The Stable Boy (24 page)

“Yes, you are,” I laughed.

“How are you doing?”

“I am good. I am getting ready to head out tonight.”

“Who are you going with?”

“Alison and Vanessa, the usual suspects.”

“That is great. Are you going to your usual spot or what used to be your usual spot?”

“Yes, Christian Kane is playing there tonight.”

“That is awesome. We saw him a few months ago. He is great in concert. You will love him.”

“Is that how you ended up pregnant again?”

“No, wait, maybe. I did get pregnant around that time. Well, shit. I think it may have been,” she laughed.

“Do you want me to thank Christian for you?”

“Oh hell no. You are so wrong. What time are you leaving?”

“I am going to get Alison at six and we are headed to Vanessa’s where we will meet up with Angelica, Stacie and Susie. We are going to all go together. We want to be there by seven.”

“Yes, you better be. I don’t know how popular he is in your area, but I know that when we went the line wrapped around the building.”

“Thanks for the warning. I will have to let the girls know.”

“Yeah, the place was packed. How is the farm going? Is the new stable boy working out for you?”

“Yes, he has been great. He helped birth a calf, calmed my unruly horse, planted the winter crop, and pick the pears and apples. I am teaching him about the fruit trees. His grandparents farm did not have fruit trees. He is teaching me about the farm equipment, since John would never let me anywhere near it.”

“You are worried about being on the farm alone again aren’t you?”

“Yes, which is why I am having Josh teach my the equipment.”

“Will you do me a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“If you end up alone on the farm again, will you please entertain the idea of selling it and coming home?”

“I don’t know if I can do that. This is the home John and I made together. To leave it, just feels wrong to me.”

“I know, but that place is so big. You are one person, Claire. You cannot do everything. Please just think about it.”

“I will think about it, but I am not promising anything.”

“Okay, that is all I ask. I love you, Claire. Go get ready for tonight and have a blast.”

“I love you, too, Janie and I plan on it.”

“Good, the past two times I have spoken to you, you sound happier. That makes me happy. I am glad you are beginning to feel like you again.”

“Thank you, Janie. I am slowly coming back to me.”

“That is great to hear. Go and get ready. Tell Alison, I said hello.”

“I will do that. Give everyone my love.”

“I will,” she said and hung up the phone. Janie was never one to say goodbye. To her it was like you would never speak to the person again. She was not always like that, but after we said our goodbyes to our parents it was always an abrupt hang up on the other end of the phone after the conversation ended. I placed the receiver back in the cradle. I turned around to see that Josh was gone. I looked down the hall and it was empty. I went outside to find him working with Cassie and the colt. I smiled.

“Hey,” he said when he noticed I was there.

“Hey.”

“How is your sister?”

“She is good. She just wanted to tell me that my nephew got an A on his book report.”

“That is great. You know, I don’t think I have ever received an A on anything.”

“I was good in English. Whenever I wrote a paper, I would get an A. Janie and her husband are both really smart. Janie was a straight A student all through school. She got a full scholarship to the college of her choice. Mike was the same way, which is why he is now a vice president in the company he works for. I am pretty sure the brains skipped me or maybe it was just the lack of caring. I always had an A in English class, but the rest, not so much. I never failed a class, I just did not do enough to get As.”

“I never failed either, but I was lucky to pass some classes.”

“That is pretty much how I felt. I was an average student. I did not mind fitting the mold. I wasn’t looking to break it. I was content the way I was.”

“So was I, for the most part. Sometimes, I wish I did better so I could have gone to college and gotten a better job. Maybe, I could have saved my grandparents home.”

“I am sure that if they would have told you about what was going on, then you would have done everything in your power to help them.”

“I would have.”

“It was not your fault. They never told you. We can’t change the past, as much as we want to.”

“I know. We have to live for the present and hope for the future.”

“Yes, we do.”

“What time is it?”

“I don’t know. Why?”

“I was just wondering. I know that you need to get ready soon and I wanted to get a few things around here done before we left.”

“Let me check and I will let you know.”

“Okay,” he said. I went back into the house to look at the wall clock I kept above the kitchen sink. He followed me. “It is four. Where did the day go? I guess I should shower and get ready.”

“Sounds good, I am going to feed all the animals.”

“Okay, I will see you when I finish,” I said as I headed up the stairs. I walked the hall to the bedroom. As soon as I hit the door, I began to strip down. The dress was still hanging on the closet door where I left it. I turned on the shower and let the hot water cover the shower floor before stepping in. I closed the sliding glass door and began to wash my hair. I felt the cool air from the door being slid open flow over my body. His hands replaced mine. I closed my eyes. His muscular hands giving me a scalp massage made me melt. I became putty in his hands. He rinsed my hair and picked up the conditioner. Massaging it throughout my scalp.

He picked up the soap and began washing down my back to my ass. He moved his hands to my front. I turned around to face him. He washed my shoulders and arms. Working his way across my collarbone, he began to wash down my chest, paying careful attention to my breasts. Dragging the soap across my midsection, he smiled down at me. I smiled, knowing what was coming next. He moved his hand below my waist. I felt his hand between my legs.

