Isabel, The Beauty Next Door Pt. 08

The day would have been perfect if it wasn't for some idiot smashing into my car while it was in the hotel's car park. Luckily the person was honest, he came into reception and left his contact details. My insurance company is going to get the car towed and fixed. We still celebrate with our families in the bar before calling it a night.

Isabel and I make love most nights, but like the previous four night we slowly make true love. Our love for each other is laid bare as we slowly kiss and move as one, culminating in a simultaneous orgasm that seems to bind us even closer. For hours after, we hold each other and gently kiss while caressing and gazing lovingly into each other's eyes.

******

Isabel and I are cuddled up in the back of Mum's car. Sarah has fallen asleep and is also leaning against Isabel. I smile at my not-so-little Sister's acceptance of my fiancée.

On the way home, Mum's phone rings. "Hello, Bradly....No..Yes...Yes, he did...No...We're on the way home from Cambridge...Yes, your Brother actually graduated...." She rolls her eyes at Dad. The first time I had seen her not want to talk to Bradly. "Bradly, James finished top of his class. Not only in Cambridge but the entire world." It goes quiet. "Oh, he hung up," she says, bemused. She turns. "I didn't mention it earlier, but Bradly is off to Chelsea. Plymouth have agreed terms, and he's agreed personal terms. He will be traveling up for his medical on Thursday.

"You didn't sound too impressed," Dad says to mum.

"He only phoned to moan that your proposal on stage at Glastonbury would overshadow his news. I can't see why we can't celebrate everything equally. It will mean we won't be able to attend as many football matches." Then she looks back at Isabel. "Still, it gives your mother and me more time to organize this wedding." Isabel and I look at each other stunned, smile, and then kiss.

Sam gets out of the Richards SUV at Tiverton Parkway and will get the train back into Exeter. We get home early evening, and Isabel decides to spend the night in her parent house. She says they've had little time with her, and we will be gone by Thursday. That is a fair point, even though we spend half the night messaging and telling each other how much we miss each other.

I spend Tuesday working on the house design and ensuring my dad has everything he needs to finish the exterior before the deadline. We've had the go-ahead for what we want to do to the exterior other than a balcony. Things are moving fast, and the scaffolding is being put up next Monday after we fly out.

I'm woken early Wednesday morning by my phone doing its dance on my bedside table. "Hello?" I say without looking at the screen.

"Hey, Mac, what bloody time do you call this," I say.

An arm comes over and hits me. Isabel takes the phone and says, "Sorry, Mac, what do we have the pleasure of your call a day early?" She laughs at whatever Mac says back, and then she says. "Oh, right. When will you be here? An Hour? Bloody hell Mac, that's no notice! We know where Saunton Sands Hotel is; hang on."

"Jay, Mac's on his way here. He says the nearest helipad is at Saunton. Can we get permission for them to land?"

"Yeah, leave it to me; tell him I'll see him in an hour."

"Mac, Jay will sort something, and he says see you in an hour." She hangs up. "I think you were right. Bloody stupid time to call."

"Give me my phone...Shit, you know my car is in Cambridge, don't you?"

"Yeah, we'll take your mum's car. Come on; I want a coffee before we leave."

We are standing by my mum's car, waiting for Mac's helicopter to land on the helipad of Saunton Sands Hotel. Mr. Brend has kindly agreed to let Mac land and is waiting patiently next to us.

"There he is," Mr. Brend says.

We look out toward the burrows, and I can just make out a dot in the sky. "You've got a good eye, Mr. Brend," I say. Mr. Peter Brend has known my Dad for years, so getting permission for Mac to land there wasn't much of a stretch. Peter had seen my proposal at Glastonbury online and wanted to meet Isabel.

We managed to get Mum's car and out of the house without too many questions. So Mac turning up is going to be a big surprise. I feel a sense of Deja Vu because I did the same to Isabel and Sam.

Emma is waving enthusiastically out the window as Mac's helicopter lands. The wheels touch down, and we wait for the rotors to stop before walking over. "Mac, this is Mr. Peter Brend. He was kind enough to allow you to land this morning."

"Hello, Mr. Brend. Thank you for making that happen...Jay, are you sure we are good just to drop in?"

"It might give a couple of heart attacks, but it will be fine. Are you staying the night, and we can all travel tomorrow?"

