Ride (Reposted)

August 2015

"MOTHER FUCKERRRR." She screamed from the office.

She was livid. She moved to Texas to get further from her parents and now...

"What?" Jamie poked his head in, with a terrified look on his face, followed by Bailey.

"Dad's flying again." She growled.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jamie asked, "you guys wanted that after his laser."

"They're getting posted. He's training young pilots now." She sighed.

"What does that mean?"

"He's going to be stationed at a new base."

"So they have to sell the house and move?" He stood behind her and massaged his shoulders.

"Exactly. The bases are either Altus AFB, Little Rock AFB or Jackson AFB. Most likely Altus if he is training."

"Like Jackson, Mississippi? And where the hell is Altus?"

"Oklahoma."

"That's really close."

"Three hours."

"I don't think I can handle being 3 hours way from your mother. Sorry Emily. But I don't think I can. That woman scares me."

"She will be here every weekend! How do you think I feel! She's already being a terror with wedding planning being in Ontario."

"Well it proves to show that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Jamie that doesn't help! I wish they would just go to Charleston, or Hawaii." She turned around to look at him.

"Would you leave me if they got stationed in Hawaii?" He leaned against the window.

"In a fucking heartbeat." She grinned, "but I think your kind of hot and I still need to take care of you."

"Just kind of?" He cocked a brow at her.

"Okay I think your really hot." She grinned, standing up and wrapping her arms around his waist, "and you gave me a pretty ring."

She held her left hand out to look at her engagement ring, she loved looking at it, how it sparkled no matter what.

"I could always request a trade to like, Winnipeg. Behar would never go to Winnipeg." He pulled her hand up and kissed it.

"I, would never go to Winnipeg. You, would be on your own. It's cold, and snowy, and did I mention cold?" She looked up at him.

"You lived in Montreal for three and a half years."

"But Montreal is this beautiful, European inspired, cultural city. Winnipeg is baren, and dangerous."

"Or Edmonton."

"That is a hard no. We are staying in Dallas. I like my house. I like my friends. And I like that I am the Captain's fiancée."

"Maybe you can try to persuade your parents when you go see them in a few days."

"I can try. I wish you could come."

"I have to actually start hunkering down and concentrating on physio. And look after Bailey. Plus you are wedding dress shopping."

"But who knows if I'll actually find my dress. What would you like to see me in."

"Right now? Nothing at all." He suggested, before kissing her deeply.

"Are you seducing me?" She asked once he parted.

"Maybe." He reached down, cupping her butt, "is it working?"

"Well Mr. Benn. Maybe you should follow me then?" She pulled away, and pulled off her skirt, letting it lay on the ground.

She dropped an article of clothing every couple of feet, until she was standing naked in their bedroom, waiting for him. Nothing said a typical day in the Benn-Rankin residence with a part of their day naked. It's how they spent most of their time in the house, if it was just the two of them. He had a beautiful body, half covered in tattoos, with a tan. She had been working out almost every day for three hours at the Stars gym facility since her miscarriage. She was impressed with the results, she had definition in her stomach she hadn't had since before she met Jamie, her butt was perkier from the squats and lunges. Her back was just slightly toned, and she felt healthier, she liked showing off her new body. The laser hair removal had finally started to work, getting rid of the body hair that came back while pregnant.

"Well, look what we have here." He walked up to her and put his hands on her bare hips.

"You like?" She said softly, undoing the button on his shorts.

"There's a naked girl in my bedroom, of course I like." He got this little grin on his face that clearly said he was turned on.

"As long as I'm the only naked girl to be in here with you." She pulled his pants down, along with his underwear, releasing his erection.

"Trust me. You are going to be the only naked girl ever in this room." He cupped her butt again and lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Well Jess, Ali and I have had naked baths together." She giggled.

"What? And why didn't I know." She loved the look of shock on his face.

"That is your brother's girlfriend, and your best friend's on-again girlfriend you are intriguing about."

"Who took a naked bath with my fiancée. That's essentially incest." He tried to look disappointed.

"Girls do it all the time. And it was nothing sexual. We were drinking and you guys were away." She giggled.

"Is the visual I'm getting supposed to make my boner go away cause it's doing the exact opposite." He kissed her neck.

"Jamie, Jamie, Jamie." She laughed as he took them over to the bed.

"Oh you'll be saying that a lot more. But you know, more so moaning my name." He gave her a sex filled look before tearing his shirt off.

