“
I have to go to the office and get my things,” she said. “Pictures of Ethan and Bri, and some other things.”
Ah, so that was what was bothering her. To him, her job had been a nuisance, something he knew she didn’t really want to do. But to her it had probably meant survival while they were on the verge of losing everything.
Sam ran a comforting hand over her head and gave her a kiss on the temple. “You’re free now,” he said, watching her closely. “Think of it that way. You have to break off with the old to start the new.”
The genuine smile returned. “You were right. Ethan needs this. Kids his own age to play with. Family around. I can’t believe the things my dad told me about you and your family. It was all just… lies.”
“
Yeah,” he said, “I found out something. Your dad and my uncles had a feud going in high school. That thing my cousins did to Brandon Stewart, making him muck out stalls, was the same thing my uncles did to your dad after he put manure in my uncle’s truck. I think that’s why he hated us so much. That’s probably why you had to fight to put my name on the birth certificate. I’m sorry about that. The Stricklands can be a little wild sometimes. But I’ve never known any of them to actually do anything violent. I just wanted to get that out in the open. And my dad didn’t have anything to do with it. He was older than they were. He made them let your dad go.”
She stared at him as he spoke, her lips parted in surprise. She sat back and stared toward the pond again. “It’s all so stupid, isn’t it?”
“
Yeah, it is. You see why I don’t like grudges?”
“
My dad put manure in your uncle’s truck? Good grief.”
“
Kids. Speaking of,” he said, “I’ve been thinking about your sister’s college.”
Jenna immediately shook her head. “I can’t let you pay for that.”
“
And I wasn’t offering,” he continued. “But several of the corporations I told you about, on my mom’s side, offer scholarships and I think she could probably qualify. I called my uncle and he’s checking on it. Both her parents are deceased and she told me last night that your dad spent her college fund. She made excellent scores on her SATs and she’s already been accepted at Vanderbilt. It’s for kids like her those scholarships were created.”
Jenna turned toward him, shifting the sleeping baby as she moved. “Seriously?”
“
She’ll probably still have to get a job, but it might make it possible. Don’t say anything until I find out for sure.”
Jenna’s cheeks darkened and she turned to stare out at the kids playing again. “You’re a good luck charm.” She glanced at him, smiling even though he could see tears building in her eyes. “Without you, I just don’t know….”
“
You know,” he said, thinking of a conversation he’d had with his sister earlier, “Frankie buys a new car every year. Her SUV is still in great shape and your sister needs a vehicle of her own.”
Jenna glanced at him without actually looking in his direction. “What are you saying?”
“
I was just thinking of buying Frankie’s car and Brianna could have your little Toyota to take to college. You also need a phone of your own.”
Jenna lifted her shoulders and then let them fall. “Okay. That’s a good idea.”
Sam raised his eyebrows at her but she didn’t notice. He could see she’d decided to give up and let him help her. He let the subject drop, not wanting to argue about it. “That’s what family’s all about, kiddo. We help each other out. And you’re family now, whether you feel like you are or not. Get ready to do a ton of babysitting.”
She glanced at him again. “Your mother bought my house. Crystal told me.”
“
Oh.” That did sound like something his mother would do. He wasn’t sure whether or not to apologize.
“
What’s she going to do with it?”
He shrugged. “Probably donate it to a charity. So long as we don’t have to live there. No offense.”
“
No,” Jenna said, “I don’t want to live there anymore. I’m ready to move on.” The baby fussed a little so Jenna started rocking and the baby quieted down. “I’m just tired of everyone having control over my life but me.”
“
What about your riding school?”
“
Your
riding school.”
“
But it’ll be up to you to make it a success or a failure. All up to you. I’ll keep my hands out of it.”
She pressed her lips together but he saw a smile hiding under there. “You promise?”
“
Hey, I’ll have plenty of my own stuff do to. Apparently, I’m a horse breeder now.”
“
Are you okay with that?” she asked.
He gave her knee a slap. "You know what, I am. That's what I always planned to do growing up. Before I got... sidetracked. It feels like I'm back on track now. It feels good.”
Bri came around the corner with a handful of her friends. She spotted Jenna on the porch and came running, holding a beach towel. “Guess what?” she said, trotting up the steps. “I got a job! I’m gonna be a barista at Café Mania.” She leaned back against the railing with a sigh and wrapped the beach towel around her neck. “Kayla’s sister quit and they were looking for somebody ASAP. I get to start tomorrow.”
They both congratulated her and she ran back to rejoin her friends, bounding with energy. The girls all stripped down to swimsuits and jumped in the water.
“
What say,” Sam said, “we go to town, take care of your business, get some lunch, and then head out to ride horses? Just you me and our boy. Family time.”
“
I like that,” Jenna said, reaching over to rest her hand on his thigh.
“
Told you,” Sam said, laughing when the girls shrieked because the water was cold. “You can forget all about peace and quiet out here.”
“
Good,” Jenna answered. “I’m tired of quiet.”
As if the baby had heard, Riley woke up and started crying. Becky heard and came walking up with Ethan trotting along behind her.
Becky took her baby with a thank you, and an apology, and carried the baby inside. Ethan climbed the steps then to Sam’s surprise came to him, instead of his mother, and tried to climb up on his lap. Sam lifted him to his knee.
“
Having fun playing, buddy?”
“
No,” Ethan said, but laughed. “Doggy.”
There wasn’t a dog on the property and Sam wondered if Ethan had meant to say the word Sam was anxious to hear again, this time in Jenna’s presence, as proof.
