Sky Cowboy (9 page)

“Ava, could you check those veggies roasting in the oven?”  My flustered mother calls out to me.

“Yes, mum,” I answer.

Mother dearest is in a flap because Jeremy is coming for dinner tonight.  I know, I know, I’ve already explained to her that it’s no different to the hundred other times he’s come for dinner
, but according to her, it
is
different because now we’re
together
and she wants to make a good impression.  I don’t argue.  Trust me, it’s not worth it.  I just shake my head and do what she asks.

Jeremy has been out on a muster all this week.  Mobile service has been patchy but he’s managed to text me or call for a quick chat a couple of times since he left.  They’re moving two thousand head of cattle to the yards so they can sell them off, so it’s been all hands on deck.  Jeremy and some of the boys fly the helicopters plus there’s men in Utes and on horseback helping on the ground.  Jeremy took Oscar with him, but I think Oscar spends most of his time in the Ute with Jackson.  Jeremy explained that, while Oscar likes going up in the air, his sensitivity to noise prevents him from being able to stay up there for long.  Even with the ear muffs that he has to wear, Oscar still gets antsy when they fly
so, it’s better for him to go in the vehicle with Jackson.

“Hi, mummy,” I hear called through the house.

Ugh
.  God my sister is sickly fake.

“Hi, Kennedy sweetheart.  How are you?”
  My mother replies, ever the fake-enabler that she is.

“Oh, mummy, I’m sick of working.  My boss’s wife is a dragon.  She’s always picking on me.” Kennedy whines.

The reason she’s a dragon is because you’re fucking her HUSBAND
, I want to shout.  But, I don’t.

“Oh, darling, some people just don’t understand you.”
Our mother continues to console and fawn over her golden child, while I (aka Cinderella) finish checking the vegetables.

“Ladies,” I hear a deep, sexy voice greet.

I stand from my bum-in-the-air, head-in-the-oven position to see Jeremy come striding in with my father.  My breath catches at the sight of him.  A sight I haven’t seen for a week.  A sight I have missed like crazy for a week.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kennedy sniffle
away her crocodile tears and plaster on her best
you know you want me
smile.

Jeremy ignores her and comes immediately to my side and pulls me into his arms.  I smile brightly
(not just because he totally ignored Kennedy, and not just because the look on her face is fucking
golden!)
  and look up to him.

“Hey,” I whisper
.

“Hey,” he
rumbles back.  Then he leans down and places a soft, wet kiss fair on my lips.  I’m pretty sure that kiss would have been one of his signature kisses if we didn’t have an audience.

“What’s going on?” Kennedy’s shrill, shocked voice cuts through our tender reunion.

“Family dinner, Kennedy,” Dad replies sternly; his voice full of warning.  I have to admit, I’m a little bit shocked.  Dad has never spoken to Kennedy in that tone – well, not that I’ve heard anyways.

“Mum,” Kennedy whines, her voice still shrill.

“Ava and Jeremy are together.  We’re having a family dinner,” mum placates.

Jeremy turns then to greet my mother and thank her for inviting him.  He follows that with a short
hello
to Kennedy, then he takes my hand and leads me into the living room.

“Where’s Oscar?” I ask once we’re alone.

Jeremy’s hand comes out to stroke my cheek, tenderly.

“He wasn’t really feeling up to socializing – he’s had a stimulating week, so I organized Celeste to mind him for a couple of hours.”  He explains, watching his hand trail my cheek bone.

“’Kay.” My voice is breathy.

“Remember the night at Brunette Rodeo last year when you slept in my swag with me?” Jeremy asks softly.

I did remember that night, but up until that moment, I’d forgotten.  No, actually, it wasn’t so much forgotten, as it was I’d buried it.  I’d buried it because it happened at a time in my life when I believed that Jeremy had slept with my sister, so I hadn’t wanted to think about.

Without explaining all that to him, I murmur, “Yes.”

“It was the best night’s sleep I’d had in years.  Up until last weekend when you were beside me again.  I want you beside me again tonight, honey.” 

“
Okey dokey,” I whisper.

“
Okey dokey,” he repeats on a grin.  “Now, it’s time for my proper greeting.”

Before I can respond, his lips are on mine.  Slow, sweet and tender.  It’s a full on Jeremy Henley Signature Kiss.  And it’s fucking amazing.

It doesn’t last nearly as long as I’d like but it’s amazing all the same.  I pull back feeling like he’s filled me up.  With what, I don’t know.  But that’s how I feel.  Full.  Full of something I don’t ever want to be empty of again.

“Dinner’s ready,” Kennedy announces.  I spin around to look at her.  She’s snarling back at me, and really, it’s not a good look.

“Come on, honey.”  Jeremy smacks my ass and leads us past my sister.  On the way past, Kennedy grabs my arm; halting me.

What the fuck does she want?

“I’ll be out in a minute,” I tell Jeremy. He looks at me with concern marring his gorgeous blue depths.  “It’s fine, baby.  Go ahead.”

He looks at Kennedy and then back to me.  Then he nods his
head at me and reluctantly lets go of my hand before walking away. 

“What?” I ask shortly.

“I guess you don’t mind having my sloppy seconds,” Kennedy states.

So that’s what this is about
.  Kennedy still doesn’t know that I know that she never slept with Jeremy.

