Caleb wasn’t impressed. Family meant a great deal to him, and if any sister of his pulled the shit they pulled with Maddie, he wouldn’t have been so forgiving of the other one. Since learning everything he had about Maddie and her family, he didn’t want them on the ranch. People like that only tainted the happiness around them, and with Maddie all to himself, he wanted her happy.
“I want you, Maddie. I want you, and so does Paige. Not because you’re a nanny, and not because of the sex either.” He moved them both toward the bench that his father had placed near the lake, over fifty years ago. “You know my dad told us that wining and dining my mother was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.” He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her close.
“I don’t believe that.”
“It’s the truth. Mom wouldn’t give him the time of day. He was known as a player in those days, and nothing he did ever impressed her. She would visit the ranch often, and Dad would try to get her to fall in love with the place. He once told me that after a year, he decided he didn’t need her to fall in love with him, just the ranch.”
“That sounds awful.”
“Mom didn’t like the way he told it. Anyway, he said that he didn’t need love. What Mom didn’t know was as far as Dad was concerned, he loved her enough for the both of them. Then one day, Dad was riding by this very lake, and he saw Mom sitting on the ground, looking out at the lake for hours. An entire week went by, and he’d find her loving the view. Then Mom would take over telling the story. One day she came to her favorite lake. The view, the peace, everything would help her to think, and there at the perfect spot was a bench. A sturdy bench, and it was then that she realized she loved my dad.”
“Why?”
“He didn’t wait for her to see that he’d built it. He didn’t put a single clue into the bench that he’d built it for her. He simply did it, and left it alone. It was then that Mom realized that not only did he love her, and he paid attention to her without her realizing it, but how could she let a man so sweet and caring get away.”
He saw the smile on her face.
“I’ll never forget that story, ever,” she said.
Caleb didn’t tell her that retelling that story to her, it was the first time he completely understood what his father had done.
****
“You don’t want to go as a cowgirl?” Maddie asked.
“That’s not scary, and I want to see what all the fuss is about. A princess,” Paige said, wrinkling her nose as she even said the word.
“You know being a princess is not a bad thing,” she said.
“But they have to stay pretty and clean all the time. That’s boring, and prince charming, gross. I’d rather kiss a frog.”
“You do know that a frog can turn into a prince as well,” Maddie said.
“Ew, no kissing frogs.” Paige did a yuck face and wrinkled her nose.
Laughing, Maddie helped her into the costume that they’d bought for Paige, and then went about doing her hair, and then some light makeup, which was more like face paints.
The town was having a Halloween party, and Paige had begged for them all to go. Mike and Martha were taking their little ones trick-or-treating.
Paige jumped off her chair and rushed toward the mirror.
Maddie couldn’t stop laughing as Paige slapped her hands against her face and gasped in terror.
“I look like a nightmare.”
“You look beautiful.”
“Come on, Maddie. What are you going to be?” Paige asked.
She walked into the closet, and stared at the dress that Caleb had brought for her. Her favorite fairy tale, Belle. The yellow ballgown was for adult dress-up. She slipped it on, and was surprised that it had fit. She’d already pinned up her hair and done her makeup. Halloween had never been a fun night for her before this.
Emily had always gotten her friends to bully her, and to take away the candy she’d gone trick-or-treating with.
Her heart raced as Paige demanded to see her outfit.
Leaving her closet, her heart stopped when she saw the sexy lumberjack standing behind their little princess.
“You look beautiful,” he said.
Turning toward the mirror, she felt like a princess. The dress she wore had been made for an adult, and sexed up a little. Her tits were pushed up, pressed together, enhancing her large cleavage. It also clung to every single one of her size eighteen curves.
“And you’re?” she asked, trying not to think of how he made her ache all over. Her heart pounded as she watched him. He held an axe over his shoulder, and she saw he’d kept the safety on.