Straddling the Fence (18 page)

“Kai has someone interested in the painting hanging in her
shop. A lady who stopped in on her way through town. Owns an interior design
firm in Tifton and wants it for a client’s house.”

“See! All it takes is one person. Do you have any more
finished work?”

“Only a room full.”

“One of these days, I’ll be able to say I knew you when.”

Eli stepped out the side door of the barn, scanning the
parked trucks and cars for her, she assumed. Bellamy waved and he headed in
their direction.

“Please don’t tell Eli,” Sage said quietly.

“Not my secret to tell,” she replied. “But I know they’ll be
proud and happy for you once you decide to break the news.”

Eli sauntered up, hands tucked inside his front pockets.
“You makin’ a move on my woman?” he asked his brother. Since his posture was
loose and he seemed like he wanted to smile, Bellamy relaxed. Hopefully Sage
saw it too.

“Maybe she’s makin’ a move on me?”

“Hey!” Bellamy flicked his ear before turning her attention
back to Eli. “I needed a break from all the noise and Sage offered me a beer.
I’ll head back inside and see if Kai needs help with anything.”

When she started to jump down from the tailgate, Eli planted
his palm on her stomach, holding her in place. “Don’t go yet.” His gaze turned
anxious, so Bellamy sat back and covered his hand with hers, giving it a
squeeze of support.

“Sage, about this afternoon—”

“It was my fault,” Sage said, cutting Eli off. “I let my
temper get the best of me and I was wrong. We should be long past settling
arguments with our fists.”

“We’ll talk, okay? Me, you and Fritz will sit down and
figure out what we need to do to keep us
all
happy. I would hate to see
you walk away from us, but if that’s what you want, then we’ll work it out
somehow. I know I’m not the best communicator either, but I promise I’ll do
better in the future.”

When Eli stuck out his hand for Sage to shake, his brother
grabbed it and yanked him into a hug, sore ribs be damned. “Love you, brother.”

“Love you too.”

Bellamy had to bite her lip and look away while she wrestled
with tears. This family was incredible—kind, supportive, devoted and
down-to-earth. She felt incredibly blessed to have met them.

A smooch on her cheek shocked her out of her reverie. Sage
grinned and carefully lowered himself to the ground. “Thanks for the company,
Doc. I’m gonna go grab a piece of cake before it’s all gone.”

“Better hurry,” Eli said to Sage, then looked at Bellamy.
“Mom’s getting ready to open presents.”

“Then we should go too.”

“Can I steal a kiss first?” He stepped between her knees and
Bellamy set her barely touched beer aside so she could wrap her arms around his
neck.

Her mouth against his, she whispered, “You can’t steal from
the willing.”

After a late night cleaning up the party mess at the barn,
Bellamy and Eli spent a good portion of Sunday curled up on his couch napping,
snacking, watching pro football games and groping one another like teenagers.
Eventually said fondling led to clothing being slowly and methodically removed,
much to her delight. Two position changes and three toe-curling orgasms later,
Bellamy was sprawled across Eli’s body, warm, sated and about to doze off, when
her phone rang.

Beneath her ear, a groan rattled Eli’s chest. “Hope that’s
not a work call.”

She sat up and searched for her panties, but by the time she
found them hidden in the couch cushions, the phone had gone silent. A full two
minutes later, it beeped, letting her know she had a message. A long one too.
She made a quick trip to the bathroom, redressed and grabbed her phone from the
bar in the kitchen while Eli threw away the spoils of their afternoon delights
and stepped into his jeans.

“Where’s the 352 area code?” she asked him when she saw the
number on the missed call.

“Not Georgia I don’t think. Could it be your parents calling
from somewhere besides their cells?”

“Mom never leaves a message; she just calls back repeatedly
until I answer. I’m going to Google it.” Bellamy checked the area code with the
browser on her phone. It came back as North Central Florida. When she typed in
the prefix of the number, it told her Ocala. She didn’t know anyone in Ocala,
Florida, and her parents weren’t anywhere near there. “It says that’s an Ocala,
Florida, number.”

“Know anybody there?”

“Not a soul.”

“Listen to the message, Bell. I’m going to start the grill
for our dinner.”

“What are we having?”

“Burgers. Veggie for you and beef for me.”

For some reason, the simple gesture hit Bellamy hard, the
same as it had with the swing. Eli made no big deal out of the fact that she
was a vegetarian and never grumbled about it either. Not once. In fact, he went
out of his way to make sure he took care of her when she stayed with him,
buying things he knew she would eat, like veggie burgers, loads of fresh fruits
and vegetables, and the specific brand of tea she drank. There was a new jar of
honey on the counter from Kai’s shop,
with
the comb. He noticed every
tiny detail, yet he never felt the need to point it out, seeking validation for
being the perfect boyfriend, which he kind of was.

