Ayden's Secret (23 page)

“Great.” Ayden scrubbed his hands over his face. Complicated. His relationship with Charlie was not complicated before. They met every year, and she told him a few things and then picked his brain about the last year of his life. It was easy, familiar and routine. Not complicated.

The men wandered down to the family room one at a time. Page was crawling around on the floor playing with whatever toy held her interest for the moment and then moving on to something else. Ayden watched the child from the bottom of the stairs and decided that women must be born complicated. Tom was laughing with the rest as they passed the pictures around.

“What’s so funny?” Ayden moved to stand next to the couch and grabbed the photo from Tom’s hand. “Mother.”

“What?” Lacy dabbed her tears.

“I’m naked.” Ayden handed the photo back to her to put in the pile.

“You’re wearing a cowboy hat, honey. That’s not naked.” Lacy smiled. “He hated wearing clothes.” She put the photo back in the box.

“You’re only at age three?” He shook his head. “You’ll have to finish my humiliation another time.”

“Oh, Ayden, lighten up, she’s seen your naked ass before.” Lacy laughed again.

Ayden shot Charlie a wideeyed look of confusion. All she could do was shrug.

“I think she’s had enough fun today anyways.” Lacy gathered the last photos and put them back in the box.

“Are we going riding now?” Charlie asked.

“If you still want to.” Ayden pushed his hand through his hair. He didn’t want things to be complicated and yet here they were.

He was looking at her not knowing what she really wanted to do, and now afraid she was only doing it because he wanted to. Ayden didn’t want her to follow along at all costs just to make him happy.

“Of course I do.” Charlie stood. “What should I wear?”

“Jeans, shoes you won’t mind getting muddy. I’ll give you one of my shirts…”

“Do I get to wear a hat?” Charlie was beaming.

“Sure, honey, you can wear whatever you want.” Ben nodded.

“Are you going, too?” Charlie looked at Noel. Of course, she wasn’t, she was pregnant, but no one was supposed to know that yet.

“Uh, no.” Noel hadn’t told anyone about the baby. She knew it was too soon to have another baby, but now that they were looking to move to Charlotte, she may just quit working all together.

“Oh that’s right.” Charlie smiled. Noel had put her on the spot this morning and though she liked her, she wasn’t going to let her think she was as easy to boss or manipulate as Ayden. She also didn’t want her to think she could continue to boss or manipulate Ayden, not without getting a little pay back. “I forgot about the baby.”

“Baby?” Lacy now looked to Noel. “You have something you want to tell us, young lady?”

“Tom!” Noel squealed.

“It’s not like they can’t tell.” Tom rolled on the floor with Page. “Hell, Ayden thought you were just getting fat. I thought it was better to tell the truth than let people think that.”

“Fat?” Noel looked to Ayden then to Lacy. “Momma, you too?”

“Most couples gain a few pounds in the first years. I didn’t think you were fat.” Lacy glared at Tom. “But he’s put on the husband ten. I thought you may have, too.”

“I have not gained ten pounds.” Tom felt his stomach then looked at Ayden and Ben. He had probably gained fifteen. Ben was older, but he worked the land and kept fit from it. Ayden always looked ready for an Incredible Hulk role to open up again. “Shit.”

“Shit.” Page spoke clear as day.

Laughter broke out. The child’s first clear word besides “mommom” and “dadada” was shit.

“Well, you should all know Evelyn is pregnant, too. She told me last night on the phone,” Noel said it to reveal a secret, but no one was surprised. “You already knew. No one tells me anything.”

“I’m surprised they let Tom still work after marrying you.” Ayden shook his head and reached for Charlie’s hand. The woman had balls taking on Noel like that.

“What does that mean?”

“You can’t keep a secret, honey, never have been able to, probably never will.” Lacy smiled and hugged her. She may not have given birth to Noel, but she was her child. “You are my child, Noel. God sent you to me for a reason. I love you dearly and I’m not mad that this little one is coming so soon. I need all the grandchildren I can get.”

