom. I had a towel wrapped around me. We had a couple of hours before Tom and Shelly were supposed to come over for dinner, but I had decided to go ahead and get ready since I was so dirty from working in the vegetable garden most of the day with Sarah. When I looked up at him, I immediately saw the look in his eye (he wanted sex), but he was filthy. Clearly, he had been out in the fields working all day. He started walking towards me. I grinned at him. “You stay away from me Jack Colton, I’m clean.”

He held his hands up and chuckled. “Okay, going to the shower right now. Give me five minutes, six tops. And stay exactly like you are.” He winked at me. I wandered into his massive walk-in closet and dressed in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a creamy colored lace blouse. I was standing there trying to decide what shoes to wear. It had been warm earlier in the day, but it would get cool tonight.

I was startled when Jack spoke. “I don’t like what you’re wearing Claire.”

I looked back at him standing in the doorway of the closet. He looked sexy as hell. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. My breath hitched as my eyes ran over his hard chest, abs, and arms—there were still tiny water droplets covering his exquisite muscles. He stood there with his arms crossed with a sexy smirk on his face. I swear, we had seen each other naked every day for the last two months, but I was still breathless every single time I looked at him. I arched one eyebrow at him, “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing Jack?”

His voice lowered. “Turn around Claire.”

I turned around so that my back was facing him and tried to look over my shoulder and then around my waist. “What Jack? Does my ass look bad in these jeans?”

Jack growled, “No your ass looks sexy as hell—as usual. It’s just too covered up. Take off your clothes.”

I looked back towards him. He had dropped his towel to the floor. My eyes lowered to his hard dick. God, he was sexy. He barked. “I said turn around Claire. Take off your shirt.”

My eyes flickered to his. He was playing, and I was all in the game. I turned around with my back towards him and slowly lifted my blouse over my head and then let it drop to the floor. I heard him let out a breath. “Now unclasp your bra and take it off.” I did what he asked. I let it slide off my arms onto the floor and I looked back at him with a grin.

“Turn around. Touch your breasts. Take them in your hands baby. Squeeze them.” Fuck me. This was so hot, I was already throbbing between my legs. I did what he asked. “Pull on your nipples, Claire.” I obeyed and let out a little moan. I looked back at him and he was slowly stroking his dick. I turned my head away again, wanting more.

“Take off your jeans baby. I want to see that perfect ass of yours.” I did. Slowly. My ass was bare. I was wearing a tiny pink lacy thong. Jack moaned, and I looked back at him wishing I could be the one with my hand wrapped around his hard dick. He swallowed. “Now the panties.” I did what he asked again, desperately needing to have his body pushing but against mine.

“Touch yourself, Claire. Tell me if you’re wet. Are you wet?”

I ran my middle finger between my legs and brushed over my clit and my head fell backward as I moaned again. “Fuck, Claire. You’re so damn sexy. I want you on the bed.”

I turned around and walked towards him, dying to touch him, dying for him to touch me but each time I took a step towards him, he took a step back. “On the bed Claire. Climb on the bed.”

I did as he asked. I was so worked up, I was breathing heavily as I climbed on the bed. I moved to the middle and laid on my back and propped myself on my elbows, so I could look at him. He was still stroking his dick and he looked delicious. “Get on your hands and knees Claire.”  I blinked at him. Then I did as he asked. Damn! He was going to do me doggie style. We hadn’t done that yet. He had taken me from behind a few times in bed and in the shower, but we hadn’t done this yet. I loved trying to new things with Jack. I did what he asked and got on my hands and knees. I felt vulnerable, but I wanted to experience whatever Jack was going to do to me and it was making me so damn hot how bossy he was acting.

I looked over my shoulder at him and smiled and then I shook my ass a little. I could feel myself blushing. “You coming over here with me or are you just gonna stand there?”

He moaned. “Fuck Claire. You look so good like that.” He was on the bed in under a second kneeling behind me. His dick was at attention and I could see a little pearl of precum on the tip. I moaned as he grabbed my ass cheeks with both hands and started to massage them. He spread them apart and I could feel the cool air drift over my pussy.

“Jesus Jack. I want you.”

“What do you want Claire?” He asked breathlessly as he took his dick in one and rubbed it between my ass cheeks and then down to my pussy and back. I let out a louder moan and said breathlessly, “I want you inside me.”

“God Claire. You’re so wet I can see it dripping down your leg. Do you know how sexy that is?” He whispered the dirty words to me he ran his finger back and forth over my clit and quickly pushed it inside me. He curled his finger forward and I pushed back against his hand. “Jack please.” He pushed another inside me and began fucking me with his fingers until I lost it screamed out his name.

“You’re so fucking perfect.” He said as he pulled his fingers out of me. He began rubbing his wet fingers over the tight hole between my ass cheeks as he reached under me with his other hand and began to circle my clit with his fingers. God, it felt good. I had just come, but I knew I would again if he kept that up. Before I knew it, he had his thumb pressed into my tight hole from behind. It felt so good. I felt full as he began to press his hard dick against my entrance.

I backed up against him. “Oh God, please Jack. I need you inside.” Just as I said it, I felt him pressing himself into to me. He felt so deep inside me that way. All the sensations were too much.

His finger was circling my clit, his thumb was pressed in me from behind and he began to slowly fuck me, pushing and pulling in and out of me until my legs and arms started to shake. I could hear him breathing hard, but I couldn’t manage to look back at him. “Fuck! Claire. Does this feel as good to you as it does to me?”

I’m not sure how I managed to answer but I did, “Yes. Jack. Yes. Please. Don’t stop.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I was over the edge, pulsing around him. I heard him cry out and I could feel him explode inside me. I collapsed on the bed and he collapsed on top of me. He somehow managed to turn us over so that I was lying with my back on top of his chest. His arms were snaked around my waist and he kissed my hair over and over.

