Chapter 10

It was about 11:30 when Sloan’s cell phone rang.

“Hey Sloan, just checking to see if you guys are going to be here in time for lunch?” Spencer asked.

“If you can hold lunch for about 30 minutes, we will be.”

“Sure, we will wait. You know we have milk pick up today about noon and won’t eat until after that anyway.”

“Good we should be there just after noon.”

“Annie is so excited to be getting company that she has been cleaning and cooking and I had no idea she was such a domestic Goddess. Anyway, it will be good to see you and I can’t wait to meet Sara. So, we will see you both soon.”

When they had hung up. He smiled at her.

“He didn’t know he was on speaker, did he?” She asked.

“Probably not, why?”

“I don’t know, no reason.”

“Honey, they are going to love you, relax.”

“Are you sure Sloan, this will be a lot for anyone to accept.”

“They have been through worse. And if I’m wrong, which I never am, and Spencer isn’t wild about you in ten seconds, that’s ok because I have six other brothers who will be.”

She had to laugh.

Just a short time later he turned on to a country road and started to smile.

“You like it here?” She asked.

“Yes, I do. I don’t know why but I really do.”

He turned up the lane and could see the milk tanker filling up, so he parked by the house.

“Let’s go in and see Annie first and then maybe we’ll go out to the barn and see who is working today.” He offered, and she could tell that he was having a moment of doubt. Should they have gone home and just locked themselves up until her bruising was gone. No, Annie and Spencer could help them get through all this.

“We are here Sloan, and yes, they are all going to see me like this, but as long as we are together, it’s ok.” She said running her hand down his arm.

He pulled her close.

“You are so brave and strong I know you can handle anything.” He told her and then kissed her and kissed her again.

He was giving her something that she needed, and she was gladly taking it. They were deep in the kiss when someone tapped on the driver’s side window. It was Annie and she was all smiles.

Sloan got out and pulled Sara out with him.

He hugged Annie and introduced Sara to her. To Sara’s surprise Annie hugged her too.

“I hope that’s ok,” Annie said, realizing that Sara was surprised by the hug, “We are all huggers around here, just born that way.” She laughed. “So how was the drive?”

“It was beautiful.” Sara answered her.

“Yes, it was.” Sloan confirmed but he was looking at Sara when he said it.

The tanker was pulling down the lane and Walt was heading for the house.

“Sloan,” he shouted, “It is so good to see you. And you brought along a pretty little lady this time.” He said shaking hands with Sloan and then folding Sara in his arms for a gentle hug. “You must be Sara.” He said stepping back with a smile.

“Sara, this is Walt, Annie’s grandfather.”

“Mother, father, grandfather, I answer to them all.” He said putting his arm around Annie. “So, baby girl, is lunch ready, we are starving?”

“Yes Papa, and I made all your favorites, but where is that husband of mine, has he no manners?”

“I think he is hoping you will come out to the barn and find him. He worked with me all morning and I think he was hoping for a private moment.” Walt added.

“Stop telling her all my tricks Walt, or I will never get her alone in the barn again.” Spencer shouted coming across the drive.

He hugged Sloan, which was not that strange, but Sloan knew it was for support.

“Baby, this big goof is my brother, Spencer and Spencer this is Sara.”

Spencer smiled and very gently hugged her.

“Sloan always did have an eye for beautiful women.” Spencer said taking a step back but still holding on to her and taking in this woman who had captured his brother’s heart.

If someone else had looked at her like that, she might have cried, but he wasn’t looking at the damaged part of her, he was just looking at her.

“Hey, let’s go eat and we can get you all settled in later.” Spencer said stepping between Sloan and Sara and putting an arm around both.

Annie slipped her arm through Walt’s and they headed around to the side door.

“I hope it’s ok with everyone, but I planned lunch out here on the patio.” Annie said. She had set a beautiful table and was heading in to the kitchen for food.

Sloan if you two want to wash up, use the guest bath, the mud room is not fit for humans, but Spencer and Papa can use it.” She joked.

“She’s only saying that because I got it all muddy this morning.” Spencer admitted. “But she still loves me.” He added going to her for a kiss.

“Of course I do.” She responded melting into him.

They had a chemistry that even Sara could see.

Lunch was incredible and actually fun. But when it was over Walt said he had computer work to do, so he went back to the barn and Spencer suggested getting Sloan and Sara’s things in from the car, so Sara offered to help clean up from lunch. She and Annie cleaned things up and then Annie offered to show her around the place.

“We can just walk around or if you like to ride, we could take a couple of horses out.” Annie offered.

“I would love to ride but maybe we could just save that till later. But I would love a walk.” Sara answered.

So, Annie started with the barn, and of course that is where they found the guys.

“Hey guys,” she called, “I am just showing Sara around some in case you come looking for us.” Annie offered.

Sloan went over to Sara and pulled her close.

“Are you ok for a walk?” He whispered while nuzzling her neck.

She smiled, and he had to kiss her. It was not a wild kiss, but it certainly was something.

“Get a room.” Spencer told them.

“Ignore him, he just thinks that’s funny because I told them the same thing 500 times a day. You couldn’t walk through the house or barn without finding them kissing. You can’t imagine.” Sloan told her and then kissed her again.

“We won’t be gone long, and we aren’t going far.” Annie said waiting for Sloan to release Sara.

