Chapter 24 Tate
tate
Thanksgiving Day was a rainy affair.
I gave all my people the day off. If there was anything else that needed to be fixed, it would have to wait. They’d killed themselves for me and at this point it was what it was.
I’d do another run through with Molly and Bill on Friday to make sure all the electrical was sound and the internet was working for the vendors. I’d taken every precaution I could. Now it was just time to enjoy some time with my girlfriend and her family.
Amber told me to forget about bringing food, so I went with flowers.
I gathered the large bouquet from Sanctuary Floral I’d had delivered and out to the connecting path between our properties.
When I got to the porch I heard music, laughter, and the happy barks of their dogs.
I was about to knock when the door swung open.
“Well, we finally meet.” Jamison DuCaine was a visceral force of a woman, and her grin was a bit unsettling. She took the flowers from me. “Aww, you shouldn’t have.”
“Hi, I’m Tate.”
“You sure are.” Her grin turned wolfish. “I’ve heard all sorts of good things.” She tipped her head. “I’m James.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Such a polite lumberjack too.”
I laughed.
Amber rushed forward. “Okay, don’t scare him.” Her big gray eyes went soft. “Those flowers are lovely. My mom will love them.”
“Yours are waiting at the house. Hopefully I’ll see you tonight,” I pitched my voice low.
James sighed. “Okay, I need to get away from the pheromones between you two.” She took the flowers and held them like an offering. “Mrs. D, the boy came with flowers.”
“Thank you, Tate. They’re lovely.” Mrs. Dalton said from the kitchen.
“Look at you with all the points.” Amber went on her toes and kissed my cheek as I was peeling out of my damp Carhart.
“First of all, I’m no boy.”
She laughed. “That is for certain.” She moved into me, her chest brushing against mine.
Her cinnamon scent was a little spicier today with a bit more vanilla in the mix.
Her golden hair was pinned back from her face in a halo of curls, and she’d done something to her eyes to make them seem even bigger.
“God, you’re stunning.”
“Well, thank you. I thought I’d actually make an effort today. You have been seeing the no frills side of me for weeks.”
“I love both.” The words came out before I could reframe them.
Her gray eyes went even wider, and her mouth parted.
“Tate, it’s good to see you.” Her father’s booming voice broke the spell around us. He stood behind Amber, his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry your father couldn’t make it.”
“You know Dad, he’s even more of a recluse since I built that cabin for him.”
“What does he think about all the changes to the farm?”
“Not sure he’s happy about it, but his cabin is far enough away that he only grumbles here and there. He’s taking care of the horses for the light trails.”
“Sadie and I will be there on Friday to try everything out. We’ve been watching from over here and it all looks amazing.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s been a long time coming. I appreciate that you’ve been so nice about all the noise.”
Her dad squeezed her shoulders. “This one gave me a state-of-the-art sound system for Christmas last year. I can’t hear a damn thing.”
“Lucky for me she gave me headphones,” her mom called out from the kitchen.
Amber took my hand. “Come on in. You’re probably starving. We’ve got appetizers out already and by some miracle James hasn’t eaten them all.”
“Hey, I’m a growing girl.” James was sitting at the kitchen island, one of her long legs curled under her on the stool as she picked at the charcuterie board.
“Can I help?” I asked as I crossed the living room.
“Absolutely not. You enjoy the game with Tommy.”
“The score is crap,” James muttered. “They’re just inching their way up the field. Boring.”
Amber laughed. “She loves football.”
“Only when it’s exciting. Right now, they’re barely doing anything but thumbing their—uh, butts.”
Amber’s mother gave James a look.
“What? I said butt.”
Sadie just shook her head. “Go in there and watch with the guys.”
“Fine.” She filled her plate and went to sit next to Amber’s dad. They immediately started arguing about players.
I filled my own plate and took one of the winter ciders from the orchard with me.
It had been so long since I’d actually been able to relax that my body immediately melted into their couch. Amber came back and forth between sitting with me and talking and helping her mother in the kitchen.
I watched the game and imagined that this might be my future.
A family again.
My chest tightened with the hope of it.
When Amber sat close enough for me to tuck her under my arm, I actually dozed off. The next time I came around, the scents of turkey and gravy had replaced the appetizers.
