DRAMA NOVEL ONLINE Chapter Miles Ever After: The Do-over Epilogue
Hayden
I listen to Christopher show Eddie around his new bedroom as I look around mine.
A million emotions all rushing to the surface at once.
Love, fear…relief.
Excitement.
A farm, our very own farm. And not just any farm, the most perfect place in the world, and Christopher can drive to work from here. I can run cattle and homeschool Eddie, there are so many possibilities for us all to be happy here.
The perfect solution.
I walk up the hall to see Christopher hugging Eddie and my eyes fill with tears, what must it be like to see this day through his eyes?
“Hey.” I smile through tears as I walk into Eddie’s bedroom.
“Not you too.” Christopher rolls his eyes. “Why are you all crying?”
“This is a happy day.” I smile.
“Yeah well, it might not be so happy if I get eaten by a wolf.” He sighs as he flops onto the bed. “We need to call the person to eradicate that.”
“Eradicate what?”
“Wolves, Hayden.” He rolls his eyes as if I’m stupid. “What else would I be talking about?”
“You’re actually serious?” I gasp in surprise. “There are no wolves in the United Kingdom, Christopher, aren’t you supposed to know this?”
“We did hear something growl,” Eddie replies, seemingly convinced too.
“Something is out there, Hazen.”
“Listen wimps.” I pull back the blankets on Eddie’s bed. “Tomorrow I’m going to check it all out and make sure it’s safe for you two yellowbellies.”
“Eddie and I have never pretended to be farm boys, Hayden. We’re city slickers, aren’t we, Eddie.” He bumps Eddie’s shoulder with his.
Eddie smiles goofily with a nod.
“Oh, and there’s a house down on the bottom paddocks for your parents,”
Christopher says casually as if he just remembered. “And another broken-down house on another faraway paddock in real bumfuck nowhere that we will fix up as a guesthouse one day.”
I stop still. “What? There’s a house for my parents?”
“Uh-huh,” He puts his hands on his hips as if proud of himself, “They can come whenever it suits them, even move here if they want.”
My eyes well with tears again. “I can’t believe this, Christopher, you’ve done all this for me?”
He pulls me close and kisses my lips, “I want you to be happy, Grumps.”
“This is going to be a big adjustment for you boys.” I look between them.
“We can hack it. Can’t we, Ed?”
My heart sinks. “I don’t want you to hack it, I want you to love it.”
Christopher puts his arm around Eddie and pulls him close. “As long as we’re all together, everything is going to be alright. And you want to be a farm girl, so we are going to love it.”
“Do you promise?” I ask hopefully.
“Well it better be,” Eddie mutters dryly. “You’re getting married now, remember?”
I giggle and look down at the ring on my finger as I sit on the bed, the boys sit down either side of me. “I can’t believe it.” I look up to Eddie. “We have so much to do, buddy, we have to sort our new house out and organize a wedding and grocery shop and oh, do we have a tractor?”
Christopher frowns. “Calm down. What is it with you and fucking tractors? Do you watch tractor porn?”
We all fall silent as our minds individually race off on tangents.
“Big few days,” Christopher eventually says.
“Why, what are we doing?”
“Well.” He thinks for a moment. “Tomorrow we can look around the farm and then we’re going to take Eddie to London and show him around.”
Eddie’s eyes light up. “Really?”
“And buy some furniture while we are there,” Christopher says really quickly in hope that Eddie didn’t hear it.
“I don’t need furniture.” I sigh dreamily. “I have everything I want right here in this room.”
Christopher twists his lips. “Hate to burst your bubble, Grumps, but you’re going to get sick of sitting on the floor real quick.”
I giggle. “This is true.”
We fall silent again.
“What do you think, Eddie?” Christopher slaps him on the back. “Do you like your new home?”
Eddie nods, he’s so overwhelmed.
This is a dream come true.
“I’m so happy.” I smile over at my beautiful man. “Like stupidly happy.”
Christopher’s eyes darken and then drop to my lips, he gives me the best come-fuck-me look of all time.
“Bedtime,” he mouths.
My skin prickles with excitement, it’s been way too long without him.
“You should probably put a movie on your iPad while you’re falling asleep,” Christopher tells Eddie. “Just so…you know, you don’t hear the farm animals.”
I roll my lips to hide my smile. There’s only one animal here.
“Would that be alright?” Eddie looks between us. “It won’t keep you up?”
Christopher widens his eyes at me. “I’m already up.”
Behave.
Eddie gets up and grabs his iPad and begins to scroll through. “Oh.” He frowns. “I don’t have internet.”
“Hot spot from my phone.” Christopher hands his phone straight over and hooks it up. He’ll do anything not to be heard tonight. “What movie do you want to watch?” he asks as he peruses the choices. “Get something that will really block out those animals. They are crazy loud.”
I giggle and kiss Eddie’s forehead. “I’ll leave you two to it, good night, baby.”
Eddie smiles up at me. “Good night, Hazen.”
I glance back from the door and watch Christopher and Eddie scroll through Netflix on the iPad and my heart swells.
I’m so happy I could burst.
I walk in and look around the master bedroom, it’s small and cozy with no en-suite bathroom, so unlike Christopher’s penthouse in London.
It’s a typical old farmhouse and out of scale to an extent. Some rooms are oversized and then the ones you think would be big are much smaller. Like the stairway and hallway are wide and grand, but then the master bedroom is smallish.
Not that I’m complaining, it’s homely and perfectly sized for us.
I could live in a tent on this property and be as happy as a pig in mud.
I unzip my suitcase and then, overwhelmed, I sit on the bed and look around.
I can’t believe today has happened.
He did all this for me…for us, so that we could both be happy.
The ultimate compromise.
Emotion overwhelms me and the happy tears well in my eyes.
Christopher walks in and his face falls. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
The lump in my throat is so big. “Nothing is wrong, everything is right.”
“Why are you crying?” He brushes the hair back from my forehead.
“I’m just so happy.”
He smiles softly, his eyes filled with a tender glow, and he cups my face in his hand. “I died a little every day being away from you,” he whispers.
I screw up my face in tears. “Me too.”
“Don’t leave me again.”
“I won’t.” I kiss his big, beautiful lips, my tears of relief falling down onto my cheeks. “I’ll never be away from you again; I can’t stand it.”
“Sshh,” he whispers against my lips. “We’re together now. It’s over, babe.” I hug him tight, so tight that I might actually crush him.
“The first thing we need to do is get soundproofing in these fucking walls,” he says. “How am I supposed to fuck you like I want to when I have to be quiet?”
I giggle.
“I’m not even joking,” he mutters dryly as he stands and pulls me up by the hand. “And we need an en-suite bathroom.”
“The house is perfect as it is.”
“Hayden,” he says sternly. “I love you, but in all seriousness, if we’re going to live out here in Bumfuck Nowhere, the house needs some major renovating.”
He grabs two towels out of the suitcase he has with him.
“Such as?”
“These bedrooms all doubled in size, new bathrooms and kitchen.” He looks around at the floral wallpaper and points at it. “That has got to go. New every fucking thing. You can do whatever you want to this farm, it’s your home. The farming part and cows and all of that stuff is all yours. But I am insisting on fixing up this dump of a house…with yours and Eddie’s input of course.”
I imagine us planning and renovating and building up our cattle and the life we will live and I smile hopefully. “It sounds like so much fun.”
“You’re not all there, are you?” He frowns down at me as he takes me
“No, but I’m all here.”
He kisses me softly as he smiles against my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
“Mrs. Miles.”
“Oh my god.” I giggle as I hold up my hand to look at my ring.
“Do you like it?” he asks. “We can change it to something you like better if you want?”
“I love it.” I pull him closer. “It, this house, and you…are perfect.”
His hands trail down to my behind and he pulls me onto his large erection. “Get in the shower, we’re about to break some tiles.”
“Ahhhhchooooooo.”
I wake with a start.
“Achoo, achoo, achoo.”
I sit up, half asleep. “Huh.”
“Ahhhhchooooooo.”
Someone
sneezes
from
downstairs.
“Ahhhhchooooooo, Ahhhhchooooooo.”
“What the hell?” I get out of bed and throw my robe on and make my way downstairs. Someone is having some kind of crazy sneezing attack.
“Ahhhhchooooooo,
Ahhhhchooooooo.
Stop
fucking
laughing,”
Christopher whispers angrily.
“Stop sneezing like an idiot then,” Eddie fires back.
“You think I want to be sneezing like a motherfucker? Newsflash. No I don’t, Eduardo.”
I come around the corner to see Christopher, sneezing his head off, his eyes are swollen and red and he has toilet paper blowing his nose.
“What’s happening?” I frown.
“I’m having some kind of situation,” Christopher says as he blows his nose hard. “Ahhhhchooooooo, Ahhhhchooooooo.”
I look around. “Oh, it’s the flowers.”
“What?”
“The flowers are giving you hay fever”.
“Hay fever.” Eddie frowns. “But there isn’t any hay.”
“It’s the pollen from all the flowers,” I tell them, I pick up two vases of flowers and take them out to the front veranda. “Eddie, help me take them out of the house. He’s allergic.”
“Ahhhhchooooooo,
Ahhhhchooooooo…
Ahhhhchooooooo,
Ahhhhchooooooo.”
