To Brea a Filly

Author's Note: I am sorry that it took so long for an update. I reworked this chapter so many times I can't even begin to describe it to you all, but here it is. I hope that you enjoy this version of chapter three. I am not going to say how far into the next one I am as I don't want to jinx it, but I am on vacation for the next few weeks and hope to write quite a bit in that time. As always, I would love to hear your feedback and thank you to all who have motivated me to keep going! Much love.

*

About a week had passed since Lindsay took in the dog and during that time they had settled into a comfortable routine. Just as she knew would happen, she had fallen in love with the big oaf. They were out for a nice Saturday morning stroll and Lindsay's mind was humming contentedly. They turned the corner onto her street and she noticed that something was off.

Where is the bed?

She unclipped the mutt's leash and they jogged up onto her lawn. There were four corner post marks that had yellowed her lawn from their prolonged stay, but sure enough the bed was nowhere in sight.

Lindsay knelt down and ran her fingers around the circular patch for a moment and was startled from her revelry when a single tear fell from her cheek to land on the back of her hand.

Why am I crying?

She knew, though, why she was crying. In some small way, the bed was the last piece of Derek she had claim to. Lindsay had been in such a rush to wash him from her life, she had lost the foresight to perhaps keep at least one token of their seven years together. If she was being honest with herself, she would have never disposed of the bed on her own.

But I didn't have a choice.

She didn't have a say in whether or not the bed got to stay; she didn't have a choice for Derek to stay either. He had never offered her the opportunity to defend what they had before he just ripped it away and now that horrible, cursed bed had been ripped away from her as well.

She felt something cold and wet touch the back of her hand and saw the dog sniff at her tear. He looked up at her with black glassy eyes and, very gently, licked her cheek.

"Well this just blows, doesn't it?" She sniffed and chuckled a little while she said it. She reached up and scratched behind the dog's ear. He closed his eyes and leaned into her, making her heart smile in spite of it all. "C'mon bud, let's go make lunch."

***

"I swear to God, Linds; that is the ugliest effing dog I have ever seen." Marie was deep into her fifth glass of wine and was starting to feel very honest.

"I hate to agree, girlie, but couldn't you have gotten one of those cute little fluffy ones with the bows in their hair?"

"Yeah, what Chess said; trade him in for a purse puppy!"

The two women burst out laughing and Lindsay whispered to the dog that he wasn't that ugly and not too take it too harshly. Her timing was unfortunate however as he had chosen this moment to reach around and enthusiastically lick his balls. This only caused Marie and Chessie to laugh harder. Lindsay was starting to regret introducing them, but it was nice to have people over again. She'd been using the dog to excuse herself from human company as of late so this was probably good for her. Probably.

"In all honesty though, Linds; I think it's great that you've found someone to love and care for you... and to lick his balls while you watch TV!"

"Yeah, girlie; what more could a girl ask for from a man?" This had them all laughing. Chessie and Marie continued to poke fun at the dog, but Lindsay's mind began to wander.

She had grown increasingly frustrated with her static position at work and in life in the recent weeks. An idea as to how to get out of her current rut had come during her run last night and she wanted to bounce it off of the girls. This was, after all, why she had invited them both over --

not to make fun of my dog

. When the laughter died down, Lindsay filled them in.

"So, I kind of wanted you both over because I want to run something by you. I've been thinking a lot lately about what I want to do with the money Derek and I had been saving up, and I think I've finally settled on something."

"Oh my God, is it a Lamborghini?" Marie exclaimed excitedly.

"No, girlie, it's obviously going to be a doggie plastic surgeon!" This started the laughter back up again, and Lindsay waited for it to subside before going on.

"I've been thinking about taking a trip. I've always wanted to go to Europe. So, I figured I'd take a few months to myself, fly over there and just kind of wing it. What do you think?"

They both hesitated and looked at each other. Marie was the first to speak, "What exactly do you mean when you say 'wing it'?"

"Well, I figured I'd have a rough idea of where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see and I'd just sort of make it up as I go along."

