Meadowlarks (29 page)

The song ends, but I don't notice until I hear everyone clapping. People are whistling, and every guy at the birthday table is standing and cheering.

              “Yeah, Addy!” Alex puts his hands around his mouth and shouts loudly over the crowd.

             
I get up and walk over to the stage. She stands at the edge and smiles down at me.

             
“Hi.” She grins.

             
“Hi, yourself.” I run my hands up over the leather of her boots, up her bare skin and pull her down into my arms. “You're amazing.”

             
“Right back at ya.” She wraps her arms around my neck and leans down to kiss me. I completely forget that we're in a bar full of people, until I hear the cheering pick up again.

             
“Go, buddy!” someone yells.

             
“She's smokin'!” says another.

             
“Cowboy! Take
ME
away too!” a woman shouts, and I turn to smile. I slowly lower her back to the floor, back to earth from our short ride in the clouds, and she blushes and heads back to the table.

             
“Addy that was so crazy!” Zoe says excitedly and leans in to hug her when she sits down.

             
“You know that was all for you, right?” Leah elbows me. “Riley's fine.”

             
I look at Riley, and she smile sweetly.

             
“Thank you. I love you.” I take Addison's hand in mine and lift it up to kiss her soft skin.

             
“So, what are you going to serenade me with?” She smiles and the girls all laugh.

             
“Oh, no. The cab of my truck and the shower are the only two places you'll ever hear me sing.” I hold my hands up with declination and shake my head.

             
Addison doesn't sing again, but Leah and Jeremiah attempt a Johnny and June song, quite successfully, I think. Everyone cheers and applauds when they stand holding their hands together up in the air.

             
We sit and listen to a few more singers. The birthday table all get on stage (with the exception of the Birthday Boy), and they sing him some song about big asses that I've never heard of. A few staff members have to help to drunk kids off the stage, and we all clap and whistle for them.

Oh, to be twenty-one
again.

             
The moonlight is pouring into the open window, the cool night breeze slowly crawls into the room, down the wall and across the floor. It makes its way up the bed and over our bodies.

             
We lay in bed face to face, our arms over the covers with our fingers interlocked, talking about the day and how much we enjoyed it.

             
“I didn't know you could sing like that.” I smile and close my eyes, remembering how she stood on that stage and captivated the whole room. No flash, no smoke machines or pyrotechnics—just a beautiful girl in a white dress singing a song to the man she loves.

             
“Well...” She blushes. “It's not something I brag about. My mom always said I should be a singer, but my heart is in medicine.”

             
I lift her hand up to my lips and kiss it gently.

             
“I'm glad you liked it.” She smiles. “It describes how I feel about you perfectly.”

             
She moves closer, her warm body against mine, and she feels the stubble on my jaw with her fingers. “You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Blaine.”

             
I kiss the side of her mouth.               “I love you.”

             
“I didn't think I could feel this way again.” Her eyes start to water. “Or have someone love me like this.”

             
“Baby, don't cry.” I frown and wipe a lone tear falling down her cheek. “You deserve the world; I want to give you everything.”

             
“After Jacob…” she sniffles. “I didn't feel like I was worth anything.”

             
I inhale deeply at the thought of him, the sickening pit in my stomach when I picture him hitting her over and over again. I wince and close my eyes, exhaling.               “Addy…” I breathe.

             
“I know what you did in Maine. Alex told me.”

             
“He did?” I’m surprised. When did he tell her?

             
“He told me after you proposed to me.”

             
“That piece of shit is lucky I didn't kill him.” I inhale again, thinking of how satisfying it was driving my boot into his gutless body. “We don't have to think about him again, baby.”

             
She kisses me. Her soft lips are warm, and she tastes like lime and tequila again. Margaritas.               “I can't wait to marry you,” she breathes in between heated kisses.

             
Taking her hand, I lift it over her head, and she rolls onto her back. I climb on top, parting her legs with my knee and resting between them. She moans softly as I kiss her face gently, lowering further and further down her body, her fingers still intertwined in mine. We make love deeply, passionately, completely raw. It feels like it's been so long since I've touched her, so long since I've felt her lips on me and her body around me, squeezing me. I'm lost in her hotness.

             
I have to grip the headboard and she runs her hands down my chest, her thumbs rolling over each of my abdominal muscles as my body thrusts and contracts. Like the rolling of a wave, I'm a fluid motion.