“I promise I won’t keep you long,” he said, almost whispering it. I smiled at him. I could have cared less how long it took. He pinned me against the wall. His lips crashed into mine. An explosion of sensations took over my body. I wanted him. I needed him. I wanted to feel his length inside me. His every touch electrified my skin. He slid me up the wall. I felt him enter, sliding me down him. I smiled, wrapping my legs around him. He lifted me up and down while kissing my neck. I gasped as he bit my neck. Every time I slid back down his length, he hit my pleasure spot. I could feel my muscles beginning to contract around him. I bit my lip. I did not want it to end, yet. I was hoping the pain would distract me from the pleasure. I was wrong. The pain drove my pleasure into overdrive. As I came, he did the same. He lifted me up and off of him. Keeping me pinned against the wall, he kissed me. “I’ll let you finish getting ready.”

I nodded my head. He backed away from me. My legs could barely hold me up. He left the shower. The cold air hit my skin, immediately creating goosebumps. I braced myself against the wall. I needed to calm down before I left the shower. I took a couple of deep breaths. When I felt my legs regain their strength, I finished washing my body and left the shower. I walked out of the bathroom half expecting to see him lying on my bed in all his glorious nakedness. He was not there. I checked the time. I had exactly forty five minutes to get dressed, do my hair, and make up and get to Alison’s house. If I did not make it in time, she would know. First thing I did was get dressed. Then I proceeded to do my hair. All I ever did with it was blow dry it and brush it out. It was too long to really style. Then I put my make up on. I rarely ever wore it. The only time I even attempted to put it on was on our girls nights out or for weddings. I checked myself out in the mirror. Satisfied with how I looked, I headed down stairs. He was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

“I knew that dress would look beautiful on you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Are you ready to go?”

“I am,” I said. We walked out of the house. He kissed my neck as he came up behind me.

“Have fun tonight.”

“Thank you. I am sure we will.”

“So am I,” he said, opening my truck door for me. I climbed in my truck. I watched him walk over to his. He climbed in and gave me a smile as he started it up. I headed out. He followed. I made it to Alison’s door with two minutes to spare. She was waiting outside. Bob was standing next to her. He gave me a smile and a wave. I returned his gesture. Alison climbed into the passenger side of the truck as Josh was pulling in. He looked over at the two of us and smiled. We gave him a wave and smiled back. I backed out of the driveway.

“So, you ready to get drunk?”

“I am. How about you?”

“When aren’t I ready when we go out?”

“That is a good point.”

“Are you going to crash at Vanessa’s if neither of us are in driving condition?”

“Yes, there is no way Bob will be able to come and get me.”

“Good, at least we have a plan.”

“Yes, we do.”

“How are you and Josh? Any better?”

“Yeah, we are good,” I said as the heat rose to my cheeks.

“Uh-huh, I can tell.”

“What do you mean you can tell?”

“Your face is a red as your dress. Claire, you know I can always tell, right?”

“You just like to fish until I admit to something.”

“If you would just tell me, then I wouldn’t have to set sail on a fishing expedition. I’d tell you.”

“I know you would.”

“So, then just tell me. It would make your life a lot easier,” she said with a grin.

“Like I said, we are good.”

“You slept with him before coming to get me didn’t you?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Don’t maybe not me, you did, I can tell. You should be sleeping with him as much as possible. God knows if I was you, there would never be any work getting done.”

“Oh jeez,” I laughed. “I am surprised any work gets done at your house at all.”

“Me too.”

“You are so wrong,” I said as we pulled into Vanessa’s driveway.

“I am just keeping Bob happy.”

“I think it is more the other way around.”

“Most likely, but it is not like he doesn’t enjoy it.”

“That is true,” I said, climbing out of the truck. Angelica, Stacie, and Susie were already there. We walked in. “Hey, ladies.”

“Hey,” they all said.

“Are we all set to go?” asked Vanessa.

“We are ready,” Alison said.

“Good, let’s go,” said Angelica. We all climbed into Vanessa’s van. Alison sat in the front passenger seat. I took the first passenger side seat. Angelica sat next to me and Stacie and Susie  sat in the third row. “I really like that dress on you. It looks beautiful and so do you. There is something different about you today.”

“Thank you. When we went shopping, it was the first thing I saw and fell in love with it. What do you mean different?”

“I don’t know. You look happier than you normally do.”

“I am. We are about to see Christian. Who wouldn’t be happy?”

“That is so true.”

“She is right, Claire. This is the happiest I have seen you look in quite some time,” said Susie. I heard Vanessa and Alison snicker.

“Alright, spill it. What is going on?” asked Stacie.

“There is nothing going on,” I said.

“Oh, I think I know what it is, but if she isn’t willing to tell you I will not spill the beans,” Angelica said.

“Thank you, Angelica.”

“That is so unfair,” said Susie.

“Wait a minute,” said Stacie. “If those two are laughing up front and Angelica may know what it is, then it has to have something to do with that incredibly hot new stable boy.”

“Oh, I didn’t even think about that,” said Susie. Laughter erupted from the front seat and next to me.

“Claire, are you sleeping with him?” asked Stacie.

“Don’t give her the bullshit maybe answer, Claire, just admit to it,” said Alison.

“I don’t like you, right now,” I said to Alison’s back. “Yes, Stacie I have slept with him.”

“Oh, how was it? What it as hot as he looks?” asked Susie. “Someone who looks like him has to be good in bed. Please don’t tell me he was disappointing. It would just break my heart.”

“Far from disappointing,” I said. “And that will be all I tell you.”

“She refuses to give any details,” said Alison. “I have been trying to get it out of her.”

“That explains why she is not driving,” said Susie. “You are going to get her drunk enough to spill the beans.”

“You got that right,” said Vanessa. “She wants all the details.”