Finding You (25 page)

“If it makes you feel any better Henry, I got a horrible rash and spent two days walking straddle legged because of it if you do remember.”

“Stop, tell me no more,” she said trying to help Ian save some of his dignity.

Henry took her by her arm leading her back out of the stable.  “I think it fair you know Nova what kind of man he is.  That way you won’t be surprised when you have children of your own and they take off naked on a horse with no saddle.”

Nova laughed harder but when she glanced back at Ian she saw a very concerning look on his face.  She knew it wasn’t because of the story.  She knew why, it was Henry’s reference to children.  She and Ian had never discussed it and to be honest children of her own had never really entered her mind.  The idea of being a parent was more than she had ever considered.  She had no idea how to be a parent and obviously from the look on Ian’s face it wasn’t something he was interested in.

After dinner, Ian left her to make some phone calls.

“Mrs. Strong, thank you again for having me.”

“Nova, please call me Rebecca.  Honestly when you say Mrs. Strong I keep waiting on my mother-in-law to come back from the grave.”

“Yes, ma’am.  Thank you Rebecca.”

“Come on, let’s go to the den.  We have a fire and you and I can get better acquainted.”

Nova was back in her jeans and a shirt.  No point pretending to be anyone she wasn’t. 

“Nova, I don’t know if I should say this but I feel I should.”

Nova braced herself for what was to come next as she sat down on the couch.

“Ian told me about the scholarship fund you set up in Brandon’s honor.”

Nova’s heart sank.  “Rebecca I am so sorry if it upset you.”

“No, no it’s not like that.”

She saw her lip quiver.  “You honored my sweet boy.  I just wanted you to know that I will forever be grateful for what you have done.”

Nova didn’t say anything, she knew not to.

“Ian told me he is matching your contribution each year and I would like to do the same if you don’t mind.”

“I think that is wonderful.  I…I...”

Nova felt her own lip quiver.

“What is it dear?”

She shouldn’t act like she hadn’t overheard their conversation earlier but she knew it wasn’t her place to bring it up.  She did however feel like she owed Rebecca some insight into her own life so she didn’t feel awkward around her. 

“I don’t really know what Ian has told you about me and knowing him he probably hasn’t but what I want you to know that the scholarship fund is also a tribute to both Ian and myself.”

The words leaving her mouth were far more difficult than what she had confessed to Ian.  “I named it the Fighter Scholarship to give kids the courage to succeed.  I survived abuse myself and if I can help one kid to make it and achieve their dreams then I feel like one by one we can make a difference.”

The tears rolled down her cheeks as Rebecca moved closer and took her hand.

“Nova, would you be mad if I told you Ian did tell me some things about you?”

“No, not at all.”

“Nova, I appreciate the fact that you are honest with me.  Ian is all that I have in this world and even though I have a hard time getting him to come home and visit me, his happiness is all that matters to me.  I can tell how happy you make him.”

“Ian makes me happy.  I owe him a lot.  You raised a good man.”

Without a word Rebecca pulled her into the biggest and most sincere hug.  A hug a mother would give her child.  A hug that she’d never had.

“Wake up beautiful, I have a surprise for you.”

Nova rolled over staring at Ian who was already dressed and sporting her favorite devilish smile.

“Should I be afraid?”

“Only if a little competition scares you.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“Five minutes and be dressed and down stairs.”

“Ian I need to shower.  What am I supposed to wear?”

“Pull your hair up.  Put on your jeans and your game face cause baby I am so going to kick your ass.”

“You didn’t pack any paddles did you?”

He laughed.  There was nothing he loved more than keeping her on edge.

“No but I will use my hand if you aren’t down stairs in ten minutes.”

“How about twenty?” she asked jumping out of the bed.

Swatting her on her ass, he hollered back “Twenty, tops” as he walked out the door.

Nova showered, dressed, brushed her teeth and put on a little powder and blush and ran towards the stairs.  This wasn’t the first time he had put her on the clock. She certainly didn’t want to be spanked in his mother’s house and without a doubt she knew he would do it.

Ian looked at his watch as she hurriedly entered the kitchen.  She had a minute to spare but she didn’t miss the frown on his face. 

“Good morning Rebecca,” she said scooting past her to give Ian a hug.  “Disappointment doesn’t look so good on you,” she whispered into his ear.

