Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 59489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 297(@200wpm)___ 238(@250wpm)___ 198(@300wpm)
19
CAMDEN
“What time did you say they are coming over?” Kristen asked as I climbed onto Smokey, the oldest horse I owned.
“Seven,” I said. “But we are under strict orders not to prepare anything.”
“Why?”
“Tradition,” I said. “Any time that any of the other guys announced an engagement, even if it was at a party, they eventually had a get-together with everyone, and we all pitched in to bring dishes and drinks and all the fun stuff so they could celebrate and not have to worry about making food or doing dishes.”
“Oh, well, that’s nice,” Kristen said, leaning against the wooden frame of the corral. “Seven? I need to get inside and get a shower, then.”
“Not without me you won’t,” I said, winking at her.
She blushed and looked over her shoulder, looking to see if the last family that had been there for riding lessons was out of earshot yet.
“Mr. Smith,” she said. “You’re bad.”
“I know,” I said. “You like it.”
“I do,” she said, sighing.
I nudged Smokey along, getting him moving for his daily ride. He was getting close to elderly status, but he enjoyed being out there so much that I made sure to have either me, Carmela, or one of our trusted volunteers ride him every day. He wasn’t capable of galloping for really any stretch of time anymore, but he was content to walk around the edges of the big corral and munching on snacks.
Kristen watched as we moseyed along, and when we had made a couple of rounds, I brought him back to the stable and got him put away for the night. I knew the time was coming when he would be put out to pasture, no longer capable of being ridden anymore, and I tried to enjoy every moment I could with the old boy. I had half a mind that I should have him pull Kristen in on a cart for the wedding, but our plans hadn’t really gotten as far as details like that yet.
But they were coming.
Neither one of us wanted a really long engagement, but at the same time, we were both rather busy these days. The ranch and farm were always busy, but things had picked up recently as well. Between that and school, my time was limited for anything other than just relaxing with Kristen and getting a little sleep. For her, Van Hope loved her remote classes so much that they were asking her to take on a few more, and she was now giving private lessons over video chat as well. Her schedule was filling up, and between prep work and editing, she was swamped. I had finally talked her into hiring one of the AV students to do the editing for her, to take that off her plate, but it was still a lot to do every day, and it was only going to get busier as the school year kicked into higher gear.
Even with as busy as we were, I had never been this happy. Not at any point during my life, except maybe the timeless summers of my childhood, playing with my four best friends, there had never been a time where I felt as fulfilled and satisfied as I did now. Which is what tonight was going to be all about.
The first person I told when we got engaged was, of course, my sister. We were each other’s only real family left, and though my friends were like brothers, I owed it to Carmela to tell her first. She had been over the moon happy for us as soon as I told her and immediately began planning tonight’s party.
My mind started to slide to thoughts of babies as I walked hand in hand with Kristen from the stables to the house. I knew we would be starting relatively late in life, but maybe it was something that would be in the picture.
Kristen immediately went to start a shower when we got inside while I tidied up a bit and then joined her. There was something so comforting about showering with her, even when nothing sexual transpired. Just being able to be under the warm water, our slick bodies pressed against each other as we got clean was a satisfying experience.
As I exited the shower with her, feeling clean, happy and a little light-headed from spending too much time under hot water while holding her against the tile, her legs wrapped around my waist, I sat down on the bed and started getting dressed. I let my eyes linger over her perfect body as she pranced between the walk-in closet and the mirror, naked as a jaybird and holding different dresses or outfits against her body and making faces at them in the reflection.
“I can’t decide if I should wear the blue dress with the flowers or if I should wear the jeans and the yellow shirt,” she said, holding them both up on either side of her.