ROMANCE: BIKER ROMANCE: Werewolf Rider (MC Shifter Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Paranormal Romance Short Stories) (134 page)

“I’ll come with you,” Daisy said as she rose from the table too.

“You’re… coming with me?” Austen repeated.

“Well, I need to learn and if I don’t watch you then I won’t,” Daisy explained.

“Very well,” Austen said with a nod.

              They made their way outside. The sun was high in the sigh but its rays were softened by the coolness of the breeze sweeping through the land. Daisy couldn’t help but look up to admire the shadow cast by the brilliant mountains they were surrounded by.

“Is this all your land?” Daisy asked.

“I have another plot just over that first hill,” Austen pointed out. “The land is course but it can be worked.”

“How do you work it?”

“It takes hard manual labor,” Austen replied. “It’s a strain on the horses but there’s no help for it.”

              Daisy followed Austen out to the little barn where the horses were stabled. There were many other stalls but only two of them were occupied. Shelly and Bodie stood contentedly next to one another in their adjoining stalls with their noses sticking out. Daisy moved towards the horses immediately. They licked her fingers good, whinnying occasionally when Austen moved closer.

“They’re beautiful animals,” Daisy complimented.

“They were both bred on this ranch,” Austen replied. “I sold Bodie’s mother last year.”

              Daisy was curious about the state of Austen’s land and home. She wondered how one man could handle so much, it was no wonder he looked so worn. His hands exhibited signs of the backbreaking task he had obviously assigned himself. Daisy wondered why he had not hired more ranch hands, but she realized almost immediately that he would have to pay them, and it didn’t seem as though he were able.

“How many acres do you have?” Daisy asked.

“Two hundred and sixty,” Austen replied.

              “That’s… massive,” Daisy breathed and she knew immediately that it was also impossible. It did not matter how hard Austen worked. It did not matter how hard she worked. At the end of the day, they were only two people and no amount of toil would be able to maintain and cultivate the harsh land that Austen owned. She bit back her words and turned her attention to the horses.

              She stayed with Austen for the better part of an hour. She watched how he brushed down the horses, cleaned out their stalls and their water troughs. He was ordered and patient with his work just as Daisy was with hers and she felt a kindred spirit in him. The way he was with the horses made Daisy question the blunt and expressionless façade he put on. His face softened considerably, his tone changed and the blue of his eyes became suddenly more vibrant, more alive.

              After the horses were fed and comfortable, Daisy excused herself and left the stables. She turned left at the door, but instead of going into the house she paused a moment. Almost immediately she heard Austen’s voice as he started speaking to his horses.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve worked next to someone,” he said. “It’s strange.”

Bodie whinnied loudly in answer.

              “You know who she reminds me of don’t you?” Austen asked Shelly. “Not the face so much, just her manner. I didn’t expect that…. it makes everything harder.”

              Daisy frowned as she tried to figure out what Austen meant. He lapsed into silence and with that, Daisy picked up her skirts and walked back into the house wondering who Austen’s ghosts were.

Chapter Six

              Land stretched out before her in an unending scroll. Daisy saw the task ahead of her and she sighed internally knowing that they would never meet their goals. She glanced at Austen, wondering whether he was delusional or simply sentimental.

“You want to plant crops?” Daisy asked again to make sure she had heard him right.

“Yes.”

“This has to be… at two hundred acres,” Daisy guessed.

“Two hundred and ten,” Austen replied. “I told you this would require hard work.”

Daisy nodded. “And I accept that, but we need to ask ourselves if it is possible to do.”

Austen’s eyes were harsh when they turned on her. “We’ll start from the top field and work our way down. Harness Shelly and ride her up there.”

              Daisy did as she was told, but she knew they were climbing an uphill battle. It was noon when Austen left her to get them some lunch. She was sitting in the shade by herself with Shelly grazing in left field when she noticed a tall shadow behind her.

“Sorry ma’am, didn’t mean to startle you,” a balding man with a kindly face and loud voice approached.

“Hello,” Daisy said rising.

“You must be the Austen’s new Mrs.,” he said with a bow of his head.

“I am,” Daisy replied. “I’m Daisy.”

“It’s a pleasure ma’am,” he said taking her hand. “I am Horace Constance. I was hoping to speak to Mr. Austen today.”

“He should be back shortly,” Daisy replied. “What is this regarding?”

“Well… I have spoken to Mr. Austen before… I would like to purchase this land here,” Horace told her. “The very one you’re standing on now. I’ve given him a fair price…”

“But?”

“He doesn’t want to budge,” Horace explained. “He’s a proud man and I believe he thinks selling his land is beneath him. But he’s only one man and he can’t work this land alone.”

Daisy nodded. “I see.”

“I’d appreciate it greatly if you could talk some sense into him,” Horace said, twisting his fingers around in his hands as though he hated asking the question.

Daisy could only smile. “I can only try Mr. Constance, but I doubt Aus… my husband will listen.”

“He’s a stubborn man to be sure,” Horace said with a smile. “But he’s a respectable one.”

              It was just at that moment that Austen rode up on Bodie. His face turned sour when he saw Horace standing there twisting his fingers together.

“Horace,” Austen greeted without enthusiasm.

“Austen,” Horace replied. “Congratulations on your beautiful bride.”

Austen acted as though he had not heard that. “If you’re here about the land Horace, my answer is still no.”

“If you would just re-consider –

“My final word is no,” Austen cut in. “And that’s not going to change.”

