Chapter 19
Nineteen
J ohn stared at his phone. It had been such a long time since he’d asked someone to spend time away with him. But things with Abby were moving in that direction. He wanted to spend time away with her. He wanted to have that physical connection with her they’d worked on the other night.
When Katy was one, John had this itch to buy a little camp, somewhere a few hours away from Bell Ridge, where he could hunt with his brothers and take Katy to each summer for a week or two. There had been this run down cabin a few hours across the Texas-Oklahoma border that he liked, and after a couple years of working on it during his time off, he was proud of his home away from home.
Most of the time, he didn’t know what he’d seen in the property. Overgrown yard, rotting front porch, outdated kitchen and bathroom. It had been a nightmare at times to renovate, but there was a part of him that was excited to show Abby what he’d done. Of course, the real beauty and the reason for purchasing the cabin was outside the actual house. His property was mostly quiet forest, except for the part where a river ran through it. He loved that he had his own section of river to fish, and it was one of his favorite things to do at the cabin.
There was just one tiny problem. Abby hadn’t actually agreed to go with him yet, but he was working on it. John knew he was blessed to have parents who would take Katy for a long weekend in the fall so he could have time to himself at the cabin. As much as he enjoyed the solitude, John was really looking forward to having several days to just soak up time with Abby.
And he wanted her to finally give him a damn answer.
He knew she’d gone to see Sam and her mom that afternoon, but he had no idea if she’d told them about seeing him, or his plans to take her away for the weekend. It was driving him crazy. He was a little surprised by how badly he wanted this time away with her. To show her the cabin. To take things to the next level. Jesus, at this rate, he’d be proposing by Christmas.
Actually…
John: Do you have an answer for me yet?
He stared at the screen, smiling when three dots popped up showing she was responding.
Abby: Hmmm…I don’t know. What would my self-defense teacher say about going to a remote cabin with a boy I don’t know?
John: Your self-defense teacher would definitely advise against that. Good thing you’d be going WITH your self-defense teacher who is in fact a MAN that you do know. Or have you forgotten all those times you pounced and kissed me, kitten? I know you couldn’t have forgotten what my fingers and tongue are capable of.
Abby: Nope. Can’t seem to recall what you are talking about? Maybe you’ll have to refresh my memory.
“Why are you all smiles today? I feel like at any moment you’re going to blush and start kicking your feet like a teenage girl.” Jackson laughed as John glared across the patio table at him from his phone. “Oh, got it. A certain school teacher is on your mind. Here I thought we were going to have a nice brotherly bonding night.”
“I asked her to come with me to the cabin this weekend.”
“Whoa. That’s fast.”
“Says the guy who got into his now-wife’s pants two hours after seeing her for the first time in a decade.”
“Hey. I’ve known Grace since we were kids. She’s always been the one for me.” He sipped from his beer bottle. “Besides, it worked out well for me.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been waiting six months. It doesn’t feel fast.”
“I guess that’s fair. So, what did she say?”
“That’s why I’m glued to my phone. She’s been giving me a hard time for days, but I think she’s going to say yes.”
“Whatever will the two of you get up to all alone in that cabin? I mean, Katy won’t even be there to interrupt.”
“I’d feel guilty leaving her with Mom and Dad for the long weekend, but they seem so excited to have Katy and Jack there for the whole time.”
“God, I know. We agreed because Mom wouldn’t stop hounding Grace to let her take Jack, too.”
“How does Grace feel about that?”
Jackson laughed. “She’s thrilled. Told me to not sign up for any overtime. Something about how she was planning on us spending all day in bed.”
“Well, sounds like you’re going to have a good weekend, too.”
“Yeah, you’d think. The only thing is this whole second kid stuff has her all in her head. It’s killing her that we’ve been trying for months and she’s still not pregnant.”
“Shit, man. I bet. I mean, what the hell do I know about any of that stuff? Katy was the best surprise ever. I can’t imagine loving someone so much you’d choose to make a whole human with them.”
Lies. He’d pictured more times than he would ever tell anyone, including his brother, just how amazing it would be to give Katy a little brother or a sister, with an amazing mom. Shit, it was his dream.
“You sure you haven’t felt anything like that for Abby? It feels like you’re pretty hung up on her.”
John crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair. The flames from the fire were starting to burn out, but the warmth was still there on his face.
“You remember telling me that kissing Grace was like finally being home?”
“Of course. I still feel that way. Home isn’t a building. It’s wherever Grace and Jack are.”
“I felt the same thing the first time I kissed Abby. Like finally, something that had always been feeling a little off in my chest was now righted. Like the weight of everything was a little bit lighter.” He took a sip of his beer. “I don’t know. That probably sounds sappy and like a bunch of bullshit.”
“No. It doesn’t. It sounds like you found your girl. I’m happy for you.”
John tipped his bottle towards his brother and nodded. There had been a part of him that ached when he watched Jackson settle into his family. Grace had Jack, and then they got married, and a part of John wondered if he and Katy would ever find the missing piece to their family.
“Just make sure you tell her all that flowery stuff up at the love shack. She’ll be swooning all over the place.”
“Maybe don’t call it the love shack.”