"Yes, mate, that was the plan." Mac goes around and thanks the pilot, and we grab the bags. We move away as the helicopter starts up. I hug Emma as we wait for the helicopter to leave. As we stand next to the car, Mac says. "Jay, where's your car?"

"Some idiot in Cambridge smacked into the rear. It wasn't safe to drive so we left it. We'll travel down on the train if that's okay with you." I turn to Peter. "Once again, Mr. Brend, thank you. I will probably see you around," I say, shaking his hand.

"No problem, Jay. Can you get your dad to give me a call? I have some work for him." I nod, and we get into Mum's car.

We pull out of the hotel's car park, turning left toward Croyde. As we climb up the hill, Mac says. "The view coming in was incredible, Jay. You live in a beautiful part of the world."

"I think your ranch can compete on the view front," I say.

"You're not far wrong there," Emma says. "It's wall to.....holy shit, baby," Emma gasps as we turn the corner looking over Croyde Beach.

"I've lived here around four years and still not used to it," Isabel says. "So, how inconspicuous do we have to be?" She asks.

"Not sure. Will we be bothered much if we go out?"

"I don't know, Mac, but we can go out to The Thatch later for a meal and something to drink. It should be quiet enough tonight. The only problem I can foresee people will notice us because of Glastonbury," I say.

"What's it normally like?" Emma asks.

"People are generally okay around here, Emma. We will be fine but popular." I laugh, "We won't have to buy a drink all night."

"Don't forget the legal age to drink at home is twenty-one," Emma says.

"There's The Thatch," Isabel says as we pass through Croyde village. "It's up to you if you want to drink. We're not big drinkers but like to relax occasionally."

Eight minutes later, we pull into the house. It's still early, and Sarah is at school. As we walk in, my mother is sitting at the kitchen table with her book and a coffee. Her eyes double in size as we walk in; she's not expecting visitors.

"Mum, these are my friends Michael Carter and his girlfriend, Emma Johnson," I say.

My mother stands and looks uncomfortable as she subconsciously checks her hair with her hand. "Thanks, Jay. It would have been nice to be warned," she says, giving me that look.

Mac laughs. "Don't worry about it, Mrs. Stokes. Jay has made it a habit of not warning people we are coming."

"He did it to me when Mac came in to see how the plans are coming along for his HQ," Isabel says.

"Would you like tea or coffee?" My mother says, recovering quickly.

"Ohhh, a cup of tea would hit the spot right now," Emma says. "We left for the airport at six and haven't stopped since.

"Do you want something to eat?" She says, gaining confidence with the ease she is talking with these two well-known figures.

We all sit around the table and let my mother fuss as we catch up on what happened in Cambridge and what Mac did in London with Adele.

Mac is impressed with me but doesn't seem surprised I got such an accolade from the university. Again, talking with Mac and Emma is comfortable as we share our experiences.

After my mother has overfilled us, we show Mac around the house, and Mother gets Heather over from next door to meet Mac. My mother insists on a group photo to mark the occasion. Bless, she's putting in the effort now. It's welcome, but it would have been nice twenty years ago.

"So, do you want to do anything before we go out later?" I ask.

"That beach we flew over before we landed. Can we go for a walk along there?"

"Yeah, it's a nice enough day," I look at Mum.

"I can drop you off. I need a couple of things from Tesco and get some petrol. You can phone me when you need picking up."

"Great," I say. I look at Mac and Emma. They both seem pleased and eager to get out.

We have a relaxing time walking along the water's edge and talking. The beach is busy, but nobody bothers us. My mother picked us up from the beach, and as we headed back home, she says, "Heather wants to know if we can all go out for dinner tonight. It's the last time we will be together for a while, and we would like to welcome Mac and Emma to the family.

This seemed a good enough reason, and with the look on Emma's and Isabel's faces, I agreed. We got back just as the school bus stops at the end of the road. Sarah and Zac get off and immediately hold hands before waving at us as we pass. By the time Sarah has said her goodbyes to Zac and walks into the kitchen, Mac and I are out the back setting my gear up.

Emma is inside with Isabel and both Heathers as Sarah walks in. "Hi," Sarah says before noticing Emma.

"Hello, Sarah, nice to meet you," Emma says in her broad American accent.

Sarah stops dead and looks at her. "Your Emma...Macs, Emma," she says, almost not believing her words.

"Sarah is Mum...." Zac trails off as he sees the stranger having coffee with his mother.

"Zac, this is Emma...Where's Mac?" Sarah asks.

