Chapter 3

Hayden was speechless. Suddenly, he couldn't find the words to express the way he felt. Emelyn sensed his uneasiness and changed the subject. "Are you staying the night? It is a long ride for you to go home, isn't it? How long is it?"

"It's 4 hours, and I wasn't planning on staying," replied Hayden.

"Nonsense! You'll stay the night. We'll fix up the extra room. No arguments."

Jessica came by just as the decision was made. She was saying her good-byes. Her daughter Lindsay was getting tired, and they wanted to get home. Jessica had heard that they had just issued a severe thunderstorm warning, and she didn't want to get caught in it. Off to the west, you see thunderstorm clouds building.

Hayden rose to say good-bye. "Sorry, I didn't meet your husband. Was he here?"

Emelyn stifled a cough. "He never comes," replied Jessica. "She doesn't like big gatherings and is too busy with work." With that, she gave Hayden a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I have never seen Abigail so happy. You're good for her."

After Jessica left, Hayden went looking for Abigail. A lot of people were leaving, as they too had heard about storms. With fewer people, it was easier to find her. He found her in a heated discussion with Ranger Perry. Hayden wasn't close enough to make out what they were saying, but both were making their feelings known. He decided to wait.

He didn't wait long. Abigail got in the final word and walked off. He ran to catch her.

"Are you OK? He asked.

"No!" she replied. "He is such an ass. He said now that he is a lawyer and settled, he thinks that he and I should get back together. The nerve of him! We never were together. He makes me so mad! Wait! You're not going now, are you?"

"No, your mom said we could fix up the extra room or something. She doesn't want me driving 4 hours in the coming storm."

"That's great. Let's go help mom clean, then we'll get that room ready."

It wasn't until close to 10 p.m. that everything was cleaned up. Hayden helped out in the kitchen and put away some things. He had a chance to talk to Abigail's mom. She was really down to earth. Hayden caught her by surprise when the radio they were listening to played a disco song. He grabbed her hand and started dancing around the kitchen. It was only for a few minutes, and when they stopped, they were both laughing.

Abigail came in to see what all the commotion was.

"My, young man, I haven't danced like that, well, ever," Emelyn said, catching her breath.

"My pleasure, ma'am," Hayden bowed.

"Don't let this one go," Emelyn said, turning to Abigail, who just smiled.

He never saw Abigail's dad, and he began to feel that he had earned some more negative points with him. Beat him at horseshoes, basically embarrassing him in front of his cronies, helping clean up and not sitting on the front porch swapping stories, smoking cigars, and drinking whisky with the boys. Ranger was there. When Ranger left, he made sure he said his goodbyes to Abigail and her mom. They seemed to be happy to see him go. The fact that Hayden was staying didn't go well. He overheard how he could miss it and Dad's objections to it, but Emelyn said he was staying, and that's it.

The storm seemed to be cooking up and moving closer as Abigail showed Hayden his room. It was a room in the attic that wasn't used much. It was clean. The bed was good, and there were two windows he could open. He needed to, as it was quite warm. Abigail asked him if he needed anything and then gave him a kiss on the cheek as she said good night.

Hayden needed to think. As he lay on the bed in his boxers, the breeze from the opening window was blowing over him, and he tried to make sense of today. He never got a chance to talk to Abigail and tell her how he felt. Abigail's behaviour was so different today than at any other time. Starting with the kiss when he first arrived and the moment in the bathroom just a few minutes ago, what was going on?

As he lay there, trying to sort things out, Abigail's voice called out quietly from the bottom of the stairs.

"Hayden, are you awake? Can I come up?"

"Sure," Hayden replied, but there was an air of confusion in his voice.

Abigail turned on the light at the bottom of the stairs. Hayden could see Abigail in the soft light it gave off. He could see that she was wearing a cotton t-shirt that barely covered her ass, and as she lay down on the bed, he could smell the shampoo in her hair. She had just finished a quick shower.

Abigail laid on her stomach across the bed so she could look out the window. This way, it caused her shirt to ride up, reviling her ass cheeks. As Hayden shifted to lie next to her, he could see them clearly, but in the dim light, he wasn't sure if she was naked or wearing a thong. Whichever it was, her ass was perfect. It was a good thing he was on his stomach because his shaft began to grow. When Abigail moved closer to him so they were touching, it grew harder.

Abigail found herself talking about the weather outside. She suddenly realised how nervous she was. She was about to take a big step, and she hoped she didn't disappoint Hayden. She was now afraid that she might mess up a good thing, and she didn't want that. So she rolled on her side to face Hayden and began to speak. Before she could, Hayden kissed her. She knew it was the right decision.

After the kiss, Hayden pulled away and gave her a look as if to ask if she was OK. Abigail stood up and pulled her shirt over her head. For the first time, she was naked before a man, and it felt right. She lay back down on the bed and smiled at him.

Hayden knew it too. This was not like others he had been with. This wasn't about feeling good or the physical sensation of good sex. No, this was about making love. True love. His whole being and senses were filled with her presence, her smell, her skin, her hair, her heart, and her soul. He began to gently kiss her. Her mouth, then her neck and her shoulders, slowly working to her breasts and nipples. While he was kissing her, his hands were exploring the soft curves of her hips and legs, gradually working his way up to her folds. She was already wet, and he let out a soft moan as he touched her. He moved his hands up to her breasts and started kissing his way down her body. Abigail reached her hands up and placed them over his, making him squeeze her breasts harder and roll her nipples between his fingers. Hayden's mouth reached her folds, and he was delighted to find she was all auburn, soft, and downy. She spread her legs wider.