20. Sarah
Chapter 20
Sarah
Moisture clung to the fall air, covering the rolling hills of Harry's Orchard in a blanket of fog. There was something deeply romantic about the scene that made my heart ache.
A reminder of what I was fighting for and what my circumstances forced me to fight against. Sleep had evaded me since Ranger showed up at my bakery and gave me what had to be the best kiss any woman on this planet had ever experienced. He was so tender like I might break from the contact. But I could feel the wild in him lurking beneath the surface, desperate to break free.
It was the same wild that ran through my veins. I’d tampered it down over the decades of my life to satisfy my parents—to belong . Being near Ranger had it roaring to be let loose. To finally run without anything in its way.
Maybe I’d let myself get there one day. Live life without abandon. To stop caring what my parents would think of me. I’d already made it this far. Forgoing my inheritance to open a bakery. I could still see the look on my mother’s face the day I’d told them I made enough money from at-home baking to open a brick-and-mortar location.
The way her eyes narrowed on me and her lips twisted downward in a scowl. My father just stared at me blankly, like his brain couldn’t even process that I was his child.
I was furious at the part of me that still longed for their approval. The little girl who wanted nothing more than to have her parents look at her with love and tell her how proud they were of her.
Anger stung my eyes as I wiped the rogue tears away. No . Today was my day and I wouldn’t let them get away with ruining it.
I checked myself in the visor mirror of my car. Satisfied that the tears hadn’t done too much damage to my mascara, I got out of my car and walked up to the large renovated farmhouse to sign in for apple picking.
“Happy birthday, bestie!” Willow’s voice reverberated through the space and I turned to see her just as she’d walked through the door Johnny was holding for her. Arms spread out wide, she started running towards me and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Ooph!” I huffed as we collided in a mess of giggles, hellos and I missed yous .
“Happy birthday, Sarah.” Johnny squeezed the two of us together before we all parted with smiles on our faces.
“I just checked us in, so all we have to do is grab our bags and we’re good to go.”
“As long as you remember this one’s on us.” Willow winked at me.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Willow. I do remember that you are forcing me to be spoiled this weekend and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
She tapped me on the nose with her pointer finger. “Good! As long as that’s settled, then I think we’re good to go.” Willow twisted to turn toward the other set of doors leading out to the orchard entrance but stopped mid-step and shifted back toward me. “I almost forgot to ask. Are we waiting on a special someone? Or maybe a few special someones?” Her lips tilted into a mischievous grin and I could feel the heat of my cheeks flaming. I knew I was bright red without looking in a mirror.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I whispered, looking around the large open space where dozens of our fellow townsfolk were eating apple cider donuts and drinking hot chocolate at the picnic tables scattered throughout.
Willow sided up next to me, looping her arm through mine before she leaned close to my ear and said, “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
She directed me toward the doors where Johnny was casually holding one open, doing his best to mind his own business while Willow tried to coax the details of my love life from me .
“Listen, you know there is no judgment here. You could date four guys at once if you wanted to.”
“Willow!” I jabbed her lightly in the ribs.
My left arm rose with hers as she shrugged. “What? I’m just saying that it doesn’t matter to me what you do, as long as you’re being true to yourself.”
I sighed heavily before I leaned my head on her shoulder, burying myself closer to her as we hit the cold air. I looked over my shoulder where Johnny was keeping a few paces back and I knew he was trying to give us some privacy.
“You promise you won’t judge me?”
She stopped walking and her bright blue eyes turned serious. “I swear to you.”
A lump formed in my throat. Not because I didn’t trust her. But because I knew she wouldn’t judge me and it was so incredibly rare to find that in life. To be fully loved by someone else that it didn’t matter what you did, even if it was as shameful as fake dating one guy to get in your mother’s good graces when you were really falling hard for someone else.
I told her everything, though. How I was embarrassingly still a virgin, which she informed me that she already knew because we’d never talked about how I’d lost it. And the way Ranger made me burn every time he was near. Like a moth drawn to a dangerous flame, but it was too damn beautiful to avoid. But worst of all, that I was betraying myself by dating Jones to appease my mother.
“You’re living in fear, Sarah.” Our hands were bound together between us. She squeezed mine .
“I don’t know what else to do. I’ve already agreed to her deal and if I go back on it…you know what she’s capable of, Willow.”
She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she mulled over the point I’d made. “You’re right. I do know what she’s capable of.” She gave my hands another squeeze and winked at me. “But I also know what you are capable of. It sounds like you have the beginnings of something really special with Ranger. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this smitten with someone before. So, when the time is right you’ll know what you need to do. Until then, I’ve got you, girl. If shit hits the fan, you have backup.”
I snorted. “Thanks for that.”
“I’m just kidding.” She nudged me. “But seriously. I think you’re being too hard on yourself. Everything will come out in the wash as long as you stay true to yourself.”
I knew she was right. I couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Not when my feelings for Ranger were growing by the second. It would be better to rip the bandaid off with my mother. The longer I kept this charade up with Jones, the more she would expect the relationship to move forward.
I just hoped I had the strength to cut it off.
“Both of you are too much.” I rolled my eyes at Johnny and Willow as they broke apart from their makeout session. Johnny smacked her on the butt and Willow went squealing down a row of apple trees before Johnny started chasing after her.
“I’m leaving you two love birds!” I called out after them before heading down a different row.
My small burlap bag wasn’t even halfway full as I started eyeing some honey crisps. Their swirls of red, pink, yellow, and green were striking against the gloomy fall clouds that hung high above the orchard.
I plucked one off the tree, watching the droplets of dew splatter to the ground as the limb shook the leaves on the rebound. I brought the apple to my nose, smelling the faint crisp scent and nearly tasting the turnover I planned to make with it later today.