I giggle as I continue to carry the vases outside, and Eddie helps too.
“Why did you buy so many?” Eddie huffs.
“To be romantic, dipshit. Ahhhhchooooooo, Ahhhhchooooooo…
Ahhhhchooooooo, Ahhhhchooooooo.”
“Get out of the house while we carry them out, Eddie, open all the windows to let the pollen out,” I tell them. “Christopher, drive to the pharmacy and grab some antihistamines.”
“Where’s the pharmacy? Ahhhhchooooooo,” he sniffles.
“I don’t know, but you need to find one.”
He grabs his keys, “It’s probably a trek wherever it is, nowhere is close now that we live out here in the boondocks.”
“Why are you so dramatic?”
“Because I’m dying here, Hayden, that’s fucking why?” He coughs in an overdramatic way, “I’m going into anaphylactic shock now and I’m guessing the nearest hospital isn’t close.”
“Oh my god.” I roll my eyes. “Go with him, Eddie, so you can revive the big baby if he dies.”
Eddie and Christopher get into the car and disappear down the driveway and I look around at the living room full of flowers, I didn’t even take a photo of his over-the-top grand gesture. There must be at least one hundred bunches of roses here.
I run upstairs and grab my phone; I need to get this on film.
An hour and a half later I sit on the front veranda steps with a cup of tea, I have no idea where they went to buy the antihistamines but I’m thinking it must have been all the way back to Spain.
I’m itching to look around the property but I want them to be with me when I do the tour.
“God’s sakes, hurry up.”
What if he really did go into anaphylaxis?
He didn’t, he’s just overdramatic.
I can hear the wind in the trees and the bubbling stream in the distance
and I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated being surrounded by nature as much as I do in this moment.
Our home.
I wanted to wait for Christopher to get here to call my parents, but I can’t wait any longer. I FaceTime a group chat to both of their phones.
“Hello.” My mom’s beautiful face comes into view.
The screen spins around as my dad struggles to answer. “That you, Hayden?” he says in his gruff voice.
“Hi guys.” I beam.
“You arrived safely then, love?” Mom asks.
“Yes, sorry I didn’t message last night. It was so hectic once we landed.”
“Is Eddie okay?” asks Mom.
“He’s great. I’m great, everything is so great.”
Dad frowns. “What’s so great about it?”
“Well…” I swallow the nervous lump in my throat. “Christopher asked me to marry him and he bought us a farm to live in just outside of London that I can run my own cattle on and there’s a house on the property for you,”
I blurt out in a rush.
Mom’s face lights up. “Darling, that’s wonderful.”
Dad’s face stays somber.
“And its three hundred and fifty acres of the most beautiful land,” I gush.
Dad nods and my heart sinks, I can see the disappointment in his face, he really wanted me to come home and live permanently.
“You’re not happy, Dad?”
He shrugs. “I’m happy if you’re happy.”
“I am.” Tears well in my eyes, what is it with all these tears? “I tried to live without him, Dad, and I couldn’t. We belong together and this is his way of making me happy and I can come home anytime I want. I’m not tied here.”
He nods. “I’m happy for you. Happier for Christopher because he won the lottery.”
“I did too, Dad.”
“I know, he’s a good man.”
“So can you come over?”
“When?”
“Tomorrow?”
Mom chuckles. “Not yet this month, love. I have too many cows in calf, Hayden. We’ll have to wait a bit.”
“I’ll get to work renovating your house.” I beam. “I’m so excited.”
“Me too,” laughs Mom.
I hear the car coming up the driveway. “I’ve got to go, I’ll send you some pictures and call you later. Love you.”
“Love you too, bye, darling.”
Christopher and Eddie get out of the car, they’re carrying grocery bags.
“What took you so long, where did you go?” I ask as I meet them on the driveway.
“To the closest shop,” Christopher says, deadpan.
I giggle, his sneezing seems to have stopped at least.
“He’s not joking,” Eddie whispers. “But we did get lost on the way back and Christopher left his phone at home and I had no internet so we had no maps.”
“Oh.” I giggle as I look over to Christopher. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“He took four of the tablets,” Eddie tells me.
“Four?” I gasp.
“He was only supposed to take one.”
“Christopher, that’s so irresponsible,” I scold him.
“I’m alive.” He does an overexaggerated bow.
“I’ve been waiting for you to get back before I look around.”
He chuckles and takes my hand in his. “Come then. Dump the groceries on the veranda, we’ve got looking to do.”
For the next hour, Eddie, Christopher and I walk around the heavenly property. Paddock after green paddock, stone sheds and stables. Perfect fencing and streams. The two guesthouses are run down but will be easy to fix up.
“Oh Christopher, this is just so beautiful.” I sigh with my hand on my heart. “I could never have imagined that something like this would ever be ours.” I put my arm around Eddie’s shoulders to pull him closer to me.
“Could you have ever dreamed that we would live here, Eddie?”
“Nope.”
Christopher smiles as he looks around. “It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“We’re going to be so happy here.”
“Once we get the wolf situation checked out. Let’s go back to the house.”
“You didn’t show her yet,” Eddie reminds him softly.
Christopher frowns in question.
“You know, the thing.” Eddie raises an eyebrow. “The surprise thing.”
“Oh… Our big-ticket item.” Christopher laughs. “Yes, I almost forgot.”
“What thing?” I frown.
We walk back down to the other side of the hill to see a huge barn and Christopher opens the doors proudly, “Ta-da.”
My mouth falls open. “Oh my god.”
A tractor, the most beautiful red tractor you have ever seen.
I climb up to find the keys are in the ignition, and I start her up. She roars and I laugh out loud.
Christopher and Eddie roll their eyes at each other, but I don’t care. I drive straight past them and out of the barn and down over the paddock.
“Are you coming back to the house?” Christopher calls after me.
“Later.” I wave as I drive. “I love you,” I call.
“Watch out for wolves,” Eddie calls.
I laugh as I wave, this is the best day of my life.
Who cares about wolves when you have a big red tractor?
I glance at the maps on my phone. “It says it’s just up here.”
“Here? Are you sure?” Christopher frowns over at me. “What furniture shop is this anyway?”
Eddie is still peering out the car window in awe, we are in London for the day and Eddie’s eyes are the size of saucers.
“Yes, here it is.” I gesture to the driveway and parking lot. “Turn in here.”
Christopher frowns and pulls in. “This is a thrift shop.”
“I know.” I open the door and climb out of the car.
“Don’t get out, Eddie,” I hear Christopher instruct him. “We are not getting furniture here. She’s gone fucking mad.”
I walk around to the driver’s side where Christopher is looking at me deadpan through the window, I tap on it and he winds the window down.
“We are not buying furniture here, Hayden. Get it out of your head right fucking now.”
“Not our forever furniture. Just our right now furniture.”
He screws up his face as if I’m from Mars. “Not any furniture.”
“I thought you said we were planning the house out with an architect and doing major changes.”
“We are.”
“So what’s the point of buying expensive furniture now when we have no idea what we eventually want?”
“We buy decent furniture now and we buy expensive furniture then.” He glances into the back seat. “Eddie, we don’t want crap furniture, do we?”
Eddie shrugs as he looks between us, wisely staying silent.
“Look.” I open his car door. “It takes weeks for furniture to arrive and I want to house-train our baby animals before it gets here. This furniture will do for a month or two. Get out of the car,” I demand.
“Baby animals?” Christopher scoffs. “We are not having fucking ducks, Hayden, forget that right now. My brother has evil ducks and they plot my murder every time I see them. And what makes you think we are getting baby animals anyway? I never agreed to any of this.”
“Because it’s a farm.”
“So?”
“So it wouldn’t be a farm without animals, would it?”
My eyes flick to Eddie who is holding in a smile.
“Eddie, do you want a puppy of your very own?”
Eddie’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
“Aha, and we need some cats.”
“No way in hell,” Christopher explodes. “I am not having a cat piss on my things. Absolutely no fucking way.”
“Shut up, already.” I grab his hand and pull him out of the car and into the store. Christopher’s face screws up as if disgusted and I roll my lips to hide my smile. The building has that very distinct secondhand furniture scent.
There are rows after rows of couches and armchairs. Dining tables and bedframes. Everything but the kitchen sink and then some.
Christopher’s arms are crossed as he walks through the aisles. “There is nothing here for us, let’s go.”
“Eddie, pick an armchair for your room and two for the living area,” I say. “I’ll pick some couches.”
Christopher’s eyes widen in horror. “What do you mean? They have to match each other.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the civilized human fucking law, Hayden.”
“Will you stop being such a snob.”
“I am not a snob,” he barks.
“Sure sound like one,” Eddie mutters under his breath.
“I’ll make a deal with you,” I say to Christopher. “We pick the chairs and dining suite from here and you can choose and buy new mats for the rooms to bring everything together.”
Christopher’s eyebrow rises as if a little interested. “What kind of rugs?”
“Nice ones.”
“Hmm.” He walks around. “And what about artwork?”
“Yes, you can pick the artwork.”
He twists his lips. “And I’m buying the electronics. I’m not having a fossil television.”
“Fine.”
“I’ll wait in the car then,” he says casually.
“Why?”
“Because I can’t bear to witness the atrocities that you are about to purchase.”
