A Family Affair (Book 1 of the Smalltown Superstars Series)

9

He woke to the smell of bacon. Liam opened his eyes and looked around the bedroom. He was alone but the delicious smell filling his senses told him Raven was in the kitchen. He rolled from his stomach to his back and stretched. The clock on the nightstand said it was late into the afternoon. He was not accustomed to sleeping so late in the day. Usually he had been working for hours by now.

Liam sat up and looked around the room. It was large and the furniture was very modern and looked as if it cost quite a bit. It definitely seemed like Dawson. Flashy and expensive, personally it wasn’t to his taste. Liam preferred rustic and simple. He liked something that you could live in not something that was strictly meant for show.

He climbed from the bed and walked over to the window to peer out the blinds. The neighbourhood was very upper class. Expensive houses with three or four flashy cars and a boat parked out front. Expensive landscaping and those fancy cobblestone drive ways not the usual cement poured ones one normally saw. He could see his muddy four by four parked out front and snickered to himself. It really stuck out like a sore thumb in this neighbourhood. It was clear to him he didn’t belong here.

He remembered pulling into the driveway last night and staring at the huge house in awe. He couldn’t believe how well his little brother was doing for himself. This place was two stories with what looked like a walk out basement. It had to have at least five bed rooms, and two or three baths. It was no wonder Dawson worked all the time. The payments on this place must have been a fortune.

Liam went to a door which luckily, he found lead to a washroom. He took advantage of a nice quick shower to refresh himself and then went in search of clothes. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked out into the hall. He recalled his clothes had been left in a hasty trail along the stairs. He reached the top of the stairs expecting to find his boxers and found nothing. Odd, he headed down the stairs to find his jeans which he distinctly remembered leaving in the foyer. He reached to bottom of the stairs expecting to find his jeans and shirt and again found nothing. Now just where had his clothes gotten to?

Liam found his way to the kitchen where he found Raven happily cooking away over the stove. She wore a short white skirt and a black tank top. Her hair was tied back in a high ponytail. She smiled when she saw him standing in the archway with a towel about his waist. “That is a good look for you.” She said placing a pancake on a plate with some bacon.

He grinned at her cheeky remark. “It would seem I can’t find my clothes.” He said coming into the kitchen. “You wouldn’t know why that is?” He asked coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled her back against him and playfully nibbled at her neck causing her to squeal.

Raven swatted at his hands. “Behave I am trying to make some food. You will make me burn the pancakes.” She scolded. She then pointed to the chair by the table where she had folded and placed his clothes. “Your stuff is over there.” She informed him.

“Now why would you put it there?” He asked finding it odd that she would not leave his things in the bedroom for him to find if she were cleaning up.

“Because I wanted to see you come down without them.” She teased, her cheeks blushing red.

Liam picked up his shorts and shed his towel drawing her admiring view. “All you had to do was ask sweetheart.” He said winking at her as he pulled his shorts on. He then pulled on his jeans as Raven brought two plates to the table and placed a delicious looking meal of pancakes and fresh fruit with crisp bacon and fresh brewed coffee. Liam sat down and picked up a fork. “This looks great.”

“Thank you. It is nice to have someone else to cook for.” She said digging into her own meal.

Liam looked at Raven astonished that Dawson could have such a wonderful woman and not see what he had. She was beautiful, she was sweet, and funny, and he ignored her. She was incredibly sexy and he went to bed with other women and starved her for attention. She was a great cook and yet it would seem he was never around to enjoy it. The man was a fool. He had such a good thing and he was letting it slip right through his fingertips, and for what? Another zero on his pay cheque? Some bimbo he met in the hotel bar? A house and car he didn’t need? Dawson didn’t deserve Raven.

“Do you not have to work today?” He asked.

She shook her head. “I took two weeks off to focus on wedding plans.” She said with a sigh. “I suppose there is no point to it now is there.” She said. He was glad to hear her say that. She was finally coming to her senses.

“Why stay in this big house all by yourself. Why don’t you come spend a few days on my ranch?” He offered. “I still got to work and all but I will be around. Maybe I will teach you to ranch.” He said. “I got a heifer that is about ready to calf any day now. That should be quite the experience for a city girl.”

She smirked and leaned back in her seat. “I have no idea what any of that means.”

Liam chuckled. “Don’t worry you will when it happens.” He promised. He took a bite of his food and then washed it down with some coffee. “So, do you want to come spend the week on the ranch? I will show you what country life is like.”

She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully and he grinned. She was so darn cute. Raven smiled. “What the hell, it sounds like fun.” She said with some excitement. He agreed. It had been some time since he had a guest. Especially one of the female persuasions. He was actually looking forward to it. He did, however, have quite a bit of work to do. Steve lent a hand as did two others he hired to help him with the work load.

That reminded him he had made a promise he intended to keep. “By the way. I promised Steve I would ask you for your friend’s phone number. He was seriously ticked at me for driving you two off yesterday and ruining his plans. Apparently, he really likes her and would like to see her again.”