             
I hold on to the wooden board as hard as I can and growl loudly as she comes undone underneath me, crying out for me, calling my name. Her gaze and clenched muscles cause me to explode, and I crush my eyes closed as tight as I can, rippling out my gratification.

I fall onto the bed beside her, our chests rising and falling together, catching our breath. I smile and put my hands behind my pillow, resting my head in them.
              “Shit…”

             
“Mmm hmm,” she hums and turns on her side to lay her head on my chest, my heart thundering under my skin.

             
Not a moment later, we hear our house guests cat-calling and yelling from their rooms. The sounds of them slapping the wooden floors with their hands makes me laugh out loud explicitly.

             
Addison buries her face in my chest out of embarrassment.               “I forgot they were here!”

             
“You
ride
that cowboy!” one of them shouts, I can't tell which one.

             
“Goodnight, girls!” she yells back, completely mortified.

             
The next morning is exactly as we both expect—completely obvious smirks and giggles from all four of them the moment our feet touch the bottom step leading into the kitchen.

             
“Good morning,
ladies
.” I smile, trying my hardest not to bow; I'm sure Addison wouldn't be too impressed. “How did we all sleep last night?” I decide to stick to cheeky remarks.               Yeah, that'll make less of an impact, I'm sure.

             
“Oh, we slept just fine...” Camille grins, but Addison cuts her off before she can elaborate in more detail.

             
“Okay, okay! That's enough!”

             
“What? Did I say something wrong?” Camille puts her hands on her hips and smiles at the others. “Or was I
too loud?
”

             
They all burst into laughter, Addison included, and she's gone from peachy blush to crimson in two seconds flat.

I finish filling my mug with coffee and sneak outside, quietly calling the dogs to follow me out.

              “Hey! Where are you going?” One of them calls after me through the screen door.

             
“Off to work. Have a good day, ladies!” I chuckle, and I'm glad I'm not the one left in there getting interrogated left, right and center.
Sorry, baby.

             
Tonight all the girls are going back to Maine, even Riley, though she'll be back in a few days with whatever belongings she can fly with and her son, Isaac. She told Addison she was going to wait to have him come out with her parents for our wedding, but she later changed her mind. I hope Alex is ready for all of this.

             
“Bye! I'm going to miss you all so much!” Addison hugs each of them tightly, all the ooh's and sobs between each embrace. I stand there looking out of place, not sure what I'm supposed to do during their goodbyes.

             
“See you in a few weeks! I can't believe you're getting married, Addy!” Leah starts to tear.

             
“Oh, Leah! Relax.” Riley rolls her eyes and leans in to hug Addison, sandwiching her belly in between them. “See you soon, babe!”

             
Addison leans into me, her head on my shoulder as we watch them walk into the entry for their gate. I've got to say: I'll miss the liveliness and laughter while they're gone, but it'll be nice to get back to some peace and quiet...and no audience to cheer us on.

             
She falls asleep on the drive home from the airport.

             
“Baby, we're home.” I lean in and unbuckle her seat belt and lift her into my arms to carry her inside.

             
“Mmm. I can walk.” She groggily tries to stand, giggling softly when she stumbles on the steps of the porch.

             
“Clearly!”

             
“Hey, now.” She grins, and when we get upstairs, she pulls off her jogging pants and climbs into bed. She’s out like a pretty little light.

             
Today is April twenty-fourth. Today is also Addison's 27
th
birthday. I woke up extra early this morning to make her breakfast: omelettes, French toast and sausage.

             
“Mmm, that smells so good!”               She says, standing at the bottom of the stairs, jogging pants on, and rubbing her eyes sleepily.

             
“Hey! You're supposed to stay in bed for this!”

             
She walks over to the island and sits down on a stool.

             
“Happy birthday, my love.” I walk over and turn her stool so I'm standing in between her legs.

             
“Awe, thank you! This looks so yummy.” She scans the counter top and picks a piece of red pepper out of the omelet, putting it into her mouth.

             
“Eat up; I have a big day planned for you.”

             
All the signs on the drive give my surprise away that I'm taking her to Yellowstone. I remember coming here when I was a kid. My school did a day trip here, and I remember back then how much fun it was. Not much has changed; we wander around the vast landscape, mesmerized by geysers and waterfalls.

             
Addison's mom calls her during lunch to wish her a happy birthday, and she almost starts crying at something her mother says.