Jenna turned and smiled at her son, giving his foot a shake. “Did you feed the duckies, sweetie?”
Ethan nodded and fell to the side, leaning against Sam’s chest. Sam wrapped his arms around his son’s soft body, barely able to believe this was happening.
“
This is my boy,” he said, whispering. And for the first time, it truly felt real.
***
After stopping by the real estate office and then picking up her things at the law office, Jenna had Sam stop by the house so she could find her riding clothes. She’d had to dig around in the back of her closet to find her boots and again she worried too much time had passed since she’d been on a horse. She’d find out soon enough.
As she came out of the closet, Sam took the jodhpurs from her and held them out to look at them. “These’ll get you teased,” he said.
She snatched the breeches back from him. “These are my riding clothes. I’m not a cowboy. Or cowgirl… whatever.”
He shrugged and went to look out the window while Ethan jumped up and down on the bed. “Your choice. I’d go with jeans, though, if I were you.”
But she took off her shorts and put on the jodhpurs, anyway, feeling stubborn. She was starting up a riding school, and equestrian riding school. She wasn’t going to pretend to be a cowgirl, even if it got her teased by his family. She was a little fuller now than she’d been at sixteen and had to suck in her gut to get the pants fastened.
Sam came over, his expression changing as he ran his hand up a thigh of her skin-tight pants, his cheeks darkening. “Forget what I said. Wear these. I like these.” His hand landed on her butt where he began stroking her. He leaned in close.
“
Behave,” she whispered, nodding to Ethan.
Letting out a low growl, Sam backed off. He glanced back toward the window. “Do you know anyone who drives an Audi?”
Jenna grunted as she sat down on the bed to put her on her boots, realizing she’d have to use some of her final paycheck to buy some new riding clothes. She could barely breathe. “I don’t know. Why?”
“
One just drove halfway up your driveway, then backed out again. I’d swear I saw that car earlier at the real estate office. Maybe not.”
“
House hunters, probably,” she said, sighing as she stood, glad at least her boots still fit. But the outfit wasn’t working. She was in pain. She sat down again to take off her boots, then the jodhpurs. She went to get a pair of jeans instead, finally breathing freely.
Sam frowned this time as she pulled on the jeans. “I’ve had a baby since then,” she told him, frowning right back at him. “
Your
son.”
“
That’s right,
my
son,” Sam said, catching Ethan as the toddler ran and jumped off the bed into Sam’s arms. Sam cradled Ethan, dipped him low, then tossed him in the air and caught him.
Jenna gasped, but Ethan laughed excitedly, hopping, wanting Sam to do it again, which he did.
Jenna finished dressing, watching Sam and her son play.
It had bothered her as she’d signed the papers at the real estate office, knowing Sam’s mother was buying the house. It also bothered her that Sam was buying his sister’s car for her. It had even bothered her that Sam was practically handing her a new career.
But now, watching Ethan give Sam’s neck a hearty hug, nothing bothered her anymore. She truly wanted everything Sam offered. She truly wanted to give Ethan the life he was quickly becoming accustomed to, a life full of family and new adventures.
And most especially, a father who obviously loved him and wanted to be in his life.
***
Brandon Stewart waited until finally the farmhouse was empty and he was free to drive up and roam around, to scope out the place. He tried all the doors and found them locked. But he lost interest when the large pond out back caught his eye.
He walked the length of the pier and frowned at the gathering ducks, quacking for food. He aimed his finger and thumb at a duck like a gun and shot the duck between the eyes.
Chuckling, turning, he checked around for nearby houses as he walked back to the car, but the house was nicely isolated and sheltered by surrounding trees.
This would be no problem at all.
***
After a leisurely horse ride with Sam’s parents and Ethan riding happily sitting in the saddle in front of his new father, Jenna and Sam set out on their own.
Jenna flew through the air, loving the feel of the horse beneath her, the strength of its stride, the power of its muscles. After teasing her with an ancient sidesaddle, Sam’s father, Knox, had fitted an English saddle on a thoroughbred they called Red Bird. The instant she climbed into the saddle she felt right at home and all her anxiety about riding again left her. Sam rode beside her, keeping up. She couldn’t keep from smiling as she urged Red Bird faster, breezing now, letting the horse have as much fun as she was having. This was as close as a human could come to flying, she was sure of it.
The meadow stretched out at a distance before her and she rose slightly as the horse jumped a fallen log, finding it all coming back to her, letting her body fall into sync with the horse beneath her.
They slowed as they neared the creek and she loosened the reins, letting the horse step down for a drink. Sam stopped beside her.
“
You’re damn good,” he said. “I knew you’d fall right back into it. Like riding a bike.”
She gave the horse a pat on the neck and dismounted, realizing she was going to be sore later. But she didn’t care. “This is the life for me,” she told Sam. “I hadn’t realized how much I’ve missed this. I feel like I’m dreaming.”
Sam walked over and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Can you finally see it now? Our future?”
She nodded, taking in the beauty of the landscape, breathing in deeply the fresh air and scents of grass, wood, and horses. His parents had a lovely stretch of land with rolling grasslands interspersed with patches of woods. Currently, Ethan was napping at his grandmother’s house, but she could see him one day, riding alongside her, and his father.
Maybe by then there would be more children. She looked at Sam’s handsome face and realized she did want more children with him, as many as they could handle. She never wanted to feel as if she were all alone in the world. Never again.
She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Let’s get married.”
He tilted back to look at her, frowning and smiling at the same time. “We are, right? At least, I thought we were.”