“Well, that’s certainly what Grace and I refer to it as since we were up there a few months ago.”
“Never needed to know that.”
Jackson stood up and laughed as he placed his hand on John’s shoulder. “Yeah, probably not. But I saved you from knowing what we nicknamed the couch.”
“Small blessings,” John mumbled as his brother walked back inside.
John: I think I’m going to have the whole cabin sanitized before we get there.
Abby: We? I don’t remember saying yes yet.
John: You can just agree. I know you want to. This game you’re playing is silly.
Abby: I’m a goofy girl, what can I say?
John: You’re something, that’s for sure. Now, say you’ll come spend the weekend with me in my secluded cabin so I can get excited about making out with my girlfriend without worrying about my kid walking in on us.
Abby: …
Abby: …
Hell. Why was it taking her so long to respond? Seeing those three dots appear and disappear was making his heart do all sorts of stupid things.
Abby: Your girlfriend definitely likes the sound of that. Guess you’ve finally won me over.
“I think my legs are asleep. We definitely aren’t in Texas anymore.”
“That wasn’t even a long drive, baby. But I can help you wake them back up if you need me to.” John’s hand squeezed her thigh, his fingers digging into her muscle and making her laugh.
“To be honest, I’m surprised I’m still awake. Nighttime driving always makes me super sleepy.”
She’d hardly slept the night before, thinking about going away with John to his cabin for the weekend. They dropped Katy off with his mom and dad after school and left Bell Ridge. The sun had set within the first hour of them driving and the quiet hum of his truck’s engine with the gentle bumps of the highway, not to mention John’s warm and possessive touch, were lulling her to sleep.
“Good thing I drove then,” John said.
“Definitely. It’s been a long time since I was a passenger princess.”
“Baby, whenever I’m around, that’s all you’ll be. I’m sure this will sink in one day, but I’ll always drive us wherever we need to go, and I’ll always open your door. My mom would have my ass if I wasn’t a gentleman, even after we grow old and gray together.”
“We’re going to grow old and gray together?”
He shrugged. “I think that’s the goal, sweetheart.”
“I like the sound of that.” Abby stifled a yawn. “How much further?”
“Just a few minutes. We’re going to turn off the highway in ten miles and then it’s a short drive through a sleepy town and into the forest, and boom. We’ll be there.”
John didn’t lie. Twenty minutes later, with wide eyes and an excitement in her heart, she watched the trees fly by on a quiet country road.
“John, this place is adorable.” Abby felt like a kid at Christmas when he pulled into the driveway at his cabin.
“Adorable doesn’t make it feel like the man cave it really is, baby.”
“Sorry,” she laughed. “But it looks more like a romantic getaway than a rowdy hunting camp.”
“Eh, you might want to save that judgment for after you see inside. It’s pretty rustic.”
“As long as I don’t have to walk outside to use the bathroom, I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“Happy to report we have indoor plumbing. I put in an on demand hot water heater the first year I had the place and a big tub. Probably because I was so traumatized by how dirty a little baby can get.”
Abby laughed again. “It was a smart investment. Kids are pretty dirty creatures until they start thinking about dating.”
“Don’t even bring that up to me. Katy isn’t dating until she’s thirty.”
Abby pulled her hand from his and stopped walking.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I’m not thirty yet.”
His head tipped to the side as his brows furrowed. “I know.”
“So is that how you see me? As someone’s baby who you shouldn’t be dating?”
“Abby, no. Not at all. It was just a stupid thing I said. In fact, if Katy found someone at your age who felt about her the way I feel about you, I’d be happy for her.”
“Smooth.”
A bright smile burst across his face, all traces of worry disappearing behind his boisterous laugh.
“So,” she said as she laced her fingers back through his. “How big is the tub?”
She wiggled her eyebrows at him and shook her hips as she walked past him to the porch.
“It’s big enough for the both of us.” His words came out as a low growl as he snaked his arm around her waist and backed her against the door.
“Perfect.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
“Let me give you the official tour, and then we can settle in.”
“It’s going to storm overnight. I know it’s dark out, but do you want to see a bit of the property before it starts coming down? I’ve got a big flashlight we can use.”
“Is that what men are calling it these days?” She laughed. “I’d love to explore the wilderness with your big flashlight .”
John walked her through the cabin, and it hadn’t taken her long to fall in love with the space. She could see why he found refuge there. It was so quiet. There wasn’t any noise from traffic. It almost reminded her of the ranch, the way it stood in reflective solitude.
The cabin was rustic but beautiful. Scuffed and well-worn wooden floors throughout, a giant stone fireplace in the living room, and an updated kitchen were just a few of the highlights. But John wasn’t lying about the bathroom. The tub in there rivaled the one in Abby’s apartment, and she never thought she’d say that.
She didn’t want to be pushy, but that tub was calling her name. And the only thing she wanted to do was soak in hot water while exploring John’s body.
Her hand found his as they walked to the back porch. “How much land do you have here?”
“About forty acres.”
“Wow. And you only come up here once a year?”
“By myself, yeah. I bring Katy up a few times during the summer and over winter break too.”