She giggled at his growl.

“Nova, please have breakfast before he carts you off to the backyard.”

Sitting down she reached for her glass of juice.  “May I ask what it is you have up your sleeve this morning, S…?”  God, she almost said sir in front of his mom.

Ian smiled eyeing her backside.  One more slip-up and she was in trouble.

Rebecca let out an exasperated sigh drawing both of their attention to her. 

“Nova, I can’t believe you can shoot a gun.  Ian has told me you are a fan of skeet shooting.”

She smiled as she sipped her juice.  He thought she had lied about that but little did he know his ass was busted.  “Yes ma’am.  I love it actually, just rusty I’m sure since I haven’t shot in a few years.”

“Did Ian tell you he was on the skeet shooting team in high school?”

Nova shot a darting glance to Ian who tried to cover his smile behind the rim of his coffee cup.  “No, actually he didn’t.”

“Alright you two, I can see that I am going to have to referee.  I feel like I used to when Ian and Brandon were little.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet, mom,” Ian snarled.

“Dear Lord.  Let me go get on my jeans because I am not going to ruin my pants if I have to wrestle you two apart.”

She turned to look back at Ian.  “I mean it son, I never had a daughter so don’t think I am not going to take her side.  I have waited years to have a girl in this house besides me and Nanny.”

When she left Ian turned her around in her chair and lifted her up on the bar.  “Oh sweetheart, I think I almost heard sir come out of that sweet little mouth of yours.”

Nova playfully bit at his neck.  “Yes sir, I think you almost did.”

“Don’t think I won’t take you back up stairs and make you mine.  I don’t give a damn if we are in my mother’s house.”

Nova slid her hand down the front of his pants.  “The native is getting restless, sir.”

“One day without it and you are fondling me in my mother’s kitchen, whatever will I do with you?”

“Fuck me, sir.”

Fortunately Ian heard the sound of his mother’s footsteps and sat her back down in her chair.  Nova hurriedly ate her waffles and bacon and followed them both to the back yard.

The slope off the backyard was the perfect place to shoot.  Ian already had the skeet thrower set up in the yard. 

“I like it Ian.  Why don’t you get us one of these at home?”

“Done baby or would you rather wait and see how bad I beat you before you decide if you want me to beat your ass at home too?”

“Ian,” his mom scoffed.  “You don’t speak to a lady like that, mind your manners.”

I smiled at his mom.  She was so sweet.  She would probably fall dead with a heart attack if she had any clue just how deviant her sweet little boy was.

“Browning over and under, wasn’t that your preference, sweetheart?”

Ian handed her the gun.  “Nice,” she said looking at the stock.  “What are you shooting?”

Ian picked up one just like it.  “I told you I agreed with you.”

“Alright you two, no fighting, do I make myself clear?”

“Yes ma’am,” we both answered at the same time. 

“Shit,” she said pulling up her chair and pushing her pencil back in her hair. 

“Mom,” Ian scoffed.

“Well son, I am just saying this is probably going to be as bad as trying to pull you and your brother apart.  Nonetheless, I am the official score keeper.  What I have on paper stands once you two are finished.  Are we clear on this?”

Both Ian and I nodded our heads.

“Henry,” Rebecca yelled.  “Set up the bar, I am sure I am going to need a drink when we are finished.”

Ian grinned at his mother then turned to face her. “Alright sweetheart, you first, how would you like it?”

She didn’t miss the double entendre is his question.  Despite the thrill of the competition she would have gladly laid down the gun to go back upstairs with him.  “Five practice shots.  I’ll take a single first and go from there.”

“As you wish.”

Ian set up the first clay.

Nova took her stance after loading the gun with two shells and turning off the safety.  “Pull.”

Without hesitation she fired and shattered the clay.

“Another single.”  Nova took her stance. “Pull.”  Again the same result.  She reloaded the gun.  “I want a double stacked.”  She took her stance.  “Pull.”  Firing two shots back to back she shattered the clays yet again.  “I’m done. Take your practice shots.”

Ian started with doubles and after hitting doubles stacked and side by side, the game began.

Two hours later and two boxes of clays gone, Rebecca threw in the towel and went inside.  “Both of you are incorrigible,” she said wadding up the score in her hand.