But Sara brushed hair off of Sloan’s forehead, so he kissed her again. He did not want to let go of her and she was in no hurry to leave him but then she stepped back.

“So, we are headed for the garden.” Annie said and leaned in to give Spencer a quick peck, but when she stepped back Sara was in Sloan’s arms again and didn’t look like they were coming up for air anytime soon.

“Ok, guys, break it up.” Dave said coming into the barn. “Dear God, now there two of you doing that, aren’t you guys too old for all that stuff.”

Spencer laughed.

“Dave, this is Sloan’s girlfriend Sara.” And he said the word girlfriend weird because he didn’t know what exactly they were calling each other but she smiled so he guessed that was ok. “Sara, this is Dave, he helps out with milking and things around here and in case you can’t tell he’s a smart mouthed senior in high school.”

“Hi Dave, nice to meet you.” Sara said offering her hand to shake.

He saw the bruising but never said a word.

Good move kid, Spencer thought.

The women left the barn and started for the garden. There was a little trail and then there it was, this monster garden. It looked like it should have been on a magazine cover it was so pretty.

“I have to admit that I’m not much of a country girl but wow, I am impressed.” Sara offered.

Annie took a plastic basket off the fence and started walking through. She stopped and picked some lettuce.

“So, what do you like to eat, and will pick some fresh.” Annie offered.

“Oh, I eat everything, and I love to cook, you must be crazy with all of this fresh every day? You know fresh really makes a difference.” Sara was saying.

Annie smiled at her. “You are so right.”

They talked a little about food and Sara offered to fix something one night for dinner and Annie was pleased.

“So, you and Sloan.” Annie finally said because she couldn’t stop herself.

“I hope so.” Sara answered.

“I would say absolutely! I have never seen him like this before.” Annie told her.

Sara smiled.

“We’ll see.”

“Wait, not that this is any of my business, but you mean you two haven’t?”

A sad look crossed Sara’s face and then she laughed.

“At first I wouldn’t because he is my boss and we fought it and fought it and really came close more than once but now he won’t because...” and she held up her wrists. “He thinks I need to deal with this first.”

“Do you?”

“I don’t know, one minute I think maybe if we were intimate that it might help me and then I worry that it would be out of pity. I mean look at me, I am not the sexiest of seductresses at the moment. And would he even be able to look at me that way now?”

“I saw that kiss in the barn, so I can say yes, he does look at you that way. Did he before all this happened?”

Sara had to smile as she remembered the night, he told her to stop or he would make her his. And the heat ran through her from just the thought.

“Never mind, you don’t need to answer that question, I just watched you react. You two have been fighting this for a while now?”

“Yes, I know I have.” Sara admitted.

“I’m not saying that I am an expert on the Way men but having spent some stressful time with both Spencer and Sloan, I feel I know more about them than they do. Did Sloan ever tell you about what went on here and why we needed him?” Annie asked her.

“Not really.”

“Well if you’d like I will tell you some of it. It’s really a long-twisted story but because of Spencer and Sloan, I am here to tell it.”

Sara felt the same way about Sloan and Warren.

So, Annie told her the highlights and the lowest parts of the story. The attraction to Spencer and that he couldn’t keep his hands off her but wouldn’t sleep with her because of the situation.

Sara smiled. That part she understood well.

“I went through a lot of self-doubt, did Spencer not want me because I had been married before, or was it because of who I had been married to before. Did he think that I was stupid because I had gotten myself into that mess, was he just taking this case to help out the detective that had called asking him to help me? And yes, every day we fought the attraction but like Sloan said in the barn, we didn’t fight it hard because we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves. Yes, we both went through hell, most of mine was physical and most of Spencer’s was emotional but still we both suffered. And did things turn out good for us? Ron is dead and so is my threat and Spencer couldn’t stay away and is now my husband so yes, it all worked out great for us. Would I like to have gotten here without going through all that, absolutely, but we made it and I know you two will too. I can see it when you are together, you almost give off sparks. When you want to talk, come get me. In the meantime, I may have to go back to the house and do some room changes.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“I have you and Sloan sharing a room.”

“Oh, darn, that’s just too bad then isn’t it.” Sara said not sounding too disappointed.

“So, you think it will be ok this way?” Annie asked.

“I think I can suffer through it, and if Sloan can’t than he will just have to ask to change rooms.”

Annie laughed.

“See I knew you would be fine. Just don’t hurt him when he gives in.”

And they both laughed all the way back to the house.

The girls had bonded, and it was obvious when the guys came in from the barn. They were talking about Sara’s haircut and when she walked in to that fancy salon right off the street.

“They may have been uppity but the hairdresser I had, knew his stuff. I love this cut.”

“Me too, maybe I should go for a change, different style or color.” Annie was saying when Spencer walked in.

He quickly moved to her and lifted the hair from the back of her neck and kissed her repeatedly.

“Please don’t, I love your hair.” He told her not ready to stop kissing her neck.

“If I cut it, you won’t have to hold my hair up when you kiss my neck.” She told him.

“That is why I kiss your neck.”

She smiled.

“Ok then, no haircut.” And she kissed him.

“See what I mean.” Sloan said coming in the room. “They are like this all the time.”

“We are newlyweds, we are supposed to be this way all the time. At least until we have a couple kids running around underfoot.” Spencer told them.

“And I can’t wait to see that.” Sloan said. And the room went quiet.