Chapter 14
A/N: Anniversary/Fall Festival
Okay since I have been out on and amazing vacation for 20 days, this is the last chapter I have edited so I decided to go ahead and give it to you today. I have more written, but just not edited. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. Chapter 13 is a repost, I read it and found some glaring mistakes so I took it down and fixed them. I loved this chapter when I wrote it and I hope y'all do too.
Benjamin was sitting in Suzanne's private study room in the library waiting for her to join him after her last class of the day. He was thinking hard about what to plan for their anniversary. He knew he couldn't take her on a trip since they were right in the middle of the semester and midterms were coming up. He was thinking maybe talking to her Dad and something romantic like horseback riding on the farm and a picnic. The weather would play a crucial role since it would be in late October and winter was just around the corner.
He heard the door open and looked up to see her beautiful smile and her looking at him. He had a hard time controlling his heart rate around her all the time, but when she looked at him like she currently was it was even harder. He walked over to her and took her in his arms. Classes and other responsibilities were taking priority over their time together and it was nice when they found time to be together.
"Mmmm," she moaned on his lips and he brought her to his warm inviting chest. "I missed you, these long periods without seeing and kissing you is really not working for me." she said, mumbling into his chest.
"I know, the separation is killing me too. Fall break is a few weeks away and we can spend it together," he said.
They settled down at the table to study. She kept cutting her eyes at him, studying him more than the paper she was supposed to be writing. Shaking her head to make her concentrate, she got back to her paper.
Benjamin saw her watching him and was smiling since she was trying to be sly about her staring. He caught her, but her head was down so she didn't see him looking at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he was so blessed to have her in his life. He decided they had studied enough after four hours.
He was packing up his study material, when she looked up and saw what he was doing.
"What are you doing?" she asked, looking up with a questioning look on her face.
"We have studied enough for the day and I think it is time for some dinner and quality alone time together," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
She smiled at him and started gathering her study materials, placing them in her bag.
They walked out of the library hand in hand headed to her apartment.
A quick and filling dinner was made and consumed. They were in the kitchen cleaning up, he walked by her and ran his hand across her waist where her shirt had ridden up exposing her bare skin to him.
She moaned and reached around to grab his hand. He turned to her with a look of lust and wanting in his eyes. She took his hand and placed a kiss on it looking him in the eyes with the same want and desire.
They raced for her bedroom, clothes coming off and tossed to the side as they went. They crashed on the bed joining their lips in a heated lust for one another. They were soon joined in the most intimate way and both were relieving some built up sexual tension.
She was laid across his chest running circles with her hand. He was running his hands through her post sex hair. Both were trying to calm their heart rates as they laid in a jumble of limbs and tangled sheets.
"I have missed us," she told him, in a drowsy voice.
"I have too, it has been a crazy few weeks. Midterms are coming up and it will only get busier. I think we need to set aside one day a week for some us time. It doesn't have to be big or grand, maybe just dinner or a long walk. Just something to keep us really connected in this busy time," he said.
"I agree, all the time we are spending apart is not good for my sanity," she told him laughing.
He laughed at her comment and pulled her tighter into his embrace. They had not spent the night at each other's apartments not wanting to taint the other's reputation. He kissed her on the temple and asked, "Do you want to spend the night? We haven't shared a bed together all night since our time at the cabin."
She thought about it and decided that she wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms and wake up in them in the morning. She nodded yes and snuggled down into his embrace. Both shared, "I Love You's" and drifted off to sleep content in each other's arms.
The second week of October was midterms, he decided that since they would be over by Friday at noon his anniversary plans would go into effect that weekend.
He placed a call to her Dad to finalize the plans and ask his permission to take her on a ride to the lake on their farm. Joe agreed and told him that he would have the barn worker have the horse's saddled and ready for them. Joe would also have Ellen make them a picnic lunch and have it ready.
Benjamin decided to make her wonder if he had made plans. So instead of on the actual day of their anniversary, which was Sunday, he would do it on Saturday.