“No you don’t. You stay right there. We are picking this stuff out together; this house has to be a little bit of all of us. I want the house colorful and eclectic with equal parts of the three of us.” I look around. “Eddie, why don’t you pick out anything you like, stuff that reminds you of Spain.”
Eddie’s eyes light up. “Spain?”
“Yes. You’re Spanish, we need to celebrate that. Just because we live in London does not make you any less Spanish.”
Christopher smiles over at Eddie as if finally understanding what I’m trying to do here. If the house is all fancy and Miles like, Eddie and I won’t feel at home, we need to ease into this money thing.
“Okay,” Christopher says with a newfound enthusiasm. “What about this lamp?” He holds it up, the lampshade is made of stained glass and bright and happy.
Eddie’s eyes light up in delight.
“I like it.” I smirk, not really, but who cares, they do.
“Okay.” Christopher smiles, proud of himself, we continue to keep looking.
“What about this chair?” Eddie says, it’s purple and made from checked velvet.
Christopher’s lip curls in disgust as he looks it over.
“I love it,” I lie. “It would be perfect for your bedroom.”
“It would, wouldn’t it?” Eddie gushes.
“Go and check out the drawers over in the corner,” I tell him. “Maybe we could buy some paint and paint them a nice color too.”
“Oh, good idea.” Eddie takes off in the direction of the drawers, he almost runs there he’s so excited.
Christopher leans in close. “That is the worst fucking chair I have ever seen,” he whispers.
“Sshh,” I whisper back. “It’s for his room, not yours.”
“Don’t even think about painting those drawers purple, a man has his limits.” He leans in again. “For the record, no serial killer chairs are going in our bedroom so don’t get any dumb ideas.”
“Okay.”
“Our bedroom is going to be as bougie as fuck,” he mutters.
“Okay.”
“With lots of fucking in it.”
I smirk as I keep looking, of course there will be. “Can’t forget that.”
“And war bunker soundproofing in the walls,” he adds.
I imagine Christopher soundproofing everything so that we can have loud sex and I get the giggles. “Shut up and keep looking, you sex maniac idiot.”
Over the next two hours, we pick three couches and four armchairs, none of them match but the colors kind of go together, six eclectic lamps, a coffee table and three small square corner tables. A huge old oval dining table with ten eclectic chairs, the chairs aren’t a set but are all made of the same kind of oak that the table is. I love that they’re all different, it reminds me of home.
I’m not telling Christopher this yet but that’s staying forever, I am totally in love with this dining suite. A beautiful dinner set for twenty, it’s pastel colors with tiny pretty flowers all over, I’m quite sure it’s going to be a collector’s item one day, so, so perfect.
The cashier rings up our purchases. “When could you deliver them?” I ask.
He looks up the truck run. “You’re in luck, we have room on tomorrow’s load. We can load them this afternoon and drop them to your place first thing in the morning.”
Eddie’s eyes light up and he practically bounces on the spot. “That’s so great,” he stammers as his eyes flick to us. “Isn’t it, Christo?”
“It sure is.” Christopher’s eyes twinkle with a certain something as he
slides his arm around my waist. “I love you,” he mouths.
He gets it.
“Who knew that the ugliest furniture in all of the land would be so exciting,” he whispers.
I elbow him in the ribs. “Hush up.”
“Do you want it all delivered?” the cashier asks. “Or take some now?”
“Umm.” I look at all our things. “We’ll take the lamps with us and the board games if that’s okay.”
Eddie nods. “Yes good idea, Hazen, so they don’t get broken,” he whispers.
We load up our arms and make our way out to the car. “Now to the rug store,” Christopher announces. “And we need new blankets and some kitchen things, saucepans, and cooking shit. I’m going to learn how to cook if it kills me.”
“That’s if it doesn’t kill us first,” I reply.
Eddie’s shoulders hunch up in excitement and I pull him into a hug, he’s so excited he can hardly stand still.
“We better hurry before the shops close, then. We have lots of things to get,” I tell them, we load our things into the car and I smile goofily through the windscreen.
Making a home with my boys.
This is a happy day.
“The truck’s here,” Eddie calls from his waiting place on the front veranda.
“Already?” Christopher gasps. “Why are they so fucking early?”
We’ve been rushing around to try and get ready for this furniture arrival since six this morning, we shopped until we dropped yesterday and then got dinner on the way home. By the time we finally walked in the door it was after 9 p.m. and we fell into bed exhausted.
There are boxes and rugs and new kitchen crap everywhere.
“Hello,” we hear Eddie call to the delivery driver.
“You better go out there.”
“I’m unrolling the rugs like you told me to,” Christopher grunts. “Pick a job, Hayden, because there is only one of me. Contrary to what you may think I’m not a magician you know?”
“Someone’s snarky today.” I smirk.
“Busy. The word is busy,” he huffs as he marches outside. “I notice your rugs aren’t rolled out yet.”
“Hello,” he calls as he opens the screen door.
“Where do you want it?” the guy calls.
“Inside, please.”
“Is that the biggest door?”
Christopher pauses as if not knowing what they mean.
“Yes,” I call.
“Yes,” he and Eddie call in unison.
The delivery men begin to carry the furniture inside as I direct them where to put things. Both couches in the living area and an armchair, the other couch and two armchairs in the formal living room and then the spectacular dining table into its position in the dining room.
As each piece goes in I feel a little more of the heart of the home click into place, as if it’s been waiting for exactly that chair to come back to life.
The place is cozy and eclectic and everything is coming together just perfectly.
“You guys own a florist shop?” one of the delivery drivers asks.
Christopher and I frown, not understanding what he means.
“Oh no, that’s him being romantic.” Eddie points to Christopher with his thumb. “Nearly killed himself with pollen too. Had a sneezing attack and all.”
The removalist frowns and then walks back outside without saying a word.
“Stop telling people our shit,” Christopher whispers angrily to Eddie.
“That information is on a need-to-know basis only.”
“But you did nearly die from pollen,” Eddie fires back.
“You’re about to die in a moment, overshare that.”
The men struggle through the front door with the last of the furniture, the purple armchair. “Where do you want this?”
“Upstairs.” Eddie beams. “In my room.” He takes the stairs two at a time and emotion overwhelms me.
Christopher frowns in question.
“Did you hear him, in my room.”
Christopher pulls me into a hug and kisses my forehead. “Sounds pretty good, huh?”
“Come on, get in the car,” I call.
“Where are we going?” Christopher asks.
“We have to go and meet the neighbors.”
He looks at me blankly. “Why?”
“Because that’s what you do.” I roll my eyes. Seriously, where is this man from?
“But I don’t want to meet the neighbors.”
“Why? Because they would judge you because you don’t want to meet the neighbors?”
“You’re overbearing sometimes, you know that?”
I smile sweetly. “I do actually.”
It’s day five of living in heaven and Christopher is getting into the swing of never wanting to leave, he struggled going to get milk this morning.
I walk back in through the front door. “Eddie,” I call. “Come on, we’re going for a drive.”
“Okay.” He comes bounding down the stairs. “Where are we going?”
“To meet the neighbors,” Christopher replies dryly. “I don’t even like fucking neighbors.”
“Will you stop swearing all the time?” I snap.
“Stop giving me things to swear about then.”
“Get in the fucking car.”
“I thought you said we couldn’t swear?”
“Christopher…” I widen my eyes; I swear to god he’s like an annoying five-year-old.
“Fine.”
We all pile into the car and head off down the long winding driveway while I smile goofily out the window and look at the green rolling hills. “This driveway is the most beautiful driveway in all of the land.”
“You told us that already.”
“Something tells me that she’s going to tell us that every time we drive down it,” Eddie replies casually from the back seat.
We get to the end of the driveway and Christopher turns to look at me. “I
don’t even know where the neighbors are.”
“Turn right,” I direct him.
“What if they’re left?”
“We’re going left too in a minute, just drive.”
Christopher’s eyes meet Eddie’s in the rearview vision mirror. “Don’t get any ideas, kid, this is not going be one of those weird, inbred places where we’re friends with the neighbors and hang out on Saturday nights toasting marshmallows and shit.”
I smirk. “It might be.”
“Hayden.” He looks over at me. “I’ve done a lot of shit that isn’t my normal jam but I draw the line at being fake farming friends with people.”
“Just a quick introduction, that’s all. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Christopher. They probably won’t even like you.”
“What does that mean?” He frowns over at me.
“Well…you’re you.”
His mouth falls open in horror. “And what is wrong with being me?” he gasps in outrage.
“Nothing.” Jeez. “It was a joke, stop being so touchy.”
“For your information, they will fucking love me.”
We get to the next driveway and Christopher puts his blinker on and turns in. The driveway isn’t as long as ours, the house is closer to the road, we drive through paddock after paddock of beautiful cattle and I look around in awe.
“Oh, he’s got good stock.”
“Bet you want to wank those cows,” Christopher mutters dryly.
“No actually, I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t wank cows, you wank bulls.”
“Semantics.”
“Not really, they don’t have dicks.”
Christopher’s eyes meet Eddie’s in the rearview mirror once more.
“Seriously, are you hearing the shit that I have to put up with here?”
Eddie’s smile is so big that he’s nearly splitting his face.
We get to the house and pull in, it’s old and decrepit and looks like it needs a good lick of paint. A woman comes out the front door when she hears us pull up.
“Hello,” I call.
