Burning Barriers (Barriers Series Book 3) Page 8

  I hang my head, instantly knowing he saw me with Lucy. I lick some of the extra mustard off my thumb and continue loading up on my burger toppings. “It might have something to do with her,” I say while scooping some extra pasta salad onto my plate. “Things with Lucy are complicated.”

  “Want to try out that ‘complicated’ story on me? From the looks of that girl, she’s worth the ‘complicated’ seven days a week,” Regan suggests as I drop my plate onto the table, ready to square off with him over his comment.

  “Care to explain what that is supposed to mean?” My irritable tone is clearly understood as his eyes widen with alarm.

  “Calm down, Jake. All I’m saying is the girl… Lucy, right? She may be complicated, but she’s gorgeous as all hell, and if she were mine, I’d do everything in my power to handle that complicated situation all day, every day. You get what I’m saying?”

  I nod and turn back to my plate before grabbing a water bottle from the ice bucket and sitting at the table.

  “So, how did you meet this Lucy chick?” Regan asks, pulling out the chair next to me and sitting down.

  “Remember the girl I told you about a few years back when you asked me why I don’t date? The girl that took my heart with her when she left town?”

  Regan drops his fork from his hand, and it rings against his plate. “You’re shitting me, right? That’s her? Dude, you’re fucked!”

  “Tell me about it. Even worse, I’m still in love with her, and I’ve somehow got to try to convince her to stay here.”

  “So, you’re still in love with her. This is intriguing information. I never took you for Mr. Romantic, but why wouldn’t she stick around here? She looked pretty smitten with you when I saw her last night.”

  “Yeah, well, ‘smitten’ doesn’t help me when I broke her heart once, and she moved out north of Boston, which is exactly where she’ll end up again if I don’t figure this shit out in my head and fast.”

  “How long is she back for?”

  “A month at most, I think.”

  With his mouth hanging open and the burger slack in his hands, Regan’s eyes say it all. Placing the burger onto his plate, he reaches out his hand to shake my hand. As I return the gesture, not knowing why he’s shaking my hand, he looks at me and says, “Well, it’s been nice knowing you, Jake. Something tells me if she’s heading East within a month, your ass is following right behind her.”

  I nearly choke on the food in my mouth. It’s an option that has never crossed my mind, but it’s also not an option I can consider, not when I’m responsible for taking care of Mom and the ranch. If Lucy doesn’t stay, there’s no way I can go with her.

  As I push back my chair forcefully, it grinds against the floor. Regan tries to get me to sit back down, but I need some fresh air. I’ve already built it up in my head that I’ll be able to convince her to stay, but what if she gets over all the shit she’s been through and then asks me to go with her?

  I push through the steel door and walk out to the parking lot. I find my truck and pull down the back hatch and hop up to sit on the tailgate. The sun begins to set over the mountains in soft hues of pinks and reds. I pull my phone out of my pocket and tap on my music app, pulling up the song that seems to be speaking to me lately. “Broken” by Seether echoes through my speakers, and I watch contently as the moon starts to rise over the barren mountains in the distance.

  How can I let her go twice in my life? I can’t.

  As I drive my truck up the dusty dirt road, Lucy sits in the passenger seat looking around and biting her nails. I reach my hand over, pulling her hand away from her lips. I have other plans for those lips and sucking on her fingernail is not one of them.

  A few horses roam in the paddocks along the long driveway. Their tails flick as their heads bob close to the ground, pulling at the grass before standing upright. As we round the final corner, the two-story old Victorian ranch house comes into view, and I see Luce start running her hands on her jean-covered thighs. I pull her left hand over, lacing my fingers with hers before kissing the back of her hand.

  “Don’t be nervous. She’s been waiting to see you since you pulled off the highway.”

  “Stop it!” Lucy shrieks. “I’m not nervous. It’s just we used to be so close, and then I took off and never called.”

  “Luce, all that matters to her is that you’re here now. She’s been trying to get me to bring you out sooner, but the ranch has been too busy for her to leave. Laurel and SJ have been working nonstop out here trying to get the summer programs running smoothly.”