“Wait mom, who won,” Ian called as she headed inside.

“I will never tell because I honestly don’t know if one of you can take losing.”

“I think I won,” Ian said opening both of the guns to make sure they weren’t loading. 

“You’re so wrong, I won.  You missed some.”

“So did you sweetheart.”

“Well, I guess we need to clean all this up and get that piece of paper from your mother.”

The next morning Rebecca still wouldn’t turn over the piece of paper.  Ian packed the car and Nova sat in the kitchen finishing breakfast with her.

“Rebecca, I have had such a wonderful time.”

“Oh dear, I can’t remember the last time I have laughed so much.  Please make my son bring you back soon.  I promised him I wouldn’t talk wedding plans with you but if you don’t have anyone to help you I would love to.”

The idea of all the wedding formalities that they hadn’t even discussed yet was dizzying but the idea of having Rebecca help her was welcoming.  “We really haven’t discussed it at all.  Why don’t you come to Boston to visit us and we can start planning?”

“Oh, I would love too.  Anytime dear, just let me know.”

~  ~

It was nice to get back home but as soon as they did Ian headed for his office to check his emails and review some things for Monday.  She unpacked and headed straight for the shower.  She had such a wonderful time on their trip but despite her enjoyment she couldn’t seem to let go of the look on Ian’s face when Henry had mentioned children.  Even though she had never really put any thought into it herself Ian’s expression bothered her.  Something they would need to discuss eventually.

After dinner, she curled up in the den with Ian to catch the end of a Yankees game. 

“You know Ian, your mom is incredible.  I had such a great time.  It was really nice.”

“I think she liked you as much as you liked her.”

Nova nestled her face on his bare chest.  This was her favorite part of their alone time.  Ian in his jeans and no shirt stretched out on the couch and her snuggled right beside him.

“She offered to help me with the wedding.”

“I made her promise not to talk to you about it. I’m sorry.”

“No, she really didn’t.  She just told me she would help me if I wanted her too.  I thought that was really nice.”

That was something else they needed to talk about.  The idea of Nova having absolutely no one to send an invitation to made the guest list very one sided.  The thought of having no one there on her side made her guts turn.  Everything had suddenly become complicated.  Why couldn’t it be as easy as her and Ian relaxing on the couch on Sunday night catching a ball game?

“I also asked her to visit us.  I hope that was okay?”

“Really, that was nice of you.  She hasn’t been to the house since I bought it.”

“How long have you lived here?”

“Five years.”

“Five years? That’s the last time you had your mom over to visit?”  She couldn’t believe it.

“Look sweetheart, we had a nice weekend.  Let’s not turn this into drama.  My life was a lot different before you moved in.”

She smiled.  “My hot body just turned your whole life upside down didn’t it?” she asked teasing him.

“No, it wasn’t your body.  I thought we already decided it was your ass that made me give up my wicked ways.”

Nova laughed.  Ian’s life before her meant nothing.  She had never been jealous of his life before her.  How could she, given the circumstances under which they had met.  As long as none of those girls were invited to the wedding, everything was simply water under the bridge.

“Just so you know, my mom asked me this weekend how I met you?”

Nova immediately sat up.  “Oh my God, what did you tell her?”

“I told her that I belonged to a gentleman’s club and that one night I fucked you against the wall of my private room.  After that I just couldn’t seem to get enough of you.”

“Jesus Ian.  Don’t you think we should have discussed this first?”

He started smiling. 

“You are such an ass sometimes.”

“I didn’t tell her that, but I did tell the truth.”

“Oh my God Ian, that was the truth.”

He pulled her back down to him.  “No I told her the real truth on how I met you.”

“Which was?”

“I told her I was at a poker game and that you came in to watch, offered me some advice.”

What did she say?”

“She said you must have been something incredible since I never took advice from anyone.”

Letting out a sigh of relief she kissed his cheek.  “Well, that I can live with.”

“Would you like to know who won the skeet competition?”

“Oh my gosh, she told you.  Was it me?”

“I have no idea.  She wouldn’t budge on telling me, I just thought she may have told you.”

“Oh, so you tried to trick me.”

“One day I will get her to tell.”

“Next time she doesn’t get to keep score.”