             
“I know, Mom! Yes, I promise. Okay, love you too.” She beams and when the call ends, she wraps her arms around me, breathing me into her.               “I love you so much.”

             
“I love you.” I squeeze her tightly. “How's your mom and dad?”

             
“Oh, well she found out about Riley and the baby.” She smiles. “She said she wished she knew earlier. I'm surprised she didn't find out sooner, but they're both excited to become grandparents.”

             
“What's that look about?” I ask her, trying to determine what her expression means.

             
“Oh, nothing.”

“Umm, yes. Something.”

              “She just thought I would be the first to have kids.” She shrugs. “Whatever happens, happens.”

             
I'm starting to wonder if she does actually want to have children someday, but today isn't the day to talk about it. I change the subject.               “Are you ready to go?” I hold her hand and pull her toward the parking lot. “I have another surprise.”

             
This time there aren't any signs that can foil my plans, and when we pull into the driveway of a big ranch, she looks over at me and narrows her eyes.               “What are we doing here?”

             
“Well, you'll have to wait and see.” I'm not giving anything away.

             
I park the truck in front of a massive garage, right next to an even bigger house with giant pillars and windows everywhere. It’s kind of like the Cole’s home in Maine, but more...Wyoming.

             
“Blaine! You're right on time! And this must be Addison. I've heard so much about you, my dear!”

             
“Addy, this is Lynn. She was my Mom's best friend. This is her place.”

             
Addison smiles and shakes her hand.               “So nice to meet you!”

             
“You are just lovely, Addison.” Lynn hugs her and winks at me over her shoulder. “He better be good to you, or you come and tell me!”

             
“Oh, I will!” Addison grins at me. “He's pretty good though.”

             
She still has no idea why we're here; it can't be just to meet my Mother's friend.

             
“Well, let's go over and see the babies, shall we?” Lynn hooks her arm in mine and leads us behind the house, down past the fencing and into pasture through a large steel gate.

             
Addison gasps and covers her mouth with her hands.               “Blaine!”

             
“Now, they're all still very green.” Lynn takes her hand and they walk over to a mare standing with a little brown colt. “I've been working with them, enough to get them used to me. You can put halters on them all except that one.” She points over in the distance to a smaller Appaloosa foal.

             
The mare stands beside her little one, keeping an eye on the new stranger, and the colt leans his neck close to Addison's hand and sniffs it. Lifting his top lip to her flat hand, he nibbles at the air.

             
“What a darling!”

             
“He's a warmblood, and he'll be a big boy when he's done growin'. At least seventeen hands!” Lynn says and slowly touches his mane.               “I told Blaine that if you need any help at all, I'm just a phone call away.”

             
It dawns on Addison, and she turns and looks at me, mouth open and eyes wide.               “Wait...
what?!
”

             
I walk over and hold her hand.               “Which one would you like?”

             
“Are you serious? I...I don't know what to say!”

             
“Well, it's a big decision! You'll have a lot to do, but with the right training, you'll have yourself a wonderful horse.” Lynn smiles and starts walking over to a pair of twin foals with their mother.

             
“Baby, I can't believe this!” She's still bewildered. “How much is this going to cost?”

             
“What? Don't even worry about that. It's your birthday.” I kiss her hand, and we follow Lynn.

             
After spending a little time with each of them, she wanders back over to the first colt, the brown warmblood.

             
“I really like this little guy.” She bends over and slowly extends her hand to him again, this time with a bunch of green grass in it. He walks over to her and eats it right out of her hand.

             
“He seems to like you, too!” Lynn elbows me. “I'm so happy, Blaine. Your momma is, too; I know it.” She says it quietly and looks up to the heavens, closing her eyes.

             
“Thank you, Lynn. This means so much to me.” I hug her, and for a few seconds, it's like hugging my mom. At least, it’s as close as hugging my mom that I can imagine. Since Lynn loved her, then she's got to be a part of her.

             
“I think he's the one, Blaine!”

             
“Good lookin' little guy, too,” I say, smiling.

             
“Now all you have to do is think of a name for him!” Lynn rubs the face of the mare and scratches under her neck. She extends it and leans into Lynn's shoulder.

             
We make plans to pick the mare and colt up next week; the mare will just come along for safe travel from one home to another. I think Addison thanked and hugged Lynn at least fifty times before we left; she's a kid on cloud nine. Every time I look over at her on the drive back, she's grinning, looking out the window and singing softly to the music on the radio.