Jamie was right. She was moaning his name. They said that once you get married the sex goes away. She hoped it wouldn't happen, and with Jamie's insatiable appetite for her, it probably wouldn't happen.

***

"I fucking love you so much." She panted as she came again, in sync with him.

"I love you too." He groaned, as she laid down on his chest, with him still in her.

He brushed her recently lightened hair out of the way and pulled her up so he could kiss her. He loved this girl more then anything. It terrified him that her mother could be living a mere three hours away from them. They loved their independence from their parents, they were figuring things out on their own. When they decided to have kids it would probably be a good thing to have one of them near.

"Round...?" She rolled off of him, propping herself up on her arm.

"Maybe later honey. I think I need dinner and you need to pay attention to Bailey." He rubbed his stomach, hearing it growl.

"I have a really hot husband. I want said really hot husband to shower with me." She rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Did you just call me your husband?"

"Technically we are common law." She turned around to look at him.

"Well then. I think I might just have to join my wife in the shower." He jumped up to follow her in.

He liked calling her that. He wanted her again as soon as she started washing her body, her hair high up in a bun.

"Fuck me." He groaned, trying to think of something else.

"What's that Jamie?" She turned around to look at him.

"The soap, and the curves- looking at you from that angle isn't helping either. God damnit." He groaned, feeling himself get hard again.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." She laughed, wrapping her hands around him, stroking him.

"I can never get enough of you. I'm going to be 60 and I won't need Viagra." He laughed, "now bend over."

It was the only way they could successfully have sex in the shower, feeling how tight she still was on his cock made his eyes roll to the back of his head. It helped his hips, as much as he shouldn't admit it. He reached around her and rubbed her clit, she wouldn't last long and neither would he.

"Jamie. I'm so sensitive." She whined, bracing herself on the wall.

"Cum for me love. I'm so close." He pulled her hips closer to him to get deep.

She let him know perfectly well when she did, and he wasn't that far behind her.

Finishing up in the shower he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed downstairs to see what it was that Bailey was barking about earlier. Thinking it was just his ball that he lost he shrugged and headed towards the kitchen.

They weren't expecting anyone over so as he was digging around in the fridge he didn't care if his towel loosened a little. He heard Emily whimper behind him. He had no idea why she would be crying.

He turned around and it was not Emily that was crying. It was someone who had the same dark, Middle Eastern features as her. The girl was crying, her hair messy, she had a black eye.

"Who the fuck are you?" He tried to keep his voice calm, and tightened his towel.

This is what Bailey was barking at. But she seemed to have been acquainted with Bailey pretty quickly. Horrible guard dog.

"You must be Jamie." She said, choking, "where is Emily."

Her accent was Middle Eastern.

"Huda?" Emily called out, she was dressed.

It was her cousin Huda. She was extremely worried about her, knowing that she was in an increasingly abusive relationship. When they were driving back from BC she was so intent on grabbing her as they came down the Pacific Coast and taking her to the safety of their house.

"What did he do to you?" He watched her hold her cousins face. The look on Emily's face was pained for her cousin.

"I'm gonna go get dressed." He kissed Emily on the forehead before retreating back upstairs.

He was still hungry but he knew it would be insensitive if he just started munching in front of them, in just a towel.

In their nearly three years he had only met a handful of Emily's family. Everyone was spread all over the world. Especially on her mom's side. Her dads side was in northern Maine and the Canadian East Coast, with Shaun being a dual citizen himself.

***

"Tell me, what did he do to you?" She asked Huda again.

"We were fighting. And I told him 'I dare you to hit me'. And he did, over and over again. That's when I knew I needed to leave. I could take the verbal abuse, but once he started getting physical." She sobbed.

"Come to the couch. You shouldn't have to take any of it. Your safe here." She lead her to the living room.

"But that's how dad always talked to mum." She tried to defend Ashad's actions as they sat on the couch.

"Abuse is abuse no matter what Huds. Jamie would never talk to me like that. Zayn would never speak to Shadi like that. Hell Raff would never speak to his wife like that either. None of them would lay a hand on any of us either. This is 2015 not 1845." She pulled Huda close to her again.

"And mum and dad won't talk to me now when they find out I left. Oh no. The whole family is going to disown me."

Huda's marriage to Ashad was arraigned, they were only married since February. The rest of the family didn't even know about it until a few weeks after. And it was also at the same time her and Jamie lost their baby, and Emily almost dying had taken away their thunder, which Ashad was pissed about.

