Timing is Everything (Liam Payne)

The couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are rather hectic around the office. The entire office is closed that week so that people can go see their families and spend time with them.
I'm excited and nervous about the holiday. Excited I will be with my family and Liam, nervous because of Harry and Niall. Liam tells me Harry truly is there for the get away and he invited Niall to get away from it all. The media storm blew over but there are still things left to be dealt with. I only know what I am told, I do not ask.
I inform Liam that I am going down right after work on Friday and that they can come down at anytime, just let me know what they are going to do so someone can be where ever to pick them up. They have decided to fly into Atlanta on Tuesday and then fly into the small airport like before. I told them I would have Jeff at Atlanta ready for them.
The week of Thanksgiving is done in stages, and in my mothers mind there is no deviation from the script. The house has to be decorated first. November first her and my dad put out all the fall decorations but the weekend before Thanksgiving, all the Thanksgiving decorations have to be put out. This means going though the attic looking for them. Its the same fuss every year, "Why dont you pull them out when you pull the fall decor out?" She just waves everyone off.
Everything has its place and no where else. Lord forbid the pilgrims be put on the mantel instead of the entry hall table, or the pumpkin on the table instead of the Indian corn and squashes. Hay bales must be stacked so on the front porch, so on and so forth. We complain now, knowing all to well that when she is gone, it will be put in the same place. By the time we are finished sometime Monday afternoon, the house looks like a picture out of a Home and Garden magazine.
Tuesday we wake up and eat a light breakfast because its menu and grocery list time. The old cook books and recipe cards are brought out and sorted. Each ingredient is written down and how much is needed. This can take hours, thankfully my sisters will be coming in shortly to help. My phone rings and its Liam letting me know they are in Atlanta and are about to board to head that way. I smile, everyone is looking at me and they know why I have a smile.
It is determined that my sisters will go with my mom to the grocer, that is one thing I certainly did not want to do, Liam is due in anyway. Jeff is also going to drive them here, his place is just past my parents. There is really nothing for me to do so I go outside and walk around to get some fresh air. My dog Buster joins me but soon leaves me for a squirrel he must chase. I go out to the Magnolia tree and start picking leaves to make a wreath with and see dust in the distance, they're here. I put the leaves in the rocking chair on the porch and wait on the steps. They pull, put it in park and jump out. I can tell they are all tired from a long ride. Jeff goes in to see my Dad. Liam and I meet each other and hug, him rocking me back and forth. I hear someone clear their throat,
"And hello to y'all also" I say hugging Harry and Niall. Niall's rather quiet, I sense he doesnt really want to be here. Harry does a full body stretch, breathes in a lung full of air and takes is sunglasses off.
"So, you were raised here?" he asks while looking around taking it all in.
"Yes, I was, and so was my dad. And before them, at the back of the property is a small house where his dad and two more generations were raised."
"So did they own slaves"
To this Liam gives him and glare.
"It's OK, its our heritage and yes, my ancestors owned slaves. Though they were not treated as such. It is well known in these parts that our slaves were treated as family and could have left us at anytime, they just chose not to. They were well taken care of medically as well as their children. They and there children were schooled, so they could read and write. Each family had their own house and you can find remnants of them all over the property. Most of the slave stories you hear are about the ones that were not treated right or fairly. That was not the case here." I tell him this proudly. Not that I agree with slavery, but that even though it was what was done during the time, we as a family chose to raise the standard and treat them as humans. "My ancestors took a lot of heat for this because it made the other plantations owners look bad."
Harry is intrigued by the history I have just told him. Niall is walking around looking at the property.
"Lets get y'alls stuff in and to your rooms"
I grab the leaves out of the chair as we head in, drop them on one of the tables and head upstairs with them behind me. We get to the hallway and I tell them to pick a room. Liam picks one nearest to my room, grins and raises his eyebrows. They each go in their rooms and somewhat unpack. I sit on the bed while Liam unpacks and talk about the flight and anything else that crosses my mind.
"How about an adventure of sorts?" They all agree they need to unwind. We head back downstairs and find that my mom and sisters have arrived back. I introduce them to my sisters and remind my sister to tell my neices that we have guests. She winks at me knowing what I meant.
We go out the back door and head to the shed, well, its a rather large shed. I open the doors to reveal four ATVs.
"Yes!" Niall fist pumps.
"A little happy there?" I ask laughing.
I hand out the keys and tell them to check the gas level before we head out because no one was riding with me and I aint pushing it back. We head out to ride the trails that are all over our property. They go past the cow barn, around the gardens, through the peach orchard, the pecan orchard, and into the woods, which we will not do since it is getting late. I take them a different way back that goes around a small lake on the property then up to the fence line in front of our house. We ride it back to the house. Once the guys see the house, they start racing. I stay back, taking my time, checking the fence as I go. I catch up to them arguing over who won. They follow me back to the shed. We get them put back up and head in for supper.
