Page 69 of Heart Set on You

“Miles Bennett, don’t you dare start that now. The walls are thin in this old house. Everyone will hear us,” she squeals, turning to face me. I can’t resist her, backing her up towards the bed then turning us around. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pull her in between my spread legs, and she giggles as I kiss her, her hand against my chest.

“I’m excited to be here with you,” she says. “Thank for your bringing me home.”

My heart expands in my chest as she smiles like I’ve given her the world.

You are my world.

I can’t believe that you’re mine.

She smiles then kisses my forehead. “Come on city boy, let me show you around the farm.”

I follow her through the tiny kitchen and out to the back porch. Our walk takes us past a stone fire pit and down a path to a pen where a giant sheep appears to be taking a nap. We carry on, eventually meeting Rylee’s grandpa at the far side of the farm.

“Well, there you two kids are,” he says when he sees us. “Are you out here to help me feed the goats?”

“I don’t know, Gramps, what do you think? You think this city boy can handle it?”

“I think we’re about to find out,” he says, handing me a bucket full of what is apparently goat food. “Come on, now.” Rylee stays put as I follow him, but she gives me a playful smack on the ass on my way by. “We really need to take this boy to Walmart and get him some clothes he won’t be afraid to get dirty in.”

I look down at my tennis shoes, already dirty after our walk across the farm. Maybe a trip to Walmart isn’t such a bad idea. Her grandpa leads me over to an old tire and instructs me to set the bucket in the middle of it, explaining that the grain feed needs to be placed off the ground. Then he walks me over to a wheelbarrow filled with hay.

“Take these,” he says, handing me a pair of black work gloves. “You need to fill those mangers over there with hay.” He points to three wooden troughs around the perimeter of the pen. “Can you do that for me?”

“I can, sir.”

Looking at me under his unruly, silver eyebrows, he says, “Everyone here in Deer Lake calls me Gramps,” he says, “You can do the same.”

“Okay, Gramps it is.”

I slide on the gloves, reach down, and grab a handful of hay. I begin to fill the troughs while Gramps exits the pen carrying buckets for water.

“You need a name,” I say, holding out a handful of feed while the goat eats from my hand. “You look like a Darla. Don’t cha, girl?” I notice Rylee inspecting my work out of the corner of my eye.

“How am I doing?” I ask her.

“It might be easier with your shirt off.” Her eyes rake over me. My country girl is sitting on the fence, her dark hair gleaming in the late-day sun. The sunlight worshiping her. She’s killing me in cowboy boots and a pair of jean shorts, swinging her legs back and forth.

“You would like that,” I call back.

“That’s right, I would.”

I walk in her direction, dusting my hands off on the back of my jeans. When I reach her, I part her golden legs and stand in between them, gripping both sides of her hips in my hands. She squeals as I cage her in, my mouth on her neck. “You know that I’m losing it looking at you dressed like that,” I whisper.

“Is that so?”

“Painfully.” At this rate I am going to be in need of medical attention if I don’t get my hands on her. Her in those boots. Being this close to her. It’s all too much. “Just how thin are those bedroom walls of yours?”

“The house is over 60 years old. What do you think?”

“I think I might die.”

* * *

“And you must be Belle,” I say to the adorable little pigtailed girl. The splatter of freckles across her nose reminds me of her aunt’s. I’m crouched down to her level in the family room that’s packed with the rest of Rylee’s family.

“Yes, I am. And you must be the actor who my daddy says Aunt Rylee is all woozy over.”

I laugh, looking up to see Rylee smiling at us. The happiness in her eyes is priceless. “That is definitely me. It’s nice to meet you. Will you introduce me to your brother and sister?”

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