The turkey was on the kitchen island resting as the rest of the food was being set out on a warming pad.
Embarrassed, I got up to help.
“Hey, sleeping beauty.” James linked her arm through mine and instead of following me to the kitchen she steered me past the fireplace.
“I was going to help.”
“We’re gonna have a little chat first.”
“Okay.”
She pushed me in another room and suddenly I was surrounded by instruments. She closed the door.
“What are you doing?”
“I wanted a word without prying ears.”
“It’s a farmhouse. There’re ears everywhere.”
“Not from this room, pal. It’s soundproofed.” She stabbed me in the chest. “First of all, you are one fine specimen of male.”
Suddenly even more uncomfortable, I held my hands out in front of me. “Uh, I’m with Amber. I don’t—I’m, not—”
“Relax, I’m not coming onto you. I mean, good to know that you’re saying no.
That’s a point in your favor for this little chat.
But that segues nicely into the next thing.
If you cheat on her, I’m going to find you and rip that probably impressive dick right off your body and bury it in a city you’ve never heard of. ”
My eyebrows shot up. “I wouldn’t ever do that.”
“Yeah, you’re male. Your dick is indiscriminate.”
“Not mine.”
“Good. Keep it that way. Next, she’s gonna fuck things up with you.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“She’s just going to. She’s had a lot of people either use her or let her down, so if she starts pushing you away push back.”
I crossed my arms. “Okay.”
“She’s happy with you. I haven’t seen her like this in too many years to count.
I don’t make friends easily, and she’s one of the few that I actually love.
Fuck her up, or fuck this up, and we’re going to have problems.” She gave me a wide, scary smile.
“You really don’t want to have me as an enemy. I’ve hid a body already.”
“I can’t tell if you’re kidding or not.”
She shrugged and flipped her hair over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “Good. I’m not.” Then she sailed out the door leaving me gaping after her.
I looked around the room. It was so incredibly Amber that it felt like I’d walked into a sanctuary or maybe even her diary.
There were sheets of papers scattered over the top of the baby grand piano.
Two empty wine glasses were on a hassock and a pile of candy wrappers beside it on a tray.
A club chair was moved next to the piano with a stunning blue acoustic guitar sitting on it like a person.
The room smelled of Amber and another scent that had to be James.
A pile of blankets were discarded on a chaise lounge near the window along with a bulging black notebook with papers sticking out of every side.
I was tempted to look at the pages of scribbled lyrics, but again, it felt like a diary and I was intruding.
I left, closing the door behind me to find Amber.
She frowned. “What are you doing in there?”
“I’m pretty sure James just threatened my life.”
Her face cleared. “Oh, God. I’m sorry. She can be a little...protective.”
“Tell me about it. She’s scary.”
“Many people say the same.” She pushed me back inside, glancing back at the house before following me in. She jumped into my arms and I grunted, catching her by the hips as she wrapped those long legs around me.
I stumbled toward the door, shutting it and pressing her against it for a moment.
“I can’t kiss you in front of my mom and dad.” She said against my mouth. “Just a minute.” She gripped my shoulders and poured herself into the kiss and I couldn’t say no to her.
I never wanted to say no.
I pressed myself into her softness with a groan. “Don’t make me go back in there with a freaking hard-on.”
She laughed against my lips. “I love making you hard. I love making you come even more.”
“Fuck. We don’t have time to do that.”
“I can make it really fast.” She stepped down and lowered to her knees.
“Hell no.”
She flicked the tongue of my belt out of its loops. “How fast can you come, Tate?”
“That is not a flex from my end.”
“It is from mine.” She unzipped my jeans and scooped me out with a tight fist at my base.
“Amber.”
“Tate,” she said breathlessly and took me into her mouth.
Her parents and friend were right outside. It shouldn’t have been hot, but my dick went infinitely harder as she worked me over. Christ, she knew exactly what to do to make me insane.
I slapped a hand against the door as she took me deep and nothing except her perfect pussy felt as good. With my other hand, I gripped the back of her neck, and the flash of her gray eyes made me growl out her name.
I fucked her throat, and she took me with that endless generosity that made everything in my too active brain go quiet.
She swallowed me down without a qualm, then tucked me back in as she rose to her feet. “That gets me off almost as well as you do.”