Then it was Chessie's turn to ask a question, "Wait, so you're not going to make reservations or plan anything out?"

"No," Lindsay replied, "that's kind of the point. I think I'll just go and disconnect for a little bit. I'm hoping that maybe if I can get far enough away from... all of this," she gestured to the house in general, "maybe I will find a way to... enjoy life again."

Marie sighed, "I kind of figured something like this was coming. If I'm being perfectly honest, I think you're right. This would be good for you and you can certainly afford to do it. Daddy's not going to like having to look after your mutant dog, though."

All three women laughed once more and began chatting about all of the places Lindsay could see -- and all the different kinds of men she could meet. This of course turned into a heated debate about the sexiest European accents which could have gone on for hours. The wine finally began to take its hold on the women and they started to gather their things to leave.

"By the way, I saw Jake the other day in the elevator." Marie said as she was walking to the door. It took a few moments for Lindsay to recall who her sister was referring to.

Stinky guy, right.

"I asked if he was visiting someone and you know what he said?"

"I haven't the faintest clue."

"He said 'No, I'm waiting for someone'. Now why do you think he would say something like that? Huh? Told you he likes you." Marie donned a smarty-pants smirk and kissed her sister on the cheek. "Just something to consider."

With that, Chessie and Marie departed, giggling to each other about men and elevators. Lindsay wasn't sure how she felt about this news. It felt a little predatory that a man would be hanging around in an elevator waiting for her. But then again, she thought back to the cowboy, not all things predatory turn out to be bad.

***

Lindsay began to make arrangements for her trip the next morning. She gave a month's notice at work and did a little research on traveling through Europe. She wanted to be spontaneous, not ignorant. She decided that it would be best to start her journey in Italy and end in Ireland so she went ahead and scheduled two flights. She left a little over three months in between, figuring that would give her plenty enough time to explore the space and to find herself.

That all left only one challenge for Lindsay to face. She needed to find a place for the dog to stay and she knew only one person with the means to take care of him. It should have been simple enough but somehow, Lindsay thought it might be a tad difficult to convince her sister to look after the mutt -- Marie had been so sure the other night that Lindsay would ask their father.

Lindsay had been practicing what she was going to say to Marie all day. She knew that if she played her cards right, she would be able to guilt Marie into doing it. She really would have to play her cards perfectly though. The elevator dinged and as the doors opened, Lindsay saw stinky man quickly straighten and smile brightly at her.

Lindsay sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fancy running into you," her words dripped with sarcasm. He looked a little confused as she stepped in and pushed the button for the fourth floor. The doors closed and Lindsay said without looking at him, "So, what's your deal? My sister said you've been hanging around in the elevators waiting for me."

The man in the suit looked completely taken aback at her abrupt affront, flushed a little, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, when you put it like that, I'll admit it doesn't sound good."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment as the elevator passed the second floor. Lindsay broke the silence and prodded his explanation, turning to face him. "So... what's your deal?"

He looked her over briefly and seemed to regain his original confidence. "Look, I know it seems odd; I would very much like to explain myself to you, but we only have one floor left and I really don't believe that to be sufficient time. Could we discuss it over dinner?"

Lindsay was stunned. Thirty seconds ago she was calling him out for stalking her and now he was asking her to dinner.

At least this time he doesn't stink

. The man took this opportunity to remove her choice in the matter.

"I'll wait right here while you run in and excuse yourself from your sister's company for the evening." The elevator dinged for the fourth floor and Jake stepped into the doorway to block it from closing, gesturing for her to exit.

Lindsay regarded him with a look of incredulity and walked slowly past, all the while trying to process what had just transpired. She heard his voice, fuzzy and distant, in her ear, "Tick, tock."

Seriously.

The door to Marie's apartment closed behind Lindsay.

"Linds, is that you? I was just about to put the lasagna in the oven. You want to drink red or white tonight? Or sparkling?! I like the sparkling ones, I know it's not 'real' wine but they're just so dang tasty! Linds?"

"I, uh, can't stay tonight Marie. I have... plans."