He was a luxury real estate agent in California. He was by no means a Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles caliber, but he was in Beverly Hills. Huda's parents were also very religious and conservative, and would only talk to her parents, and her other aunties and uncles for the sake of her grandparents. Everyone was much more liberal, even though Emily and Jamie living together before being married caused quite a stir.

"You have all of us, my parents, aunties and uncles. We still love you even if you are divorced at the ripe old age of 22. I wasn't expecting you to be here so quickly."

"You didn't tell Jamie either?" Huda looked up at her older cousin.

"I was going to tell him. And then you got here." Emily said sheepishly.

"I just drove. I only stopped for gas." She started hyperventilating, "he's going to know I'm here. He'll track my credit card. We need to return the rental. But not in Dallas."

"We'll take care of that for you. You're exhausted. One step at a time. Your safe here and you know that. Jamie won't let him anywhere near the house. Hell, I won't." She ran her fingers through her cousin's hair.

"Do you have guns in here?" She sat up.

"Yes. We do. But I'm not telling you where we keep them locked up. And they aren't in the garage. Why did you rent and not take yours?"

"Because he would have called the car in stolen and I would have had to go back."

"But it's your car. And the police wouldn't have let you go back seeing you like this. You could have stayed at a women's shelter until I came to get you. Trust me. If he shows up Jamie won't let him past the front gate."

"You don't know Ashad. And why a women's shelter?"

"I know Ashad is a pathetic excuse for a man. And is a pretty small guy too. You just met Jamie. He's massive. He's got a temper too. A women's shelter would have kept you safe. They're secure."

"Has he ever?"

"I just told you he would never lay a hand on me. We've had some pretty big fights, he's called me a bitch in the heat of the moment, but he would never call me a pathetic cunt or anything multiple times a day. If he did I wouldn't be here. He wouldn't have this house. If he even tried he would be put in his place so fucking fast. Which is out of the house. On his brothers couch."
Huda jumped at Emily dropping the F-bomb. As all as the C-word. Huda herself was quite conservative and would never curse.

"I put on just a tiny bit of make up on and he called me a fat slut."

"You aren't going back. Your beautiful with and without it. I'm not going to let you. We'll get you a job here and you can start fresh."

"I've never worked a day in my life. I have no job skills." Huda sobbed.

"You are a pretty good make up artist if I don't say so myself. I may have a friend who is hiring make up artists here in Dallas I can hook you up with. We can get you enrolled in school here. Jamie and I will get you on your feet."

"You guys don't have to do that."

"We will. Your going to come to Canada with me next week to go wedding dress shopping, spend some time with my parents. Have you got your passport?"

"I brought all my identification. I packed in a hurry. I still have lots of things back at our house in California."

"When you are ready I'll go with you to get your things. Shadi is going to meet us in Toronto and then come down to Dallas for a bit. It'll be like when we were kids. You guys can make fun of me for having an English name, we can make fun of Shadi's unibrow and mustache and her and I can be jealous of your long eyelashes. And you can see Alex, all we're missing is Raff."
She talked to Huda and calmed her down until she fell asleep next to her on the couch.

Jamie came downstairs a few moments later, knowing the coast was clear.

***

Jamie saw a protective Emily running her fingers through her younger cousins hair. They had a lot of the same features. Her, Shadi and Huda could have easily passed for sisters. Emily was the athletic, outdoorsy one, Shadi was the materialistic, loud British one and Huda was the conservative one from straight from the home land.

"I was going to tell you she was coming. I didn't know she was going to be here this soon." Emily looked up at him.

"I hope she didn't hear us, you know." He sat down across from her.

"That's the last thing I want her to be embarrassed about. She's already pretty embarrassed about Ashad."

"I will never understand why a man would beat his wife." Jamie shook his head.

The thought made Jamie feel sick. As much as he would like to knock some sense into Emily sometimes, he would never hit her. Aside from giving her a slap on the ass every now and then, but that was usually sexually, or when he was trying to bring her out of a bad mood.

"Trust me honey. It's how she grew up too. Her parents are a lot more, old school, way then what the rest of us were." Emily sighed, "like my mom married a white guy. My grandparents are pretty liberal."

"Your marrying a white guy." He looked across at her.

"I'm half, so it's not that controversial anymore." She smiled.

"So she's really gonna stay with us until she gets on her feet?" He asked, looking at Huda.
He felt bad for her. He couldn't be mad at Emily for opening their home to her. She was family. Jamie would have done the same.