“Hello.” She smiles. “Can I help you?”
Christopher looks like he just swallowed a fly, this is so far out of his comfort zone.
“We moved in next door last weekend and I wanted to come over and meet you.”
“Oh…” She smiles. “Come in, come in. Keith,” she calls, “our new neighbors are here to meet us.”
The screen door opens and an old burly man comes into view. “Hello.”
He smiles, he has a kind face and weathered hands.
“Hello, I’m Christopher Miles.” Christopher shakes his hand. “This is Eddie, and this is Hayden, my fiancée.”
Fiancée.
Hearing that will never grow old.
“Hello, I’m Keith, and this is my wife, Jane.”
“Hello.”
“You’ve got some beautiful cattle there, Keith,” I smile.
“Sure do. Got the prizewinning bull down there, won the show three years in a row.”
“Oh my gosh, really.”
I can’t look at Christopher because I know how badly he wants to roll his eyes right now.
“Yep. Don’t we, Janey?”
Jane smiles warmly, it’s obvious she’s very proud of her husband and their cows.
“Hayden wanks bulls,” Christopher interrupts us.
My god.
Keith’s and Jane’s faces fall.
“I’m into animal husbandry.”
“Well, well.” Keith seems excited. “That’s a very interesting field, that is.”
“My parents own a huge cattle farm and hopefully one day our farm next door will have some cattle on it too.” I smile hopefully.
“Well, you need to go to the cattle auctions next Tuesday. It’s only on three times a year.”
“There’s auctions next Tuesday?” I ask, excited.
“Best thoroughbreds in the land will be on sale.”
From the corner of my eye I see something coming down the front steps
toward us and I glance up to see the cutest brown puppy of all time.
“Oh…” Eddie gasps as he bends to pat it.
“You want one?”
Eddie’s eyes flick to me.
“Absolutely not,” Christopher cuts in.
“They’ll go quick, their father is the best working dog I’ve ever had.”
“Working dogs,” I whisper. “I do need a working dog.”
“Come around the house and I’ll show you.”
Eddie and I follow her around and out the back to a barn and there’s puppies everywhere, brown kelpies, cute as a button.
“Oh my gosh.” I bend down as the puppies run around in circles and jump up and nip us.
One grabs Christopher’s jeans with his teeth. “Don’t.” He subtly tries to push one away with his foot.
Eddie is sitting down on the ground, puppies all over him, and I smile as I watch on.
“Good working dogs, you say?” I ask again.
“The best you’ll ever get.” Keith replies.
“How much are you selling them for?”
“Hayden…” Christopher taps me on the back.
“I normally sell them for five hundred each, but seeing you’re our neighbor, I’ll give you two for the price of one,” Keith continues.
Christopher taps me on the back, harder now. “Hayden, a word…in private.”
“Just a minute, Keith.” I hold my finger up and step to the side. “What is it?” I ask Christopher.
“We can’t have a dog from here,” he whispers. “It’s not happening.”
Eddie comes and stands next to us as he listens in.
“You said I could do whatever I wanted at the farm,” I reply.
“Key word farm,” he whispers. “It’s not a fucking zoo.”
“I told you that I need working dogs. I’m not sure if you realize this, but a farm is not a farm without animals.”
“You don’t have cows yet, where are you going to work the dogs, in the kitchen? Newsflash, Hayden, they don’t cook.”
“We need dogs,” I tell him.
Eddie’s eyes widen in excitement as he looks up at Christopher all hopeful like.
“Don’t gang up on me. All I’m saying is, you need a pedigree and I think you should look into this further, you don’t just buy the first brown dogs you see next door because they are cute,” he whispers angrily as he looks between us.
“Best guard dogs too,” Keith adds.
Christopher’s ears prick up. “Guard dogs? Are they vicious?”
“No, but they’ll let you know the minute someone is on your land, very protective over their family.”
Christopher’s eyes hold his and I know he’s piqued his interest now.
“What about wolves, do they kill wolves?”
Keith throws his head back and laughs out loud. “You’re hilarious, man.”
Or just plain stupid.
“You won’t even know they’re there; Eddie and I will look after them, won’t we, Eddie?” I say.
Eddie bounces on the spot. “Yes. I promise,” he stammers, barely able to get the words out through his excitement.
Christopher fakes a smile.
I giggle. “He’s a bit too citified, Keith. This is his first farm and we’ve got to train him up.”
“I am not citified.” Christopher gasps, indignant.
I hold my fingers up to symbolize a pinch. “Little bit.”
“Okay Eddie, pick two, one boy and one girl.” I smile.
Eddie’s eyes widen with excitement. “Are you serious?”
“Aha.”
Eddie drops to his knee and gets to work playing with the pups, while he works out which ones he wants. “This one’s a girl.” I point to the little one in the corner.
“No, she’s too timid, she won’t be a good worker,” says Keith. “Get the naughty ones, they’re the best.”
“Timid works for me,” Christopher whispers with an elbow.
“Come, I’ll show you something else,” Jane smiles to me.
She takes me around the corner into another set of sheds. “Look at these ones.” She opens the door and there are kittens as far as you can see, there must be twenty.
“We had two girls get pregnant before they could get desexed, you can have these for free.”
My eyes widen. Kittens. Christopher really is going to go postal.
His words come back to me: This is your farm, you can do whatever you want to run it and make it feel like home.
“Okay, I’ll take two.” I smile. “Another boy and a girl.”
“Which ones do you want, love?”
I look them over, they’re all pretty similar. The two mothers are sisters, gray and black, there’s a few tortoiseshells and one ginger.
“I’ll have the ginger, if he’s a boy.”
“Yes, I think so, let me check.”
“And the girls, are they ready to go now?”
“Yes, nine weeks old, we really want them to go to a good home. I would be grateful if you take them.”
“Okay, how about this little gray one here.” I pick it up and turn it over, oh, it’s another boy. I put him back down.
A little darker gray one comes over to me and I pick it up and roll it over.
“This is a girl.”
“Yeah, she’s cute, that one, real mischievous.”
“I like her already, we’ll take this one too.”
“Let me put them in a box for you, I’ll go inside and get one,” says Jane.
She disappears inside and I walk back out to find Christopher and Eddie on their knees surrounded in puppies.
“Do these dogs eat shoes?” Christopher asks.
“If you leave them out they will,” Keith replies dryly.
Christopher twists his lips, unimpressed.
“Do they eat much?”
“They will eat whatever you give them.” Keith frowns over at Christopher. “You’ve never had a dog before?”
Christopher straightens his shirt as if annoyed. “I come from New York, we didn’t have animals growing up.”
“What the hell did you move out here for, then?”
I roll my lips to hide my smile, Christopher must be asking himself the same question. “I fell in love with a country girl and I’m trying to make her happy so I’m learning how to be a farmer now.”
Keith smiles and then chuckles. “You got a big learning curve coming for you, boy, especially if she’s a cowgirl.”
Christopher stays silent as the puppies circle him “I kind of like this little one with sticking-up ears,” he says.
“That’s a girl.”
“Which one do you like, Eddie?” I ask.
“I like this little one here.” There’s a little puppy chewing on his hand.
“Is that a boy?” He turns it round. “Yep, looks like it.”
“So shall we take those two?” I ask.
Christopher drags his hand down his face and I can see that he’s regretting this already. “I guess.”
Eddie is beside himself and almost skips back to the car holding his two puppies.
Me too, I can hardly contain my excitement.
“I’ll have to drop the money back to you, Keith, I don’t have my wallet with me.”
“That’s alright, love, whenever you get to it.”
We head back out toward the car and see Jane standing waiting with the box. “Here you go, love, they will need their injections, they’ve only had their first ones.”
“Thanks, Jane.” I take the box from her.
Christopher’s eyes hold mine. “What’s in the box?”
“Kittens.”
His eyes widen. “As in plural?”
“As in two.”
“I know what cats do in houses and gym bags, Hayden. I did not sign up for this.”
Keith and Jane laugh and so do I.
Christopher fakes a smile and I know he’s literally on the verge of a mental breakdown. We climb into the car and put the puppies in the back seat with Eddie. The two kittens are in the box in the front on my lap. “Nice to meet you.” Keith smiles.
“I wish I could say the same thing,” Christopher mutters under his breath.
I giggle, this is truly hilarious.
The car is silent as we drive down the driveway and I know Christopher is holding his tongue with all of his might, he glances over at me. “Was this your plan all along?” he asks.
Totally.
“What do you mean?” I act innocent.
“Do you mind telling me how on earth we go to meet the neighbors and come home with two dogs and two cats?”
“Farms need animals.”
“Cows, Hayden, they need cows.”
“Trust me, they need cats and dogs too.”
He rolls his eyes.
“Do you want a mice and rat plague, Christopher?”
He glances over at me.
“Yeah that’s right, mice and rats have lice and lice get under your skin and eat you from the inside out.”
“Is that a joke?” he gasps, horrified.
“No, I’m deadly serious. Once you have a lice plague in your home you cannot get rid of them. You have to literally burn the house down to kill them. Cats keep rodents and pests under control, they are the epicenter for a clean and well-kept farm.”
“Well why did you only get two? We should have got four of the fuckers,”
Eddie starts to giggle in the back seat and I turn around to see the two puppies jumping up licking his face, killing him with kindness. “I think he likes you, baby.” I smile.
