A Love to Remember - Chapter 11

Jane...

Fred asked me to be there with him for his first practice session. I went with him and sat near a tree far from the ground. There were horses and bulls tied and some were ready to hit anything they came across. After the hug, it was like all the nervousness from Fred had been transferred to me. I was the one very nervous now and Fred looked cool. He wore a stetson which made him look like a real cowboy. He was talking with some men and would occasionally turn my side to look at me and whenever he did he had a smile on his handsome face. I remembered the handsome or kiss play we had and smiled to myself. If my situation was any different I would be happy to freely love Fred. I would have by now confessed to him that I did love him more than anything in this world.

I looked at the people now patting a bull which looked angry and Fred was now concentrating on his work. He raised his hands to pat the bull but all it did was frighten him.

"Fred," I gasped my right hand half raised as if I wanted to touch him. He turned to look at me and gave an 'Am fine' smile nodding his head. Sometime later, after the bull got familiar with Fred, the men tried to make him sit on it. And when he did, the bull was so calm and everybody clapped. Out of nowhere, the bull started jumping and broke the fence running around and poor Fred didn't know how to control it. He was hardly hanging on its back and then fell to the ground with a thud.

Some men tried to calm the bull from attacking Fred and I couldn't sit and watch Fred struggling on the ground. I jumped to my feet and started running towards him while some men pulled the bull to its place. I saw Fred getting up back on his feet wiping the dirt from his hand and pants. He looked up and there was dirt on his face too. I literally flew to him and hugged him tight than ever afraid that something might happen to him.
"Am fine Janie," he said soothing me. I then pulled back and kissed him hard with all the fear and love for him pouring out and he kissed back.

"Hey, I thought someone got a bump on his head right now," someone said and Fred smiled still kissing me.
"Woh! Am bringing my wife from tomorrow," another one said and we pulled back. I wiped off the dirt from his face and adjusted his stetson on his head while he was giving a crooked smile at me. When I finally was done making him up I looked him in the eye and I could see some tears shining in it. Unable to control the lump on my throat, I let out my tears to fall freely and he wiped it.

"Fred, is this a rodeo practice or romance practice?" A man whom I recognized as Luke from the fest said teasing us.
"If I were you, I would take my wife home right-away and make endless love to her. You one lucky man," the second man said patting Fred on his shoulder. When I looked at Fred again he had a mischievous expression on his face.

Fred...

I wanted Jane to be with me. I couldn't tell in words what I felt about her. I was falling fast and hard which I still didn't want to. I wanted to protect my heart from another heartbreak. I always felt that if I loved someone too much they would definitely leave me someday. But I couldn't help falling. I wanted to tell her that I didn't want to be only friends with her anymore. If only my mother didn't marry that bastard, if only my dad was alive today, I would not want my heart to be protected so much in a thick wall. I felt the walls breaking at her every simple touch. I felt myself changing whenever we kissed. Wow! The kisses we shared, each moment was heavenly.

Jane was sitting far away from the ground watching me. At times I would look at her and smile. She cared for me so much like a mother, her looks towards me were more than friendly which I could clearly see. She was an open book. It would've been the hundredth time me looking at her in the past two hours. This time she was looking somewhere else and her auburn hair was waving sideways in the breeze. She caught it and I ached to do it.
"Fred." Jason shouted at me and I turned to him with a scowl. "I wouldn't have said my name so many times," he said again punching my arm.

"Why did you call me?" I said upset.
"I interrupted your sight seeing right?" He said with a chuckle and I smiled. "It's time to tame the bull." He said and walked ahead.
"The bull is already tamed." Luke shouted from near me giving me sideways glance. "Isn't it Fred?" He asked with a curious look.
"You are hopeless Luke," I said and walked with him.

After I tried hard, I succeeded in touching the bull and made it familiar to my touch. When I sat on it, it went wild and I was clinging to it for my dear life. Now all I could imagine was my dad's face when the same happened to him years before. He would've been as afraid as I was. I fell on the ground and the bull started on me with its horn. Thanks to the trainers who gave me the hard pads to wear since it was my first time. My stetson was at the back of my head and it was hurting my neck. When I got up wiping the dirt off me, Jane came flying into mu arms. I soothed her and the next thing I felt was her lips on mine. A wave of feelings washed me and I happily responded to her kiss. Jason and brad teased me and when we parted her face was full of worry. She wiped all the dirt from my face and all I could do was just watch her. No one ever has done such a simple yet powerful thing to me. Emotions welled up in my hear and tears stung my eyes. I swallowed the lump on my throat not wanting her to see the weak side of me.