Horace sighed and exchanged a short glance with Daisy. He bowed his head in defeat and took off the way he had come with a wave to Daisy. Austen watched him go with new steel in his eyes.

“Is it a good offer?” Daisy asked cautiously.

“It doesn’t matter,” Austen replied. “I’m not selling.”

“May I ask why?” Daisy asked as delicately as she was able.

“No,” Austen said bluntly before he led Bodie back onto the field.

              Daisy watched him turn his back on the world and go about his backbreaking task without the slightest concern. She shook her head, wondering what it was he was trying so hard to hold on to. She watched him mount Bodie and they raced through the land almost as though it was possible to fly.

              It happened out of nowhere. Daisy saw nothing specific. All she knew was that something spooked the horse and suddenly, Bodie was rearing upwards and Austen went flying off the horse. A mist of dust and earth rose around him, concealing him from Daisy’s view. Fear clutched at her heart as she ran towards Austen, praying that he was going to be fine.

Chapter Seven

              He would need at least a week to re-cooperate that was what the doctor had told them. He had been specific and to the point, and Daisy was under no doubt as to what the correct measure of recovery was. Austen’s whole torso was tightly bandaged and he had extensive internal pain, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to get back to his crops the next day.

              In the end the choice was removed from his hands. As much as he wanted to, there was no way he was capable of doing hard labor or riding horses. He had to let his wounds heal, that was his only choice. In the days that followed, Daisy did her best to manage everything. She tended to the house, cooked the meals, and looked after the horses and most importantly she saw that Austen was all right. The one thing that had to be sacrificed was the land and the crops that Austen was so worried about. Daisy had no time to work the land and she refused to make that a priority.

              Cooped up in a small space with Austen, Daisy learnt much more about Austen than she had expected to. He was a stubborn man. Once he set his mind on something it was nearly impossible to sway him. He was also a proud man and he hated having to rely on Daisy to feed him and care for him. She saw it in his eyes every time she entered the room with a tray of food or clean sheets for his bed.

              On the third day after his accident, Daisy was tasked with the job of changing Austen’s bandages. So she went into his room to find that he was just stirring from his sleep.

“Did you sleep well?” Daisy asked.

“No,” Austen replied shortly.

              Ignoring his mood, Daisy went about with her work, tidying the room and making sure everything was in order. She had let the horses out to graze so that Austen would be able to see them from his window.

“What are those?” Austen asked suddenly as he caught sight of the bandages in Daisy’s hands.

“You’re dressing needs to be changed,” Daisy replied.

“I can do it myself,” came his immediate answer.

“You can’t do it yourself,” Daisy replied patiently. “The doctor told me I was to do it.”

“Let me try,” Austen insisted.

“No,” Daisy said employing the same tone he did when he wanted the conversation ended.

              He lapsed into unexpected silence and Daisy went over to his bed and helped him to a sitting position with his legs on the ground. Slowly, she undid his dressing. His stomach was lean and lightly muscled and it was also sporting several bad bruises that had turned blue and black in the last few days. Daisy touched her hand to his sides and she saw him flinch against the pressure.

              As carefully as she could, Daisy dressed his wound and bandaged him up again. Then she helped him lie back down in his bed. She saw his eyes close for a second, but when they opened they were fixed on her. His blue eyes were beautiful and Daisy couldn’t help but admire them.

“Thank you,” Austen said gruffly.

He was so soft that Daisy almost missed the words. “You’re welcome,” Daisy replied.

“I know that you don’t have to do this,” Austen went on.

Daisy smiled. “I know ours is not the typical marriage but I think at the end of the day… we all need someone. We can’t do it all on our own.”

              His eyes grew misty as she spoke and Daisy wondered what she had said to bring about that reaction. It was then that it hit her. She had always seen some hidden emotion lurking just beneath the surface and at that moment she could put a name to it. It was sadness, pure and simple sadness that had seeped into every facet of his life.

“Who did you lose?” Daisy asked without thinking.

For a moment she thought he was simply going to ignore her, but then he turned his blue gaze on her. “Everyone,” he said.

Daisy reached out and took his hand. If he was surprised by the gesture, he gave no indication. Instead he seemed to want to give Daisy his full attention.

“To be honest… I never had anyone to lose in the first place,” Daisy told him. “I don’t know which is worse.”

“Our losses are all important to ourselves,” Austen said. “Neither one is greater or worse than another. It’s all different shades of the same color.”

              It was the closest thing to a real conversation that Daisy had ever had with Austen. As she sat there on the edge of his bed holding his hand, having just tended to his wounds, Daisy realized with a start that she actually felt like his wife.

Chapter Eight

              Daisy had a hard time sleeping that night. Her dreams were plagued by images of Austen and she was surprised by the emotion they held. Unable to fall asleep, Daisy slipped outside her room and walked quietly to Austen’s to make sure he was all right.

              He seemed to be sleeping peacefully and he stirred only occasionally. Daisy stood over him trying to figure out what it was about him that had made her so… uncertain. She simply couldn’t understand him and that increased her interest. He was a man of contradictions. He was silent and offhand with people but he was caring and patient with his horses. He spoke about practical decisions but he refused to sell his land when it was obvious that he would be able to work it alone. His manner was reserved and without emotion but Daisy suspected that it was because he had so emotion churching inside him.

              In sleep he looked different. He wasn’t more than nine and twenty, but he looked younger still, as though sleep and erased on all those things that had aged him in life. Daisy was about to turn and leave when she noticed the drawer on his bedside table was slightly ajar. She moved to close it but something winked out at her and she pulled the drawer open without thinking.