8. John
8
JOHN
I got up to leave, thanking Quinn for the snack. She frowned.
“What?”
“After all your hard work, you should see her reaction when she sees her swing. She’ll be so excited.”
“Nah, it’s fine. I need to get home to the chickens and cows.”
She stood. “Thank you.”
I nodded. “Yep.”
She put her hand on my arm and rolled up on her toes. I knew she was going to kiss my cheek again, and once more, I found myself turning my head so our lips met. Except this time, no one was around. No one to break the bubble that suddenly surrounded us.
I wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She slid her hand up my arm, her fingers grasping my neck. I groaned as I flicked my tongue on her lips, and she opened for me.
I kissed her more. Deeper. She kissed me back. I held her tighter, and she whimpered softly. Our mouths separated, then came back together, unable to stay apart. I kissed her until I couldn’t breathe. Until her grip was so tight I knew I was holding her up. Then I pulled away, letting her lay her head on my chest. My breathing was fast, my chest pumping needed oxygen into my bloodstream. She was quiet, her body melding to mine perfectly.
I eased back, meeting her eyes. I saw no regret, no censure in them. I touched her cheek.
“Thank you, darlin’.”
She smiled and turned her head, kissing my palm. The alarm on her phone went off, and I bent, handing it to her. “Go get Abby. I hope she likes her swing.”
She took her phone, clutching it in her hand. “She will.”
“Good.”
I walked away, but this time, it wasn’t out of anger. I knew if I stayed, I would drag her into the house and kiss her until we were both desperate. Then I would have her. I wouldn’t stop until she was screaming my name with my cock buried deep inside her.
And she had a daughter waiting.
I slid into my truck, already missing the taste and feel of her.
Then I drove home.
Alone and lonelier than I could recall feeling in a long time.
Quinn was on my mind all night. The sensation of peace and tranquility I had simply sitting with her. Enjoying her company. The way her laughter made me smile. She was witty and charming.
And the way I felt when I kissed her was unexpected and disarming.
She fit against me well, her body molding to mine. The taste of her lingered for hours, the fragrance of her on my skin. I wanted more of it. She was the last thing on my mind when I fell asleep and the first thought I had when I woke up—aching and hard for her.
It was her name I groaned out in the shower as I took myself in hand, desperate for relief. The orgasm took the edge off, but I wanted more.
I wanted her.
I sighed as I poured a coffee, heading outside. I had been up for hours, checking the crops and the animals. I had a basket of eggs to go to town, which I planned on doing later, unless Cody happened to show up looking for more cash for his bank account. He was fascinated by the column of numbers in the passbook he had. He loved watching them grow, and I had to laugh at the fact that he was making lots of small deposits so he could see the total change all the time. He had decided on a new sled for the winter and was running recon on ideas for Christmas for his mom and dad. He’d dropped a few questions my way, and I played along, pretending to be none the wiser. He hadn’t figured out yet that by telling me about the sled, he had just solved my dilemma for what to get him. His money could stay in the bank.
I sat on the rocker, mentally going over a list of what I had to do later. Luckily, it was Sunday, and I tried to keep things to a minimum. I had a few chores—laundry and inside tasks. The farm was taken care of, aside from feeding the animals again later. It would be a quiet day, something I normally enjoyed. But somehow, today, it felt solitary. I knew I could drive to Laura’s and spend the afternoon there, but the truth was, it wasn’t what I wanted to do, and Laura wasn’t the woman I wanted to see.
I had just shaken my head at the strange thoughts when I heard a car, and I glanced up, expecting my sister. But it wasn’t her vehicle pulling up to the house. It was an SUV I recognized. When Quinn stepped out, stopping to help Abby from the back seat and pulling a huge hamper from the trunk, I felt the stirrings of something in my chest. Pleasure. Happiness.
I stood, a smile pulling at my mouth. I walked to the edge of the porch. “Hey.”
“Hi,” Quinn said with a smile, while Abby grinned at me, jumping foot to foot.
“Hey, Pumpkin. You got ants in your pants?”