I raise my eyebrows at her.  Then, I lower them and narrow my eyes in her direction.  “Kennedy,” I say, shaking my head.

Her eyes widen slightly and for a split second, I can tell she knows I know, before she schools her features and curls her top lip.

“I bet he
’d be a shit root, anyways.” She tries to smirk, but she fails.

“Do
not
insult my man.  Ever.  You are a jealous little bitch, Kennedy.  You always have been.  You’ve got something wrong with you – deep in your fucking soul.  You’re not normal. 
Normal
women do not sleep with their elderly boss. 
Normal
women do
not
sleep with their best friend’s high school sweetheart husband. 
You
,” I say jabbing her chest hard with my index finger,
“
are not normal.  You’re a pathetic excuse for a woman and if it were up to me, you’d be out of the sisterhood.  If it were up to me, you’d have had your membership revoked the minute you exited mum’s womb.”

“You don’t know shit,
Ava
.  You’ve always been the perfect one.  Little miss Goody Two Shoes.  Always helping daddy around the farm, always helping mummy at the coffee shop.”  Her voice is high pitched and mocking.

“Kennedy, don’t be ridiculous
.  What the hell is wrong with you?  You’ve been a nasty brat to me since the day I was born. This has got nothing to do with me helping mum and dad work – which, by the way, you should consider doing once in a while, you know.”

“
That’s got everything to do with,” she snaps.

“No, it doesn’t.  This shit has gone on our entire lives and you fucking know it so why don’t you just spit it out.  What’s your problem with me?”

“
You came along and ruined my perfect fucking life!”
My head flies back at her outburst.  She literally just screamed at me.  Screamed as in, at the top of her lungs.  Then she lunges for me and before I can move out of the way and her fake nails slice across my face.

“
Bitch!”
I yell, grabbing a handful of her hair and praying to god that her extensions hold so I can keep my grip and stop her from lashing out at me again.

Her flailing hands scratch across my neck and I hold her by her hair, forcing her head down.  I hear our mother gasp behind us before telling our f
ather urgently to “Do something!”

“This has been a long time coming,” my father remarks nonchalantly.

Jeremy mutters, “Jesus Christ.”

Kennedy continues to scream and shout incoherently.  Something about me crashing her perfect life.  She had everything she wanted and then I came along and her life has been absolute shit since.
Blah-blah-blah.
  She’s really,
really
starting to piss me off now.  Her voice is driving me insane.  It’s so whiney and goddamn annoying. 
God!

Before I even know what I’ve don
e, Kennedy hits the ground at my feet.  Out cold.  And all I can think is
silence.  Finally, silence.

“
Ava
, what have you
done
?” Mum shrieks as she rushes forward to Kennedy.  I step away, shocked that I hit her.  I can’t believe it.  I’ve never hit anyone in my life.

I start to shake.  Actually, I start to
tremble
.  Then I’m wrapped tight in Jeremy’s safe arms as he rocks me back and forth, whispering my ear and occasionally kissing my hair.  The trembling finally stops and Jeremy walks me over to the lounge.  Sitting down, he pulls me on top of him and I curl up in his arms like a baby.

“It’s alright, honey.  She’ll be fine. You
mighta knocked some sense into her,” he consoles and tries to make light of the situation.

It works and a smile tugs at my lips.

“Thanks again for dinner, Elizabeth.  It was delicious, as usual.”  Jeremy kisses my mum’s cheek and then takes my father’s hand.  “Michael, thanks for having me over.”

“Anytime, mate, you know that – except next
time, bring the little fella.  We like having him around,” my dad replies.

“Will do.
  Ready?” Jeremy asks, holding out his hand to me.

“Yep. See you tomorrow,” I wave to my parents.

Kennedy is resting up in bed, and I don’t really want to go and see her, so I don’t.  She wasn’t out long – maybe a minute or so.  Not long at all.  After she woke up, mum took her upstairs and fussed over her, making sure she was comfortable and staying awake. After I used the bathroom to clean up (I had dried blood over my face from where some of her scratches had broken the skin) Dad, Jeremy and I started dinner and then mum joined us.  Conversation was strained and the tension rolling off my mother was thick so I decided to apologize – not for punching for Kennedy, but for ruining dinner.  So I did, and mum relaxed a bit.  Dad whispered something in her ear and she shot him a filthy look, but after that, things returned to somewhat normal. 

We make our way back to Jeremy’s in silence, save for George Strait playing over the speakers.

As we walk in the door, Celeste jumps up to meet us.  “Hey, Celeste,” Jeremy and I say in unison.

She giggles and replies, “Hi.”

“How’d Oscar do tonight?  Did he behave himself?”  This comes from Jeremy.

“Perfect as always.  He must’ve been tired though, I only had to read two
Thomas
books before he fell asleep.”

“He’s had a big week,” Jeremy agrees.

Jeremy hands her some cash and then she makes to leave. 

“Oh, Celeste,
will you be able to work Tuesday after school?” I call out.

“Sure can
.”

“That’s great,” I smile.  “See you then.”

She leaves quietly through the front door and I walk over, place my overnight bag on the floor and collapse on the lounge.

I hear Jeremy’s feet pad over the floorboards until I know he’s standing right behind me.  “You want a drink or anything?”  His voice rumbles in my ear and causes a shiver to run through my body.

“I’m fine,” I say in a cracked voice.