I reached for her and she shook her head. “No way. We’ve been gone too long.” She pushed me out the door and took a right down the hall toward the bathroom with a little wave.
“Shit.” I made sure my shirt was tucked in and I didn’t look like I just debauched Sadie and Thomas’s freaking daughter. One helluva way to start Thanksgiving dinner.
Too cowardly to go in alone, I waited for her to finish in the bathroom. Her lips were a little puffy from my kisses and her phenomenal skills with making me go brain-dead. She laced her fingers with mine and pulled me into the delicious scents of family and home.
If I wasn’t already in love with Amber, her secret smile over her shoulder would have done the job.
And when we sat down and gave thanks, I didn’t need another damn thing in my life right then.
After dinner, James, Amber, and I cleaned up while another football game was in the background. When everything was wrapped up, I took the plate Sadie had made for my dad with me.
“Tomorrow’s the day.”
“It is.” I stood with her on the back porch.
“I’m proud of you, Tate. I know it’s going to be amazing.”
“I couldn’t have done it without my team. Thanks for sticking with me even though it’s been nuts.”
“I loved watching it come to life. Now comes the crazy part.”
“It wasn’t crazy enough?” I laughed.
“Now it gets people-y.” She cupped my face and brought me down to meet her mouth. “Say hi to your dad for me.”
“I will. Tell your mom thanks again for feeding the both of us.” I brushed her nose with mine. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
I could see the worry in her eyes. “Remember, Rudolph.”
She tapped her nose. “I probably look like Rudolph right now.”
“Maybe a little.” I gave her another quick kiss. “Get inside, it’s cold.”
The rain had let it up, leaving a misty ring around the farm. I walked through the village with all the lights off making it feel like it was sleeping one last moment before showtime.
I climbed the last trail to the fence line of my father’s part of the farm.
A few of the horses were out grazing now that the worst of the weather had passed.
My dad’s cabin was tucked at the very back corner of the property against the tree line.
A stream of lazy smoke rose from his chimney.
All the lights were off save for the familiar flickering of the television.
I’d hoped all the commotion would pull him out of his cabin to check things out, but as usual, he stayed to himself.
I’d learned long ago not to take it too personally that he’d retreated from the world. I wasn’t entirely sure how I’d react if I lost the love of my life.
The pang that hit me as Amber’s name popped into my mind nearly took me out at the knees.
Maybe I’d react much the same.
I knocked before I opened the door. “Hey, Pop.”
He grunted from his recliner. He had an old quilt over his legs and his salt-and-pepper hair stood up as if he’d put his fingers through it.
“Sadie and Thomas sent you a plate.”
“Appreciate it.”
“Do you want it now or put it in the kitchen?”
“Kitchen.” His eyes barely left the television.
I set the plate on his small counter then sat on the couch and we watched the game silently for a few. The tension immediately filled the room. “How have you been feeling?”
“Fine. Better now that you don’t have all those people building outside my goddamn door.”
“I warned you they were coming.”
“Yeah. Don’t know why you didn’t do something better with your money.”
The usual disappointment hit. I wasn’t sure why I hoped for something different. “I wanted to do something for the town and for me, Pop.”
“The town never did anything to help you. Now they just lick your boots because you got cash.”
I sighed and sagged against the cushions of the couch. “This is my home and my people. They’re your people too.”
“They ain’t my people.”
“They could be if you didn’t just sit here mad all the fucking time.”
“Why wouldn’t I? You made my farm a joke.”
“I made the farm useful. Times are changing and this is the way to—”
“To what?” My father sat up, his shoulders looking frailer than the last time I saw him. “Make us a joke.”
I stood up. “No, I made us a part of this community. And tomorrow people will come here and see what I built out of the ashes of this sad fucking farm. Mom would love this. She loved her little farm stand to talk to people.”
“Don’t you talk about her.”
“Why? We talk about people to remember them. She’d have loved all of this. The artists I picked out were all things she loved. If you weren’t so goddamn miserable, you’d come out and see that.”
“I’m handling the horses, aren’t I?”
“Your stable hands are doing that. If you’d just look up, you might see something good in this world instead of feeling sorry for yourself.” I sighed. “I gotta go.”
He didn’t reply and I hated that I wanted to get away from him as soon as I saw him.
I slammed the door as I left.
Not the way I wanted to end the damn day.