Chapter 30


    Jake


    Well, fuck! That’s a surprise if I ever got one! And apparently, it’s one for Amber too. Her reaction is way more intense than I expected. I’ve rarely seen someone so shocked by the unexpected appearance of their own parents. She’s mentioned a few things about them before, but this brief encounter makes me wonder if things were even stricter at home than I thought. Amber almost looks afraid of them. She went completely white and didn’t even let me kiss her in front of them! I start to wonder if that’s because she wants to introduce me properly first, or if her parents are so old-fashioned they wouldn’t even approve of her kissing someone. I’ve suspected that Amber doesn’t want them to know we’re sleeping together, even though she’s an adult, but would they really have an issue with her kissing her boyfriend before marriage? I guess I’d better tread carefully until I can talk to Amber about it. I watch her and her parents disappear behind the house, letting out a small sigh of relief. At least I get a moment to figure out how to make a good impression. They are still her parents, after all.


    ‘Come on, Gertie,’ I click my tongue and lead Gertie out of the corral, back to her stall. ‘Our girl did good, didn’t she?’ I talk to Gertie as I unsaddle her and give her a quick brush.


    Amber did really well, actually. I’d thought I’d have to calm her down, especially after what happened with Rustler, but she proved me wrong. She got back on the horse without hesitation and seemed to enjoy herself. She picked it up faster than I expected too. A few more lessons in the corral, and I’ll have her riding alongside me around the ranch in no time.


    A sense of pride swells in my chest. I should probably get Amber her own pair of riding boots so she won’t have to keep borrowing Lily’s. It could make a perfect Christmas gift. Maybe I could even have them engraved with her name to make it more personal. I’m still mulling over that idea as I finish putting Gertie’s saddle and bridle away.


    As I step out the back of the stable and head towards Amber’s quarters, I feel a sudden knot in my stomach. I’ve never done this before—meeting the parents. Honestly, I never thought I would. But here I am, about to face them. I wonder if there’s anything I can do to make a good impression. You’d think loving their daughter and treating her right should be enough, but something tells me Amber’s parents might be harder to win over. I guess I’ll just have to be on my best behavior and hope for the best.


    I walk towards Amber’s door and see that she has left it ajar for me. There''s an outside faucet between the corner of the house and Amber''s door, so I take the opportunity to clean myself up a bit. I quickly wash my hands and splash some water on my face, drying off with the sleeve of my coat. It''s not exactly perfect grooming, but it’s the best I can manage under the circumstances. And fuck, if her parents wanted a more proper introduction, they should have fucking told us they were coming! I take a deep breath, determined to put my best foot forward with Amber''s parents, but then I hear angry voices coming from her living room.


    ‘You should still know better than to let a man like that touch you! The male touch should be reserved for husbands, with the exception of your father,’ I hear Amber''s mother say in a loud, angry tone.


    Alright, that''s a bit much! I mean, seriously… There''s preaching abstinence, and then there’s taking it to such extremes.


    ‘Yes Mother, I’m aware,’ Amber answers in a docile tone.


    My step falters and I lift my eyebrows in surprise. What the fuck? I know for certain that Amber doesn''t feel that way. Is she seriously not going to stand up to her mother about something so ridiculous? Honestly, I wasn’t even touching her intimately just now. I was just helping her dismount safely!


    ‘You need to find yourself a good, decent, Christian husband,’ Amber''s mother continues her rant. ‘You should never let some promiscuous, immoral cowboy put his hands on you. If I catch you in such a situation again, we’ll take you home before you can even finish a prayer!’ she says in a threatening voice. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    My face falls. Wow! Okay, I guess they''ve already made up their minds about me without even waiting for a formal introduction. It feels like I’m already at a disadvantage before we’ve even started. I hesitate for a moment, dreading having to go in there now, but I remind myself that I promised Amber I would be there.


    ‘I am very disappointed in you, Amber,’ her father chimes in too. ‘A man like that is not an appropriate boyfriend for you.’


    I brace myself as I grab the door handle and raise my fist to knock, letting them know the “inappropriate and immoral boyfriend” has arrived.


    ‘Well, you don’t have to worry about that, because Jake is not my boyfriend. He’s just a guy who works here,’ Amber says coldly.


    I freeze, my fist only an inch from the door. Wait, what? What the fuck?


    What the actual fuck??