After the practice was over, I went home with Jane satisfied that I was on the start to my dream. She insisted on staying with me till the end after my fall. She still looked worried even after we reached home.
"You look disturbed." I stated to her when we were sitting on the back porch stairs.
"Am scared." She said looking at the stars.
"There is no rain today." I said searching the sky.
"Don't act like a fool Freddy. Am scared for you." She said frowning.
"Why?" I asked even though I knew the answer. I just wanted to hear it from her.
"Because I lo.." She started and stopped staring at me. I looked at her curiously. "Because I like you... I care for you... I don't want to see you hurt." She said looking into my eyes.
"You know how much this means to me." I said trying to convince her like a real husband and she nodded.
"That's why am not telling you to quit it till now." She said and a tear dropped down her cheek.

"Hey." I said pulling her towards me and she wiped her tear. "Let's have a change of topic." I said and she smiled. "I knew you went to law college. Why don't you go finish studying now?" I asked curious that she never mentioned going back as she had said.
"I don't want to leave my poor husband all alone in this big house." She said smiling widely, clearly teasing me.
"Aw! Such a lovely wife I have. Am serious Jane. If money is a problem, then I can help you complete what you aimed for." I said wanting to do something for her.
"Then you would be spending on a slowly dying soul." She said sadly.

"What?" I asked very much puzzled at her words. "Everybody is dying Janie." I said immediately.
"It's not like that Fred. Am not dying like everybody." She said closing her eyes.
"Look Jane. I don't like to talk about death and I don't want to know if someone is dying." I said remembering my dad's dead body in the coffin. I hated to attend funerals and I hated when someone said that someone had died. I hated death.

Jane...

Fred went to his daily rodeo practices and thank God he didn't get hurt so far. When I said I wanted to go with him, he insisted on me to stay back. It was a sunny afternoon and I was preparing lunch when there was a tap on the door. It was early for Fred to arrive and I wondered who it would be. I opened the door to a blond, who had hazel eyes. She was wearing a strapless black top and a skinny jeans which made her look sexy. She took off her sun glasses from her head and smiled.
"Is Fred here?" She asked and I guessed who it might be.
"No he has gone for his rodeo practice. Come in." I said leaving her the way. Her perfume smell filled the room which made me faint a little.
"Oh he's on. I have told him many times to quit the thought. Such a dangerous business." She said sitting on the couch and stretched her legs on the coffee table.

"May I ask who you are?" I asked her and she looked at me as if I had forgotten what she had said.
"Am Steffy glades. Fred's girlfriend." She said smiling at me. "You are.."
"Jane" I simply said. "You must be tired. I'll show you room and you can take rest while I prepare lunch and Fred will be back by then." I said and she nodded getting off the couch.
"Take this to Fred's room." She said handing me a bag and I felt a twinge of jealousy and anger.
"I don't know if he'll like it or not." I said praying she would agree to be in a separate room.
"He definitely will." She smiled and asked me to do so.

She was settling herself in Fred's room and I couldn't shake off the kiss we shared in his bed from my mind.
"Jane," someone called from outside and I recognized Jagger's voice. I opened the door and two men were supporting Fred to stand on one leg.
"What happened to you?" I asked him as tears collected in my eyes.
"It's just a small wound. These people are over doing it." He said smiling at me. I could see the pain he was hiding.
"Shut up." Jagger shouted and I moved allowing the men to take Fred to his room.

"Fred." Steffy shrieked as the door opened.
"Steffy." Fred looked surprised. "What are you doing here?" He asked and she looked horrified.
"I came to visit you for a week. Thought I would surprise you. What the hell happened?" She shouted as Fred was deposited on his bed. "Oh it's that rodeo. I told you not to do it." She said hands crossed in front of her.
"Will you please shut your mouth?" Fred said clearly angry.
"Jane come." Jagger said moving out of the room.
"Jane don't believe whatever he says okay?" Fred said looking at me and Jagger gave him a hard stare.