As my breathing slowed, I could help but laugh. “Jesus Jack, we are so dirty.”

His chuckle vibrated against my back as he flipped us on our sides and pulled me close to him. “I love how dirty we are. Don’t you Freckles?”

I snuggled in closer to him, “I love everything Jack.”

“Me too pretty girl.” He whispered.

I pulled my hand out from between my thighs and waited for my breath to even out thinking about the rest of our night together. We were happy to see Tom and Shelly for dinner but even more happy see them go home. We fell into bed together that night exhausted and Jack climbed on top of me and made slow sweet sleepy love to me. I came three times as he stared into my eyes as he moved slowly in and out of me. I thought he was going to tell me he loved me then, but he didn’t. “I love…everything about you Claire.” He whispered.

I rubbed my hands over my face and rolled over on the bed still exhausted. I couldn’t believe we hadn’t made love in almost four days. We had both been so busy. I had been finishing the report and Jack had been out in the fields. Every night I fell asleep before he made it to bed and every morning, he had slipped out before I woke up. I was completely stressed out. It wasn’t just Jack. An entire week had passed since I finished my last pack of birth control pills. I was supposed to start a new pack tomorrow. I hadn’t started my period.

This had happened to me before. I used to skip periods all the time. That’s why I started birth control, to regulate my cycle. But this hadn’t happened since I had started the pills over a year ago. I went online two days ago and ordered five pregnancy tests. Thank god for overnight shipping. They would be here today. I couldn’t just go to the drug store in town and buy one unless I wanted the whole town to know about it. I wondered if Jack had noticed that I hadn’t started.

I forced myself off the bed and went to the closet, it was supposed to get up to 80 degrees today, so I decided that I would put on a cute little pair of denim shorts.  I grabbed a pale blue and white plaid cotton shirt and put it on and then pulled on my red cowboy boots and made my way down to the kitchen.

“Hey, you,” I said when I saw Jack sitting at the table staring at his iPad. There was a platter sitting in the middle of that table with bacon, eggs, and homemade biscuits. Sarah was nowhere to be seen.

“Mornin’ sleepyhead.” Jack said not looking up from his iPad.

I walked up behind him and ran my fingers through his hair and he leaned his head back to give me a kiss. “I missed you this morning.” I whispered in his ear, letting out a breath and then nipping his earlobe. He groaned, and I giggled. He backed up his chair and shifted it to the side and his gaze lifted up to mine.

“Freckles! What are you wearing?” He pulled me closer to him so that I was standing in between his legs. His hands were gliding up and down my outer thighs. “Damn baby, where’d you get these?” He asked tugging on the hymn of my little shorts.

I laughed. “I ordered them. It’s getting too hot to wear jeans all the time.”

His eyes moved down my body. “You’re not wearing these out of the house.”

I hit him playfully on the shoulder. “Why not?”

“Look at these Freckles, they barely cover anything.” He said running his hands up my hips and then across my ass.

I smiled down at him with my hands on his shoulders. I felt better already just being with him. I loved seeing his wide smile and the twinkle in his eyes when he looked at me. “Where did you go this morning?”

“Ted and I had a meeting with the foremen at 6:30. I didn’t want to wake you, you seemed tired last night.”

“Where’s Sarah?”

“Garden.” He grinned up at me squeezing my ass cheeks. “Come here.” He said pulling me towards him. I sat on his lap straddling him and ran my fingers through his hair.

“I have to drive over to Nashville tonight. I have a meeting with Todd Pierce—you remember that seed broker from Iowa?”

“Yeah? Do you want me to come with you?”

“Nah baby, you’d be bored, he likes to eat a big steak and sit around for hours and drink whiskey and talk about himself, he’s kind of a douchebag.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I know you want to work on your report and I’ll leave early tomorrow and be back before lunch, you won’t even miss me.”

“Oh, I’ll miss you,” I said smiling at him.

He ran his hands up and down my thighs and looked down at my boots. “You look fucking good, Claire.” He whispered before he started kissing my neck. His tongue and lips made their way to mine. His hands moved to my ass as our mouths pressed together in a hungry kiss. He gripped my hips with both hands and pressed me against his hard erection. A little moan escaped as I began moving against him. He palmed both of my breasts and my head fell backward as I rocked against him. “Fuck Claire. We have to stop or I’m going to have to change my pants.” He said as he licked my neck.

“I want you Jack.” I whispered.

“God, I want you too baby.” He said leaning back. He put his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. “I was supposed to meet Tom ten minutes ago, he’s short three men today.” He leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. “Damn Claire. We can’t go this long…” He didn’t finish his sentence. He took my face in both of his hands and gently kissed me. “Tomorrow baby. Come hell or high water.”  I rolled my eyes and kissed him again and got up off his lap. He looked down at his lap. “Look at this Claire.”

I laughed when I looked down and saw the tent in his work khakis. “I’d like to do something about that Jack, but you don’t have time, remember?”

He groaned and stood up and shook his head. He grabbed his iPad and phone off the table and then kissed me again. “I’ll be back before I head to Nashville. Remember what I said, no leaving the house in these.” He slapped my ass and I squealed. He laughed. “You’re gonna be the death of me, Claire.”

My package arrived at exactly 4:00 p.m. that day, about ten minutes after Jack left for Nashville. I ran upstairs gripping it in my hand as I jumped on the bed to open it. I tore open the first box and pulled out the instructions. It said to wait until morning. I opened the other four boxes and they all said the same thing. I had to wait until the morning if I wanted them to be accurate.