She laughed, the high-pitched sound making me chuckle with her.
“No, Farmer John! I’m excited!”
I stepped off the porch. “About?”
She flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “My swing! I love it!”
“I’m glad.” I bent and lifted her, hoisting her to my chest. “Have you tried it?”
Quinn made an amused sound. “Tried it? I could barely get her off it last night, and she was up and on it this morning before six.”
“I love it! I can go high, and the seat is big enough that Enid and Fluffy can swing with me. Except—” she looked me in the eye, serious “—they keep falling off. Can you make them a seat belt, Farmer John?”
Quinn shook her head, and I smirked. “I can do that.”
“Yay—I told you he could, Momma. He can do anything.”
I met Quinn’s gaze. It was gentle and warm this morning. Our eyes locked and held, that warmth in her expression flowing between us.
“What’s in the basket?” I asked.
“Momma and me made a picnic.”
“A picnic?”
Abby nodded enthusiastically. “To say thank you.”
“It’s for you,” Quinn explained. “For lunch or dinner—whatever you want.”
“Fried chicken,” Abby added. “And tato salad.”
“Any pickles?” I asked with a wink.
“Lots,” Abby assured me.
“And you ladies will stay, of course.”
“As long as we’re not interrupting. Otherwise, we’ll leave it for you whenever you want it.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “He asked us, Momma. You said you hoped he would.”
Quinn’s cheeks reddened, and once again, the sight of her blush brought forth a rush of desire and protectiveness. It was disconcerting, yet somehow, I didn’t mind it.
“It’s settled, then,” I stated firmly. “We’re having a picnic. And I know the perfect spot.”
Abby threw up her arms. “Yay!”
Quinn and I shared an amused look, not saying anything, but inside, I was throwing up my arms too and celebrating.
Suddenly, the day didn’t seem as desolate.
Quinn looked around, entranced. “It’s so pretty here!”
I had to agree with her. “Laura and I loved it here as kids.” I chuckled. “My parents loved that we loved it. Close enough for us to be safe, but far enough away to give them some downtime.”
“Your parents lived nearby?”
“Just down the road a little closer to town. I cut through the fields so often, I wore down a trail.”
“Is the house still there?”
“No, we sold it after they passed, and the new owners tore it down and built a new place.” I shrugged. “I loved the farmhouse and Laura wanted her own place without the memories. It was best to sell it. But this spot is filled with memories for us.”
I watched her excitement, feeling the stirrings of pride. The little creek was just behind the house to the left, bordered by trees and grasses. My dad and gramps had brooked up a small area that gave us a place to swim. It was about four feet deep at the shallow end, dipping into eight by the other side, and twelve feet around, and it was heaven on a hot day. The water flowed over the edge, making a small waterfall that was fun too. I had added some decking beside it a few years ago and put in a firepit. There was an old table and chairs that had seen better days, but they worked. Cody loved coming here, and the spot was well used. Swimming, barbecues, fires complete with marshmallows.
And today, the company of the cute kid and her mother, who was somehow proving to be irresistible.
Quinn unpacked the food, and my mouth watered at the fried chicken, potato salad, and the brownies she put out. The container of pickles made me chuckle, but I knew they’d be tasty.
I bit into the chicken, suddenly famished. “Wow. That is incredible.” I took another bite, savoring the flavor. “Best fried chicken I’ve ever had.”
“We have it at the Dill on Wednesdays.”
“I’ll make a note of that.”
“Your other place of residence cooling off?” Quinn asked with a grin as she took a bite of her chicken.
“Permanent iceberg.”
She looked pleased. “Ah.”
“Farmer John?” Abby asked.
“Yeah?”
“Can I swim after lunch?”
“Sure. If it’s okay with your mom.”
Quinn ruffled Abby’s hair. “Good thing I have your suit in the back.”
“Will you swim, Momma?”
“I don’t have a suit.”
“You’re wearing a T-shirt,” I pointed out. Grinning, I leaned close. “You got underwear on under those overalls, darlin’, or are you commando?”