They had dinner and a long walk on Friday. He told her he wanted to take her somewhere on Saturday, but it was a surprise. He would pick her up at 10 o'clock. She looked at him with a questioning look, but didn't ask him what he had planned. She was so busy with studying and her tests, she actually forgot it was their anniversary.
He picked her up right on time the next day. He told her that they were going to the farm for a day of riding. That is all that he wanted to reveal to her.
They arrived and after a round of hello's and hugs with her family she went and changed to go riding.
"The horses are ready and I put the picnic items in saddle bags on her horse. The trail to the lake is up the hill to the north. Once you reach it Moses will lead you the rest of the way," Joe said.
They went to the barn and spent some time loving on Benji, then mounted their horses and rode out of the barn.
Ellen was truly surprised at the lengths Joe was going to, to encourage Suzanne and Benjamin's relationship. He was a romantic back during their early courtship and marriage, but she didn't think he would be this way with a man over his "Baby Girl" as he called her.
They rode up the hill and Benjamin turned Moses towards the lake. She looked at him and he smirked at her.
Once at the lake, they dismounted. She tied the horses to a tree while he retrieved their picnic and the blanket tied to her horse. She had wondered about the added saddle bags and blanket, but decided not to ask since she was sure it was part of his surprise for her.
He spread the blanket and laid out all the food. She soon joined him and sat down on the blanket. The view of the lake and surrounding area was beautiful with the fall leaves turning and starting to fall.
Benjamin took her hand and she turned to him. "Suzanne, this has been the most amazing year of my life. I never would have dreamed that the most beautiful, loving, sweet and kind person I ever met would come into my life and change it so drastically. I have so much love in my heart and soul for you. Your love for me is the greatest joy I have ever known," he said, kissing her hand.
Tears had been forming in her eyes as he spoke of his love for her. The realization of their anniversary hit her and her eyes widened. She ducked her head and wiped her tears.
"Oh Benjamin, I have been so caught up in school and class work, that I didn't even realize it was our anniversary. I am so sorry," she told him.
"I didn't bring you here to make you feel bad for forgetting. I know you have been really busy and it worked out that you forgot so you would not suspect I was planning something," he said with a slight smile on his face.
She raised up on knees and wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder. "I love you so much. You are the most romantic, loving and considerate man I have ever met. You too have changed my life this last year. I hope this is only the first of many anniversaries we will celebrate together," she said, placing a soft kiss on his lips.
He pulled back from her and wiped her remaining tears and said, "Let's eat. I am starving. Your Mom made the food and I know what a great cook she is."
They ate and decided to take a walk around the lake. He told her of his love for the water while they were at the cabin, so she knew he would enjoy it. The water was too cold or she would have slyly suggested a clothesless dip.
The sun was starting to get low in the sky and they didn't want to be out after dark. They packed up and set off for the barn. Benjamin had paid close attention the last time they rode and tried to be as much help as he could getting all the tack off the horses, and storing it properly. She was standing at the bottom of a ladder looking up when he saw her intention.
She climbed the ladder and he followed right behind. She opened one of the loft doors and grabbed a blanket off a shelf and spread it on the floor behind some hay bales. She pulled him down to her and placed gentle loving kisses on his neck and chest. Benjamin was well aware of where she was going with her kisses and was a bit nervous with her intentions.
She pulled back when she felt him tense up. "What is wrong?" she asked.
"Suzanne, there is nothing I would want more than to make love to you, but your parents might see us," he said.
She laughed and said,"Who do you think put the blanket up here?"
He relaxed and pulled her on top of him as he laid back.
An hour later they walked into the house, hand in hand. Her Mom greeted them in the kitchen. She walked over to hug them both and smirked when she saw pieces of hay in Suzanne's hair. She didn't say anything, just reached up and removed it with a smirk on her face.
Suzanne and Benjamin both blushed realizing they had been caught with their activities in the loft.
They ate dinner and then went to bed, they would be returning to campus in the morning.