Charlie followed Ayden up the stairs and listened to the women talking. She missed that, having her mother and her father around. She missed Michael the most. It was fun to spar with Noel and even more fun to confide in Stephanie. She was stealing Ayden’s family one by one and hoping to keep them. Hoping to keep him.

Ayden was already in a well fitted pair of jeans that were soft and worn. His Tshirt fit just as snug, and as he slipped into a pair of hiking boots, Charlie crossed her arms in agitation. “Why aren’t you wearing boots?”

“I am.” Ayden didn’t look up. She had been asking him questions about the horses, probably trying to avoid telling him anything about herself. “You brought tennis shoes, right?”

“Yeah, but you’re supposed to wear cowboy boots.” Charlie had imagined him in boots and a hat. Her Tennessee cowboy come to life.

“I don’t think I even own cowboy boots anymore, darlin’.” Ayden shrugged. Why the hell was she wrapped up about what he put on his feet?

Charlie scrutinized him some more but then he stood and walked to the wall pulling down two hats. He plopped one on her head and the other on his. He looked damn good, and she was really excited to get out to the barn and ride the horses.

“Helps with the sun and keeps ticks out of your hair.” Ayden made a clicking noise as he winked and headed for the door.

Ticks? Charlie was glad he was wearing those jeans today because otherwise, she may not have been able to follow that ass out the door, but it looked good and she did.

Ticks, she hadn’t really considered where they would be riding these horses. She looked down at herself. He had insisted she wear a long sleeve shirt that could breathe. She imagined it was because of the sun, not the woods. Her heart thumped as they approached the barn.

Chapter 20

“Lady is the easiest and the oldest. She knows what to do and where she’s going, so even if you mess up, she won’t take off on you.” Ayden was glad Charlie seemed genuinely interested in the horses now they were at the barn. Her interrogation techniques were something he wasn’t aware of until today. Innocently enough she had probed into his life and found answers. Yet, he didn’t know much more about her now than he did when he met her over ten years ago.

Charlie wished she and Ayden were the only ones taking the ride. Tom and Ben had saddled up other horses and were already mounted. Ben at least had on cowboy boots. Tom wore tennis shoes. What a disappointment, she thought. Nothing like she imagined it to be, all wildwest like. Ayden waited until she was in the saddle before leaving her to mount his own horse.

Lady, a large brown Tennessee walking horse, followed Ayden’s horse Shadow, a massive black horse, out of the barn. Tom and Ben were already waiting for them discussing the path they would take. The horses clicked down the pavement and onto the road. Charlie was impressed with herself. Lady seemed to do exactly what she asked of her with the reins.

“You all right?” Ayden rode alongside her. She looked so adorable in a hat and frumpy clothes. His Tshirt was too big on her, concealing some of her curves, but it was impossible to hide them all.

“Yes, she’s magnificent.” Charlie smiled. She felt a sense of adventure and fun.

“She’s a lady,” Ayden agreed.

They pulled off the road and onto a trail. Charlie realized then there was more to it than sitting and holding reins. Lady had wonderful balance, and Charlie had to duck branches and lean to the left, right, forward, and back as they navigated the trail. She understood now why Ayden had her wear the long sleeved shirt. He didn’t flinch as tiny branches slashed against his arms, but Charlie knew they would have hurt if she hadn’t worn the shirt. They stung a little through it.

Ayden was impressed that Charlie took to riding so easily, and though he would have chosen a wellworn path to take her on, Ben and Tom chose this one. It wasn’t too bad, and it was still an easy ride. Ben told them how he was trying to wear it down, so he could use it more often for trail rides. The ranch had belonged to Ben’s brother. When his brother passed, he left it to Ben. Ayden was glad his parents moved to the ranch. He loved it here. It kept him out of trouble as a kid and put a few bucks in his pocket.

Charlie could see the barn up ahead. It was still far away, but she knew where she was. They were in the field next to the ranch. As Tom and Ben entered it, their horses took off. That made her nervous. Ayden looked back at her and pulled his hat off tucking it under his arm. Charlie didn’t get a chance to ask him why. Lady had already picked up the pace behind Shadow.