Christopher’s eyes rise to the rearview mirror and he smirks, even he can’t deny how fun this is. “Relax, dog, you start your wolf kill training as soon as we get home.”
“Who’s going to train him?” I ask.
Christopher widens his eyes. “Hayden Whitmore.”
“So what do I say again?” Christopher asks.
“Say that you need five rolls of chicken wire with the largest thread that they have.”
“But why do I need chicken wire when it’s for dog fences?”
“It’s just called chicken wire but it’s not just for chickens.”
Christopher rolls his eyes. “Who is in charge of marketing for this wire company? It’s obvious that they have no idea what they are fucking doing.”
He continues to walk out to the car and opens the door. “What do we need this for again?”
“To make some temporary safe areas for the puppies to play in outside until they are older. They can’t just roam free; they are too little and will get lost.”
“Are you sure?” He frowns. “That doesn’t sound right to me.”
I raise my eyebrow. “What do you think happens?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “Let them roam free and sniff shit out, guard-dog style.”
“They are little baby puppies.”
“My point exactly, they don’t want to be kept in chicken wire. It’s emasculating.”
“They can’t be left alone this early.”
“But we are just inside.”
“Christopher! Just fucking do it,” I snap as I lose the last of my patience.
He rolls his eyes and gets into the car. “I’m going now.”
“Good.” I cross my arms. “About time.”
“And I might come home with all sorts of shit from the hardware store.”
He grabs his crotch with a wink. “Hardware.”
“Okay.”
“Maybe even some more animals.” He shrugs casually as if trying to scare me.
“Okay, if they have baby chickens grab me a few.”
“What?” He scoffs. “You cannot be serious?”
“Well…you are buying chicken wire.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake, Hayden. Enough with the animals.” He looks up into the house. “Eddie,” he calls. “Hurry up.”
Eddie comes flying out of the house and bounces into the front seat.
Christopher won’t go anywhere without his trusty little apprentice farmer.
I smile as I watch them disappear into the distance, I can only imagine the conversations they must have about the errands I send them on.
Christopher
We pull the car to a halt in the crowded parking lot, there are trailers and trucks everywhere. We are at the cattle auctions, I made Elliot come with me.
“Never thought I’d be fucking doing this, that’s for sure.” Elliot says as he looks around.
“What’s that?”
“Buying cows for your fiancée to wank.”
I smirk as I turn the car off, “That makes two of us.” We get out of the car and walk across the large lawn towards the hall.
“Tell me why we’re doing this without Hayden again?”
“I want to surprise her. Up until now she’s bought everything but…
I,” I shrug.
“You what?”
“If I’m honest, I’m kind of loving this farm thing and I want to surprise her with something that I know she will love. Something meaningful.”
“Okay, makes sense.” He frowns, “I guess.” We turn the corner into the hall and stop dead on the spot.
“What the hell is this?” I whisper.
There’s a million people, cows are in the centre and the auctioneer is talking so fast that I can’t even understand him.
“It’s like Times square on fucking crack.” Elliot frowns.
“What’s the plan?” Elliot asks as he looks around.
“We buy five strong looking male calves and then get the fuck out of here.”
“All male?” He frowns.
“Yeah,” I shrug, “That’s what she needs.”
“That’s dumb.”
“How is that fucking dumb?”
“Think about it, who’s going to be hornier? Five boys stuck in a paddock together or three boys who have four hot, big titted chicks in the next paddock to imagine fucking.”
I narrow my eyes, “You think we need cow porn?”
“One hundred percent.”
“Okay, three boys, four girls.” I think for a moment, “Maybe four boys and three girls.”
“No, they need variety.”
“Okay, four boys and five girls. But they have to be hot girls.”
Elliot nods as he looks around, “This will be a piece of cake, if anyone knows cows it’s us.”
“Why do you say that?”
“We’ve both fucked a lot of cows in our day.”
I smirk and then chuckle, “This is true.”
“No, no, listen to me and concentrate. This way here…” the teacher, Mr.
Enid, points to a piece of paper with his pen, “…goes over to this one here, remember like we did the other day?”
Eddie sits back in his chair at the dining table, deflated.
I feel sick to my stomach.
This hard to watch, Eddie is struggling with his reading and writing lessons and we don’t know how to help him.
It’s like everything is on hold in his life until we can get this under his belt and achieved. He can’t even work at McDonald’s unless he can read and write.
He loves the farm and is so happy working with Hayden, and he needs this family time, we know he does. But in the back of our minds we also know that he is destined for more, and he needs to conquer this reading and writing thing to accomplish what is meant for him.
“Let’s go back over that again, Eddie, and I want you to concentrate this time.”
“He is concentrating,” I snap.
The teacher looks up. “With all due respect, Mr. Miles, you can’t interrupt my classes. Eduardo needs to try harder.”
“That is all for today.” I cut him off.
Eddie smiles up at me and I can see the relief written all over his face.
“In fact.” I pause as I contemplate our options, Hayden wanted to fire him a week ago and I talked her out of it, I came home from work today early to specifically sit in on the lesson. Hayden is right, this isn’t working. “We won’t be needing your services any longer. Your teaching style isn’t working for Eddie.”
Eddie bites his bottom lip to stifle his smile.
“Please send us an account of all that we owe you.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Mr. Enid replies.
“I disagree. Good luck with everything.” I shake his hand and direct for Eddie to do the same. “Thank you,” Eddie says with the best of manners.
Eddie and I watch on as Mr. Enid walks out and gets into his car, and I turn to Eddie. “What a tool.”
I stand at the window and stare out over the London skyline, my mind is miles away, it’s with Eddie at home.
“What’s wrong with you? You look like you just have the world on your shoulders.” Elliot asks from behind me.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” I sigh.
“Such as?”
“I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing with Eddie, maybe I should have put him into school. He is struggling with this language barrier and I don’t know how to make it any better for him.”
“I thought you had him a tutor?”
“I do…did, he came to the house four times a week. But he’s…
everything seems to be like really hard and I know just how intelligent he is, I don’t understand why he’s struggling so much. The thing is, he’s never read or written in any language so to add to it a new language is another level of hardship. Maybe we should put him in school?”
“What is the thought process behind not doing that?” Elliot frowns.
“Hayden wants him to feel secure and safe within himself before he is put into social situations with mean kids. She thinks he’s going to snap if they push him.”
“Good point. Can we find him a job here?”
“This is the problem; he can’t even work in the mail room if he can’t read or write. This really is a major roadblock in his life right now and I need to find a way to help and motivate him. I just don’t know how.”
Elliot thinks for a minute. “You need to think like a fourteen-year-old boy.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“What would have motivated you when you were fourteen?”
I think for a moment, a new plan comes into mind and I smirk.
“That’s it.” I slap him hard on the back. “That’s fucking it.”
Elliot chuckles. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“You bet I am.”
I drive up the long winding driveway toward our house and I catch sight of something magnificent in the field, I pull the car to a stop as I stare on in awe.
The sun is slowly setting over the mountain, the meadows are dancing with colors of gold. Eddie is driving the tractor and Hayden is sitting up on the back behind him with the two puppies. They are laughing and talking and having the absolute time of their lives. Every now and then the puppies will bark and Hayden and Eddie roar in laughter at what must be the funniest joke of all time.
They don’t see me, but every cell in my body sees them.
I can feel the happiness as it oozes from their souls.
This farm, these people, this life.
It’s perfect, where the three of us belong.
Together.
I couldn’t ask for a happier place to live…for Eddie to call home.
I know it’s not Spain and I know we have so many more hurdles to cross but between the three of us, there is so much love.
I watch them until they disappear over the hill, they still haven’t seen me and probably won’t be back to the house for hours. This is what they do here, disappear into god knows where.
I make my way up to the house and walk in to see Sylvester and Minnie, our cats, lying in front of the fire, stretched out and sleeping like logs.
I stare at them all relaxed like. “Dare I ask if you two wild beasts caught any mouses today?”
I frown as I mouth the word.
Mouses.
“Mice, did you two catch any mice today?”
They keep sleeping.
“Everybody is working in this house to keep the wheels running except you two,” I tell them as I kick off my shoes and take off my jacket.
“You better start pulling your weight around here or that’s it. No more fire and no more free meals.”
I drop a cushion off the couch onto the floor beside them.
“Because if we get lice and we have to burn the house down then I’m
leaving you two inside it.” I lie down on the floor beside them in front of the fire with my head on the cushion.
Sylvester looks up as if just realizing I’m home and gets up and walks over and sits on me. “I’m not a chair you know?” I tell him.
I scratch his chin and he purrs and closes his eyes, relaxed and living the life of a king.
It brings a smile to my face; these cats couldn’t catch a mouse if their lives depended on it.
“Maybe you’ll have to start cooking instead.”
Hayden
Knock, knock, sounds at the door.
Eddie’s new tutor is here, I bound down the stairs and stop on the spot when I see who is at the door.
A Spanish bombshell, curvy and gorgeous and in her late twenties, she’s wearing a long black pencil skirt and tight-fitting sweater blouse, her long dark hair is out and full and she has a real Sofía Vergara vibe.
A walking sex bomb.
“Hello, my name is Lucia. I’m here to see Eddie. I’m his new teacher.”
I stare at her, shocked to my core…
What are you going to teach him?