Baking was one thing. But I had a fondness for baking with fresh fruit I’d picked myself. There was something special about seeing the apples come directly from the tree to my kitchen.
After dropping the apple into my bag, I wandered further down the row of trees until I spotted the largest honey crisp I’d ever seen.
“You are mine,” I whispered at it. Well…I thought it was going to be mine until I got closer and realized it was nearly at the top of the tree and completely out of my grasp.
I reached for it anyway. Grunting in frustration when my stupid arm wouldn’t extend further. I started hopping up and down doing my best to grab the large apple, but there was no use.
Frustrated, I placed my hands on my hips and glared at it, trying to figure out if the owners would kick me out for climbing their tree just as a very masculine arm extended past my shoulder, toward the apple I was longing for.
“Hey! That one’s—” I whirled on the sneaky fucker who was trying to take my apple to find myself face-to-chest with Ranger.
“Oh!” I breathed.
Behind me, I heard the faint rustle of leaves moving and a small pluck before he brought his hand down between us.
“Is this the one you were after?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble.
I swallowed. Already feeling the heat from his presence take hold of me, casting the words in my mind far, far away.
I nodded and he grabbed the burlap sack from my hand, placing the apple inside. My heart thudded as he bent toward me and placed a kiss on the edge of my ear. “Sorry, I’m late, sugar. We had some issues with a few of the cows this morning and I had to handle it before coming over.”
“That’s okay.” I smiled up at him, thankful my brain found its ability to form words again. “I’m just glad you were able to make it.”
He took my hand in his like he’d done it a million times before as we started to walk deeper into the orchard. His hand was so big compared to mine, but the way our fingers interlaced felt like I was made for him. They fit so perfectly together. I wondered if it was a sign. That soulmates’ bodies were created to form to one another like the shaped edges of a puzzle aligning without gaps between them. I’d never thought much about the idea of soulmates. Then again, Ranger had a way of making me wonder about life in a way I’d never done before.
“I got you something for your birthday,” he finally said as we neared the far end of the row, no one else was in sight.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I stopped and turned to face him. His eyes were molten hues of blue and gray today. Matching the dark swirl of the clouds overhead as the sunlight tried to peek through the thinner layers.
“I wanted to,” he replied as he reached behind him into his back pocket.
I wondered if the man ever got cold in this frigid weather as I watched his corded forearm flex with the movement. The sleeves of his flannel were pulled up to his elbows, revealing tanned skin dusted with dark hair.
My mouth popped open as he revealed a small leather jewelry box. Handing it to me, I opened it with shaking hands to find a beautiful gold necklace with a vertical bar pendant with the word dreamer engraved on the surface. It was perfect. Not because it fit my sense of fashion to a tee, but because the word he chose represented the truth of who I was. Somehow, this man who I was just getting to know, saw that I was more than my family’s name. That I had a vision to chase after and I’d stop at nothing until I saw it come to fruition.
Tears burned the back of my eyes. I blinked wildly as I whispered, “I love it, Ranger. It’s perfect.”
He took the box from me and gently unwound the necklace from the cushion it was resting on. Placing the box back into his pocket he gestured for me to turn around. When my back was to him, I lifted my hair and felt him step closer. He placed the necklace over my head, the pendant falling just below the center of my collarbone. The brush of his fingertips on the back of my neck sent a jolt through me. My breath hitched as I closed my eyes, letting the feeling of his warmth seep into my skin.
When he was done, he palmed the back of my neck, his grip tightening slightly right before he spun me around, my front becoming flush with his. Our breaths were heavy as his forehead came down to meet mine.
“Don’t ever forget what you are, Sarah.” He grasped the pendant between his thumb and forefinger. “I hope this reminds you of your strength and that no matter what anyone else thinks, your dreams are worth chasing after.”
His stormy eyes were hooded as I looked up at him through my lashes. Without a second thought, I grasped the back of his neck, weaving my fingers through his long curls, and pulled his lips to mine.
Nothing else in the world mattered in that moment. It was just us, completely lost in one another. His knuckles skirted down the center of my back until his open palm grazed my backside. He gripped me firmly, lifting me with ease until I wrapped my legs firmly around his center.
I could hardly breathe with the feel of his hands cupping my ass, his thumbs digging into me with hungry need. He moaned as I ran my tongue along the edge of his bottom lip, giving it a gentle tug with my teeth.
“Careful with that bite,” he growled. “I don’t think the townsfolk would take kindly to me tainting their favorite good girl in the middle of the apple orchard.”
“But what about what I want?” I breathed, not fully recognizing my own voice. “It’s my birthday.”
He nipped my earlobe as he gave my ass a smack on one side. “Sugar, when I claim you we’ll need to be miles away from anyone else so they can’t hear you scream my name.”
I whimpered, feeling the heat building in my center. My body ached for him and I couldn’t help myself as I ground against his stomach in a desperate attempt to find friction against my aching clit.
“I want that, Ranger. I can’t tell you how badly I want that.”
A loud cat-call rang through the orchard right as our lips met again. We pulled apart, but he still held me tightly against him as he shifted toward the entrance of the row where Willow and Johnny were smirking at us.
“Oh my God,” I groaned, dropping my head against Ranger’s chest to avoid him seeing me turn tomato-red. “I’m going to kill her.”
His breath was warm against my neck as he laughed before he gently lowered me and my feet met the ground. He bent down and whispered so only I could hear, “I’m not finished with you yet, sugar. Don’t you worry.” Then he smacked my ass, jutting me forward with a yelp.
Hand-in-hand, we strode toward my best friends. Willow had a wicked gleam in her eyes and I knew she was about to put Ranger through the ringer.