“I got the feeling Maggie liked him too. I’m sure she would as happy as a lark to hear from him.” She agreed.

“Eat up sweetheart, and we will pack you a bag. I really ought to be getting back soon and I’m not leaving without you.” He said taking another sip of his coffee. Raven’s face beamed with excitement and she quickly ate her meal. The sun was shining, the food was good and he had a beautiful woman smiling at him. What a wonderful way to start the week.

***

Raven went through her clothes selecting what she wished to take with her. “I recommend you don’t bring anything you mind getting ruined. The ranch can be a dirty place.” Liam said as he snooped through her closet. “Do you own a pair of boots?”

She did but they were not the type she would want to go traipsing around in animal dung in. “Not any suitable ones.” She said.

“That is ok.” Liam said coming to the bed where her suitcase sat open with a jean jacket in his hands. “I’m sure we could borrow a pair from Brook. You look about the same size.” He said tossing the jacket on the bed beside the suit case.

Raven was curious, who was this Brook he spoke of? They didn’t have a sister that she knew of or a cousin by that name. Was it possible this Brook was an old girlfriend? She eyed him suspiciously. “Who is Brook?”

“Steve’s little sister. She was this annoying little brat that used to follow us around everywhere when we were kids.” He smiled remembering his childhood fondly. “She was a real pain I the butt. Every time we would go out his mother would be like ‘Take your sister with you’ at least until she was old enough to get her own social life.” He laughed. “Then it was Steve following her around trying to pick up her friends. The benefits of having a sister I suppose.”

“Did you ever try to date his sister?” She asked curiously as she packed her bag.

“Are you kidding? Brook is like a sister to me too, it would have been weird. Besides I’m sure Steve would cold c**k me if I had tried. Brook’s a little too wild for me anyway.” He said helping her pack her bag. “I prefer someone a little more reserved.”

She was thankful he did, she certainly was not wild in any way. Running off with him like this was the craziest thing she had ever done, and even that was fairly tame. She finished packing her suitcase and zipped it up. Liam lifted it from the bed and carried it to the door.

Raven paused looking around the room one last time. Second thoughts were beginning to form in her mind. Was this really such a good idea? She might still be able to patch things up with Dawson, if she went off with Liam she might be destroying any chance of that. Did she really want to reconcile with Dawson? She felt so conflicted with her emotions.

Liam stood in the doorway watching her. “Are you coming?” He asked. She took a deep breath and nodded. It was time to put this life behind her. She would follow him in her car. She would make arrangements with her parents to come home for a while until she could find something more permanent and then come back for the rest of her things. Liam reached out and took her hand in his giving it a supportive squeeze. “You are doing the right thing.” He assured her. “He is not going to stop.” Deep down she knew he was right, but it didn’t make the leaving any easier. Liam leaned in and kissed her softly. “I promise, in a few days I will have made you forget all about him.”

“You hold yourself in high regard.” She teased.

He smiled and looked around at the fancy house. “This is not you. I got the feeling that you are going to like the view from my world.”

They headed out to the vehicles. Liam placed her suitcase in the back of his truck and Raven climbed into her car. She waited for him to pull out and start down the street before she backed out and followed him. She could see some of the neighbours outside watching her leave with Liam. She could only imagine what they were speculating. Whispering to one another about her. She just wanted to sink low in her seat and disappear. They must have thought her a w***e. She knew she shouldn’t worry about what other’s thought of her but she did. She really couldn’t help it.

The drive out took some time, leaving her plenty of time to think about what she was doing. She spent a better part of the trip obsessing over Dawson’s betrayal yet again. He had promised her. How could he hurt her like that again? They were supposed to be getting married. How could he claim to love her and be with another?

She tried hard not to let it drive her crazy but the hurt would not go away. When they finally pulled into Liam’s property Raven became instantly distracted. It was incredible. His property was huge with lots of fenced off sections of land and many buildings she couldn’t even guess what they were for. She saw some cows grazing in one pen, not many just a handful, one of which seemed real fat compared to the others. She must be pregnant. Perhaps that had been what he had meant earlier today.

Off in another field Raven saw a number of horses standing about. Some were grazing and some were strolling around she saw two that were standing over their young. They were beautiful beasts, she thought. Stopping her car behind Liam’s truck, she stepped out of her car and looked at the one level ranch house. It wasn’t anything spectacular but it smelled like cedar. She breathed it in deep finding the aroma wonderful.

The house wasn’t very big, the front porch was made of wood and looked old, since the paint was chipped. It stretched the full length of the house from one side to the other. There was even an old wooden porch swing like in the movies. Liam took her suitcase from the back of his truck and carried it inside. Raven followed and looked around as she stepped inside.

The door opened into the living room which had hardwood flooring and an antique wood stove in the corner that looked like it had originally come with the house. Liam had a small TV with rabbit ears which told her he did not spend much time watching it. His couch was second hand and had to be from the seventies with its tacky floral pattern and a throw blanket over it to hide the flowers. There was an old wooden coffee table in the middle of the small room covered completely with magazines, beer bottles and coffee cups. There were old newspapers scattered and stacked on the floor.

