DamionI had to get a load of laundry in before I headed back out to work on a portion of the fence that had blown down in a windstorm the other night. It was always something. I had planned to run up to town while Oliver was in school, but that wasn’t going to happen.Being a single parent had been a learning curve but being a single parent and trying to run a farm in the middle of nowhere was proving especially challenging. It wouldn’t have been so bad if the grocery store was closer than thirty miles or if there was a fast-food joint for those nights I was so damn tired I didn’t want to cook. I kept telling myself my grandpa managed, but holy shit, it was hard.Every day felt like a struggle. I had to admit, at the end of the day and all the challenges I overcame, I did have a feeling of accomplishment. I just wasn’t sure it was enough. Would it be enough for me in a year, two years? I couldn’t shake the feeling of being pulled away.I started a load of laundry before grabbing a so
DamionIt wasn’t long before I saw a vehicle coming down my long driveway. It wasn’t Alex’s truck. I squinted, shielding the sun from my eyes with my hand. I grinned when I recognized the old Chevy truck. It was Justin. I couldn’t imagine he was back to mow already.He pulled to a stop. The back of his truck was loaded down with bales of hay. I was certainly not in need of any more hay and hoped it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t up for unloading it, either. Staring at the hay took me back to the time Alex and I had bucked hay and did a whole lot more.“Hey,” I greeted, getting to my feet when he got out of the truck.“I see you’re working hard today,” he said with a laugh.I shrugged. “I’m thinking about working hard. Does that count?”He laughed, stepping onto the porch. “It’s a hot one today,” he commented.I nodded. “It is. I’m psyching myself up to do some fence work.”“I’ve got to take this load of hay out to a guy. Want to tag along?”I looked at the pile of hay, then back at him. “You
AlexI sipped my soda, letting the sugar infuse my bloodstream with a jolt of energy. I had been dragging ass and needed a little boost. I had wandered into the diner after picking up some stuff at the hardware store that doubled as the grocery store and UPS drop-off. I took a big bite of the BLT and slowly chewed while spacing out and looking out the window. I was bored. I needed to find a job, but I was reluctant to do so.I didn’t want to find a job that would hog all my time and pull me away from Damion. I knew it was wrong and knew I couldn’t just stop working and make my world revolve around him, but I didn’t want to take a job in another town or another state. The last time had been brutal. Things had been good between us and I didn’t want to ruin it.I also feared that leaving again would be the thing that pushed him all the way over to the leaving side of the fence he’d been walking on. I knew he wasn’t committed to staying. I shouldn’t be so invested in what he decided to do
AlexHarvey shrugged one of his beefy shoulders clad in a suit that was probably at least ten years old. “But what if he doesn’t want it?”“He wants it,” I assured him.Harvey smirked. “I suppose he does, at least for the time being. He’s got a lot riding on it.”“What do you mean by that?” I asked. I sensed Harvey didn’t care for Damion. I wanted to know why. I knew it was me being nosey, but I had been spending a lot of time with Damion and felt I needed to know if he was a shady character.He shook his head, waving a hand through the air. “Nothing,” he muttered.“Harvey, obviously it’s something. What does Damion have riding on the farm?”“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I truly cannot say anything more. It’s privileged information.”“Harvey, you already said enough to make me curious. I won’t tell a soul. I have a lot invested in that farm. I feel I have a right to know if Damion is planning to do something with it or to it.”He looked pained. “I wish I could explain it
DamionI had my earbuds in, listening to one of my favorite podcasts from back home while I rode around on the tractor taking care of the fence. It was mildly relaxing to be completely alone, working without anyone expecting anything of me. I didn’t have a deadline. I didn’t have twenty people depending on me to tell them what to do and how to do it. I tried to tell myself it was a lifestyle I could get used to with some time.Something in my peripheral vision caught my eye. I turned my head to see Alex’s truck headed toward the house. I smiled, happy to see her. I checked the time and decided there was enough time for some afternoon delight before I had to go pick up Oliver. I lifted the neckline of my T-shirt and gave it a good sniff. I didn’t stink.I hadn’t been doing anything especially strenuous and hadn’t broken a sweat. I turned the tractor, steering it back to the house to meet her. I was looking forward to a steamy kiss and hopefully a little bit of hot sex. It had been too
Damion“I don’t get it,” she said, shaking her head. “Oliver was a simple man. He lived simply, splurged on nothing, and only had the land to claim as his own. Besides the truck outside and that stupid tractor. What could be riding on all that?”I shrugged. “I’m not sure.” I hated lying. I felt like such an asshole for lying. “Maybe he was referring to me being here and reconnecting with my past.”“How so?”“I don’t know for sure. I got the impression my grandfather and Harvey were pretty close. I’m sure my grandfather filled him in on all the horrors of me living in the city. He wanted me back here.”She smiled. “Possibly. You never accepted his offer to come home before. Why now? What changed?”“He died,” I answered honestly. “He died and left me the farm.”She took a drink. “Were you two on the outs? Did you have a falling out? I guess that would explain why you stayed away for so long.”“We didn’t have a falling out in a sense of a big explosive argument. It was just—I don’t know.