She pursed her lips, trying to look affronted but failing. “Of course I do.”
“Probably covers you more than a bikini. I can give you another shirt to wear after.”
“Are you sure?”
The thought of her wearing my clothes did something to me. It made me want to beat my chest and roar out in victory. I glanced up at the sun, wondering if I was suffering from heatstroke.
Roar out in victory?
But her grin made it all better. “Okay, then.”
Game on.
Abby swam like a little fish, splashing and going underwater as if she’d been doing it all her life. Quinn watched her from the side, her wet T-shirt glued to her skin. I tried not to notice the shadow of her taut nipples under the thin material when she would stand to watch Abby. Unfortunately, my cock did, and I was grateful for the coolness of the water and the fact that it hid my arousal. She had long legs, and the image of them wrapped around me as I drove into her kept filtering through my brain, even as I tried to stop it. I didn’t understand how, in such a short time, I had gone from disliking Quinn to wanting to be close to her. To get to know her.
Internally, I shook my head. I had been attracted to her the first night at the fair. Even during our tumultuous meetings, I found her appealing. I had been too much of a jerk to admit exactly how tempting.
Abby called for us to watch as she dove under the water, splashing us as she kicked. I laughed as I wiped my face. “She loves the water,” I observed.
“Yes. I put her in swimming lessons when she was a baby. She has always loved it. We spent a lot of time at the public pool.”
“My dad taught me to swim. My mom wasn’t a huge fan of water.”
“My ex wasn’t a fan of anything,” she murmured. “Especially us.”
“Sounds like an idiot.”
She sighed. “I was the idiot for staying and hoping.”
I glanced at her. She was staring at Abby, her shoulders hunched as if in pain.
“Maybe you were the one with the heart,” I said gently. “The brave one.”
She shrugged, but I noticed her shoulders straightened a little.
“Anyway, she loves to swim, and she loves a bath. Hates the rain.”
“Really?”
“Storms bother her. The wind and thunder.”
“We get some bad ones here.”
“I already made a place in my closet. We hide together. I’m not a big fan either, so we camp out. I read to her, and we use a portable light and a radio for music. I try to make it fun. Distract her. The worst is when the power goes out and everything is dark and the lantern runs out of power and I’ve forgotten to buy more batteries.”
“What do you do then?”
“Sing to her.”
“Who sings to you?”
She turned her head and met my eyes. “No one. I have to be strong for her.”
In that moment, I realized how close we were sitting. Our thighs were pressed together, our shoulders touching. All it would take was the tilt of my head, and I could kiss her. The draw was strong, her closeness weaving a spell around us. I began to lower my head when I heard my sister’s voice behind us.
“John!”
I backed away from Quinn, creating some distance. Laura, Bob, and Cody appeared, towels in hand. “I figured I’d find you here. It’s hot and we—” Laura stopped midsentence. “Oh, you have company.” Her eyes grew wide when she realized who it was.
“Come join us,” I invited her.
Cody rushed forward, but Laura stood where she was. “Are we interrupting?”
“No,” I said easily, not wanting to upset Quinn. “We had a picnic, and we’re cooling off. Lots of room.”
“Hi, Laura,” Quinn greeted her.
“Hi, yourself. You know Bob.”
He waved, shucking off his shirt and following Cody into the swimming hole. Cody was chatting with Abby, no shyness between the two kids. Laura eyed me, then set down her bags, coming over to the spot we were sitting. Abby called to her mom, who went over to see what she wanted, and Laura slid into the water, giving me the once-over.
“You don’t usually have tenants over for a swim,” she muttered under her breath.
“She brought me lunch to say thanks for the swing I built and installed. It was hot. It seemed like the right thing to do.”
I was silent. “Besides, she’s not a usual tenant.”
“Farmer John! Come watch me do some handstands,” Abby called.
I stood, and my sister grabbed my hand. “We are going to talk later.”
There was no point in refusing. Laura would be relentless until she got what she wanted.
“Later.”