In the back of her mind, Bellamy had a niggling idea what
the call might be about because she was familiar with most of the areas in the
southeast that were heavily horse-centric, and Ocala was one of them. Dream job
aside, the suspicion made her not want to return the call, at least not here
with Eli a few feet away, muddling her ability to remain objective.

But she supposed she should at least listen to the message
first before making the assumption that the call was about a position. Could be
something else entirely, though she couldn’t imagine what that something was.
She certainly hadn’t applied for any jobs in Florida.

Wandering into the guest bathroom with her phone, she closed
the door and sat down on the lip of the tub to bring up her voicemail.

Miss Haile, this is Tom Warren. I’m the owner of
Arrowhead Farm and Stables here in Ocala, Florida. I hope you’ll forgive the
Sunday call, but I got your name from Roger Clay. I’d very much like to speak
with you about a new position we have open for staff veterinarian. We’re one of
the leading thoroughbred breeders in the southeast, and I think you’ll find we
have a lot to offer. A generous salary with excellent benefits, just to name a
few, and our facilities are state-of-the-art.

Roger is a good friend of mine and he had many nice
things to say about you when I mentioned that we wanted to hire someone
full-time. Frankly, we’re just not happy with our current veterinary
arrangement, and we’re looking for someone fresh and eager to get on board with
us.

I’d like to fill the position well in advance of breeding
season, which starts for us in mid-February, if you didn’t know that
information already. Feel free to also visit our website for a peek at our
facilities. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

He rattled off his number before the call disconnected.

Bellamy was shocked to find her hands were shaking when she
tapped the screen on her phone to replay the message.

She should be jumping for joy right now, elated over what
sounded like her dream job apparently just a return phone call and a few
hundred miles away. And she
was
excited and intrigued by the surprise
offer. She’d have to be dead not to be.

So why did it feel like a rusty blade was sawing her heart
in half?

Minutes later, rather than recap the message, Bellamy played
it on speaker for Eli. For a long time he was quiet while he seasoned the
burgers. So long that Bellamy began to wonder if he’d comment at all before he
finally said, “You should probably call him back.” Then he picked up the
platter and stepped outside to put the food on the grill.

His tone gave no clues as to what he was thinking and Eli
was too selfless to try to talk her out of going. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t
help her make up her mind. She wanted to know how he felt about the job, but
more importantly, she wanted to know how he felt about
her
. About them
together and if they might have a future. Strange, because she’d never really
cared about someone else’s personal opinions on her career choices until now.

When Bellamy started vet school, she’d made herself a
promise that nothing or no one would ever get in the way of her goals. Her
dream of being a veterinarian was too important to her, her financial,
emotional and physical investments too great to falter or fail. If she started
dating a guy and he became needy or complained because she was putting her
education ahead of him, which happened nearly every time, she ended it. Her
eyes remained on the prize—a degree she’d saved and sacrificed for, and worked
damn hard to get. A future doing something she loved.

But now that her ultimate aspiration was within reach, the
man in her life had become as important to her as the goal. Maybe more so.

What was she going to do?

Dinner was spent in relative silence, the mood
understandably subdued. They ate outside on the back porch because the weather
was pleasantly cool, not cold or breezy. Eli did a lot of staring off into the
night between bites of his food. Bellamy found that her appetite had vanished.
There was too much going on inside her head and heart for her stomach to
register anything other than turmoil.

She helped him clean up the kitchen, then once they finished
he took her hands in his and pulled her into a tight, somber hug.

“I’m going to take you home,” he said into her hair.

Her stomach fell and a giant lump of disappointment filled
her throat. “Why?”

“Because you need to call Mr. Warren back. You need to ask
him all the questions you have running through your head because I know there
are a lot, and then you need time alone to process what he tells you and how
you feel about taking the job. Your laptop is at your place and I think you’re
probably dying to check out Arrowhead’s website too.”

Bellamy nodded into his shoulder, still unable to formulate
a worthy reply. Everything he said was true and logical, but she wanted to hear
other things come tumbling out of his mouth. He was being so understanding
about the situation, she wondered if perhaps she’d misread his feelings for
her. Maybe he didn’t care if she stayed or went. Maybe she hadn’t meant that
much to him at all, a couple of months’ worth of fun and great sex, nothing
more.

You know better than that.

Did she?

He dropped her off at home, leaving her with a long, tender
kiss and nothing else. No words.

She wanted words.

Once inside her grandparents’ house, she forced herself to
focus and set aside her feelings for Eli. The job offer deserved serious,
thoughtful consideration. She had
her
future to contemplate. The
possibility of a terrific career taking care of just horses, the one thing
she’d always wanted. Plus, a “generous” salary would mean that she’d be able to
pay the taxes on the house and keep it, maybe even renovate it and live here
again one day when she decided to retire. It promised options and security.

