Annabelle was standing on the edge of the porch when Ben got out there. “Crap I can’t ride home in this. What now?”
Ben felt the sudden urge to protect her from the rain and could not explain it. He wanted to get to know this woman better and here was his chance. “Well I could take you home if you want and Sarah can bring you back to get your bike after work tomorrow. But we probably better put it in the garage to protect it. Matt would you give me a hand.” With that Ben hopped off the porch to push her bike inside the garage not thinking about the fact that he was going to get soaked from the rain. Once they were done putting the bike away both Ben and Matt stood on the porch soaked to the skin.
Sarah jumped into action getting the men towels to dry off with. “Ben If you would like I can get you a dry shirt but I doubt Matt’s pants will fit ya. Matt go inside and get on some dry clothes would ya.”
Ben started to laugh at Sarah. “You are always the mother hen. No I’ll just take Belle home and change at the house I don’t want to get your house wet. Maybe I should have thought before I ran in the rain.” With one eye brow up almost hidden in his hair he looked at Annabelle to ask if that was alright with her.
“Alright but let me grab my things and then we will head out.” Annabelle said with hesitation for fear of what she was going to say and do.
After Matt and Annabelle had left the porch, Sarah whispered to Ben, “Please be nice to her, I will not let you hurt her.” Ben was surprised by what she said because he had never hurt any women in his life. Why tell him that he couldn’t figure it out? When Annabelle walked back out to the porch with her things she hugged Sarah bye and then she turned to Ben.
“Alright I’m ready. Thanks again for dinner Sarah call me in the morning so I’m ready for ya. Let me guess yours is the giant pickup.” She smiled at Ben and then they both headed for his truck. Once Ben had the driver door open he held his hand out for her.
“Sorry figured you didn’t want to walk through the river in the road to get to the other side.” He then placed his hands on her waist when she was in front of him to help her get in. The moment he placed his hands on her he felt the heat rush from her through his hands and up his arms. That moment of charge from her to him almost brought him to his knees of wanting her. Why now does he touch a woman he is the polar opposite does he have an attraction to? He sent up a silent pray of please god help me here guide me to what is your desire.
Annabelle felt the sparks when he placed his hands on her waist to lift her in to the truck and was lost in thought for a moment when he placed her on the seat. She was thinking maybe it was just the fact that he was good looking and she dreamed about him. She sent up a silent pray Lord I need your help here. Ben coughed to get her attention, “Belle if you wanted to drive all you had to do was say so but I’m getting wetter out here.” She just realized she was still sitting behind the wheel and he was waiting for her to move over. She blushed from her toes to the top of her head.
“Sorry?” She scooted over on the seat to allow him in the truck. “Um I live in sunrise townhomes do you know where that is.” She said as soon as he was in the truck.
“Yes I do. Belle would you tell me more about yourself. Your likes and dislikes what you do in your spare time.” She was lost in thought again of why this man wants to know they have nothing in common. But he does look really good with his shirt plastered to his chest. “Um Belle, if you don’t want to talk that’s fine but please stop staring at me. It kind of makes me feel like a steak.” She suddenly realized she was staring at him and began to blush and looked away out the passenger side window. “Sorry, I’ll pull my foot out of my mouth. I didn’t mean to embarrass you Belle.”
“Why are you calling me Belle?”
“Sorry would you prefer something else? I could call you doctor if you like. But you don’t act or look like an Annabelle you look like you have too much fun with life.”
“No it’s fine I guess. Ok no it’s not there was only one person ever called me that and nobody has called me that since he died.”
“Sorry there goes my foot again. He must have been really special.” Ben had the sudden jealousy bug bite him in the butt. Jealousy where did that come from?
“He was my dad but he has been gone for a long time.” She could feel a tear escape down her cheek. Great now Ben feels like a bigger ass he not only was jealous of her dad but now he made her cry. He started to kick himself in the butt for being such a jerk. “Um you missed the exit for my stop.”