"He's out back, training with Jay," Isabel says. That's it; they're gone to the amusement of the room.

I'm just starting my warm-ups when I hear two people running around the side of the house over the loose stone chippings. "Hey, Sarah. How was school." Sarah quickly stops as she sees Mac sitting on the wall. Zac almost takes her out as he loses footing on the pathways' loose chippings. "Sarah, this is my good friend, Michael Carter," I say. I have a new sport, watching people's reactions to meeting Mac for the first time. "Mac, this is my little Sister Sarah, her Boyfriend, and Isabel's Brother Zac."

"It's great to meet you both finally," Mac says. "Jay has told me little about you, but I'm guessing that's because he was so far away and knew nothing."

Both teenagers are lost for words, so I break the silence. "Sarah, would you like to show Mac how to call out for me?"

"Sure," she says, snapping out of her trance. She walks over and sits right next to Mac. Zac quickly moves next to Sarah to remind her he is there.

I take my sweatshirt off and turn to give Sarah her instruction. Sarah's eyes doubled, looking at me. It's been a while since she's seen me shirtless, and I have bulked out quite a bit. "Christ, Jay, you are a Greek god," Mac says.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Sarah says without thinking.

"Sarah, that's your brother," Zac says, pulling Sarah out of her daze.

"Yeah, sorry, Jay...You look good," she finally says, trying to regain her composure.

"Okay, Sarah. Slow start one and two. Then add the third when you think it's right."

Sarah nods and explains to Mac. She then starts calling the numbers and letters out two at a time. Once I have begun to sweat, she adds the odd third. She explains to Mac that he needs to count between strokes. The slow word is Mississippi, then house, and finally, just the number and letter. Mac picks it up quickly, and Sarah watches while Zac feels increasingly uncomfortable.

We call time and pack everything away; my sister quickly escapes as Isabel and Emma appear around the corner. "Oh good, he's got his top back on," Isabel says knowingly.

"Oh, what did I miss," Emma says, biting straight away.

"You missed a Greek god," Mac says, smiling at my increased discomfort.

Isabel walks up behind me and wraps her arms around me. "Come on, Jay, show the lady what she wants to see."

"Isabel, it was bad enough with you and your friends at Uni. I'm sure Emma doesn't want...." I'm cut short by my sweatshirt being pulled over my head. She had done it again. This girl loves to show her fiancée's body off. It's like a "look what I have" thing.

Emma can see my discomfort and starts to play along. She walks up to me. "Jay...Wow," she says, running her hand over my chest.

"Cut it out, you two," I say, stepping away. Both laugh at my reaction.

"I see why you and Mac get along; you are so alike. He hates being given any sort of accolade or kudos." She walks over to Mac and kisses his lips. "Since we got back together, he's come out of his shell much more."

"You two split?" Isabel says.

"You know their story Iz; I did tell you about when Mac lost his parents and gran."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I thought you were talking more recently." Isabel says, looking a little embarrassed.

"We've only been back together just shy of a year," Mac says.

"I guess we better get packed up and showered if we want to get out for dinner."

We all pile into two sets of cars and make our way into Croyde. The Thatch is quiet where we are seated, and we have put several tables together to accommodate everyone. I'm still playing my game, but this time it's with the staff at The Thatch. I've been away, so the only members of staff that know me are the Managers who have been there a while.

Michelle, who's in charge of the front desk, comes over. "Jay, so good to see you. I saw you......." She stops when she notices Mac and Emma.

"Michelle," I say. "Please," and I put my finger to my lips.

She nods and then recovers her composure. "Congrats on the engagement. Will you be having another party?"

"No, Isabel and I will be flying over to The States with Mac and Emma. We're going to stay with them for the summer," I reply, trying not to give too much away.

"Oh, wow. That sounds incredible. So...has everyone decided what they want to drink?"

We order our drinks, and Michelle goes off. Ten minutes later, she returns with a tray full of drinks and takes our food order.

Surprisingly we have a relatively quiet meal. We sit around talking and laughing until ten before making our way home.

******

It's eight thirty, and we are at the top of the road waiting for the first bus into Barnstaple. Mac and Emma enjoy their experience at my parent's home and are finding catching a bus amusing. Luckily all our clothes are already in Exeter, so we only have our overnight bags to lug around. Emma and Mac have their travel bags.

For once, the bus is not too late, and we get on the top deck for the trip into Barnstaple. It's a walk over the old bridge to the railway station, where the train awaits us. We get our tickets and board, getting a four-seat with a table together.

