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lukin08 · 2 months ago

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Big Sky Ranch - 10

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit WC: 2859

Chapter Index

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Mr. Weadick had her make him scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast with a cup of fruit on the side. Anna was a little relieved her first task was easy. She could definitely scramble eggs.

The massive chef’s kitchen was a dream. It was well laid out, a large island lined with stools dominating the middle of the room. In an alcove opposite the entryway there was the kitchen table with room enough for eight. The cabinets went all the way to the ceiling and the butler’s pantry was bigger than Anna’s own kitchen in her basement suite. It was complete with wine fridge and its own separate stove, which Anna would likely not use anyway. The large chef’s stove in the kitchen proper was the one she fell in love with. Not to mention the huge Wolf double door refrigerator. Cooking in a kitchen so well equipped was definitely going to help her along the way.

After breakfast, which he’d thanked her for, he showed her around the house and pointed out the light housework he wanted her to do, making comments here and there about the structure and when it was modified and added on to by the previous generations. It was a bit of a maze. Then he showed her his well-stocked library if she had down time when the tasks were done between meals, she was told she was welcome to read, making a careful point that the ‘tasks’ included prepping his meals if she wasn’t going to be around.

The next thing he showed her was a rattly looking, hand-written recipe book that had been passed down from generation to generation. He told her to familiarize herself with many of the recipes, as that’s what he usually wanted for his suppers. Anna had done so, amazed with the recipes and reading all the notes made in the margins as things changed with times, like using butter instead of lard or swapping honey for sugar.

She was still buried nose deep in the recipe book when Weadick wandered into the kitchen and requested lunch. Again, he wanted a simple sandwich that Anna was able to whip up in no time. As he ate, he asked her more questions, such as if she could use a grill. She had to admit she did not, and his answer had been ‘you better learn’. She’d seen a BBQ in the far corner of Kristoff’s front porch. She was confident he could teach her.

And that was another thing. If this worked out for her and she had a permanent job on the ranch, she wanted to live with Kristoff. Hell, already she was thinking about going back to her place after work to gather some things to stay with him a while. Only, that was rather presumptuous, wasn’t it? Just because she wanted to be in his space, didn’t mean he wanted her in it. It was moving rather quickly after all. Perhaps if she had a chance to talk to him later, she could test out the subject with him.

It made her happy to think of being there with him. If Weadick took early suppers, perhaps she could join Kristoff for his? The old man mentioned that Coop could cook for them while he healed. Did that mean they ate together all the time? Perhaps took turns prepping dinner? Would Kristoff be happy to come back to his cabin for a meal she’d prepared for just the two of them? It was something they hadn’t yet really talked about, and Anna realized it was a blank spot when she thought about what his days were like.

She had wondered perhaps not so long ago if she could be happy living this kind of ranch life and worried that she could not. Only now, after the more time she spent there, the more time she spent with Kristoff, there was a pull in her towards it. Maybe the country songs she’d been listening to were making her soft for a simpler life. It certainly was a far cry from what she’d known her entire life, growing up and living in a big, busy city with anything she could think of at her fingertips. She had a feeling Amazon didn’t deliver out to a place so remote, and that didn’t really bother her one bit.

Now that she felt like she could have a place, a real place, on the ranch, she was alight with excitement, just like she was on her drive over that morning to offer Kristoff any help she could.

When she was done cleaning up from lunch, Weadick gave her a grocery list and told her he wanted to see what her stroganoff tasted like, and if it was good enough, he’d put up with the time it took her to learn things like how to grill and make a pie; she’d had to admit she didn’t know how to do that well either. Anna imagined with all of the cattle on the ranch, that he often ate steaks, and there were plenty of pie recipes in the old cookbook.

She told him her car was at the cabin, so Weadick drove her over to it in his very brand-new looking Dodge truck. It even had that new car smell. He told her to park back at the house when she returned since she’d have groceries and all, and she wondered again where the night for her was going to lead when she was done work.

She drove into town, stopping at the diner first to let her boss know she was moving on. He was upset until she mentioned her new employer, then he was oddly accepting of Anna’s short notice to leave them without a waitress.

With that done, she went to the store he told her to go to and got everything he’d asked for. Then she took a chance and quickly stopped by her place to grab some things in case Kristoff was on board with her staying with him for a bit. Or maybe, from now on? Anna had to admit to herself, she was falling in love hard and fast with the big blond cowboy. The connection they had was impossible to describe. Or deny.

He was so unlike anyone she’d ever known before. So genuine. The disappointment on his voice the night before when he cancelled their date had been profound. And the way he’d just accepted her barging into his place in the morning and basically forcing herself onto him. Anna just knew, had a feeling deep in her soul, that he was absolutely the one.

Unlike her ex. He’d been so falsely supportive, encouraging her to take on new things that he would like and getting mad or disappointed when she couldn’t master them right away. Like golf. Or how he’d made her learn a bunch of cocktails to serve to his friends when he entertained in the den; Serving drinks, the only time she was allowed in there. He would get upset on behalf of his friends when she made White Russians and they curdled, despite her telling him several times that you can’t make a double in a short glass. That much Vodka will always curdle the cream, and if his friends wanted a double shot White Russian in a short glass, she was supposed to make it work.