The Fall Festival would be coming up in another week and the whole town was abuzz with excitement. Suzanne had told him that on Thursday she would be going back to the farm to help her Mom make the pies for the pie eating contest and asked him to come with her.
They arrived and he thought that he would be helping with the pies, but her Dad had other plans for him. He told him to meet him in the barn. Joe arrived with fishing gear and was tying it to his saddle when Benjamin arrived.
"Suzanne told me you like to fish so I thought we could go fishing while the girls made pies," Joe told him.
Benjamin loved fishing and had been fishing all his life, but mostly around the Catskills where the cabin was. He had never fished except fly fishing and was unsure of fishing from the lake.
They rode up the hill and turned south instead of towards the lake. They arrived at a steady running stream and got off the horses. Joe retrieved the gear and led them down a path to the water's edge. Benjamin smiled brightly as he realized they would be fly fishing.
They put on their gear and waded out into the water.
"So Benjamin, how did your anniversary surprise go? She was all smiles when you two returned so I am guessing it went good," Joe asked.
"It went very well, she was totally surprised. Truthly she forgot our anniversary so she didn't suspect anything," Benjamin said.
Joe laughed at his declaration. "You two seem to be getting very close, what are your intentions towards my daughter?"
"Sir, I can assure you that my intentions are truly honorable. I will always treat her with respect and love. She has changed my life for the better. We are young and have our whole lives ahead of us, but I can assure you that I want her in my life forever. I can not see my future without her in it," he said.
"That puts me at ease, just make sure you always treat her right and put her needs before your own. I have seen you with her and I don't have any worries in that area now, just make sure that never changes. If that were to happen things would get very difficult for you. Things sometimes get lost on this farm," he told him sternly.
Benjamin swallowed hard and took in Joe's words. "She will always come first, unless we have children down the line. Then they and her will be the most important things and I will treat them like the gift that they are."
Joe nodded his head and went back to fishing.
Benjamin was thinking long and hard about the words he had just spoken to her Dad. He had not even let the idea of marriage and kids come into his thinking, but even though it was the next logical step he needed to talk to her about some things.
Suzanne and her Mom were busy in the kitchen making pies when they returned. Suzanne looked up at Benjamin and could tell that something was bothering him. She told her Mom she would be back in a bit. She walked over and took his hand in hers and led him out of the house.
"Benjamin, what is wrong? You have a scared, worried look on your face," she asked him.
He smiled up at her and said, "Sweetheart, I had a heart to heart with your Dad and some things came up that we should talk about.
Suzanne now had a worried look on her face. He stepped forward to her and placed his hand lovingly on her cheek. "There is nothing to be worried about, so don't. We will talk about it after the Fall Festival when it is just us," he told her as he leaned in for a kiss.
As much as she tried not to think about what they needed to talk about, she couldn't get it out of her thoughts. She went to bed that night and had all kinds of thoughts swirling around in her brain. Finally she gave up on sleep, dressed in barn clothes and headed out.
She was surprised when she saw the barn doors slightly opened. She stepped in cautiously and saw Benjamin standing at Benji's stall door. A smile creeped up on her face as she walked up to him Benjamin was so caught up in his thoughts, when she placed her hand on his shoulder it caused him to jump.
She laughed and said, "Where were you, you were 100 miles away."
"Just thinking about some things, what are you doing out here?" he asked.
"Couldn't sleep, your words earlier today got stuck in my head and I couldn't turn my brain off," she said, ducking her head.
"Oh Sweetheart, I didn't tell you what I did to make you worry. I just wanted you to know that I wanted to talk to you about some things. I wanted to wait, but I guess now is as good a time as any," he said as he led her over to a stack of hay bales.
"So we have told each other that we love each other and I truly am totally in love with you. Your Dad asked me today what my intentions were for you. I had not given it any deep thought and really just spoke from my heart. You are the one for me, I only see you in my future and I have dreamed about you every night since we met. I know that we haven't talked much about the future, so what do you think?"
