“We’re here,” Kellan announced, helping me out of the car. He didn’t give me any more explanation as we walked into the farm, hand in hand.
I looked at my surroundings –there was so much green in this place, every shade of green. It was like Alpines in Heidi. A smile found its place on my face when I saw horses, they were surrounded with fence, but they were running around freely, and with elegance.
“Do you like it?” Kellan whispered, wrapping his arms around my waist. I didn’t even realize we stopped, but there was no other place I wanted to be in that moment.
“Yes,” I breathed out.
“You can ride one, later… if you’d like,” he offered, nuzzling my neck.
Crooking my neck, I beamed at him, “Really? But I’ve never ridden a horse before.”
He grinned with mischief “I think you’d manage it without problem,” he teased me.
“Pig,” I giggled.
“Whose place is this?” I asked, moving closer to the horses.
“My mom’s.”
“Your what?!” I stopped right in my tracks.
He brought me to his mother!
And he didn’t even tell me!
“Relax. You watch the horses, I’ll see where she is,” he said, squeezing my ass before leaving me next to fence. Trying to not worry about meeting his mother I focused on the black horse that came toward me.
“Are you Kellan’s girlfriend?” I heard a woman’s voice behind me. It startled me because my focus was fully on the beautiful animal in front of me. He kept nudging his nose on my shoulder.
“No, I’m not,” I murmured, caressing the smooth skin of the horse between his eyes. I eyed the woman; she was a middle aged woman with blonde bob model hair. She was wearing cream jodhpurs, a white shirt, black riding jacket, and black riding boots. She looked like she jumped out of a riding club brochure. Her elegant, raw beauty stunned me, but more than that it was her eyes –exactly the unique shades of Kellan’s, I assumed she was his mother.
“Who are you, then?” she asked, but her voice wasn’t accusing, she was clearly interested.
Who was I?
What could I tell his mother about us?
I went with the simplest answer: “I’m Melody. I work for Kellan at his firm.”
“Oh, I see. I’m Isabella, his mother,” she smiled, walking toward the house. I didn’t know what to do for a few seconds, just stared after her as I tried to decide. But Isabella looked back at me over her shoulder, “Aren’t you coming?” she asked with a slight smile on her face that reminded me of Kellan and continued on her way.
Following behind her I sighed in relief when I saw Kellan turn the corner.
“Ah, there you are,” he smiled at his mother, hugging her with one arm. They looked like friends instead of mother and child, it put a smile on my face. Seeing him on good terms with his mother was refreshing after the tension with his father.
“Have you two met already?” Kellan asked, looking between his mother and me. When we both nodded, he placed a kiss on her mother’s cheek and walked toward me.
“Are you cold?” Kellan asked, taking my hand in his. I smiled at his question, loving that he cared and gave attention to me. I didn’t even realize I was cold till his warm hand wrapped around mine. Nodding my head, I made eye-contact with Isabella. She was watching us from a far, looking from Kellan to me.
“Who’s hungry? Beth was making pancakes,” Isabella said before going in.
*****
The house was designed in a rustic style, it wasn’t dark colors, though. The décor was mostly in white oak which gave brightened up the place. I always loved this kind of architecture for places in suburbs –like mountains, lake houses, or farms like this.
“You have a great place, Isabella,” I murmured.
“Thanks, Melody. I’m glad to have you here,” she smiled. Her words were sincere but distant with elegance. I was nervous, but no one seemed to notice my anxiety. Kellan looked so calm next to me, I didn’t even know why he brought me here.