“Oh crap I’ll take the next one. Sorry for making you cry I didn’t know you lost your dad. I don’t know what I would do If I lost mine.” She instantly started to blush again, why with him did she blush so much, she hasn’t blushed this much in all her life. “While I get us back on track would you please tell me something about yourself and I promise I will try to remember to not call you Belle.”
“What exactly would you like to know and when do I get to learn more about you?”
“Well anything you would tell me would be great and with me what you see is who I am.”
Annabelle took a deep breath before answering him and thought about what to tell him without telling too much about herself. “My favorite music is heavy metal or anything with a good beat. Just not country I can’t stand all the whining in it.” She just realized what she said and to a cowboy who probably loves country. “Sorry I guess that’s probably your favorite.”
Ben wasn’t surprised she thought it was country but was in no hurry to correct her because he loved the way she looked every time she blushed. “Actually I don’t listen to country unless it’s the older stuff I prefer most of the nineties yes I know that’s old. Well we are here which unit is yours?”
“Just around the corner number 12. Yes I know it looks like a gingerbread house on the outside.”
He started to laugh at her comment. “I actually didn’t see that till you said something, but it doesn’t seem to be a place I would of put you.”
“Let me guess you thought I lived in a dark looking place or a cave for my coffin? Never mind I’ll get out here.” She started to open the door before he even had the truck completely stopped. She slammed the door and ran for her house without even looking back. She just kept saying to herself at the door what a jerk.
Ben sat there looking after her trying to figure out what he said to make her mad. Oh well he wasn’t ready for a woman in his life so it all worked out, but he felt bad about hurting her.
Chapter 4
Friday was Annabelle and her sister’s day off so they figured they would go shopping in the morning which to both of them means eleven. Mary was trying to talk to Annabelle about why she was so upset. “Please tell me what is going on, you have never been this quiet your whole life.”
“Oh fine I’ll tell you if you quit bugging me.” She looked at Mary waiting for her to nod before she continued. “Alright on Wednesday, I went to Sarah’s for dinner and didn’t know she was trying to set me up with her brother. He is a really good looking guy and I thought we might have been hitting it off but it turned out he is a jerk like all men are. There you happy now can we please drop it.”
“No because this has you upset what did he do?”
“The jerk judged me for the outside package and not who I am. And then he made fun of my house. Aarr! I should have hit him instead of just slamming his truck door.” Annabelle could feel herself getting mad again over what happened, but she knew the only reason she was mad was because the only thing she could think about since was all him. The color of his eyes, the way he looks in jeans or the way his shirt clung to his perfect chest. “The worst part of the whole thing is I don’t want to hurt Sarah 'cause my bike is still at her house since he took me home after that storm moved through. And I know she is going to ask me how we hit it off. I avoided her all day yesterday at work just so I wouldn’t have to tell her that her bro is a jerk. I don’t want to lose a good friend over some guy.”
“Who the hell
is he I want to…” Just then Mary’s cell rang, “Sorry Hun on call...” She answered with her ready to jump into action for any animal. “Hello Dr. Montgomery.” She listened for a few. “Are you sure?”… “Yes I think I better get there and take a look. Give me thirty minutes. Alright till then. Sorry Annabelle no shopping today. A local ranch just found a mustang giving birth on his property and she is having a hard time. Did you want me to drop you off or did you want to ride?”
“It’s alright I’ll come with you if you don’t mind. I’m not ready to go get my bike and that’s the only thing I need to get done today.” She looked over at Mary with her big puppy dog eyes that she knows only works on her.
“Fine just stop with the eyes you know I can’t tell you no when you do that.” Mary drove to the south end of town and then headed towards the hills. When she turned off the paved road onto a dirt road heading under an arch made of large poles with a 'wr' in a circle in the middle. She continued down the road till she came to a large two story log cabin and a large barn and stable with corals nearby. The moment she got the car stopped a man on a chestnut brown horse rode up to them wearing only his jeans, brown Stetson, and his boots. His chest was bare for the world to see and lord he looked good just like that. His perfect chiseled chest and perfect six pack abs would drive any woman mad. His wife was one lucky woman. Mary jumped out of the car heading over to him and Annabelle got out following. “Mr. Walker please tell me nothing has happened to her yet!”