  “And then there’s that.”

  “I told you, Luce. There’s nothing between Laurel and me. You just have to believe me when I say that. Lord knows she’s SJ’s problem these days.”

  “Wait. Those two are going out?”

  “Yeah, I was just as shocked when it started shortly after… Well, let’s just say I was shocked when it all started with those two,” I inform her. What I don’t tell Lucy is that just because Laurel is going out with SJ, it hasn’t stopped her from trying to make the moves on me when I work late at the ranch. Laurel is always trying to get back at me for not showing any interest in her.

  One step at a time, but if Laurel says anything to Lucy before I do, I know I’ll end up looking like the one at fault. Lucy still doesn’t trust me one hundred percent, and Laurel doesn’t give a shit about SJ and vice versa. Their parents basically keep them together because it’s good for the family image, which is one reason why SJ likes to run his mouth and is constantly bitter around people.

  As I throw the truck into park, I see my mother rushing down the front steps. Her blonde hair is pushed inside her straw cowboy hat. The sleeves of her plaid shirt are rolled up to her elbows, and her rubber stall-mucking boots squeak their way closer to us. You’d never know my mother ran a million dollar ranch and owned the luxury ski home I grew up in by the way she dresses. She’s the most down-to-earth woman around, and money or no money, she works the ranch just like the rest of us. Dad started this ranch from the ground up, and she’ll stop at nothing to keep it running in his memory.

  “Jake, she hasn’t changed at all.” Lucy laughs as she goes to open the truck door. “Still the same ol’ Andrea,” she says as she hops out of the truck.

  Surprisingly enough, once Lucy sees my mom’s giant smile, she runs into her arms and hugs her as though nothing happened between us. I cross my arms over my chest and catch Laurel peeking out from the office window. Her face shows no sign of emotion, although she knows my mother will never hug her like that. Laurel catches me staring at her and quickly turns away.

  Mom pulls away from her embrace with Lucy and laughs as she wipes away the tears falling down her cheeks. I hear her comment about how beautiful a woman Lucy has grown up to be. Lucy blushes and smiles at my mom, continuing with regular chatter as though the last seven years apart never happened.

  Chicks. Sometimes it’s easier not to try to understand them.

  I uncross my arms and push off the truck I’ve been leaning on for at least five minutes and head over to the girls.

  “I hate to break up the reunion, but if Luce and I are going to get out to her spot, we’ll need to saddle up and get started now.”

  “No worries, Jake. I already had SJ get the boys ready for you. Pumpkin Pie and Roman Numeral are waiting in the back paddock for you two,” Mom says while making her way over to the barn. Lucy and I follow closely behind, even though I’m pretty sure Lucy could still walk this ranch blindfolded.

  Once we get into the barn, Mom picks up the saddle pack and hands it to me before opening the tiny fridge and stuffing a bottle of wine and two rubber glasses into the open pouch.

  “Lucy.” My voice grabs her attention as she stands by a stall. The Appaloosa horse nibbling at her palm distracts her, and her face no longer bursts with joy. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, this used to be Jellie Bellie’s stall, but this horse isn’t Jellie Bellie.”

  Mo
m grabs the bag from my hands and makes her way down to the back paddocks to most likely hook up the bag to my saddle. I stand behind Luce, wrapping one around her waist and running my hand through the mane of the horse currently in the stall.

  “Jellie Bellie was too old, Luce. He was happy just to have you around to take him out for rides since he wasn’t able to race any longer. After you left, it was as though he knew. I can’t explain it. We had to put him down about four years ago.”

  “I know he was old. It’s just I loved that damn horse for so many reasons, ya know?”

  I kiss the side of her cheek from behind and watch as she slides her hands along the jaw of the horse. “So, who’s this strapping Appaloosa here?”

  “This is Juicy Fruit.”

