Extra-long Weekend Pt. 2

Helen had packed us a cooler full of beer and snacks to take to the beach, so we spent all afternoon laying by the lake. We had chicken fights in the water (because we are so grown up), and I took every opportunity to check out Mike behind my big sunglasses. He seemed to appreciate my navy blue bikini and jean shorts and sidled up beside me to lay on his back and soak up some sun. He had abs….actual defined abs. I was almost jealous. While I was relatively toned, defined abs had so far eluded me.

I rolled over on my stomach. "Tell me about the farm?"

He grinned and took off his sunglasses. "Well, we are mostly into crops now, corn and wheat, although we still do some hay for personal use. We only have about eighty cattle left because dad wanted to focus more on the crop end of it. Dad's got about fifteen horses at the moment and I've got 6 over at my house. Bought a beautiful buckskin gelding last weekend. Buckskin is…."

I smiled. "I know what a buckskin is, my parents have horses at home."

His face lit up. God, he was gorgeous! "So this weekend when I'm trying to convince Katie to go riding with us you'll be on my side?"

"For sure!"

He laughed, got up with lightening speed and pulled me up by my hands.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Instead of answering he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder fireman-style. I laughed and fake wiggled to try to get out of his hold. He ran towards the lake and splashed into the water and tossed me like a rag-doll into the water beside Chris who was floating on a tube, tipping him over for in the process. And this was the start of another epic water battle.

Dinner was a casual barbecue. Katie and I had helped Helen make salads, while the men were busy figuring out the right technique for barbecuing the steaks. Helen also made a gigantic pitcher of strawberry margaritas which added to my slight buzz from all the beer by the lake. As I sat wedged between Katie and Chris, plans for the 4th of July barbecue/picnic were discussed. This was an annual event held at the farm, which Katie and Chris both proudly announced they had never missed. Every neighbour around either showed up on horseback, quads, or by car/truck. Chris, Mike, and George were in charge of the fireworks, and Helen announced that they were the best in Washington. I couldn't wait.

The next day I got up early to help Helen with breakfast and found George already sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. It seemed so much like my dad, and I had to fight the tears I could feel coming.

"Hey, pumpkin. What are you doing up so early? This is your holiday, you're supposed to sleep in." He pulled out the chair beside him and I sat down.

"I would much rather help with something than sleep around all morning. I thought I could help Helen with breakfast."

“Getting the eggs from the chickens. If you’re up for helping out though we will for sure put you to work.”

I laughed. “I’m up for it.”

We spend a few minutes chatting about my parents’ farm before Helen came in with Mike in tow. He looked insanely adorable carrying a wicker basket full of eggs, and those dimples when he smiled just made my heart beat double. Sigh!!

Well, they definitely took me up on my offer to help. We spend the entire day setting up picnic tables, baking pies, cleaning up around the farm, and running errands. The men disappeared for a couple of hours to do something in regards to fireworks, while Katie, Helen, and I prepped salads. I was thinking about twenty people were going to show up, but when I mentioned this, Helen laughed and multiplied that number by five.

We were pretty much prepped by dinner time, and I was tired but so excited to see what tomorrow had in store. After dinner we all sat and relaxed on the porch outside. Mike brought out some beer for us as we were watching the sun set. Katie and I shared the porch swing, and she gently rocked us back and forth with her feet. I couldn't remember the last time I had felt so content. We all went to bed relatively early that night because tomorrow was a big day. I’m not going to lie, I was kind of disappointed that Mike hadn't made any sort of move on me. I wasn't really sure how to make a move on him because since high school I've only dated one guy.

I was just about asleep when I got a text from Chris.

You should totally go for Mike. He brought you up every chance he could today.

Interesting.

-              -              -              -

The next morning everyone was bustling around by eight o’clock. We spend the morning wiping down the picnic tables, filling tubs with ice, prepping more food (we could have seriously fed a small country), and stealing glances at Mike….okay, that last one was just me.

In the early afternoon, Katie and I went inside to shower and get ready. I loosely curled my hair and picked out the white summer dress with tiny blue and red flowers I had packed specifically for today (it was somewhat patriotic). With the tan I had going on I kept my make-up minimal, and just threw on some mascara, blush, and lip gloss. Katie was still getting ready when I went downstairs and saw the first few people arrive.

“Oh, you look stunning, my dear.” Helen had also gotten ready at some point but done it so quickly that I had no idea when it happened. “Chris, can you go get Mike? He was supposed to be here a while ago to help greet everyone but I’m sure he’s hiding out in his barn.”