I have given my dad an idea of the work needed, and the houses should be ready to move into when Isabel and I return from our travels. He's been in the trade so long and knows way better than me what needs doing.

Sam and I have had several conversations about what she needs to do, and I'm hoping that all the permission from country heritage will have been granted by the time Dad finishes the house's facade. The backs of the two houses back onto a large park, and we've put in planning for two balconies that open out from the two master bedrooms.

We've also decided to make the houses into two separate dwellings without interlinking doors. If Sam decides to move on later, renting or selling the other property will be easier.

We arrive at Sam's around quarter to ten and are greeted by Rachel. She's not seen us since before Glastonbury, and Isabel and I get a huge congratulatory hug. She also gets a hug from Emma and Mac, who seem to be meshing with my family very well.

We have a bite to eat before the taxi arrives to take us to the airport. We are rushed through the VIP entrance, and Lance, Mac's pilot, is sitting waiting for us as we enter the VIP lounge. The Stewardess for our flight comes in to take our passports and ensure our paperwork is all in order. It's not long before we board the private jet and are on our way.

After we get through customs and onto a helicopter, we head toward Mac's family ranch. Mac asks the pilot to make a slight detour, so we fly over the HQ building to C&W. Mac points out a few things as we circle before heading toward the mountains.

Isabel holds my hand throughout the flight and only talks when I speak to her. She looks a little nervous, and I get the impression that she would not be on this flight if I were not with her. This, I realize, is a demonstration of the absolute and unconditional love she has for me. She trusts me without limit and would follow me anywhere if I am there to hold her hand.

The panorama is incredible as we fly over West Virginia. We close in on the ranch, and the pilot maximizes our view and makes a broad radial approach giving us the full view of the front of the ranch. The place is huge and painted in an almost illuminant white paint. The sun is low in the sky and gives the place an almost golden glow as we land next to a large barn. Standing next to two vehicles are a cowboy and a woman in a suit who I recognize as Olivia.

We allow the helicopter's rotors to slow before exiting the slop to the waiting people. "Hello, Olivia," I say, before anyone can speak.

"James, this is my ranch manager and good friend, Buck. Buck, this is my good friend and guest for the summer James Stokes and his fiancée Isabel," Mac says.

"Howdy, James," Buck says, turning on his tourist cowboy persona.

"Buck, you don't have to be a stereotype," Mac says, shaking his head. Buck smiles a knowing smile.

"I guess you are not here to play wild west." Buck smiles, shaking my hand. "The guys are going to like your Fiancée, though."

I saw Isabel's reaction and looked at Buck. "Buck, it would be much appreciated if you have a word for them to keep their distance."

"I'm not sure..."

"Buck," Michael says, knowing why I asked Buck this favor. "I'm telling you. If one of the guys even looks at her other than with total respect, they will be out of here faster than you can say, 'Sorry, Mam.'"

"But boss...."

"Buck, if you don't, I will look the other way if James here takes exception."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Buck says, now looking confused. Olivia walks up to Buck and says something quietly to him. Buck's eyes widen, and he looks at Isabel first and then at me. "I'll have a word and let them know."

I look at Olivia, and she gives me a knowing nod. We are escorted to the cars and driven down to the main house, where a group waits.

"James, Isabel, I must apologize, but my US family is here. These are the people who have been there for me. They will be around for different numbers of weeks. Left to right, we have the two lovely ladies and school friends, Donna and Mia. The ugly guy next to Donna is her boyfriend, Mitch. The elegant ladies at the back are Terri, Donna's Mum. Susan is the woman who has helped me more than anyone, and you know Emma's parents," Mac says, looking proud of his friends.

I run around the back. "Ron, Kim, so good to meet you, finally."

Ron gets down on his knees. "I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy," to my amusement.

"Yeah, yeah, none of us are worthy, Ron," a woman says from the door in a strong Southern accent. "Come on you all; supper's ready."

"Jay, this fine southern bell is Buck's wife, Violet," Ron says as he gets up. "And she loves ruining my jokes."

"Hu, you al don no a joke if it comes bit ya on the ass," Violet says, walking over. "So you're Isabel and James. My, ain't she the prettiest thing, and you," Violet squeezes my bicep and then growls in her throat. "Honey, ya got a little competition here wi Jay." Violet grins at Buck as he gives her an exasperated look.