"Until she decides on what she wants to do. She drove all night Jamie. That's a 23 hour drive from Beverly Hills. She's terrified."

"I know. We did that drive. It's quite long. But to do that straight and just stopping for gas and
red bull." He shook his head again in disbelief.

"She cried herself to sleep. Where should we get her set up?"

"Well Shadi is going to want the purple room when she gets here. We'll get her in the next room over."

"Maybe you should return the rental. So it's one less thing for her to worry about." She suggested.

"Let's get her to bed and we'll clear out whatever she's driving after. I'll call Jordie."

"Sounds like a plan. Huds." She shook her cousin lightly to wake her up.

She slept like Emily did. Like a log, until her phone started ringing. She shot up straight, with a terrified look in her eyes.

"Who is it?" She shook, leering at the kitchen island.

Jamie got up to look at it as Emily tried to comfort her. This asshole really did a number on her.

"It's Ashad." Jamie said quietly.

"Just let it ring." Emily growled. "I need to put him in his place but that won't be right now. Huds let's get you to bed." Emily pulled her cousin upstairs and took her to bed.

A few moments later her heard Emily come back downstairs. He felt her wrap her hands around his waist from behind, burying her face in his back.

"Thank you." She mumbled into his back.

"I'd do the same. But I'd also pummel the shit out of whatever guy would do that." He turned around to have her look at him.

"I know you would. She's scared he's going to come out here to get her. I talked you up and said that you won't let him past the gate."

"Well you certainly aren't going to let him." He laughed, kissing her.

"No. I'm not. I'll get all backwoods South Carolina on his ass and sit in the drive way with my .22. And this is Texas."

"That's my little redneck."

"Remind me to call your mother in the morning and say thank you." She rubbed his stomach.

"For what?" He looked at her, confused.

"For raising a gentleman with such a good, compassionate heart." She kissed the centre of his chest where his heart is.

He pulled her in close again, running his fingers through her hair. He was so confused as to why someone would want to hit their wife. He wouldn't even fight anyone off the ice, aside for Jordie. He really wanted to introduce Ashad to his fist though.

"Let's go unload her rental and then you guys can go return it. Return it to a closed one so the less questions the better." She decided, reaching around him and turning off Huda's phone.

"When you see Jordie don't mention anything about Jess." He said quietly.

"Why?" She asked, concerned.

"They broke up."

"Seriously?" She turned to look at him.

"Yeah. She wanted him to you know, purpose. I think she caught the engagement bug. He wasn't ready, so she broke up with him." Jamie bit his lip.

"That sucks. I'll play dumb next time I talk to her. I wouldn't expect that from her." Emily furrowed her brow walking out to the incredibly dirty Chrysler 200 rental, "must have been very dry and very windy coming through the desert."

"Jordie's told me a lot more about her, but since she's your friend I'm not going to say it."

"That's fair. Can you not shave for a couple of days and have your as physically imposing brother around too just in case Ashad tracked her location before I turned her phone off."

"Yes darling." He kissed the back of her head.

It was a hot Texas night. He didn't know if he should be worried that Huda had just a tiny suitcase and a toiletry bag with her, and her few other belongings on the front seat of the car.
Once everything was unloaded Jordie pulled up in his truck just on time.

"What happened?" Jordie asked concerned.

"My cousin just left her husband." Emily sighed, giving him a hug, "I was the closest to her."

"How long is she here for?"

"For as long as she needs to be. You would do the same if Jenny showed up on your front door with a black eye and crying." Jamie shook his head.

"And then I'd murder the asshole. How come you and your handgun aren't half way to Cali by now?" Jordie looked at his sister-in-law.

"I've thought about it but California gun laws are a little different to Texas's. Despite my concealed carry license." Emily smiled sheepishly.

"That's fair." Jordie laughed.

Jamie did a once over of the rental when they dropped it off. Climbing into Jordie's truck he sighed.

"Long day?" Jordie glanced over at his brother.

"She scared the shit out of me. I heard crying. I thought it was Emily. And who knows what she gets worked up about sometimes. Then I turned around and it wasn't Emily."

"She broke into the house?"

"No I think Emily gave her the code. But I was literally going to drop my towel and helicopter it for her. I'm glad I didn't."

"Your such a child. You two a weird." Jordie grimaced.

"She actually hates it. Do you have any dip?" Jamie searched his brothers car.