She took his hand and looked up at him, "Benjamin, I see only you in my future also. I never want to have another man's arms around me or drown myself in anyone else's kisses. You are it for me."
He smiled at her so relieved they were on the same page. "So what do you think about marriage and kids?"
She looked at him with a shocked look, "Now?" she asked.
He chuckled, "No not now in the future. I was thinking at least until we both graduate. As much as your Dad appears to like me, I don't think he would allow us to get married before you graduate. So about three years, is that something you could get on board with?"
She breathed a sigh of relief and released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "I think you are right, Dad is adamant that I finish my education. Three years seems like a long time, but as long as we are together, I think I can wait that long."
They rose and stepped into each other's embrace. He leaned down and kissed her and it soon deepened and was going to get out of hand had he not stepped back.
"I think we better head back in before my Dad wakes up and finds us out here, he would not be happy," she said, taking his hand leading him out of the barn.
The next day all the supplies and pies were loaded up and everyone headed into town.
Eric and Evelyn were going to set up and run the corn maze. Benjamin and Suzanne were going to run the pony rides and her Mom was taking care of the pie eating contest. Joe and Jessee (their farrier) were going to help out with both the corn maze and pony rides.
Jessee had arranged for another rancher to bring his most gentle ponies and was helping them unload them and set them up in the round pen that their farm hands had brought to town earlier and set up.
Benjamin had never really attended the Fall Festival before so this would be his first and being involved was fun to him. Suzanne worked it every year so was an old hand and being familiar with the ponies she took care of putting the kids on the ponies and Benjamin took the tickets and manned the gates.
The pie judging and eating contest would be the next day so Ellen and Joe were roaming around looking at the exhibits and visiting with old friends. Most had either heard about Suzanne dating or had already witnessed her and Benjamin together, so most of the conversations were centered around that. Eric and Evelyn had been dating a while so they were not new to anyone.
The Friday activities ended and everyone went home for the night. Benjamin and Suzanne went back to her apartment and decided to spend the night together there.
Saturday activities were in full swing. Ellen's pie received a blue ribbon again and she was buzzing around with joy. Joe and Eric as a joke had entered Benjamin's name in the pie eating contest and they were about to go snag him and take him over. They were both looking forward to the look on his face when he realized what they had done.
Suzanne was making her way over also having met up with Evelyn. "Do you know what two of the men in my life up their sleeve with the third?" she asked her.
Evelyn busted out laughing when she figured out they hadn't told her what they had done either. "They entered Benjamin in the pie eating contest without telling him."
Suzanne's mouth gaped open and then she too busted out laughing when she tried to picture what Benjamin would do when he found out.
Turns out the joke was on the two Adams men, when Benjamin actually won the contest. Once he got over the initial shock of having to do it, he threw himself into it wholeheartedly. He loved pie and had gotten a small taste the night they were made so it was an easy decision for him.
He walked up to Suzanne with a huge smile on his face under all the cherry and crust remnants from his pie. He was proud that he won and turned the tables on the Adams men. She used a towel to help clean him up and then gave the winner a big kiss in front of the whole town. Joe and Eric were hanging their heads in defeat and Ellen was laughing at them.
They decided they wanted to challenge the corn maze so they took off for it hand in hand laughing. Suzanne knew the pattern that Eric had used in the past so she thought she would have an advantage on Benjamin. They took off and Suzanne soon realized he changed the pattern. They ran into each other and decided to try and find the route together. They strolled along hand in hand stealing kisses as they went.
The day activities were done and everyone was heading over to the barn dance. Suzanne realized heading over that she and Benjamin had never danced together so she was looking forward to that.
They all walked in and found a long table to fit them all. Soon all the couples were paired up on the dance floor. Suzanne fit into Benjamin's arms like she was born for them. She could not have been more comfortable or at ease as he moved them around the floor. The song ended and they stood with their arms around one another taking in the moment. They both felt it was perfect and never wanted it to end.
They were glad to have each other in their life and in their future.