“Ah, I actually need to go shower really quick. But Skye will go!” He volunteered and winked at me. Sneaky!

“That would be great, love. Here,” she handed me a set of keys. “Just take George’s truck down there. Try the house first, but I’m sure he’ll be in the barn.”

I had no other choice but to go, so I took the keys and drove the short distance to Mike’s house. I’d seen it from a distance, and it looked even better from up close. Like his parents’ house it sported a wrap-around porch, but what I really like about it was that the entire house was made out of logs with a green metal roof to complete it. And the barn was matching.

I jumped out of the truck (literally, this thing was huge), and went to knock on the front door. No answer. I slid my sunglasses back on and headed towards the barn that practically glowed in the later afternoon sun.

“Mike?”

Still no answer, so I peaked inside the large barn doors. He was just untying his horse from one of the stalls. He must have sensed that I was behind him (just kidding, pretty sure that doesn’t actually happen, but his horse did perk up its ears) and he turned around. He was clad in tight jeans that did all sorts of things for his butt, and white t-shirt that showed off his muscles.

“Did my mom send you to get me out of hiding?” He asked and led his horse towards me.

“Little bit.” I held out my hand for the horse to sniff. “Hey, big guy.”

“This is Cash. He’s the one I just bought. Such a beauty.” He ran his hand down my arm to my hand. “You look amazing.”

I blushed, and hoped my tan was hiding it. “Thanks, you don’t look so bad yourself.”

“Do you mind hanging out here for a couple of minutes and then I’ll catch a ride back with you. I just need to check out one of his feet that cracked on the side the other day.”

“No, not at all.” I sat down on a straw bale and took the rope Mike handed me while he went and grabbed some oil. Cash was a beauty, and so friendly. He nuzzled my hand and then moved up to blow a big horse sigh into my hair.

“Hey, don’t do that. You're going to mess up her pretty hair.” Mike scolded halfheartedly.

“He can do that all day long. He’s making me miss my horse at home.”

Mike bent over in front of me to pick up Cash’s hoof, and it took every ounce of my self-control to not reach out and touch his butt. I seriously felt like I was 16 again with my first crush. When Mike straightened up again I made a point to pay some serious attention to Cash.

“Want to take him out with me?”

“Definitely.” I stood up and was suddenly right in front of Mike.

He looked down at me and slowly set down the can of oil behind me on the straw bale. “I've been wanting to do this since the second I saw you.”

One of his large hands cupped the back of my head as he pulled me closer. Finally his lips gently touched mine, and I was in heaven. After a second he deepened the kiss and I had absolutely no objections to it. I have no idea how long we stood in his barn kissing, with me holding his horse, but I never wanted it to end. After years of getting pecks here and there, getting a real kiss from someone as incredibly hot as Mike was totally mind-blowing. Eventually we broke apart. Somewhat reluctantly he took a step back.

“I thought about what it would be like to kiss you, and it didn't even come close to how this was.”

I couldn't have formed a coherent sentence if my life depended on it, so I just stood there and stared at him. Until Cash nudged his big head into my shoulder hard.

I laughed. “Did we ignore you, baby?”

Mike and I smiled at each other, then he took my hand and led Cash and I outside. We let him out into his corral, then headed to the truck to attend the picnic that we were now for sure late for.

We got raised eyebrows and a wink from Chris when we arrived, but Katie quickly swept me off to introduce me to some people that I “just have to meet.” During the picnic we barely saw each other as Mike was busy mingling with the guests, and I was helping Helen bring out dishes. For the fireworks, Chris, Katie, Mike, and I sat with a few people our age that they knew. Secretly I had hoped to watch the fireworks with Mike somewhere and possibly explore this whole kissing thing a little more, but a girl with bright red hair that had been sticking pretty close to Mike all afternoon sat snuggled next to him. Obviously I had no claim to him, but it still felt weird to kiss him and then have him sit with another girl practically on his lap a couple of hours later. Awkward!

The fireworks were incredible. While Chris and Mike had helped set them up earlier, according to Chris the lighting of them was still up to his uncle and a few of his buddies. I glanced at Mike to see if he was loving the fireworks as much as me, but when I looked over I knew he wasn't seeing them. That’s because he was currently making out with Miss Perky Red Hair.

Chris put his arm around me, pulled me closer to him, and gave me a tight squeeze. Fuck!!