A/N: Life has given me some many lemons in the last few months that I should open a lemonade shop. I wish I owned the characters.
Chapter seventeen:
I am sitting with my best friend and my mother in law, when the Bellefluer's walk up. Terry is up next and then it's Eric's turn to try for the record. I am focusing on the action so much that Mrs. Bellefluer's snide comment slides right by me the first time. She repeats herself for the full impact.
"So my dear, how long have you been dating Eric?" She puts the emphasis on 'dating'. If she wants to do this, I will play along.
"Let's see we've been together since last June. He told me he wanted to marry me the day after Christmas, about an hour before I met Sophie here. He got down on his knee at my school's Valentine's dance and we got married two nights ago." Sophie's face contorts in pain. Did she really think he was lying to her? Hadley glows over at me, from behind her family.
"Congratulations!" she mouths to me. I nod and smile.
I turn back to the arena. Terry's score is going on the board. 7.4, good showing. I smile and clap. Mrs. Bellefluer tries again.
"Are you leaving tonight for Maine?" She is transparent as glass. "I mean you must have class tomorrow." 'When you leave, I'll have Sophie convince Eric that she is better. Then he will get an annulment and they can marry, seeing as he is so ready for a marriage.' I smile again.
"Actually, I have the week off for April vacation; I really don't know what I am going to do yet, aside from taking a few days to go through my things. The teachers and principal have been so nice as to offer for me to audit his classes while I am here." Take that Sophie and Debbie. Eric's woman on your turf. We are flying back to Tennessee tonight. The boys have school, and Pam and Sam need to get back to Rhode Island. I am staying the week and fly out next Sunday afternoon.
"Beyond that, I don't know maybe go shopping with Freyda and learn a few things around the ranch."
I can see Eric mounting the bull in the stall now. This will be tough to watch. I know the clowns are trained professionals, but ever since Eric told me about what he does, I've been worried about him getting gored. I cross my fingers and grab Mom's hand. It's a stressful series of seconds, watching that massive beast toss my husband like a rag doll. When he is safely on the rails again. The announcer comes on the air.
"A new record today folks. Eric Northman has broken his own record of 7.5 seconds, with a new one of 7.9 seconds." Mom, Pam and I jump to our feet. So do they Bellefluer's.
Everyone around hears Sophie cheering over me. I am momentarily ticked off, and then I swallow my anger. She cannot have him, ever. The poor sad girl.
On the big screen, the CMT host asks Eric what's new in his life. He is a young heartthrob for the sport. He rattles off the usual boring stuff. He's pretty close to the vest about most things. Then the host comes out and asks if there are any developments in the love life. Here it comes.
"Actually, there is. Can I say something to someone in the stands?" He is told of course he can.
"I just want to say how much I love my new wife, Sookie. Hey baby!" He smiles and winks into the camera. There is going to be an uproar back in Tennessee. Pam hugs me and squeals. "Sook, he did it!" We jump up and down like schoolchildren.
Ten minutes later, Eric comes up the steps, smiling and looking more relaxed.
"Eric!" Sophie screams and launches herself at him. The smile fades as he tries to push her away. I turn to see a camera guy walking up the stairs. Eric follows my eyes and groans for my help. I step in and wrench her off of him.
Eric walks the rest of the way to my side. He threads his arms through mine, "Thank you, that was close." He nuzzles my neck and pulls me back against him. The cameraman reaches us and focuses the lens on us; the host is a few steps behind.
"So Mr. Northman, is this the woman who took you off the market?" the host asks.
He glares at the Bellefluer's. "As much as some people have wished the reverse, I have been off the market since before I started riding. This little lady captured my heart almost a year ago; I haven't looked at another that way since." He hugs me tighter. "She agreed to marry me two months ago; we couldn't pass up an opportunity like this."
"Mrs. Northman, do you have anything to add?" She asks me.
"Just that I'm proud of him and love him." I kiss his cheek and they walk away after turning the camera off. Once they were out of earshot, Eric turns to Sophie.
"I have half of a mind to slap you with a restraining order, but as you go to our school, I will hold off for now. We only have a month to go and to use your very insulting comment against you; we won't be seeing you very much afterward. Hadley, I am very sorry that you have such disgusting relatives." He turns away and we go back to the hotel to pack and check out.
"I really am sorry that it has come to this. I think you should come to school for most of the week, that way we can head it all off at the pass. All my teachers have agreed to let you be in my classes, as an independent study. At lunch, you can sit with Alcide and I. After school we can go through your stuff. How does that sound baby?" He asks as we pack the truck up. I have the night and drive to think about it.