             
“I can't believe you bought me a horse! Thank you, baby.” She reaches over and holds my hand.

             
“Anything for you.” I kiss her fingers and hold her hand close to my heart.

             
Everyone has parked behind the house, so she's got no idea when we pull in what's waiting for her inside. Maria and Kelsey even had the lights off when we showed up so that she couldn't see inside the windows when we are walking up to the house.

             
“Surprise!”

             
Addison gasps and covers her face.

             
Alex, Jeremiah, both of my brothers, all their kids, my Dad, Ruth and two other of her friends from the hospital—and of course Maria and Kelsey—are all standing in the house when we walk in.

             
“You guys!” Addison starts to cry, fanning her eyes with her hands. She laughs and hugs Maria and Kelsey who are standing right in front. “Thank you!”

             
The sirloin steak, lobster tails, twice-baked potatoes, asparagus and cheese biscuits were all catered for her birthday. They had to find the extra leaves for the eighty year old table in my dining room; to accommodate the extra guests it's extended to twelve feet long.

             
“Blaine, you are so sweet!” Maria gushes when Addison tells her about me taking her to Lynn's.

             
I smile and cut my slab of steak.

             
“How is Lynn doing? I haven't seen her in ages.” Dad perks up in his seat. “Still livin' in that big place by herself?”

             
“Yep. She's doing really well, dad. You should go see her sometime.” I shove steak into my mouth. It all but falls apart, and it tastes better than anything I've ever made. “She'd love it.”

             
“You hear that, Nicholas?” He raises his voice to my brother who's sitting across the table. “You wanna take me out there sometime?”

             
“Of course, dad.” He smiles with a cheek full of food.

             
My dad got his license revoked about eight years ago when he had a
small episode
—that's what we call it when he's around—but the doctors said it was a T.I.A.: Transient Ischemic Attack.

I was still boggled until an older nurse at the time rolled her eyes and said, “A mini-stroke.” So he's unable to drive himself anywhere. Thankfully he already lived with my brother at the time.

              “Addison, how's the wedding planning coming along?” Dad turns to her, sitting right beside her across the table from me. “The girls don't talk about it when we're around.”

             
Maria winks at Addison, and they smile without giving anything away.

             
“It's going to be beautiful, Bennett. You'll just have to be patient!” Kelsey chimes in.

             
Casey bounces in her chair.               “Uncle Blaine, I'm still gonna be your flower girl right?”

             
“Of course you are, sweetie!” Addison peeks around my dad to see Casey's excited face. “How could we get married without a beautiful flower girl?”

             
Casey settles back down in her chair, beaming with happiness, and I'm sure full of anxiousness for her big flower girl debut.

             
“This is just...wow. Thank you all so much!” Addison gazes widely at the array of desserts placed on the table once everything else is cleared. Cheesecake, of course, and when she sees it she looks over to me and grins. There’s also carrot cake with the creamiest frosting I've ever seen, and lemon bars sprinkled with powdered sugar.

             
Kelsey stands in the doorway behind Addison and grabs my attention. She nods her head toward the kitchen, and I stand up to follow her.

             
“This one is for her. We thought you should take it in.” She holds up a small plate with a huge white cupcake on it, covered with small sugar flowers and pearls. It's almost too elegant to eat.

             
“Thank you, Kels.” I smile, and she gives me a small but warm hug.               When I get to the doorway, I light the single candle and everyone sings happy birthday to Addison. I take her hand and kiss it once I've set the small plate down on the table in front of her.

             
“Happy birthday, beautiful.”

             
She sticks out her bottom lip.               “Thank you.”

             
“Happy birthday, old lady!” Alex, who has been pretty quiet all night, missing Riley, no doubt, shouts from the end of the table. She sticks out her tongue at him.

             
“Hardly!” Kelsey hisses, and he smirks at her. I chuckle to myself. I'd love to see her try to boss that kid around like she does with everyone else.

             
After dessert, Jeremiah and I start a fire outside. We pull all the lawn chairs around the growing heat, and all the birthday guests trail out of the house and sit down with some sort of spirit in their hand.

             
“Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Ruth hugs Addison. “We've got to work early, so we're going to get going.”

             
“Awe, thank you so much for coming!” She hugs Ruth and then the two others, Leanne and Olivia. “It meant so much to me!”

             
“Blaine, you're a darling. What a beautiful night.” Ruth hugs me, too.