Eddie’s eyes widen as he stares at her. “I’m…I ’m…I’m…Eddie,” he stammers as he points to his chest.
I roll my lips to hide my smile at his reaction to her.
Christopher Miles…you snake.
“Come in.” I smile.
“Do you…do you want a drink or something?” Eddie offers her at a million miles per minute.
“That would be lovely. Thank you, Eduardo.” She smiles calmly, it’s obvious that every male she meets would have this reaction to her.
Eddie smiles goofily up at her and then his eyes flick to me to make sure I’m seeing this too.
Diabolical.
“Let’s just get to know each other today, Eddie,” she says. “Maybe you could show me around your farm.”
Eddie’s eyes widen with excitement. “Su…sure,” he gasps, his eyes flick to me and then back to her and then back to me, he’s so excited that he doesn’t know where to look.
Over the next two hours I watch on as Eddie hangs off every word that comes out of Lucia’s mouth. He took her for a drive on the tractor and has been explaining everything about our farm and animals to her in great detail.
Which I’m really pleased about because she can now see how switched on he is.
She’s kind and thoughtful and he is already so much more engaged than he was with his last teacher.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Eddie?” she asks.
He smiles goofily. “Okay.”
“Your father wants us to do this every day.”
Eddie’s eyes widen in excitement. “Sounds so great,” he gasps. “Really, really great.”
I bet it does…you little demon, you.
He walks out the front to wave her off and I watch them through the window. Eddie is glowing with excitement and I have to admit, I’m even excited for him.
Later that night I hear Christopher’s car pull up the driveway and I walk out to meet him.
“Hi there,” he says as he gets out of his car, he takes me into his arms and kisses me softly, his tongue gently brushing against mine.
“Tell me you did not do that on purpose.” I smirk up at him.
He gives me a sexy wink. “Whatever it takes.”
The farm is abuzz with catering staff, florists and bartenders.
People are carrying tables; marquee white tents are being erected and flowers are everywhere. Preparation for our wedding tomorrow at my parents’ farm in Finger Lakes in the US is in full swing.
I wanted to get married here, it was important to my parents and important to me. This farm is the very essence of my soul, marrying my soulmate could only ever be done here.
Christopher really wanted to get married at our farm but he conceded once he knew how much it meant to me.
Eddie and I have been here for a week already and Christopher flew in on Wednesday after work.
On Monday, Christopher and I go on our honeymoon to the Maldives and Mom and Dad and Eddie will return to our farm in the UK, we have too much going on there at the moment for it to be left alone for more than a few days.
The good news is that Mom and Dad have a full-time caretaker here now, so they are free to travel whenever they want. Eddie has become very close to my parents; my father especially has taken him in under his wing and I’m quite sure that they come and stay at our farm for extended times now to see Eddie and not us.
The Miles family have all arrived and are staying at a hotel in town, we are having a big pre-wedding dinner tonight here with just the two families.
I always get nervous when our families come together, they are just so different and my dad can be so abrasive and blunt. Everyone seems to walk around on their tiptoes so that they don’t rock the boat.
Tristan’s boys are always a great icebreaker though, they seem to fit in wherever they are and as more and more babies arrive things are getting busier and more hectic. Eddie is still quiet around the extended family; he will get there; I know he will. It’s just that every time we come together there is so much going on that he just stays quiet and tries to blend in. I can’t wait for the day that they get to know and love him the way that we do.
“Okay, babe.” Christopher kisses me softly, his hands on my behind. “I’m going to go. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
“Okay.” I kiss him again, our lips lingering over each other’s.
Christopher is going to have a drink with his brothers before our dinner tonight. As close as ever, any chance they get to spend time together they take it. The four of them went to Vegas last month for his bachelor party and I don’t know what they did there but Christopher slept for three days once he got home. His voice was so hoarse from laughing and drinking that I hate to even imagine what went on.
“Tomorrow.” He smiles against my lips, bringing me back to the here and now.
“Tomorrow…” My heart swells, he kisses me softly again as he grips my hair in both his hands.
“God, I can’t fucking wait until you’re my wife.”
I smile against his lips; we are so in love.
The life that we are building together is more than either of us could have ever imagined. Eddie being a part of our lives is such a gift, he is such a special person. The kindest, most thoughtful human I have ever met.
Funny and intelligent, witty and smart. Hardworking too, the best we have on the farm, he’s up looking after the animals first in the morning and he’s the last to check on them every night.
In amongst the chaos and the adoration of our dogs and cats and cows, he’s found himself, he’s our king. The glue that holds us all together.
I’m not sure if the corporate Miles world will ever be for him.
Christopher seems to think that this is his grounding stage where the farm is everything to him, it’s his home that he’s helping to build. But he thinks eventually Eddie will need more and then will come to work for Miles Media.
Me…I’m not so sure.
I think back to him bartending in the backpackers and what his life would have turned out like if we never met and I can’t imagine it. It seems so removed from the life we live now.
He would have been fine and he would have excelled in whatever he did, he has that deep kind of resilience that can’t be taught. But I’m so glad that he doesn’t have to be anymore. He can be soft and vulnerable and just loved for who he is.
He can choose whatever path in life that he wants to.
“Don’t get drunk,” I remind Christopher. “We have the dinner tonight, remember?”
“I know.”
“Yeah, you always say you know, but whenever you get with your brothers something snaps in your brain.”
He smirks. “Because they are fucking alcoholics, that’s why. They peer group pressure me.”
I giggle. “Sure they do, you’re the worst out of all of them.”
“See you in a few hours.” I watch him get into his old beat-up truck and pull out down the driveway, I smile as he disappears. So much has changed, I remember the first time he came here and was so mortified by the red utility I made him hire. Now he prefers the older beat-up cars, he reckons they make him feel tougher.
I don’t know who he is kidding, he could never be tough on the land.
Even our cats boss him around, he’s the softy with the huge heart.
I hear a sound in the distance and look over to see Eddie on the tractor following my father down to the far paddock.
Where are they going now?
“There is no time to fix fences today, boys, we have a wedding to organize.”
I walk into the house, take the stairs, unzip the garment bag as it hangs on the back of the door and stare lovingly at the most beautiful wedding dress I have ever seen.
My heart skips a beat.
I’m getting married tomorrow.
Christopher
We all hold our drinks together for a toast. “To Hayden.” Jameson smiles.
“To Hayden,” we all repeat.
“Can you believe it?” I smirk. “How the fuck did I talk her into marrying me, I will never know.”
“Me neither,” Tristan agrees. “Poor bitch should run while she can.”
Elliot chuckles. “Just hurry up and get the ring on so she can’t back out.”
We collectively take a sip of our customary Blue Label scotch. “This is a weird day, isn’t it?” I ask them.
“How so?”
“Well, I’m the last of us to get married.”
“The end of an era.” Jameson nods, almost sadly.
“It is,” we all agree as we fall pensive.
“And not one of us married the kind of girl we thought we would,” Tristan replies.
“I did.” Elliot smiles wistfully. “I married my dream girl.”
Jameson rolls his eyes. “You’re fucking pathetic, you know that? You didn’t even know she painted those paintings.”
“But she did.” Elliot smirks as he holds up his glass in a toast. “But she did. Her art was in my heart.”
They all groan in disgust.
“Like I said, pathetic.” Jameson curls his lip. “And for the record, if Harvey calls me boy tonight, I’m knocking him out,” he adds.
Tristan chuckles. “Please do, I would pay good money to see him kick your ass.”
“I’d like to see that,” I reply. “He could kill you with his eyes closed.”
“Don’t doubt it,” Elliot agrees. “He is one tough motherfucker.”
“So what’s next for the Miles brothers?” Elliot asks. “What happens from here?”
“We watch our kids grow up and take over,” Jameson replies with a shrug.
“Miles, the Next Generation.” I smile sadly. “The end of an era.” I put my hand over my heart. “Don’t, it’s making me sad. I don’t want our stories to be over, I want to stay here forever.”
Jameson fills our glasses again.
“I’m not allowed to get drunk,” I say. “I’ve been warned.”
“Fuck off.” He fills my glass to the top. “You’re not married yet.” He raises his glass for another toast. We all smile, his toasts have always been legendary and as we get older we somehow appreciate them more, we put our glasses up to his.
“To the next generation of Miles’s, may they live greater, faster, harder, and fuck like demons.”
Tristan snorts his drink up his nose. “And for my girls to be virgins forever so that I don’t have to kill anybody.”
“That too.” Elliot nods.
We all chuckle as we toast the closing of an era and the opening of another, to hopes and dreams and fantasies coming true.
“To the next generation of Miles’s.”
Hayden
We sit out in the garden under a canopy of fairy lights, music is playing and we are all relaxing and on the wind-down for the big day tomorrow, the dinner has been perfect. Great food, great company, wonderful families coming together.
Unsurprisingly, the boys were tipsier than they’d promised to be, hilarious as usual, I swear when these four get together they grow another brain. Sarcasm and wit is their only language.
Dessert has been served and I walk around and collect some plates.
Laughter is loud as all the kids chatter and talk between themselves.
Eddie is quiet and standing back, I’m not sure if something has happened to upset him, but he’s not acting like himself.
He helps me collect some plates and my father does too and we walk them up to the catering staff in the kitchen.