  Lucy’s smile returns, and I remember what she told me the other night. I watch as she scratches his ears and whispers to him softly, “Well, Juicy Fruit, it appears you and I have more in common than I thought. We both share the same name and that makes us best buds.”

  Juicy.

  I watch her back away from the horse and face me. A sly smile adorns her face, and something about her attitude has instantly changed. She inches closer to me until her arm reaches around behind me and her breasts brush up against my T-shirt. My breath hitches, and I clear my throat as she stands on her tiptoes to grab something.

  “Excuse me,” she says with a slight giggle before she backs away with an old beat-up cowboy hat in her hand and smacks it against her jeans. The barn dust flies off the hat before she places it onto her head.

  Lucy starts walking down the long, narrow hall toward the open door. The sunlight filtering in the barn illuminates her silhouette enough for me to catch her hips swaying in her tight jeans. She stops abruptly and turns her head to look at me still standing frozen at the end of the barn with Juicy Fruit. I’m hypnotized by her sudden change.

  “You comin’ or not, Galloway? I’m not ridin’ by myself.” She eyes me, and my old lace-up steel-toed boots scuff through the soft hay on the barn floor until I’m standing inches from her. I pull down the strings on the sides of her hat so her face stares up at me. I don’t know why or even what comes over me, but my lips crash onto hers before her eyes catch up to her mouth to ask me what I’m doing. The fuck if I care if she has anything to say about this. I’m taking her back, and she’s not about to tell me otherwise.

  Her lips part, and our tongues dart in and out of each other’s mouths as I pull her into my body. My arms make themselves at home around her waist, and my hands feel her perfect ass cheeks. I eagerly back her up into the empty horse stall at the end of the barn while never breaking our lips. I slide the large wooden door shut to avoid being seen by any of the kids that might be out training with SJ. That’s the last thing a group of ten-year-olds needs to see around here. It’s bad enough when the horses get rambunctious, but two grown adults getting hot and heavy in the barn is bound to have a few parents complain to the front office.

  Lucy’s hands carefully find their way under my shirt, and suddenly any apprehension she might have had about us being together has been tossed aside, at least for the moment or until that head of hers starts thinking again. Although, I’d have to say I’ve done a pretty good job at proving to her that she’s the girl for me. It had been years since I had seen the look she gave me after I told her I tattooed her name on my back. It was the same look she gave me the first night I told her I loved her. I’ll never forget that look.

  A moan escapes from the back of my throat when Lucy’s rounded nails begin scraping their way down my back. I frantically grab her wrists and raise her arms above her head. The cowboy hat she just put on falls to the floor in the process. Her fingers wrap around the metal bars that start halfway up the door, and she pulls herself up. She lifts her legs and wraps them around my waist. With my own hands still securely wrapped around her wrists, desire wins out as I pin her against the gate within seconds. My weight keeps her easily in place between the gate and me.

  With one hand, I hold her steady as the other begins to trail up her chest and over her breast. I gently nip at her lower lip and begin moving my lips down her neck until I feel the small raised skin from her scar. The heat of the moment is suddenly chilled, and I take my time placing soft, delicate kisses along the thin line. With each tender kiss, I sense something within Lucy changing. It’s almost as though she’s healing a little more. I know she would have stopped this between us had this been a week ago. They say time heals all wounds, and right now, time with just Lucy and me is absolutely proving that statement true.

  “Jake…” Lucy whispers. Her soft lips against my ear send sparks directly to my hardened cock that I know isn’t where I need it to be. She doesn’t deserve a barn stall quickie, though. She deserves the campfire and tent set up in the mountains under nighttime skies with shooting stars flying above our heads as we lie amongst a generous amount of comforters and let our bodies do all the talking. It’s how we made love the first time and how we knew that our bond was special and binding for life. That moment defined our future, or at least, it defined mine. No other girl could ever take me on that journey. It’s only been Lucy, and it only ever will be.