    Amber’s words hurt me more than I ever thought possible. It feels like I''ve been punched in the gut and stabbed through the heart at the same time. I''m just a guy who works here? Is she fucking serious? I know we started out as something casual, but fucking hell, that was weeks ago! We are so much more than that by now, aren’t we?


    I go pale and stumble back as I suddenly realize I have completely misread our situation. I thought the only hesitation about a committed relationship had come from me, but now I remember that isn''t true at all. Amber told me this on the night of our first kiss. She said that she hadn’t moved away from her parents to find a boyfriend or a husband. She said all she wanted was to experience something new and unsheltered. I just didn’t fucking believe her! I never thought she would be the type to truly want something casual. I was convinced that she’d want to have a boyfriend, despite her saying that she wasn’t looking for a commitment from me.


    Fuck, did I get that wrong!


    How the hell did everything get turned upside down like this? I didn’t want to start anything with Amber because I wasn’t looking for commitment and I figured she’d want that eventually. But now I’m the one standing here, feeling like a fucking idiot, thinking I’m her boyfriend—while she apparently just wanted to keep things casual the whole time! I’ve never felt so fucking rejected in my life. Bile rises in my throat. I need to get the fuck out of here.


    I turn to leave and accidentally slam the door behind me. My feet are heavy as I head towards my cabin, determined to get in my truck and drive the hell away from the ranch. Fast. I can’t believe this. I’ve been so fucking happy with Amber these past few weeks. Hell, this whole weekend with her has been amazing. And now, I just feel fucking gutted.


    ‘Jake?’


    I hear Amber calling my name behind me, but I pretend I don’t hear her. Instead, I keep my eyes fixed on my truck. I need to get the hell out of here.


    ‘JAKE!’ Amber yells a little louder. She sounds closer than before.


    I can’t resist glancing over my shoulder and see that she’s running after me. Fuck! I seriously don’t want to talk to her right now, but I can’t pretend that I haven’t seen her either. I reluctantly wait by the truck until Amber catches up to me, my hand already on the handle.


    ‘What are you doing? Are you leaving?’ Amber asks, her voice uncertain. She’s panting a little from running all the way over here.


    ‘Yes,’ I reply curtly.


    ‘But, why? I mean… I thought you said you wanted to come in and meet my parents?’ she asks, sounding confused.


    ‘What would be the point of that, Amber? It’s not as if I''m your fucking boyfriend or anything!’ I snap at her, barely containing my anger. I clench my fist and stare at my pickup, unable to even look her in the eyes.


    ‘Oh, no! You don’t have to worry about that!’ Amber exclaims with a chuckle. ‘It wouldn’t be a boyfriend thing. You’d just meet them as a coworker—like the foreman of the ranch.’


    I turn around to meet her gaze in disbelief. Amber actually has the gall to look relieved! ‘Yeah… Yeah, you’ve made that really fucking clear, Amber,’ I manage to get out.


    ‘Yes, I did! That means we’re good, right?’ Amber asks, but it sounds hesitant. She frowns in confusion when she sees my face.


    Is she fucking kidding me?


    ‘Good?’ I ask her slowly. I lift my eyebrows. ‘You think we’re good? Why the fuck do you even want me to meet your parents in the first place? What’s the point, if I don’t even matter to you?’


    ‘What are you talking about?’


    ‘Apparently, I''m no one important to you.’


    ‘That’s not true!’


    ‘Don’t fucking lie to me!’ I slam my hand against the truck in frustration. ‘I just heard you say it myself! You told your parents I’m not your boyfriend—just some guy who works here. Real fucking nice, Amber!’


    ‘Wait, what? I didn’t… I mean…’


    ‘Yes, you did! Those were your exact words!’ I snap, anger flaring in my chest. ‘I can’t fucking believe you! We’ve been together for weeks—spending almost all our free time together. You’ve stayed over at my place. Fucking hell, I even brought you home to meet my family!’


    I slam the car door again, ripping it open with unnecessary force. With one foot already inside, I turn towards Amber, my frustration boiling over.


    ‘Thanks for reminding me where I stand with you. I guess we should just stay out of each other’s way from now on, so you can focus on finding yourself a good, decent Christian husband,’ I add bitterly, my words laced with sarcasm.


    I don’t wait for Amber’s reply, but I slam my door shut and start the truck. I can’t even look at her when I drive away, a lot faster than I would have if Ray were home to see me.