Nate Bjorn

Chapter 11

There was a touch of spring in the air. You could smell it on the air and hear it the trees. Birds chirped and sang at each other.

Zihana could feel it in her bones. She loved this time of year. Zihana loved to watch everything melt and start growing. As a child she would go often go down to the river to swim once it was warm enough. Her parents would have to drag her away from the river because she would blue from the cold water.

Nate was finally able to move around without limping. Zihana watched him from the porch as he walked slowly across the barnyard. He was so hot with his cowboy hat on and his tight fitting jeans. ZIhana raised her mug of tea to her lips and took a sip. She wanted nothing more than to run her tongue over the hard muscles of his stomach, but she had refrained from coming on to him. Zihana wasn't low enough to come onto a guy who was injured.

Nate joined Zihana on the porch. He offered her a smile before he took the glass of water that Zihana handed him. Zihana watched the sexy way that his adam apple moved as he drank his water. Nate lowered his glass and gave her a curious look. Zihana's cheeks flushed with color before she looked away.

"Spring is here," she stated quietly.

Nate looked out over the farm yard to the cottonwood trees that were beginning to leaf out. "Yes it is. It's beautiful here, but it's not the same as Spring in Scotland."

Zihana turned her gaze back to Nate. "Will you come back to Scotland with me?"

Nate sighed. It took him a long time to speak. "I will. Give me enough time to sell my land. I want it to go to someone who will continue what I have done."

"You have done wonders here Nate. I am sure that there are those who will jump at the chance to continue what ye have done."

Nate snorted. "People around here weren't happy when I first started organic farming. Many have changed their minds."

"From what I heard in town, the people here like ye. They have changed a lot of what they were doing to become more environmentally friendly."

A smile played at the corners of Nate's mouth as he looked at Zihana. He captured her one hand and bought it up to his mouth. "I have a lot to atone for back home."

"My family has always accepted you Nate. They will accept you again."

"I do not look forward to seeing my family."

Zihana hesitated before she spoke. She didn't want to get Nate's hopes up, but she had to tell him the rumors. "I have heard rumors about your family since ye left. It's said that yer Grandfather has changed his will and cut everyone out except you."

Nate's eyebrows rose. "Why would he do that?"

Zihana shrugged. "He is getting old. I think that he loved you, but was unable to show you how."

There was a thoughtful look in Nate's eyes. "I do remember Grandfather telling me that he grew up in a home without much love and that was why he never knew how to express his feelings."

Zihana laid a hand on Nate's arm. "I think yer Grandfather loved you. It could be that he was mean to you because he wanted you to be strong. Your family was never nice to you. They were mean, almost cruel to you."

"They were cruel to me. They always were. For some reason my family always hated me. The only one who was ever nice to me was my Grandmother and she only did it when no one was around. I vaguely remember spying on my Grandparents when I was 5 and hearing them talking about how they had to treat me to protect me from the jealousy of my family."

"See, they love you even if they don't show it."

Nate sighed and shook himself like a dog trying to shake off excess water. "One step at a time Zi. One step at a time."