Harry is in the kitchen getting a drink.
“Hello, boy,” my dad says.
Harry looks at my father deadpan. “Don’t call me that.”
Eddie’s back straightens.
“You’re very entitled for a kid,” my dad growls.
Oh fuck.
“Outside, everybody.” I fake a smile. Please don’t poke the bear, Harry.
The night has been perfect, don’t ruin it.
“I am not entitled,” Harry spits angrily. “And I don’t appreciate your tone, Harvey.”
Oh crap.
“Who’s got the tone, boy?” my father sneers.
“I said don’t call me that,” he fires back. “Are you deaf?”
Jeez, this kid. He’s so headstrong, they really do have their hands full with him.
Eddie steps in front of my father, “Don’t speak to him like that.” He pokes Harrison in the chest. “Apologize.” He pokes him again. “Now.”
Harry pokes him back. “No. I did nothing wrong. I don’t want to be called that, so I won’t be.”
“You disrespect him and you disrespect me. Apologize. Now.” Eddie pushes Harrison on the chest and he stumbles back.
“Stop it, boys,” I snap, I turn to Patrick. “Go get your father and Christopher.”
Patrick looks at me wide eyed, unsure what to do.
“Now,”
Harry pushes Eddie again and Patrick runs outside in search of backup.
“Cut it out, you two,” my father growls.
Eddie grabs Harrison by the shirt. “You apologize to Harvey now…or you’re going to get it.”
“What are you going to do about it, wimp,” Harrison fires back. “You can’t fight for shit.”
My dad throws his head back and laughs out loud, he thinks this is hilarious.
“Stop it,” I cry. “Dad, this isn’t funny.”
The boys grab each other in a headlock and begin to wrestle.
“Argh, what are you doing?” I whisper angrily as I try to pull them apart.
“Stop it.”
Eddie pushes Harrison toward the front door. “Get out the front, I’m kicking your ass.”
“Bring it, pretty boy,” Harrison spits. “I’m kicking your fucking ass.”
They push each other to the front door as I run to the back door.
“Christopher,” I call.
Fuck, where is he?
Claire sees my face and instantly stands.
Everyone looks up from their tables to see what the commotion is about.
“What’s happening?” Claire whispers.
“Harrison and Eddie are fighting.”
“What?” Her eyes widen. “Where?”
“Out the front.”
We both go running through the house and burst out the front door to see Eddie and Harrison rolling around on the ground fighting in the dark.
“Ahh, Harry,” Claire cries. “Stop it.”
Eddie has Harry’s face munched into the ground. “Apologize,” he yells.
“Go to hell,” Harry spits as he tastes the dirt.
Tristan and Christopher come running around the side of the house.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tristan yells, he pulls Eddie off Harrison and throws him backward.
“He started it,” Harrison yells.
“Apologize, you coward,” Eddie yells. “You apologize right this minute or I’m kicking your ass again.”
Christopher’s and my eyes are wide, we’ve never seen this side of Eddie.
“What happened?” Tristan glares at Harrison, “What do you need to apologize for?”
Harrison shrugs. “I don’t want to be called boy. I’m not taking that shit.”
A loud laugh sounds from behind us and we turn to see a very tipsy Jameson thinking this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen. “Fight, fight, fight,” he chants as he shadow-punches the air.
Tristan breaks into a broad smile when he sees him. “Fuck off, idiot.”
“Apologize to Harvey, right now,” Eddie demands.
Harry narrows his eyes as he glares at Eddie. “Sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Eddie barks.
Harrison exhales heavily. “Sorry for being rude, Harvey.”
As if his work is done, Eddie dusts his hands and his shirt off and walks inside, Harrison follows and Tristan takes off after them, not trusting that the fight is actually over.
Claire, Christopher and I stand shell shocked, “I have never seen Eddie like that.” I murmur. “I’m so sorry, he was out of line. It’s not his place to pull up Harry.”
“Harry is a little piece of work. He probably deserved it,” Claire whispers. “It’s me who is sorry.” She takes off into the house and my father smiles and then chuckles. “This is great,” he laughs.
“This is not great, Dad?” I gasp. “I’ve never seen that side of him.”
“How do you think Eddie survived on his own for so long?” he asks.
Christopher and I stare at him, lost for words.
“He doesn’t take shit from anyone, and finally, he’s bringing that over to his new life. It’s about time he demanded their respect.”
Christopher drags his hands through his hair. “Fuck.”
We walk inside to see a very sheepish Harrison and Eddie sitting on the couch with Tristan in between them.
Jameson and Elliot are fake punching each other as they put on a show for the living room. Everyone is acting serious but the two drunken idiots are actually quite amusing.
Eddie’s eyes rise to meet Christopher’s and Christopher winks at him, Eddie’s shoulders relax a little, knowing it’s going to be okay.
I inwardly smile, I think Dad might be right.
Eddie demanded their respect tonight; he’s finally broken through the barrier in his new life of asking for what he knows he deserves.
I can’t be angry for that.
How could I be?
Go, baby.
“This is it, baby girl.” Dad smiles down at me. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”
We stand at the end of the flower-strung aisle, the wedding march playing, in front of our friends and family, my veil firmly in place.
My fitted lace dress is the perfect finale to my fairy tale.
Marrying my dream man in my dream dress.
Christopher and Eddie are waiting for me at the other end. Black dinner suits and beaming happy smiles.
With every step we take down the aisle a little more of my destiny clicks into place. My heart free-falling from my chest.
It’s him. It’s always been him.
Today I am marrying Christopher Miles.
We finally get to the end of the aisle and my father kisses both of my cheeks and I turn toward Christopher.
He kisses me and leans up onto his toes in excitement, his big, beautiful smile on display.
My heart is full.
And as everyone who is dearest to us watches on, I marry the love of my life.
The room is hot and steamy, a perspiration sheen covers my skin.
I’m on my hands and knees, the sound of the bed slamming into the wall with force.
“You take my cock like a good fucking wife,” Christopher growls as he pulls my head back by my hair, he’s standing behind me, his legs spread and thick quads contracting with every pump.
I clench as my body ripples around his large erection.
Holy fuck…
The honeymoon of all honeymoons.
I have well and truly been broken in.
We’ve been fucking for hours…days.
His hands tighten on my hair as he pulls my head back so that my eyes meet his. “I’m going to blow in your mouth, Mrs. Miles.”
I smile up at him and lick my lips.
Please.
We walk up the gangplank hand in hand, “Good afternoon Mr and Mrs Miles.” The captain smiles. The staff are lined up in their white and navy uniforms to greet us and I can’t help but get a sense of de-ja-vu. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were working in a place just like this.
We are boarding Christophers super Yacht and every single time we do it, it just seems so crazy and surreal.
It’s like we have two different lives, the family farm in London with Eddie and then when Eddie stays with my parents, we live a life of the rich and famous.
Yachts and private planes, black tie balls and exotic people and places.
We are in St Tropez in the south of France, we flew over in the private jet and now have a week on the yacht.
Crazy…even to me.
We board and walk into the most beautiful yacht I have ever seen; I take the stairs to our bedroom and look around, through the huge glass windows, I stare out over the view of the marina and Christophers hands snake around me from behind, “Finally…. we’re here.” He whispers against my cheek.
“Let’s get busy.” His erection digs into my hip.
“We are not getting busy; they’re going to be here soon.”
“They’ll be hours, they’re always late.”
A shell horn sounds and we glance up and Basil, Bernadette, Bodie and Kimberly are coming up the boardwalk dressed in full cabaret fancy dress, laughing loudly as they chat.
“Fuck me dead.” Christopher whispers.
I burst out laughing, the best part about our extravagant holidays is that we get to bring our friends.
I stare at the little girl wrapped tightly in her pink blanket, the perfect blend of Christopher and me.
Evelyn Grace Miles, one week old, and today we get to take her home.
I glance at my watch. “Where are they?”
Christopher and Eddie are coming to pick us up but are running late and I have no idea what they are doing.
So much has changed in our life.
Eddie is now legally our son; we adopted him eighteen months ago and go to Spain for vacation every year. We’re hoping to buy a holiday house over there as soon as we get the time to look for one.
As much as we love our time in Spain, Eddie is always the one who is most eager to get back to our farm in the UK. He is totally obsessed with it and says that it’s where we belong. He’s become quite the competent little farmer.
My mom and dad live in the bottom house of our farm for a few months of the year. One day we hope to get a caretaker to live in one of the houses so that we can go away more often. At the moment we are pretty tied here. I have a herd of the most beautiful cattle in all of the land and my own animal husbandry business. I have two full-time staff to help me with it. I think Eddie is sweet on Melissa, who is one of our trainees. She’s a year older than him but they get on well and hang out together. Christopher is watching them like a hawk and has warned Eddie not to touch her or he’s dead.
Eddie is reading and writing like a pro and now is going to school as a senior. He is sitting in the top band of his classmates and has lots of friends, he just got his learner license.
Christopher hasn’t let me drive with him yet because I was pregnant, all I know is that every time they go driving, Christopher ages about five years and does a cross symbol as he walks into the house as if he is walking into a Catholic church.
The door bursts open and Christopher and Eddie come rushing in. “Sorry we’re late,” Eddie stammers,
“Hi, Grumps.” Christopher kisses me softly; his lips linger on mine.