  “Jake, we need to stop. It’s going to get too late to ride if we keep this up.” Her words sink in, and I lower her slowly until she’s standing in front of me fixing her hair. I bend over gently to retrieve her hat off the ground and shove in onto her head with some force. “You never did like it when I was always right.” She chuckles as she adjusts the hat.

  “Well, yeah, but I also never liked being left with a raging hard-on before jumping on a horse to go for a ride either,” I explain as I push my hand into my pants, trying to adjust the semi I’m sporting before walking out of the barn. “Don’t worry, Juicy, you’ll pay the minute we’re alone at the spot.”

  “Now, Jake,” Lucy playfully says as she slides open the gate again. “It’s not nice to get someone’s hopes up if you aren’t going to hold up your end of the bargain.”

  When she turns around, a giant grin is plastered across her face, and I feel as though all the years apart have just withered away. Our sexual banter is back, and it’s flowing naturally between us. There is no awkward readjustment. It’s just fuckin’ us.

  I sprint all the way out to the back horse pen where Andrea stands with two beautiful horses. I can instantly tell which one is Jake’s, the giant draft horse that clearly says alpha male and ought to have “wide load” branded to his ass. Roman Numeral certainly fits Jake’s personality to a T.

  I hear Jake’s loud feet jogging up behind me and turn my head over my shoulder. It must have taken a few extra minutes to handle the hardened wood in his pants. I felt bad having to leave him like that, but I knew if I didn’t stop, I might do something I wasn’t sure I was ready to do just yet. I love sex, and I’ve had Jake’s image in my head all these years with the number of guys I’ve slept with. After Stone’s attack, I knew trusting men would be hard, but that was before all this happened. Before I came home. Before Jake came back into my life. He wasn’t subtle about it either. It was like an avalanche coming down the mountain.

  He’s still in love with me, and as I stare back at his stupid grin and running form coming at me, I know it’s there plain as day. I’ve never stopped loving him either.

  Jake makes me smile. He’s helped me in just the short time I’ve been home to let go of some of the demons that have plagued my head for the last couple of months. It’s strange how the one person I wanted to avoid at all costs before coming home is the one person who has been able to help me.

  Sometimes life throws you a major curveball in order for you to figure out shit. I know jack-shit about baseball, but I’d say this has been more like a knuckleball since I came home. That thing dancing all over the place before I finally connect and hit it out of the park. That’s what this chick needs to do. I cannot leave here the same way I came back. Juicy Lucy needs to resurface, and right now, I can see the final stretch to
getting back there, and he’s standing in front of me.

  “What took you so long? I was about to mount that horse without you.” I laugh as I turn to head over to where Andrea is standing with another girl whose back is facing me. I barely take two steps before strong arms are wrapped around my waist, and I’m being hoisted over his shoulder. “Jake! Oh my God! Put me down!” I shriek.

  One hand holds on for dear life to his belt buckle, and my other hand keeps my hat attached to my head. Jake’s heavy feet make long strides over the dirt and rocks, yet he effortlessly keeps me over his shoulder. His build is much more solid than I remember from high school. It’s obvious in the size of his shoulders and biceps alone that firefighter training has done wonders to his physique. When he suddenly stops, I slap his ass hard and can’t help but laugh at the same time.

  Jake grabs me by the waist, lifting me over his shoulder again and slowly sliding me down his chest and onto the ground. His masculine scent and heavy breathing leave me panting heavily and lost for words. My chin lifts to see him staring down at me with a brash grin as his face inches closer to mine. Before I have a chance to question him, his lips connect with mine again. This time it’s different than before. The collective gasps behind me quickly tell me we have an audience. My face blushes once our lips part, and I’m all of a sudden afraid to turn around.

  Jake manages to force me to face the music by pulling my hand and tugging me to the wooden fence where the horses are tied. I see Andrea adjusting the reins on whom I assume is Pumpkin Pie. He’s chestnut brown from head to hoof except for his silky golden yellow mane. Jake makes his way over to Roman Numeral and secures the saddle while I run my fingers up the side of Pumpkin Pie. As his head drops to the side, I see someone staring back at me.