So she fired up her laptop and checked out Arrowhead Farm’s
website. True, pictures on the Internet could be misleading, but everything she
saw was just as he’d said in his message and then some—state-of-the-art
facilities, pristine stables, well-groomed grounds with an indoor arena, and an
impressive registry of champions bred and/or born on the premises. A page of
nothing but accolades, awards and client testimonies.

She made a list of questions she wanted to ask Mr. Warren
then called him back. The answers he gave struck her as honest, but most of
all, she found him knowledgeable and friendly, eager to make her feel
comfortable and welcome. The starting salary he offered was above the industry
norm, plus the job came with an on-site apartment, a company truck to drive,
and travel to and from sales and auctions on a private jet.

It was almost too good to be true.

Thankfully, Mr. Warren didn’t pressure her for an answer
that night. He told her to take a few days to decide and get back to him. Just
as she understood his need to fill the position soon, he understood she had an
obligation to the community of Serenity, which posed another dilemma—finding a
vet to temporarily cover the area until someone new took over the task.

After a long sleepless night, mostly over Eli, Monday morning
Bellamy called the local agriculture extension office. Arrangements could be
made for her customers’ veterinary needs to be covered through the university
externship program in the interim until someone moved in to permanently replace
her, which could take months.

Once that was settled, she made a trip out to the Millers’
to check on the goats and break the news that she was leaving. Mrs. Miller was
disappointed and a bit weepy, making Bellamy choke up too, but she promised to
keep Bellamy updated and send her cheese from the first batch they produced.

Since her heart had done nothing but hurt since Eli dropped
her off on Sunday afternoon, she decided now was probably the best time to tell
Kai. Ruby just happened to be working too, greeting her from behind the counter
when Bellamy walked through the front door of Homegrown.

The hug Ruby gave her felt so familiar now, the warmth and
genuineness seeping deep into her body to help ward off the uncomfortable chill
of what she was about to tell them.

She waited until they were through helping customers, noting
that Sage’s painting was gone from the wall behind the counter. Guess the
interior designer from Tifton bought it for her client after all. She had good
taste. Sage’s future as a budding artist looked bright, something else she
wasn’t going to be around to see. Like Kai and Fritz’s wedding. Maybe she’d
receive an invitation, if they hadn’t forgotten her by then.

“What brings you by on a Monday, Bellamy?” Kai asked.
“Usually Friday is your day to visit.”

Bellamy shoved her hands in her pockets to hide their
nervous tremble. “I have some news.” The way Ruby and Kai’s faces lit up with
anticipation made her stomach roil. “I’ve had a very nice job offer from a
horse farm in Ocala, Florida. They want me for their full-time staff
veterinarian.” At Ruby and Kai’s disconcerting silence, she rambled on to fill
the void. “It’s my dream job actually, working exclusively with horses at a
first-class facility. A good salary with wonderful benefits, travel and paid
leave. Plus, hello, white-sand beaches nearby.” She tried to laugh.

The smiles on the faces of two of her three favorite women
stayed in place, but they looked as phony as the one she wore. Inside her
chest, her heart was cracking like dropped ice.

Ruby’s smile finally slid away, try as she might to keep it
there. She hugged Bellamy again, sniffing into her shoulder. “I’ve come to
think of you as a daughter, Bellamy, and I always want my family to be happy
above all else. If this job will make you happy, then you should take it.”
After a quick kiss on Bellamy’s cheek, she hurried out the front door of the
store without looking back.

Fighting tears, Bellamy sighed and looked at Kai.

“She’ll be fine,” Kai said, her eyes glassy too. “And I
understand your situation better than most, believe me.”

“I know the story. Eli told me how you left Serenity after
high school, breaking Fritz’s heart in the process.”

Kai smiled wryly and took Bellamy’s arm, drawing her over to
a table to sit down. “Broke mine too. But you know how they say a bone heals
back stronger in the spot of a break? I think sometimes that hearts do that
too. Come back stronger than ever, more resilient. I thought I loved Fritz
before I left, but I wasn’t sure I could trust it with us being so young. The second
time around feels so much richer, more fulfilling. It does feel stronger, and
sweeter.”

“But you came back, Kai.” She left the rest unspoken—
I
may not
.

“Serenity is my heart, like Fritz. Deep down, I guess I
always knew. It just took leaving it behind for me to finally get it. That
might not happen with you, though. You may find your happiness in Ocala, or
somewhere else entirely. But the only way you’ll ever really know is to follow
your heart.”

Good advice, something her grandmother would say too, except
her heart was still confused.

“Have you told Eli yet?”

“No. Planning to tonight.”

“I don’t envy you that conversation.” Kai pulled her into an
embrace. “I refuse to say goodbye, but I
will
say good luck. And I
shouldn’t have to tell you this, but if you don’t call me at least once a week,
I will come down to Florida, hogtie you to a horse trailer and force-feed you
meat as revenge.”