My mom has laid out cold cuts and cheese for sandwiches and anything else you can put on one. Everyone comes to the kitchen to fix one and to the dining room to eat. We all sit around talking about current events and just chatting.
After we finish eating we go into the den to relax and watch TV.
"Boys, I challenge you to a game of pool" my father may like having guys around. They head to the game room in the back of the house. It isn't long before they are making a racket. Us girls stay in the den and watch TV and discuss the menu for Thursday. After a few games of pool the guys rejoin us and its getting late so everyone decides it time to go to bed. I walk up with Liam and he walks me to my room. He knows there is no way my parents will let him sleep with me, so we tell each other goodnight with a long kiss while our hands roam each other under the clothes.
"I need you" he whispers in my ear.
"Same here, maybe tomorrow, let me think." I reply.
We separate and go into our rooms.
Everyone except my parents sleep in. I am awakened by foot steps running down the hall, stopping abruptly then a light knock on my door. I tell them to come in. My nieces have arrived with my brother in law. Mallory peeks her head in the door and Logan pushes her way in. They both jump on my bed wrapping me in hugs. I know Mallory has one thing in mind, which guests are here. She knows one is Liam, its the other two. I make her ask me before I tell.
"Who else is here?" she asks almost jumping out of her skin.
"Harry and Niall. But you must wait til they go down stairs and don't go all crazy on them. Promise?"
"Promise" we loop pinky fingers together.
"I have to get ready so y'all run downstairs, we'll all be down shortly."
Breakfast is fend for yourself' because the food preparation for tomorrow has started and if you make a mess, you had better clean it up or face the wrath of momma. Niall is next to come down followed by Liam then Harry. I've set cereal out on the table with milk. I lay out English muffins and jelly and a couple of other things just for variety. The guys eat somewhat in silence. After we finish we head to the living room where my father is standing, he wants to know if the guys will help him out for the most of the morning. They oblige and get dressed accordingly. Before they go out I pull Harry and Niall to the side and explain that my niece would like to meet them and of course they are all for it. I take them to the back porch where she is texting away. She looks up and smiles the biggest smile. The introduce themselves and talk to her a little then I let her know they've agreed to help her Grandpa a little so they have to go. As they turn to leave I mouth 'Thank you' to them and Harry leans in with a hug and kiss on the cheek.
While getting everything ready in the kitchen I look out the window and see them getting the ATVs out and some supplies for mending fences. I giggle a little knowing they are going to be sore and exhausted when he gets through with them.
All morning we are baking what can be baked and put in the refrigerator for later or set out to cool. The house smells amazing. Pecan, chocolate chess, pumpkin and lemon meringue pies are either baking or setting up. Peas are being shelled, green beans snapped, corn brought in from the freezer, sweet potatoes boiled and white potatoes peeled and boiled. Around 3:00 we are finishing and getting everything covered and put up for tomorrow. Mom will get up early and start, then we will join her.
Around 4:00 I hear the ATVs pulling up in yard. They are filthy with sweat and dirt. They walk up the porch and my mom meets them at the door and instructs them to get undressed. Clothes that dirty don't come in the house. They are somewhat shocked but do as she says. As they undress she brings them robes and tells them to wast no time getting in the shower. Us girls are laughing at her bossiness and decide to whistle at them as they head upstairs to the bathrooms.
Supper tonight is sandwiches again but no one is complaining. The men are tired so they do very little talking. After everyone is finished eating we clean up and retire to the den again. I grab Liam's hand and tell him to come with me.
He go out the back door and start walking to the horse barn. We have a few quarter horses, all suitable for riding. I show him the horses and tell him their names, petting each of them and giving them a carrot. We come to the back stall and I turn on the light, its nothing but hay. I pull Liam in and wrap my arms around his neck and we kiss.
"Its no bed, but it'll do, huh?" I ask him with a gleam in my eyes.
"That it will"
We both start undressing, I grab a blanket from off the rack and throw it down. We are all over each other kissing and touching. He gets between my legs and enters me. There is little to no bounce in hay so his thrusts are a little more intense. I wrap my legs around his torso, my hands feeling his biceps. His kisses linger on my neck and collar bone making me shiver in the cool air. The rawness of us being somewhat exposed like this has us both in rare form. Its as if we cant get enough of each other, and with that, it doesn't last long. Nothing but the horses to hear our breathing and moans. We don't lay there too long because we certainly don't anyone to come look for us and it is rather cool out, so we get dressed and head back to house, checking each other for tell tale signs of hay.
"Horses doing Okay Rachel" my dad asks.
"Yes, sir. Fed and watered." I reply
I peak in the room where my nieces are sleeping and see Mallory texting away. She gets up to hug me goodnight, then is somewhat shocked when Liam leans in for one also. She almost shrieks. We turn to leave to go to our rooms.
"Aunt Rachel, why is there hay in your hair?"
Liam pulls it out, "Oops, missed one."

Notes

One Direction is roughly 45 minutes from me . . . Let that sink in.

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