Holding On (Wildcreek Ranch Series Book 3)

Chapter Seven

Dinner was served, and Robbie ran out of his room towards the dining table. "Yummy, it looks delicious, Miss Anna," he said, inhaling the aroma of fresh home-cooked food.

"Where's your uncle?" asked Rihanna, casually. Dinner was served, and he had disappeared.

"I'm right here. Don't tell me you were missing me already?" asked the deep-throated voice of Hunter as he emerged from his room, looking freshly showered. Seeing him, Rihanna felt grimy and sweaty in comparison.

"Why should I? I just wanted to say that dinner is ready. I've called my brother. He's coming over to pick me up in five minutes," she said with a smile. Robbie looked disappointed, and so did his uncle. The smile disappeared from Hunter's face and he looked displeased with her arrangement.

"Won't you stay here, Miss Anna?" asked Robbie with a pout.

"I can't, Robbie. I need a shower and fresh clothes. I'm not feeling very comfortable right now. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?" said Rihanna. Robbie held her hand and pulled her to his height. He kissed her cheek lovingly as Hunter stared at them with an annoyed expression on his face.

"I'll make something and pack a lunchbox for you tomorrow. Okay?" Robbie nodded excitedly but Hunter simply stared at them with a grim expression. He wanted her to stay, he wanted to hold her in his arms again like in the afternoon. He was tired of taking pills to drive away his insomnia. Ever since that dreadful night, three years back, he had never been able to get a peaceful and deep sleep. The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see was the fire, all he could hear was the painful cries and screams of his family members who had been burned to death that night. He was surprised that he had slept so soundly after so many years that too in the arms of a woman he had just met. He wanted her soft body again in his arms. He wanted that blissful sleep again.

He looked down at Robbie. He too seemed upset that Rihanna wasn't staying the night. The way he was growing too dependent upon his teacher was something that should be rectified now but how? He himself too was getting too dependent upon her and it wasn't right. He would have to look for a good housekeeper soon. They shouldn't keep so many expectations from Rihanna. She was just Robbie's teacher. She wasn't his mother.

The sound of a car horn outside made Rihanna jump. "My brother's here. I'll get going. Bye, both of you," she said, rushing out. Hunter watched her from the windows as she climbed onto the passenger side of a Ford F-250 and the car drove off. He sighed and went back to the table to find a sulking Robbie, sitting at the table. He ruffled Robbie's hair and served him the food that Rihanna had prepared for them.

"I feel like crying, not eating, uncle Hunt. Why did she have to leave?" asked an upset Robbie.

"She needed to go home Robbie," said Hunter and placed his plate before him but he turned his face away with tears in his eyes.

"She doesn't love me at all," Robbie pouted.

"Of course she does. Look, she has cooked a delicious dinner just for you," coaxed Hunter, feeding him a spoonful.

Robbie tasted the food and his eyes brightened. "You're right, Uncle Hunt. This is very good," he said as he started eating on his own. Hunter looked at him and smiled indulgently. He wished it would be so easy to comfort his mind and body both of which were craving for her. After tossing and turning the whole night, it was finally morning.

He talked to Mrs. Gemma Drew who was the mother of one of his ranch hands. She was eager to work as a housekeeper for him. He knew her since she had worked as a replacement when Samantha was sick or took leave. She joined them and got Robbie ready for school.

"Don't pack me lunch. Miss Anna will get me lunch, she promised me," yelled Robbie. He had been behaving like a wild thing since the moment Gemma joined work. Hunter tried to persuade him to cooperate but things were getting out of hand and he didn't have any clue how to set it right. He decided to talk to Rihanna and request her to have a word with Robbie.

He drove a scowling Robbie to school. The whole drive no one spoke. Hunter had tried to calm Robbie down since morning and failed. He was already dead tired after a sleepless night. Child rearing was such a tough job. He would never marry and never have kids!

He parked his truck and Robbie jumped out and stomped straight to his class without a backward glance at him. Rihanna wasn't around, so he dejectedly started his truck and drove away to work.

Rihanna noticed Robbie's foul mood. She walked up to him and sat down with him. Except for three more students, the whole class was empty as there was a good fifteen minutes left for the classes to start. "Good morning, Robbie," she greeted him, cheerfully.

"Good morning, Miss Anna, " he greeted back with a grumpy face.

"What happened? Why are you upset, sweetie?" she asked him softly almost in a whisper as if it was a secret that they were sharing. Robbie looked around to ensure that no one was listening to their conversation. Then he looked at Rihanna.

"Why did you leave last night, Miss Anna? I was scared, don't you know? Uncle Hunt too didn't sleep the whole night. He sat on the porch looking at the stars, crying, and drinking bad water."  Rihanna's eyes widened at the information. She felt a little guilty. From his words, it was clear that these two really needed her.

"I was sticky and tired. I didn't have any clothes. What could I do?" asked Rihanna with a pout.

"If Uncle Hunt buys you a whole closet full of dresses, will you stay?" asked Robbie as if dresses were her only issue. How would she explain that she couldn't stay the night with Hunter? He made her feel strange emotions and she had no control over her urges when he was around.

"Why would he do that?" she asked bewildered. Was Robbie forcing him to or was he really buying her dresses out of his own free will just to make her stay? It was a question only he could answer.

"He wants you to stay too, that's why," said Robbie with a faint smile on his lips. "Uncle Hunt kept a new housekeeper. I don't want anyone. I want you to cook dinner for me, Miss Anna," he pouted again.

"You need a housekeeper Robbie since your uncle can't stay at home with you the whole day. He has work to attend to, doesn't he?" asked Rihanna.

"Yes," said Robbie with a pout.

"I can come down and cook dinner for you sometime," she tried to coax him and he gazed at her wordlessly.

"I don't like anyone else's food, Miss Anna, " he said with quivering lips. Rihanna sighed. She realized that this little boy just needed a mother and he had already placed her on a pedestal. She couldn't just break his heart.

"Okay sweetie, let's start the class now. If I'm free, I'll come down in the evening. Okay?" she said. Robbie's eyes sparkled with excitement. He nodded vehemently. His mood uplifted immediately. The whole morning classes went on as usual. Robbie participated and showed immense improvement and Rihanna was quite satisfied with his progress. During lunch break, she brought out the lunchbox that she had packed for him. He loved the food and finished it, licking his fingers too clean. Afterwards, classes resumed and soon it was time to go home. Robbie skipped and jumped towards her.

"Are you coming home in the evening, Miss Anna?" asked Robbie.

"I'll try to if I don't have any other work," she said with a smile.

"Okay," said Robbie and ran to his uncle's truck, parked outside. Rihanna watched Hunter from her classroom window. He looked so tired. She remembered what Robbie told her. Did he really need her? Did he really sit on the porch and drink and cry the whole night? She looked at his worried face as his eyes scanned the entire parking lot and the school building as if searching for someone frantically. Was he searching for her? It should be since Robbie was right there with him. Her heart constricted at the thought. He needed her. She hid behind the curtain more not wanting to be seen. She watched him quietly, hidden from view. His shoulders drooped and he helped Robbie onto his car and drove off.

Rihanna released the breath that she was holding. Since yesterday, all she could think of was Hunter's hot body wrapped around hers, his breath on her shoulders, his mouth grazing her neck, his arms holding her tightly against him. Surprisingly it didn't seem wrong!