The air was so fresh. Crisp. Although it wasn’t necessarily cold, it felt more like fall than it had in Bell Ridge. Granted, they were a few hours north of there and while the trees back home were still green, the ones surrounding John’s cabin had already changed into the most beautiful rainbow of bright reds and yellows.
“Do you know how to fish?” John asked, his voice startling her. When he furrowed his brows at her reaction, she settled into his side after giving a reassuring smile.
“I could hold my own if I absolutely had to. My dad used to take me and Sam down to the lake every couple of weeks. It was something special for him to do with us that got us all off the ranch. I always went, but I didn’t always participate.”
“Why not?”
“I have that whole fear-of-drowning thing, remember? Bodies of water make me nervous.”
“I really want to take you down to see the creek. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay. Just maybe hold on to my hand when we’re there. And don’t try to push me in.”
He wrapped his fingers through hers. “Never.”
They walked through the woods, the only sounds shared between them was the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath their feet. She quickly picked up on the sound of moving water, but nothing could have prepared her for how inaccurate John’s description could have been.
“This isn’t a creek! It’s a whole ass river.” Her feet dug into the ground around her and her breath hitched. “I can’t go any closer.”
“Okay. That’s okay. Do you want to head back to the cabin?”
She forced a deep breath into her lungs. John wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“No. We aren’t that close. How much of this is on your property?”
“It runs the entire width of the property. I have about ten acres on the house side and then the rest of it is all on the far side of the creek.”
“River.”
John chuckled. “Right. The river. ”
“How do you get across?”
“We usually walk it. I’ve never seen it this full though. It’s been rainier here than usual for the season, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”
“And more rain is coming tonight. I can’t even imagine what it will look like tomorrow.”
“Well, when I fish it, we’ll make sure you’re back far enough to feel safe. I thought maybe you’d want to fish too, but you could bring a book down or something.”
“I’m sure I’ll figure out a way to pass the time. Right now I’m thinking I might just watch you work your rod. That sounds like a good choice. Maybe I’ll even learn a thing or two by watching.”
“You want to watch me work my rod?”
“Yes,” she whispered, suddenly unable to ignore how turned on she was. “Are you hungry?”
He looked down at her, a smirk painted on his lips. “Starving. But there’s really only one thing I want to eat right now.”
“Oh, really? Did you pack it in the groceries you brought?”
“No.”
“Can we order it in?”
“No, baby. What I want to eat is standing right here in front of me, looking fucking delectable.”
“Oh,” she giggled, her cheeks no longer feeling cold . “Maybe we should head back to the cabin. I’m feeling a little hungry myself. Should we race back?”
She didn’t wait for him to reply, spinning on her heels and taking off for the cabin. She was only twenty feet away from the back porch when she felt strong arms wrap about her, pulling her feet up off the ground.
“John!” She squealed as he tossed her over his shoulder, patting her ass with his rough hand.
“Looks like I’ve caught my dinner. What a lucky man I am.”
Once inside, Abby wiggled and protested.
“You have to let me down!”
John set her firmly on the floor. “Just give me one minute, then come into the bedroom.”
Before he could respond, she was in the bedroom, ripping through her overnight bag. She’d packed her new red lingerie at the bottom of her bag, hoping she’d be able to wear it for John that weekend. Where the hell was it?
The silk fabric finally caught on her finger and she grabbed it, running into the bathroom. The space really was gorgeous, and she fully planned on taking advantage of that tub multiple times over the next few days.
The fabric slipped over her skin like ice. Her nipples were taut, anticipation coiling in her belly like a spring ready to release all its stored potential energy. The lace of the cups on the barely-there outfit showed off the dusty rose color of her nipples, and she made sure to tie the bow a little tighter than usual for extra support. Abby let her hair fall around her shoulders, raked her teeth over her lips for a little rush of color and then stepped out of the bathroom.
“Oh, fuck.” John groaned, palming his very visible erection through his jeans. “Jesus, Abby. You look so fucking delicious.”
He closed the distance between them, his warm hand cupping her breast as his thumb swirled her hard and aching nipple. She moaned as he captured her mouth with his. Her fingers worked the button on his jeans, knowing just a few layers of clothes separated her from the promise of relief for the pressure building within her.
John’s tongue danced with hers, until he pulled away from the kiss. She was about to complain when his teeth raked across the sensitive flesh on her collarbone.
Her breath hitched. Time felt like it was standing still as she watched him undress in front of her. The muscles on his chest rippled as he pulled his shirt over his head.
She didn’t want him to stop. In fact, her mouth was salivating at the thought of finally seeing him fully naked. His tattoos caught her eye like they always did and she couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and tracing their intricate designs.
“You’re making my mind do very naughty things, touching me like that.”
“Oh, really?” She smiled coyly, tracing one particularly beautiful branch of the giant tree he had tattooed on his side across his hip and down into the waistband of his jeans.
His hand grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand from going any lower. She was shocked for a moment, until he brought her hand to his mouth and began kissing each one of her fingers.
“I want the first touch tonight, baby. The first taste. Once I have those, then you can have your fill of me.” He pulled at the hem of her lingerie. “The first look too, Abby. I want you to get naked for me.”