"Didn't you quit?"

"My stress levels went up today. Emily's parents are more then likely moving within a 5 hour radius of us." Jamie groaned, as he found the can.

"Well that certainly sucks. Welcome to my life, with Jess's parents being just over in Arlington."

***

Several days later Emily woke up in her high school bed, with Huda tucked in next to her and Shadi sleeping on an air mattress at the end of the bed. It was still early so it she decided to go for a morning run.

Last time she slept in this bed was with Jamie two years ago, much against her mothers wishes. Sneaking over Shadi she got dressed and snuck out of the bedroom. Everyone was still sleeping, aside for the dogs, once they saw her running shoes they wanted to join.

She missed Jamie, it was the first time they were separated since his last road away game. She needed to get used to it though, in several weeks he would be off to Austin for training camp. By the time she got back from her 45 minute run, the house had changed from being completely quiet to bustling, the coffee maker brewing and her dad making Saturday breakfast. She missed this. Her house was quiet with just her, Jamie and the dog.

They were due to leave for Toronto in the next hour to make her first bridal appointment, and Jenny and Heather had flown out to join in on the occasion.

"Go shower. You don't want to smell for your first wedding dress appointment." Behar hussled her.

"I can't eat first?" Emily grumbled with a mouthful of pancake.

"Don't you want to fit into dresses?" Behar shot back.

"That's what spanx are for. And I've dropped two dress sizes thank you very much. My ass is just big. It's genetic."

"Well, you did get it from your momma." Behar laughed.

She wasn't going to purchase her dress in Toronto unless she found one she loved and couldn't find it in Dallas. They were going to White Toronto in Yorkville and the new Kleinfeld downtown.

She loved Toronto. It wasn't her number 1 but it was in the top 10 after Dallas, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal and New York. They also had a big day of shopping planned after wedding dress hunting. Emily felt like she was going to need the retail therapy after looking at gowns with 5 other women with all very different tastes.

They had decided to stay in Texas for their wedding, to make things as easy as possible for everyone. They had gotten wedding accommodations at the W hotel downtown, where they held most of the team's private functions, as well as the ballroom for their reception.

Her mom wanted a ball gown, Shadi wanted her in something sexy and form fitting, Jenny and Heather were happy with whatever Emily was happy with, and Huda suggested something conservative as it was Texas after all. But since it was Texas. And she was half Persian, and Greek. It was going to be a very big wedding. She never thought she was going to be the type to have a big wedding, since she was very laid back, and so was Jamie, but the more they went over tentative guest lists. Both their families were big, they had tons of people in their life that had to be there, close friends, life long friends, his team, the people she knew back in Montreal. After trying on a few dresses she realized she didn't know what she wanted.

They say you just know.

They, whomever they are, would be kinda right. She knew when they found their house, she knew when she toured McGill's grounds, Jamie knew she was it.

***

"What is Emily up to today? She still in Ontario?" Jordie asked his brother as he teed up.

"Yeah, she's dress shopping today. You didn't know mum and Jenny are in Toronto with her?" Jamie rolled his eyes.

"Mum flew to Toronto?" Jordie missed his shot, clearly shocked.

"Dude. She wouldn't miss out on Emily wedding dress shopping. She loves her. How are things with you and Jess?"

Jordie and Jess had been talking and working on their relationship. He felt bad for his brother. Jess was a handful at times. Emily was too, but Jess being a born and raised Texan, it was at a bigger level.

Jordie was head strong too, and probably antagonized a lot of fights, just like Jamie did. Jamie was glad to finally be able to enjoy the golf course, it was a long summer with out it. He missed the courses in Kelowna but Texas had some of the greatest to offer. He had gotten a text message from his sister of Emily in a wedding gown. It made him almost giddy seeing her in one. It wasn't one Emily liked but she looked like a princess in the big fluffy gown.

"How's Huda been? It's going to be a full house when Shadi comes back with them."

"Huda's been fine. She's very timid, she jumps even when Bailey barks." Jamie went to line up a shot, "hopefully when Shadi's here she'll be a little more out going. I think they're going to California and getting the rest of her things first."

"And pray your fiancée doesn't get arrested and Shadi doesn't get deported with that fucking jackass."

"Apparently he's going to be away."

"So Emily will just booby trap the entire place."

"That's what I'm thinking. Home alone style. She's done it to me."

"I'm not surprised." Jordie laughed, shaking his head.

Notes