Assholes.

The first thing Kristoff and his friends had done after she’d talked to him at the bar and defended him in that fight, was invite her back to have drinks with them where they laughed and shared stories and Anna had one of the best times in her life at that point. She felt instantly and completely accepted by the group of men. That, right there, was the contrast from her old life. She hadn’t yet told Kristoff much about her ex or anything that had happened, and somehow, she knew that he would be furious to hear about it. That almost insane look of rage on his face when he was choking out Boone after he tapped her chin… this man would lay down his life for her, she had no doubt.

Okay, so maybe the notion of falling in love hard and fast was foolish thinking. She was definitely already there. More than already there. And she aimed to let Kristoff know, because every so often he would look at her with a touch of sadness that seemed like he was afraid she’d bolt away from him at any moment.

*****

All day Kristoff wondered how Anna’s day was going. He was confident she would not disappoint the old man, only he’d never really spent all that much time with the guy since his son died. He wondered often what Weadick did in his house all day while he ignored the world around him.

The idea of her working on the ranch thrilled him. How wonderful would it be to have her around him all the time when the workday was done. It made him smile like an idiot to think she might want to move in with him in the cabin someday soon.

Sven noticed of course, and he was teased mercilessly.

The mood had lightened between all the men when Sven showed up with a guy after he’d returned from town. He’d been leaving his resume with the woman that held them for the ranch when Sven walked up and told him to follow him back to the ranch because his interview was going to be how he handled himself that day.

His name was Jett, and he turned out to be a solid dude who had a decent amount of ranch experience in the area. They all meshed with him right away, and at the end of the day when Sven took him up to the house to meet old man Weadick, it agreed he was to be hired and start right away.

Sven and Jett returned from the main house with Anna in tow. Kristoff didn’t think he’d be so happy to see her.

Ignoring everyone else, he went to her. “Hey Baby!” He leaned over and kissed her quickly. “How was it?”

“It was awesome!” she said, her excitement like a breath of life into his soul. “I do have some things to learn. You can teach me how to grill, right? I have such a good feeling about this!”

He grinned at her. “That’s awesome! Yeah, I can teach you a thing or two, although Sven is the better griller than I am, I must admit.”

She laughed jovially. “Perfect! I’m sure between the two of you I can pick it up in no time.”

The other men were bidding Jett a good evening after it was decided that he was going to move in with Coop the next day since he was on the younger side. And when they found someone else, he’d take up with Buck. As Jett drove away, everyone turned to Kristoff and Anna.

“Hey Anna, you gonna stay for dinner, right?” Coop asked. “We’re doin’ burgers.”

“Absolutely.”

She was beaming and Kristoff felt that happiness all the way down to the deepest depths of his being. Her happiness was the only thing in the world that seemed to matter to him in the moment.

They all headed over to Sven’s place where the BBQ resided on a couple of patio stones a few feet away from the front door. Since the evening was warm, Buck and Sven both disappeared into the stable and came back with camp chairs and set them in a circle near the grill. Beers were passed around and everyone took a seat and chatted about the day, mostly bombarding Anna with questions about how hers was. She answered them with a constant grin, telling them how excited she was and that Weadick had praised the stroganoff she’d made him for supper.

The mood was lighter than it had been for a long time amongst everyone in company. Kristoff’s cheeks actually started to hurt for how much he was smiling.

They ate and laughed and celebrated the turn of events that led them where they found themselves, while Anna helped Coop with the burgers, jumping at her chance to start on learning to grill. And when diner was over, Kristoff took Anna back to his cabin on one of the quads.

No sooner had he shut the door behind him, and he was on her, kissing her passionately. She returned the favour with a fervor he felt all the way down to his toes. An overwhelming feeling of need blossomed within him, and he undressed her as quickly as she undressed him.

They fell into his bed, kissing and caressing and Kristoff removed his lips from hers to kiss his way down her body when she put a stop to it.

“No, I want you now, Kristoff.”

He really wanted to taste her, but he would be lying to himself if he wasn’t a little relieved to hear her say that. The ache in his cock was ungodly. Wasting no more time pondering the matter, he shifted over her and did what she asked of him.

“Fuck,” he muttered, making his way into her tightness. It was a little maddening how good it felt.

Anna apparently agreed with him for every moan she gave him as he thrust deeper until he was fully enveloped within her. He let out a shaky breath and held still for a moment, eyes closed and savoring the feeling. Then she let out an impatient whine and he started to move again.

He had his hands braced on the bed until her arms came around his back and pulled him down on top of her. He was a little worried about hurting her with his weight until she groaned loudly with what could only be described as delight. Giving in, her rested himself against her and kissed her while they made love.

She held onto him tightly as he rocked his hips, her legs coming up and squeezing him around his waist with her ankles hooked behind him. He did have great stamina, but this was giving him a serious run for his money. Perhaps he was just exhausted. Every time he slowed down a moment, he felt her quivering around his cock, and it pushed him further to his own edge. The feeling was rushing towards him, and he had a moment of worry that he was going to get there before she did, when she pulled in a breathy gasp.