Ayden wouldn’t let Shadow open up and run. He couldn’t leave Charlie, and Lady wouldn’t run any faster with the woman on her back now chanting “ohmygod”.

Charlie held on, and the cowboy hat flew off and into the field. She felt bad, but she was too scared to do anything but try not to squeeze the horse because Ayden told her that meant she could go faster. After a few minutes Charlie relaxed and Lady picked up the pace a bit more. She had stopped yelling and started smiling. It was fun. The wind whipped her hair lashing it across her face. It was such a sense of freedom, of power. She was riding this great animal, and it was running. As they neared the barn, Ayden took off with Shadow. Charlie wasn’t worried. Lady didn’t seem to care.

“Oh My God.” Charlie was beaming. “That was so much fun.”

“Lost your hat, darlin’?” Ayden smiled as he reached for the bridal and hooked Lady in the stall. He held a hand out for Charlie and helped her down. “Careful now.”

“Little wobbly.” Charlie stood in front of him, close to him. She had been itching to touch the jeans he wore to see if they felt as soft as they looked. With a lick of her lips, she reached behind him and patted his butt.

Ayden wasn’t expecting her to cop a feel. It threw him off. “Uh.”

Charlie whispered in his ear, “You promised to bring me down here and make me scream remember?”

Good Lord, his dad and brotherinlaw were still removing the gear from their horses, and she was trying to lure him into a haystack. “We may have to rain check on that, Charlie. I have to get this tack off these horses.”

“Tack?” Charlie kissed his neck.

“The riding gear.” Ayden leveled his eyes to hers. Little seductress, this was how she kept him sidetracked. Not today. He pinched her butt.

“Oww.” Charlie jumped then blushed as Ben and Tom looked toward them. She wanted to share a moment with Ayden not the whole barn.

“Help me get this unbuckled.” Ayden nodded toward Lady and the saddle strap.

Charlie turned and began working with the gear as he explained how to take everything off, just as he had explained how to put everything on. Ayden seemed to know a lot about horses, and he let her know the difference in the Tennessee Walkers they had ridden and the Arabians Tom and Ben had ridden. He made his preference clear, and based on his size it made sense to want a large horse with a trail reputation.

Unfortunately, Charlie could only hear part of it because she was getting lost in his haze. He smelled delicious, and his warm chest brushed against her shoulders as he helped with the gear. She was still high from the excitement of her first horseback ride. Still charged from the feeling of flying across the field. It was a great turn on, and Ayden looked every bit a cowboy on top of a horse. She didn’t notice the difference of his footwear once he was in the saddle.

“What ya’ll got planned for the rest of the day?” Ben leaned against the barn as Ayden and Charlie walked out of it. “Your momma and I will be heading out in a half hour to catch a matinee and grab something to eat. You’re welcome to come along, but

she wants to see some girly movie, and I’m only going along for the grub.”

“Charlie?” Ayden wiped his forehead and looked at her.

“I’d like to stay here.” She would like to drag Ayden’s hot and sweaty body back in the barn and make good on his threats.

“Suit yourself.” Ben winked at her and headed back up the driveway to the house.

“Ayden.” Charlie grabbed his arm. “Let’s take a walk or something.”

“All right.” He had questions and hopefully a walk would get him some answers.

Ayden followed her back toward the field. He hoped she wasn’t looking for that hat because it was long gone, and he doubted they could find it now. The walk gave him an opportunity to question her though. He could start out slow and work his way up to the big stuff.

Charlie was surprised when he started asking her questions. Aside from when they first met and he needed information to help track down her sister’s killer, he hadn’t asked more than polite conversation would require. Now he asked all sorts of odd things. Things she had asked him, like her favorite color and food. The worst part was she lived such a routine life that nothing was really her favorite anything except when it came to Ayden. He was her favorite everything.

“Are you telling me you don’t know what your favorite food is?” Ayden shook his head. Charlie was giving him a headache. He was asking very simple questions, the same ones she had asked of him, and stupid or not he answered. She was holding out on him. “You know you’re kinda pissing me off here.”