Marie came out of the kitchen and looked confusedly down the hall at her sister. "I thought you said you needed dinner. Is everything okay?"

Lindsay wasn't sure what to say. "Yeah, everything's fine. It's just... I thi- I think I have a date?"

Marie exploded with questions. Who, where, when, why, and most importantly

how

? Lindsay didn't know how to answer any of them so she just waited while her sister burned through a few more minutes of speech and eventually came to silence.

"I can't really talk about it now; I'll call you later," Lindsay told Marie, heading back out the door. She saw the man still waiting for her, pinning back the elevator door, and she glanced back at Marie one last time who gave her a reassuring thumbs-up.

He smiled at her and stated matter-of-factly, "Better hurry up, you're blocking traffic here."

Seriously?

She deliberately slowed her pace just a hair and eventually boarded, feeling him follow her in. The doors closed and they were off. He turned to Lindsay and held out his hand. "I'm Jake, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Jake By The Way." She kept her face stoic though inside she was rolling at her cleverness. The corner of his lip turned up minutely and he waited, looking on at her patiently. She remained silent as long as she could bear the awkwardness. "I'm Lindsay."

You might have to toughen up there a little bit, Linds; you can't keep letting him win that easily

.

Pushover.

The other corner of his mouth joined the first in a satisfied smile and she was jolted by his dazzling grin. His teeth were scary perfect and they seemed to be glinting at her now. She couldn't help her internal monologue as it burst out in a full chorus of Sinatra.

When the shark bites, with his teeth -- teeth

...

Get a grip on yourself.

The elevator ding went off one last time and she followed him out to the front of the building. He held the door for her but when she passed through, she halted at the sight of a black stretch limousine.

Is he always this prepared? Or was he expecting me...

Jake walked ahead, grabbed the door once more, and extended his hand out to help her into the vehicle. She started to reach out for it, but hesitated for a fraction of a second. She knew that if she crossed this line, it would be impossible to uncross it.

You said the same thing about the dog.

With that recent success in mind, she slid her hand into his. She felt him run his thumb down the outside of her wrist ever so slightly. The action sent butterflies fluttering through her chest.

Once she was settled into her seat, Jake closed her door and went forward to speak to the driver. This gave her the opportunity to observe her surroundings. The interior of the vehicle was dark, the windows were over-tinted with black leather seats and dark blue carpets. The only illumination seemed to come from the sparkling lights that were built into the leveled ceiling, giving the impression of a starry night. There was a bar inside, of course, and Lindsay could see that it was well stocked.

The door on the opposite side from her opened and Jake slid onto the seat. "Can I get you anything to drink before we take off?" He asked her politely.

Oh hell yes, that's exactly what I need!

"Red wine, please." He poured her a glass and handed it to her. She held it level with her eyes and swirled the glass' contents. She brought it to her nose and inhaled its pungent aroma. Lindsay was about to take a sip when she noticed that Jake was staring at her with his sky blue eyes.

That's weird. Then again, this whole thing is kind of weird.

"So," she asked pointedly, though she wasn't sure how the answer would affect her evening, "this all seems to be very well orchestrated. I can't help but think that you were... expecting me."

Jake said nothing but continued to smile at her.

She paused, mulling over all that had transpired in the last fifteen minutes. She took a sip of the wine. It was wonderfully dry and woody; it was as though she was drinking it straight from the barrel. God, it was so perfect. Lindsay loved the way a bone dry wine left a coating on her tongue and the roof of her mouth; so few people nowadays appreciated its beauty.

Wait, so few people...

"Dammit Marie!" Lindsay cursed her sister and nearly crushed the delicate wine glass in her hand. Jake's smile widened and he started to laugh. Lindsay turned on him like a rabid dog. "Oh you think this is funny, do you? You and my sister in cahoots; what is this shit?"

He laughed even harder at that and Lindsay crossed her arms over her chest to wait for him to finish. Jake seemed to realize that Lindsay wasn't going to relax until he stopped laughing and gave her an explanation.