We say goodbye to Sam and Pam in the lobby. They are flying out before Mom and Dad. Alcide had cashed in his ticket, so he doesn't have to deal with the Bellefluer's. He hops in back with his luggage.
"Thank guys; I know I would be sandwiched between the girls. Hadley, I don't mind, but that Sophie is a nasty bitch." I smile at him. Eric grumbles a little about Alcide ruining some plans, but agrees to have him along.
We park at the airport and walk in to say goodbye to our parents and the Bellefluer's.
"Where are your tickets?" Leave it to Mrs. Bellefluer to be fast on the up take. When we explain that someone needs to drive the truck back, she tries to push the girls on us.
"I'm sure that the girls would like to ride back too. Right girls?"
Before they can respond, their flight is called. Mom ushers them to the gate and we tell Dad to thank her for it. I would not be surprised if Mom ignores Mrs. Bellefluer from now on. I tell the guys this, as we walk out to the truck and they laugh.
"You know, you're right." Alcide agrees with me. "If Mom wasn't so nice, Mrs. Bellefluer wouldn't be able wield as much power as she thinks she does." Their mother is embarrassed that she was responsible for them being there.
Freyda told me this before they showed up at the competition. That and she hoped Eric and I were not mad at her for almost ruining our wedding.
The three of us take turns driving back to Tennessee. I drive the last leg. I park the truck and wake the guys up. "Hey guys, we're home and I think all of us need a shower, before school starts. I don't know about me, but you two smell like you rolled in pig shit and baked in the sun for three days." I nudge Alcide and Eric awake. Alcide groans and falls out the door I opened to grab some of the bags before going inside.
"What do you think you're doing, missy?" Alcide scolds me and whistles at Eric, who is climbing out of the truck. "Eric, she is trying to carry stuff again, not mention the fact that she opened her door and ours." He tattles on me.
"What are you three?" I screech at him as Eric throws me over his shoulder and grabs the suitcases I had. He lugs me into the house.
"Morning kids, how was the ride?" Godric and Freyda greet us on the way by. 'He seems to have a handle on the situation, but I wonder what she did. Knowing Eric, she dared to lift something, or opened her own door. When I taught them how to treat a lady, he always took it too far.' Godric thinks. So that is where this comes from. As Eric heads up the stairs, I can hear them laughing from the kitchen. When we reach the bedroom, he drops the bags and strides into the bathroom. He closes the door and turns the water on.
He sets me on my feet and starts undressing me, all the while not speaking a word. When I am stripped, I step into the shower. He follows me and starts washing my hair and body. When I am clean, I take the soap from him and return the favor. I watch his muscles contort as he washes his hair, and I can't take it anymore.
"When do we need to be at school?" I ask as I return the soap to the shelf, and let my hand drift down his chest.
"In a hour and a half, but the school is five minutes away. Why do you want to know?" I sink to my knees and take his cock in my mouth. Eric throws his head back and groans. 'Okay baby, I'll take that as an apology, but you don't need to. God, your mouth feels good.' I swirl my tongue around the tip and push my head forward to take more of his shaft in. I increase the suction on the retreat.
"Sook, baby that feels so good. Your mouth is great on my cock. More baby, make me cum down your throat. Oh Sook." He growls deep in his chest. The tension starts to build in his body; he leans back against the shower wall. His hand lightly grips my hair, "Baby, I am going to cuum." He shoots his load down my throat and sags down the wall a little. He helps me up and pulls me against his body. He rests his head on my shoulder, placing little kisses on the skin of my neck.
"Thank you, you have a talented mouth. Let's get ready for school. I want to get there before the Bellefluer girls. Sophie likes to be as late as possible. And Baby, no opening doors or carrying your bag from now on. You have to get used to it. I love you and you are the best thing that happened to me." He throws some jeans and a rugby shirt on, and then something I haven't seen in almost five months. A pair of Nike sneakers. He throws on a baseball cap. I stare at him.
"What?"
I start grinning, "I haven't seen you in this stuff in a half a year. It's a surprise, that's all."
He smiles, "I felt like dressing like Eric and not Eric Northman, you know?" I nod. I get it. He doesn't need to prove anything. He wants to feel like the guy he's been all along, under the cowboy bull rider. Alcide tells us that he'll see us at school. We hop in the truck and Eric drives to school, with his hand on my knee.