Having this perfect little version of us has sent Christopher’s hormones into overdrive, he cannot love me more.
“You’re late.” I look between them as I hand Evelyn to Eddie. “Hold your sister.” Eddie takes her like a pro and sits down in the chair in the corner of the hospital room, he smiles down at her with so much love.
He’s a natural at this big brother thing.
“It was Eddie’s fault.”
“It was not,” Eddie fires back. “You left the gate open and the cows got into the top paddock.”
“What?” I frown.
“Then we had to chase them all back in and then I tripped over in cow shit and had to change,” Christopher snaps. “Nothing ever runs fucking smooth for us, you know this.”
“Don’t curse in front of Evelyn,” Eddie fires back. “She can hear, you know?”
Christopher punches his fist. “I’m the parent around here.”
Eddie rolls his eyes.
“Are my boys ready to take us home?” I ask.
Christopher takes me into his arms and kisses me softly. “You bet we are.” He turns to Eddie. “Let me hold her.”
“I want to hold her,” Eddie replies.
“Later, you’re the kid.” Christopher takes her from him. “The dad always holds the baby as you leave the hospital, everyone knows that. It’s the dad law.”
“I’m carrying her into the house when we get home then,” Eddie replies.
I roll my eyes. Fuck my life. “Are you two going to fight over holding her forever now?”
“Yes,” they both say in unison.
Eddie grabs my bags and Christopher puts his arm around his shoulders as he stares lovingly down at our little girl. “Let’s take our family home.”
Christopher
Five years later.
We sit around the board table, all of us together as we make plans and projections for Miles Media for the next five years.
Tough decisions have to be made, changes bought into place and implemented.
This is the sharp end of the job; it is also where Jameson shines and is at his best.
“Okay.” Jameson slides over his folder. “Next. I have made some recommendations on who I want to train up to management level in the New York office.”
I take the folder from him and open it up.
Eduardo Miles
I close the folder and push it back to him, “No.”
“What do you mean no?” He frowns.
“He’s not ready.”
Eddie has been working with Miles Media for three years and I hate to admit it but he’s a star in the making.
Sharp and smart with no in between.
Jameson’s eyes hold mine across the boardroom table. “I beg to differ.”
Tristan and Elliot scoff in disgust.
“Do I look like I’m joking?” I snap. “He is not ready.”
“You mean…not ready for his overprotective father to let him live his own life and grow into his full potential?” Jameson rolls his eyes.
“Give me a break.”
I sit back in my chair, annoyed. “I am not being overprotective.”
“Yes you are,” Tristan replies. “I know how you feel, but you need to let him go.”
“You do not know how I feel,” I fire back. “You have no fucking idea
“Yes. I do. Harrison is also training for management if you didn’t remember? He was supposed to come back to Anderson Media straight after his internship and now he won’t. Jameson has seduced him into staying.”
“Because you work between the two companies,” I snap. “You’re three days a week at Anderson Media and two days a week at Miles. He doesn’t have to choose because his father is involved in both companies.”
“That has nothing to do with it,” Jameson snaps. “Harrison and Eduardo are needed in New York. They have enough potential, intelligence and grit required for management.” He looks between Tristan and me. “You both know that. They are needed in New York.
This is their company too; they need to step up and be who we need them to be.”
I exhale heavily.
“Eduardo has an inner strength that cannot be taught,” Jameson continues. “And when you took him as your son he inherited a privilege.
But that privilege comes with duty. And that duty is to Miles Media. I won’t have your pansy bullshit excuses that he can’t handle it when we all fucking know he could handle more than any of us.”
I run my hands through my hair. “Hayden is going to flip, he can’t move to New York on his own, he’s still too young.”
“He’s twenty-two,” Jameson fires back, “Do you remember what we were all doing at twenty-two? And besides, he won’t be on his own, he has Harrison and Fletcher, his two best friends, both living in New York.
I’m here and Tristan is here, we can keep an eye on him.”
I roll my lips. “I don’t like this,” I sigh.
“You don’t have to,” Jameson replies.
“He can live in your penthouse,” Elliot says.
“Oh and run amok with Harry and Fletch, that’s not a disaster waiting to happen at all, is it?” I sit back, annoyed. “Imagine the three of them together out on the town. He won’t leave Hayden and his brothers and sisters anyway; I know he won’t.”
“Why don’t we ask him?” Jameson pushes the buzzer, “Can you send Eduardo in, please, Sammia.”
“Yes, sir.”
A few moments later a knock sounds at the door. “Come in.”
Eddie comes into view and smiles. “Hello.”
“Take a seat.” Jameson smiles.
Eddie sits down as he looks between us and I smile as I have an out-of-body experience. I see the little boy I met in Spain and now the man sitting here in front of me.
So much has changed and yet everything is the same.
He’s wearing a tailored designer suit, the best shoes money can buy and a Rolex watch, and not because I bought it for him.
Because he bought it for him.
“Eddie, we are exceptionally proud of you,” Jameson says. “You are a shining light in Miles Media’s future.”
Emotion overwhelms me and my nostrils flare as I try to hold it together.
“You’ve been a star in our London office but the time has come.”
Eddie looks between us in confusion.
“I would like you to work out of the New York office from here on in,” Jameson says. “Tristan will be training you in acquisitions management.”
His eyes widen and then flick to me.
I twist my lips as I try to hold my tongue.
“Would you like that?” Jameson asks.
Eddie nods. “Very much, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“I’ll have to speak to Mom first,” Eddie replies. “I can’t agree to anything without talking to her and Dad in private first.”
Good boy.
I give him a lopsided smile.
“Okay.” Jameson nods. “I respect that, but I need an answer tomorrow.”
“Thank you so much, Jameson, this is an incredible opportunity, I’m so grateful.” He shakes Jameson’s hand; his excitement is bubbling out of him, a tangible force. He then goes around the table and shakes Tristan’s hand and Elliot’s and then pulls me into a hug. “Thanks, Dad.”
No.
I want to throw myself on the floor and tantrum. Beg him not to do this. He can’t leave us yet, it’s too soon. His siblings need him around.
Hayden won’t survive without her best little friend.
He bounces out of the boardroom and Jameson smirks over at my horrified face.
“Calm down, you’ve done your job, Christopher. He’s ready for the next stage of his life, to meet his full potential. You and Hayden need to let him go. It’s time for little Eddie from Spain to become Eduardo Miles of New York.”
I think back to the first time I met Eddie and how enamored with New York he was. How excited he was just to have a cap with the lettering NY.
My heart twists.
This is his every dream come true.
And he’s worked so hard for it, first to arrive to work every day, last to leave. Learning to read and write, completing college, you name it, he’s conquered it, without a single complaint.
The bravest person I know.
I’ve never been so proud of anyone or anything in my life. Hayden and I have had the privilege of loving him and calling him our son.
But becoming Eduardo Miles of New York has always been his destiny, this is his calling.
He will be a force to be reckoned with.
How could we ever stand in the way of an opportunity like this?
Through tears in my eyes, I nod as I concede defeat.
“Look after him for me,” I whisper.
Jameson shakes my hand. “I promise.”
Hayden
Ten years to the day.
The moonlight bounces off the sea, a cool breeze tickles my skin.
Midnight, the witching hour.
I stand on the edge of the beach, my eyes roaming over the sand.
Ten years ago I promised a man that I would meet him on this very beach in Barcelona at midnight.
He tried to kiss me then and I declined, then he told me he was going to steal me from my husband.
I catch sight of his silhouette down by the water’s edge and I make my way down to him.
I’m wearing the same bikini I travelled with and my white dress that he loved so much. I kept it especially for this date, to reminisce with a full visual.
Take a step back in time.
Eddie is back at our holiday house here in Spain with his four younger brothers and sisters, two boys and two girls.
I’m on the beach meeting the man of dreams.
The one that didn’t get away.
Christopher turns, and as he sees me he gives me a breathtakingly beautiful smile; his dark hair is messed up. He’s wearing a white linen shirt with the top buttons undone and boardshorts.
But it’s his heart that I see.
The blinding beautiful light that shines from within him.
“Hi.” I smile as I approach him.
“Hi.” He beams, he’s holding a flower in his hands, he tucks it behind my ear and then kisses me softly, his lips linger over mine as he holds my face.
“You came,” he whispers.
I smile against his lips; our story could have been so different.
“Of course I did, you’re the love of my life.”
He kisses me again. “I’m still going to steal you from your husband.”
I giggle. “You’d hate him.”
“I heard he’s a real fucking wanker.’”
I laugh out loud and he does too as we hold hands and stare at each other.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
“For what?”
“For loving me just as I am.”
My eyes well with tears and his silhouette blurs.
“For giving me the most wonderful life I could ever have dreamed of.”
He kisses me and it’s so filled with emotion, powerful and full of love.
The perfect end to our story, and yet just the beginning.
He takes my hand and begins to wade into the water. “This time, Grumps, I’m doing what I should have done last time.”
“What’s that?”
“I am fucking you in the ocean.”
My mouth falls open.
“And I don’t give a fuck what your husband says.” He bends and whips my bikini bottoms off and throws them into the darkness. “Be gone,” he yells.
I laugh out loud. “Don’t throw them away, how the hell am I going to get out?”
He picks me up and hurls me into the air. “Who fucking cares, we’ll stay in here forever.”