“No she is down by the river.” Just then he looked up and saw Annabelle and lost all thoughts of what was going on around him. He couldn’t believe the woman he has dreamed about for a week now was on his ranch. Her beautiful black hair was down and blowing in the light breeze and that outfit she is wearing is going to give him more dreams. Her shorts were white and barely covered her and the light green tank top she had on hugged all the right curves. She of course had on her jewelry of choice and he noticed a small silver chain hanging around her neck but whatever was on the end of it was hanging down her shirt in her cleavage, what a lucky pendent he thought. He had to give a mental shake of his head to get back to Mary. “Sorry we have to go on horseback to get over to her Matt already has a horse for you but does Annabelle ride.” He had to use every muscle in his body to keep looking at Mary and not stare at Annabelle.
“Yes she rides, did you want to go with us or just wait here?” She asked Annabelle while grabbing her bag out of the back of the car.
“No I’ll wait here. But thanks for asking. Ben is it alright if I just look around while I wait?”
“Sure dad is in the house and one of the hands should be around if you need anything.” He said while grabbing the reins of another horse that was ready to go for Mary and then sent up a silent pray thanking god that she was going to stay or he would never keep his head on what it needed to be on.
~
After Mary and Ben rode off Annabelle started to walk around the corals to look at the horses. Half way around the corals she heard little feet running toward her and she turned around to find Benny running straight toward her. She kneeled down to catch him in her arms. “Dr. Momgomry!” He shouted to her just a few feet away.
“Benny, who is watching you? And why are you out here alone?” She asked when she had a hold of him.
“Don’t worry doc he is not alone. The name’s Ben senior. Just call me Senior. Dang Ben wasn’t lying when he said you are a looker.” Ben senior was just as fit as his son but with a little age to him. While smiling at her she noticed a small amount of wrinkles around his eyes from smiling most of his life and his hair had gone salt and pepper from the dark brown that it was. He was the same height as Ben and was probably a real catch in his younger days. But of course with his comment she could feel a blush coming on and hid her face in Benny’s hair. She pulled back with a start realizing his hair is the same color as his father’s. “Don’t hide such a beautiful site. Sorry us Walkers have always spoke our minds we just don’t have sensors on our mouths and what we think just comes out. Benny were you going to ride trigger or just hold on to the pretty lady all day. Shoo with ya you only get two hours out here. But you know the rules.”
“I know pa I have to take care of Trigger if I want to ride him.” With that he turned on his heel and ran in the barn to get Trigger for a ride.
“Now that we got rid of the munchkin for about five minutes tell me about yourself and why are you out here by yourself.”
“Well my sister is the veterinarian Ben called for the horse and I was with her when she got the call, sorry to say it but if I would of known we were coming here I would have had her drop me off. Not that you don’t have a beautiful place here. Sorry it’s just I didn’t want to face him again after the other night.” She started to look away to not look Senior in the eyes.
“Don’t apologize to me and this place isn’t mine it is all Juniors. The ranch that started all this is on the other side of that hill over there and is only about two hundred acres, he is the one that built all this. I’m just along for the ride now when he bought all this land I thought he was nuts but he built his dream and was successful at it.” Senior told her then leaned on the coral.
She had no idea that he built all this she just assumed he inherited it all. “Well it is still beautiful. Is it just cattle you guys raise out here?” She didn’t know why but she needed to know more about the man she has been dreaming about for a week.
~
Once Mary and Ben were out by the river they found the horse having trouble with her labor. Mary quickly assessed the situation and then spoke to Ben. “She just isn’t ready to come in to the world but we will see how things go for a little bit. Now you must be the jerk my sister was telling me about.”