AlexWatching him ride a horse was doing something for my libido that wasn’t healthy. I had seen plenty of men riding a horse, but watching Damion do it was making me feel very wet. Despite his initial awkwardness, he rode with grace and ease. He looked like he had been riding all his life. Technically, he had ridden the first half of his life.“Did you and Oliver ride a lot?” I asked him as our horses enjoyed a lazy trot along a trail that would lead us out to public lands.“We did when I was younger. Usually on the weekends, we’d go for a nice, long ride. Sundays, really. Sundays were the day he kind of took a step back. We had to get up early and get chores done, but then the rest of the day we kind of took it easy.”I smiled, picturing the two of them riding and spending time together. “I think this is something Oliver would really enjoy.”“I think so too,” he replied. “I’m not ready to take him on any trails. He needs to learn to ride first.”“I’m happy to help,” I offered.He lo
AlexHe slowly nodded. “It was terrible. It was absolutely some of the worst days in my life. It took a lot for me to pull my shit together. Oliver was depending on me. Talk about a fish out of water. I was absolutely clueless. Ann and I had just kind of assumed she would be doing the majority of the heavy lifting. I hadn’t bothered to learn much of anything about taking care of a baby. I was counting on her to show me.”I couldn’t begin to imagine what he had gone through. “You learned.”“Trial by fire. Poor Oliver was a bit of a guinea pig. I can’t tell you how many times he was given a cold bottle or had his diaper put on too loose or too tight. I made so many mistakes in those early months. I was convinced I would end up killing the kid. It was my grandfather who talked me off the ledge several times. He didn’t necessarily give me advice about child-rearing, but just reminded me I could do it.”“That sounds like Oliver. I’m glad you had him.”“So am I. When Ann died, he assumed I
AlexHe winked at me. “I was thinking I might get me a little place in Montana.”I felt tears well in my eyes. I fanned my face. “Wayne, that would be amazing.”“Yes, it would,” Damion chimed in. “We’ll have a house built for you on the farm.”“Damion!” I blurted out.“Oh no, I can’t ask you to do that,” Wayne said.“You didn’t ask. I offered. We would love to have you around. We’ll need a guest house eventually anyway.”I could see the emotion in Wayne’s eyes. “That’s a very kind offer. I’ll think on it. I don’t want to put anyone out.”“Wayne,” I said, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. “It would be an honor to have you around.”He smiled. “You drive a hard bargain, missy,” he teased.“I certainly do.”“Montana is a great place to live,” Damion said. “I wish I would have realized it earlier. I wasted a lot of time. I don’t intend to do it again.”“Good, because I won’t let you get away from me quite so easily.”“I’m not going anywhere,” he said with a grin. “Montana is
AlexThree months laterI carried the big bowl of homemade potato salad to the back patio and placed it on the table. Betty popped her head up from where she was curled up on her bed in the corner and out of the way. She would get her leftover treats after the dinner, even though I told Wayne he shouldn’t feed her people food. My favorite men in the world were sitting around the table, chatting and talking about the early fall. I smiled at each of them before going back into the kitchen of Wayne’s house to grab the tray of burger toppings.We had driven down to spend the weekend with him before school started and our schedule got a lot less flexible. Damion had offered to buy plane tickets, but I couldn’t do it. I actually liked the drive. We all got to hang out and just talk. There was no escape when you were locked in a car with someone.My life was good. Better than good. The final puzzle pieces of my life had slid into place. I felt settled. I didn’t feel the need to run. I hadn’t
AlexI opened eyes I didn’t realize had been closed. I stared into his light blue gaze as he rose over me. My hands slid up his forearms and over his biceps, rubbing over the skin that was hot under my touch. He was just as affected as I was.His cock slid over my slick pussy before he carefully nudged forward, breaking through the folds and finding home. He pushed once, and our eyes locked as he joined his body with mine. I felt a tear slide down the side of my face as he pushed himself all the way inside my welcoming body.“Oh, Damion,” I breathed his name before my eyes slid closed and my body finally gave in to the need that had been holding me in a firm grip since his kisses started.“That’s it,” he coaxed, kissing the tip of my nose as my body arched and bucked under his. “That’s my girl. All mine. You’re mine.”I opened my eyes and found him staring at me from just a few inches away. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me until I could no longer think at all. I only felt. I