When the last few chuckles were out of his system, he started to speak, "Cahoots? I don't know if I would call it that. Did Marie know more about this than she let on earlier? Yes, but it was more of an innocent collaborative effort to get you to agree to a life-changing date, and I would like the record to show that it worked."

Lindsay continued to glare at him with a statuesque, stoic face. When she finally spoke, it was with a doubtful hesitation in her tone, "Life-changing?"

"You'll see." He winked.

***

Chad was finding it increasingly hard to restrain himself. After his first trip out to visit the woman, he had been able to hold out for ten days before her lure brought him back. He had pulled off to the side of the road across the street from her house just before the sun rose one morning. He watched as she let her dog out into the back yard to relieve himself.

Chad loved the way the sun played in her fiery strands of hair and kissed her pale skin so delicately. About an hour after that, she had left the house dressed in a sharp black suit with that beautiful fire pulled back into a tight bun. It accentuated the sharp lines of her face, making her look fierce and powerful. Oh, what it would be like to fight that fire and watch it burn out...

He had tagged her all the way in to what he now knew to be her office -- one of the highest buildings on the San Antonio skyline. It took her about four hours to reemerge and when she finally did, she was accompanied by a shorter woman with voluptuous curves and way too much make-up. They had walked up the street to a small café and Chad followed, seating himself at a table near them to listen in on their conversation.

This was where he had first heard her name, Lindsay. It suited her well. It had a nice, feminine ring to it but was nothing too flashy or glamourous. He had rolled it around in his head over and over again since that time, naming her features and loving them all. Chad didn't know how much more beautiful this woman could become to him, but he certainly couldn't wait to explore her further.

While her friend had limited her order to a salad and water, Lindsay had asked for a barbecue pork sandwich with onions rings and a chocolate malt. How on earth she was going to fit it in her small slacks and slight frame was beyond Chad. But sure enough, once their food arrived, his little prize tore into the meal as though it was the first she'd ever eaten. He was amazed.

Lindsay's friend rattled continuously throughout the entire lunch, mostly about shoes and what Chad assumed were coworkers. He had grown tired of her drawl after the first few minutes and her words were lost on distracted ears as he started about memorizing every freckle across the bridge of Lindsay's nose. His attention was awoken eventually by the words "while I'm gone" leaving Lindsay's pink lips.

He then heard her discuss details of a trip with her friend, and a lengthy trip at that. By the sound of it, his filly was planning on disappearing into the European countryside for several months without contacting her friends and family back here in the states.

Could this be any more perfect?

A few months without suspicions. A few months of this woman all to himself, uninterrupted. Chad listened closer to their conversation, hoping for more details but all he got was that Lindsay planned on leaving in a few weeks and that she was considering leaving her watchdog with her sister in the city.

He followed the ladies back to their office and then proceeded to his truck. He revved the engine and headed back to his farm. He couldn't help but become excited at the prospect of actually carrying out his plans. He had gone so far as to make an enclosure but something had been preventing him from acting upon his urges.

Chad knew that there would be no going back from an act so inhumane. He would be surrendering a part of himself to an unnamed darkness within, not to mention that it was horribly illegal. But something else had been driving Chad from the very beginning and that motive couldn't be quenched any other way... loneliness.

He was a man of the land, a man of honor, but he was alone. Any woman that Chad had ever met held no prospects. They had been a farmer's daughter with no education, no sense of self, and certainly no aspirations. He had never had anyone that challenged him and therefore had never found himself truly attracted to any of them. Sure, he was good looking enough to gain interest, but it had never been mutual.

There was something about the way Lindsay carried herself, with pride and a commanding prowess, that drew Chad in. He knew that until he had claimed her, he would never be satisfied. He need her. He needed to tame this woman to feel complete and finally the opportunity was about to present itself in a perfectly wrapped package.

Three whole months, that was not only enough time to take her and have her, it would be enough time to break her. He was sure of it.

You monster, you cannot be serious. This is another human being you are talking about, A PERSON! How can you do something so cruel as to kidnap this poor woman? You are pathetic... disgusting.