Ben was surprised that Mary was so straight forward and knew about Annabelle and his fight but he still didn’t know what the fight was about. “I hope I’m not the jerk but yes I had dinner with her at Sarah’s on Wednesday. I didn’t know you two were sisters, duh same last name should have thought of it and now that I think about it you two do look alike. Sorry rambling here.”
“Well that settles it you are the jerk. And until today I never did realize you are hot.” Mary blushed with saying that. “Sorry maybe I should of used different words.”
“No it’s fine,” Ben didn’t even notice Mary’s blush, “but I just wish I knew what I did do upset her. I can’t remember saying anything bad to be honest I was a little nervous with her I can’t remember half the crap I said.” Ben was pacing now to try to figure it out and nothing was coming to him. “We talked about music; I know I said her house wasn’t something I figured she would live in, oh and about the fact that I called her Belle. I know that upset her because of ya’lls dad. Would you mind a personal question?”
“Alright?” She was a little afraid of what he was going to ask but what would it hurt to find out if the answer was none of his business she would just tell him.
“What happened to your dad? I know none of my business but it really upset Belle and I never want to see her cry again for anything that comes from my stupid mouth.”
“Oh that’s an easy one.” Mary was relieved she wouldn’t have to answer any personal questions about Annabelle. “My parents and baby sister were killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. But I know what upset Annabelle so much it is the fact that she still blames herself for the accident because they were heading to get her in the rain and she didn’t want to ride her bike. Dad was the one who started calling her Belle when she was just three and after the wreck nobody was allowed to call her that again.” Mary had a look on her face of being in thought so Ben didn’t want to disturb her thoughts if she was going to say anything else about Annabelle. “Now what’s up with the part of you judging her?”
“I never judged her. Hell she is one of the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Why did she say I judged her?” Now he was confused. How and when did he judge her and for what? All he did was want to get to know h
er better.
“I’m not sure but you may want to ask her. I think she may really like you call it a sister hunch.”
“I just wish I knew how to ask her without upsetting her but I’m also trying to figure out why I’m attracted to her. To be honest it has nothing to do with her it’s me, I’m just not ready to hook up with any one yet since Veronica.” Ben knew his eyes had tears in them from thinking of Veronica. For four years since her death he still can’t think of her or their marriage and not cry. But he was going to be a man and not cry in front of Mary.
“Well Ben god has a plan for all of us and we just need to walk with faith that he knows what he is doing.” She walked over to him to give him a hug but remembered he wasn’t wearing a shirt and didn’t want to cause any more problems with him or Annabelle. Ben knew she was right but sometimes having that faith when god takes the one you love too soon causes you to fight against him.
~
“Mr. Walker, can I ask you something?” She suddenly felt shy asking Ben’s father personal questions. His only reply was a nod to tell her to continue. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before continuing. “Well not to sound rude but would you tell me why Ben is sometimes a jerk. Sorry that came out wrong maybe I should ask why Ben sometimes he seems to be moving forward and then puts up a wall of mean words to keep people away.”
“Well sweet thing he hasn’t had a very east life even that’s no excuse. Let me tell you his story then you tell me what he did and if it was that bad I’ll kick his butt for you. Hum where to start.” Senior was in thought for a few minutes then he figured he better be telling the entire story starting in Ben’s high school years. “Well as you know Ben and Veronica got married at eighteen they were high school sweet hearts. They built this place together him the outside and her all the inside stuff. She finally got pregnant after they were married nine years they thought it was a blessing but they found out she had cancer when she was pregnant. She refused all treatment till Benny was born because she knew it would have killed him and sorry to say she died when he was only six months old. So it has been just the two boys since I moved over the hill after Benny was born to help out but nothing has changed around here since. So I guess what I’m saying is it seems Ben is trying to hold on to the past and not move on. Now tell me what that son of mine did so I can decide if I want to yell at him or bend him over my knee.” He looked over at her with a mischievous smile to tell her he was kidding.