AlexI didn’t think I had ever been carried. Not like that anyway. I felt like a precious gift with the way he was looking at me. His gentleness was so much different than our usual way. It was strange and sweet at the same time.I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor before stepping out of the shorts he was wearing. I could truly look at the man’s body all day. His thick cock stood loud and proud, promising great things.He was perfect in my eyes. Tall and now very tanned after all our long days working together at the farm. His muscles were more defined than what they were when he first showed up in Geraldine. He had changed. I had changed.“Looking at something?” he asked with a soft smile.“Just admiring the view from down here,” I answered.He reached down, not getting on the bed as he undid the button on my shorts. He pulled them and my panties down my legs before reaching for my arms and pulling me to a sitting position. My shirt was lifted o
DamionI smiled. “I don’t think the money will change me. At least, I hope it doesn’t. It hasn’t so far.”“What do you mean?”“I mean I had the money before I came back.”Her mouth dropped open. “What? You have it? I thought you said you had to wait six months.”I nodded. “I did. Or so I was told. When I went to Harvey to ask about the will and where the farm would go if I turned it down, he told me you and he had talked. He said you told him you were impressed with what I had done and that I was taking it seriously. I told him it didn’t matter and had him draw up the documents to give you the farm. I told him to give the money to charity or whatever. I was in New York when I got the documents in the mail saying the accounts had been transferred to my name. A rather large check was included.”She shook her head. “You turned down the money?”I nodded. “I did.”“But you have it now?”“I do. I’ll admit I bought the SUV with cash. It didn’t make sense to carry a loan and pay interest.”Sh
DamionI heard the knock on the door and walked out of my bedroom to answer it. Sadie was standing on the other side, a soft smile on her face.“Hi,” she greeted.“Hi,” I answered, pulling the door open for her. “I was just folding the last bit of laundry.”“You’re folding your own laundry?” she asked.I groaned. “She told you.”“She did. Of course, she did. There’s a reason I offered to babysit Oliver without you asking. You two need to talk and I’m here to make sure that happens.”“I appreciate it. And yes, I do my own laundry. I also clean toilets and sweep the floors. I’m still the same man I’ve always been.”“I believe you. Now you need to convince her of that.”I shook my head. “You make it sound like it’s easy.”“I think I smoothed the way for you, but if you screw it up, that’s on you.”I laughed. “Good to know. Oliver is in his room. I’m going to toss a load in the washer and then I’ll head out.”“Take your time. My schedule is clear. This could take a while. Don’t give up to
Alex“Sadie, this is real. I’m not kidding. He inherited a fortune. The only reason he is here is to get that fortune.”“Did he say he wanted to leave?”“No, but—”She held up a hand. “Exactly. He came back for you.”I slapped a hand on the table. “This is what I’m trying to explain to you. He didn’t come back for me. He came back for the money.”“Do you honestly think he would jerk his kid back and forth across the country for the money? I don’t know him half as well as you do, but even I know he lives and breathes for that boy. He isn’t going to do anything that would hurt Oliver. He knows Oliver likes it here. Oliver couldn’t stop talking about how much he missed you when they were gone. How much Damion missed you. It’s real, Alex. Very real. Before you push him away, ask yourself if you’re really being rational.”I leaned back in my seat. “You’re being harsh.”“I’m sorry, but I have to be. I can’t let you ruin this. He’s so good for you. You don’t see how different you are with hi
AlexI glanced in the bathroom mirror as I washed my hands and face. I looked like hell. I wasn’t interested in showering. Not yet. I piled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun. Not cute messy but legit messy. I slid my slippered feet along the floor as I made my way to the kitchen. I needed coffee. A lot of coffee. I hadn’t slept much at all. Two nights of no sleep was wreaking havoc on me.There was a knock on my door just as I was starting my coffee. I slowly walked over to see who it was.“I see you,” Sadie called.“You can’t see through wood,” I told her.“Open the door.”“I’m not decent,” I retorted.“No shit. Open it anyway.”I sighed, unlocking the door and pulling it open, expecting the comments about the state of my appearance. “What are you doing here?” I asked.“Wow. This is a bad one. Have you showered this week?” She curled her lip. “I can flip you on your head and mop the floor with all that oil in your hair.”“That’s really not very nice,” I retorted.“You don’t lo
Damion“With that kind of money, I think you can certainly buy love.”“Not real love. I didn’t want some woman faking it.”“Do you think Alex is like that?” he asked, his tone slightly accusing.“Not at all,” I answered. “She’s the real deal. I know she loves Oliver and he loves her.”He was quiet for a few seconds. “Does she know you already have the money?”I shrugged. “I’m not sure. It seemed like she thought I had it or was going to be getting it soon.”“You didn’t tell her you had it before you came back the second time?”I slowly shook my head. “No. It seemed pointless. Alex is stubborn. When she gets something in her head, there’s no dislodging it. I didn’t see any point in arguing. She wasn’t going to believe a word I said. She’s convinced I’ve been lying to her from day one. Anything I said was going to be rejected. I didn’t want to stick around and listen to her insult me or what we had. I didn’t want to get mad and say something I would regret. I left.”“You do that a lot,”