"He is badly hurt Jane." Jagger said as soon as we reached the kitchen. "He has a deep cut in left leg and don't worry we have tended to it. But make sure he doesn't walk often. Here are the medicines" he said handing me a paper bag.
"I'll look after him Jagger." I smiled weekly and all the men went after sometime. I went to Fred's room and he was lying down on his bed eyes closed. Steffy was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at him. I wanted to say that the place belonged to me.
"Is he asleep?" I asked Steffy softly and his eyes opened and he smiled at me. "Is it paining a lot?" I asked him on the verge of tears and he shook his head.

"Jane this is." He started.
"I know. Steffy... Your girlfriend." I said and his smile faded immediately.
"I forgot to ask who you are." She said to me and I looked puzzled. "I mean I know your name, but what are you doing here?"
"Jane is my." Fred started.
"House keeper." I finished before he would say anything and he frowned deeply. I didn't want her to know that we both were married. If she was his girlfriend, then sure he would settle with her if I stepped aside.

Fred...

"House keeper." Jane had said to Steffy. I was shocked. How could she? After all those passionate kisses, after the two beautiful nights, after the late night caring talks under the moon light, how dare she? I was so angry that she lowered herself to such a state.
"Jane." I said anger heavy in my voice.
"You should sleep Fred." She said and walked out of the room after leaving a pleading look.
"She looks younger than me." Steffy said after she was gone.
"Because she is and what are you doing in my room?" I asked her still mad at Jane.
"Am staying here. With you." She said lying next to me.
"You know I don't like this." I said irritated now.
"My God Fred. You have to change. If you get married, will you expect your to sleep in a separate room?" She asked sitting up angrily.
"Yes I will. If it's not Jane." I murmured to myself.
"What did you say?" She said frowning at me and I closed my eyes not wanting to have a fight.

When I woke up, it was dark and Jane was sitting in a chair near the bed sleeping with a worried face. I kept on looking at her and raised my hand to touch hers. I stroked my thumb getting hold of her hand and her eyes opened slowly.
"Fred." She said wiping her sleepy eyes. "Want something?"
"Yeah. Am hungry like an elephant." I said smiling at her and she smiled back.
"I'll get it." She said and walked out. It took her sometime to come back and meanwhile I noticed that Steffy's things were gone from my room.

Jane came back with a bowl in her hand and placed it on the table near. She helped me sit straight and gave me the stew she had made.
"Please don't complain if it's not good." She said looking sheepish and I chuckled. I couldn't bend my right hand since I had a cut near the elbow.
"Argh." I cried as it hurt.
"I'll feed you." She said getting the bowl from my hands and started feeding me. Only after eating a few spoons did I remember that I was mad at what she had said earlier. When she fed me the next spoonful, I turned my head frowning.
"What's wrong?" She asked in a confused tone.
"Why did you do that?" I asked her still not looking at her.
"Did what?" She said turning me to face her.

"You aren't my house keeper." I snapped and she looked worried.
"She doesn't know you are married." She said looking at the stew.
"I was about to tell her when you spoiled everything. Do you think I can't tell her that now?" I asked angrily and she didn't answer. "Look at me." I said calming down a little but she didn't. "I said look at me." I said in a harsh tone and she looked up slowly. Her eyes were teary.
"I don't want her to know." She said and it shocked me.
"Why?" I asked not able to speak more than that.
"Because I.. I.. Fred please don't tell her. Am leaving to my place in a few days." She said which threw me off balance.
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Comment Replies:

@me... Yeah she is a brave one... and you'll know that she's more braver from this chap.

@lucy... I like your comment Lucy n I can't assure you about d fase updated of chaps... I have got a job too now, so I guess it'll be a bit slow... please bear wid me.

@kris... Thanks so much... here is d next chap.. enjoy n comment again.

@kiran.... If you can explain them, then I am not coming in your way...hahaha.

@ria.... Yeah Fred is a sweet person only...read the new chap n comment again.

@purple.... Thank you so much for commenting.

@maira... As you had wished, Jane is telling Fred but... read and know it yourself.

@khushi... Good to hear tat you have learned something from my story... am so happy.