Liam shrugged looking a bit embarrassed by the mess. “Bachelor life.” He grinned. “If I knew I was bringing someone home I would have cleaned up.”

Raven smirked. “It is ok, it gives it that lived in feeling.” She teased.

Liam led her farther into the house. He pushed open a door that led into the kitchen which, like the living room, was a mess. Dirty dishes and containers stacked high. He pointed to another door in the corner. “That is the pantry, and this is the kitchen.” He then moved down the hall and stopped at the door to the smallest washroom she had ever seen. Nothing more than a toilet, sink, and a cramped stand up shower. “The washroom. We run on well water so it might look a little brown but it is clean.” He said going farther down the hall to the last room. “This is the bedroom.” He said placing her suitcase on the double bed. It was nothing more than a box-spring and a mattress. No head board or frame. Nothing fancy in the room at all. There was just the bed and the old brown dresser.

This place couldn’t be more different the Dawson’s home. It was so simple, so unkempt and lived in. It was a home not a show piece. “It is simple.” She commented.

“I know it is not what you are used to. I don’t really spend a lot of my time inside.” He admitted. “So, I don’t really care what the inside looks like.” He said starting to gather up some dirty laundry from the floor and tossing it into a hamper. “I usually just come in to eat and sleep. Besides I didn’t buy this place for the house.”

“Why did you buy it then?” She asked.

Liam smiled and took her hand in his. “Come on.” He said leading her back through the house. He took her through the kitchen and out through the back door onto a back porch. She looked out over the breathtaking view. The sun was setting over endless fields of golden crops. The beautiful pinks and orange blanketed the sky and the last rays of the evening sun draped over the fences like they had been hung there by god. Raven saw a horse grazing and a bird fly overhead. It was all so magical. She would never see anything like this in the city. “This is why I bought it.”

“It is so beautiful.”

“Yeah it is.” He agreed. Liam clapped his hands together. “Ok give me an hour to check on the animals and see how my hands are doing. Then I will come back and clean up a bit and make some supper.” He said kissing her cheek. “There are some movies under the TV if you get bored. I will try not to be long.” He promised heading back inside.

Raven looked back out over the fields. This place was so incredible. Who would have known something so simple could be so beautiful? All one had to do was slow down to notice it.

***

Liam had walked through the ranch checking on things. His ranch hands Dave and Josh had come in this morning to see to the animals. They were fed, the stalls were mucked and the horses groomed and exercised.

Liam and Josh inspected Betsy, the heifer that was due to give birth soon. Liam ran his hands along her sides trying to feel the calf. She was ready to deliver very soon, it could happen any minute he was sure of it. “Can you tell if the calf is turned?” He asked.

Josh shrugged, he had years of experience dealing with animals, his father was a vet and Josh had learned much from him growing up. “It is hard to tell, but she has been pacing around the pen a lot. I would say she is going to deliver soon.”

Liam pat the big beast and rubbed her down. “I would hate to lose the calf if something goes wrong. If it breaches during the night we could be out three hundred dollars and that is assuming Betsy here doesn’t die too.”

Josh raked his fingers through his blond hair and offered his assistance. “I can bunk in the tackle room for the night and watch over her. See if the calf comes in the night.”

“Yeah ok let’s do that. If she starts birthing you come get me.” He instructed. Josh agreed and Liam headed back to the house. He had taken a little longer than an hour but he had been gone for a few days now and he needed to consult with his hands to see how things had been going. He reached the porch and kicked of his muddy boots leaving them outside.

Liam went inside and was surprised to find the living room had been tidied up. The coffee mugs and bottles were gone and so were the papers. The magazines were stacked neatly to one side of the coffee table. It would appear that Raven had used her time to clean. He felt bad, she shouldn’t have had to clean his mess. He headed to the kitchen and found she had been busy. Things had been put away neatly and the dishes were washed and put away in the cupboards. The counters were washed and the floor had been swept and mopped. There was a smell filling the kitchen and Liam opened the oven to find a chicken cooking inside.

She had cleaned and started dinner. He was starting to feel spoiled. Even Annie had never had dinner cooking for him when he had come back from working all day. Raven had been here a few hours and already done so much. She would make some man a wonderful wife one day. He shut the oven and headed back down the hall way to find her.

The washroom door was open and she wasn’t in there. He went into the bedroom and found her. She had just finished making the bed. The floor was clean of all clothes and the bed was freshly made with clean sheets and bedding. Her suitcase was on top of his dresser. “You have been busy.” He commented.

She smiled her cheeks blushing. “I just figured I would be helpful.”

“How long until dinner?” He asked curiously.

“Half an hour.” She informed him.

He smiled pleased by the answer. “Great that is plenty of time.” He said coming around the bed and scooping her up. Liam tossed her onto the mattress and crawled on top of her.

She laughed and playfully tried to push him away. “I just made this bed you are going to ruin my efforts.

“It could be remade.” He said nibbling on her neck. “I will make it well worth your while.” He promised.