No sooner did the strong pulses grip his cock, he was right there with her, coming undone with one more deep thrust, dropping his face into the crook of her neck and moaning against her skin. It took him a full minute for his mind to come back from such pleasure.

“Oh, Kristoff,” Anna said through a sigh, and kissed his temple. “That was amazing.”

He nodded his head, unable to move from her for the moment. It was amazing indeed, and as soon as he was ready again, he’d give her round two. For now, he waited, relishing in the bliss that he felt. Anna’s hands caressed his back gently. He could feel her breathing under him, pinned against the bed, and figured he better get off of her before he crushed the air out of her or something.

Pulling out of her and rolling onto his back, he let out his own satisfied groan. Anna slipped from the bed, and he closed his eyes, waiting until she returned from the bathroom. While he was tired and could easily fall asleep, he wanted to have her again before he did.

His eyes opened when the bed shifted as she got into it and snuggled her naked body against his side. He looked at her and smiled. “I don’t suppose you’d want to stay with me while you get into rhythm working for the old man?”

Her expression, easy to see from the moonlight streaming in through the bedroom window, went blank. “Are you serious?”

His brow furrowed. Perhaps he was overstepping. “Uh, well, yes. But if you don’t, please tell me. You won’t hurt my feel-”

She shifted up quickly, her lips smashing against his as she crawled over him. He took that as a yes, and that made him incredibly happy, kissing her back and feeling the blood flowing slowly back into his cock. It was going to take a little time before he was hard enough to push into her again, so he figured he’d do what he’d wanted to do earlier, and he flipped her gently off of him and onto her back. He wasted no time in kissing his way down her body as her fingers curled tightly in his hair. A short time later, she came against his mouth, and he was ready to have her again. She was already tugging his back to her chest, so like before, he laid himself against her. And like before, he met his climax when she did.

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#I love this story so much!#Mr weadick will end up with a soft spot for Anna if he doesn’t already #they’re both thinking about her moving into his cabin #he probably laughed as soon as he found out she already stopped and picked up some clothes #I loved how Anna just fits in so well with the group and how she jumped in helping cook for the guys to learn

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lukin08 · 2 months ago

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Up In The Air Chapter 13

Kristanna Modern AU

Rated T

WC 3431

Summary: Tired of her nomad lifestyle, traveling nurse Anna Arendelle on a whim picks Pensacola Florida as her new town to try find a sense of home. Meanwhile, Navy Pilot Kristoff Bjorgman has accepted a dream position at the Naval station in the same town. After a chance encounter goes south, the two of them find their lives entwined, with neither of them all that happy about it!

Also Available on AO3

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“You're not some vegan or anything? Cause I can’t be running around all over town looking for that kind of food.” Anna shot Kristoff a death glare as he held the passenger side door open for her. He threw a hand up and grinned. “Kidding! I don’t care. We can go to as many stops as you want.”

As soon as Anna was seated, Kristoff jogged to the driver’s side of the Jeep and hopped in. He looked over at Anna and smiled as he put on his aviators. Anna did her best to return the smile before looking out the window as he pulled out of the driveway.

“Actually, I only need to go to a few places. I’m not picky.”

Anna had barely slept the last few days, wrestling with the concept that almost her entire view of Kristoff had been wrong. She’d gone through every emotion, playing out their time together and how she may have reacted differently to him. Where could they have been now if only she had known? It wasn’t even that. He had told her the truth from the beginning and she formed the wrong conclusion all on her own.

She was angry at him for an entire day after she found out, turning the blame back to Kristoff. He had multiple chances to correct her but chose not to. The idea that he never said anything both baffled and angered her at first. But after ruminating on it, she concluded the only reason not to correct her was because he didn’t have any hope it would change the direction of their relationship. That had saddened her more than anything.

Maybe that was true. Maybe they would have gone through everything regardless and ended up here no matter what. He still had been an ass to her at the bar. That didn’t change. She hadn’t drank that much not to remember. Being honest with herself, there were more than a few things Anna would have changed with how she acted too that night. But that night was so foreign to her now. There wasn’t anything either of them could do to change the course of the last year and a half, but she could make some amends. Anna internally cringed at how many times she called Kristoff a liar to his face. She owed him an apology and settled on talking to him once the errands were done.

While Anna was contemplating how to bring up the subject later to Kristoff, she noticed him glancing at her several times. She tried to wipe the worry off her face.

“Everything alright?” Kristoff asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Anna purposely brightened her expression. “Yes, of course.”

After several more glances and making another face that looked like he didn’t believe her, Kristoff thankfully changed the subject. “If it were a different day, I’d take you to the commissary. They have better prices than a regular grocery store. But it’s closed now.”

“Commissary?”

“Yeah, it’s basically the grocery store on base. Prices are discounted compared to a regular store. Since you’ve been to base a couple times, you’re in the system. I could get you in with me easily with a guest pass.”

“Are they any good?”

Kristoff let out a low whistle. “Depends. I’ve been stationed on bases where they are horrible. The one in Pensacola is honestly pretty good. If you need anything for Nicole’s baby shower, there could be some things there you could get. I’d be happy to take you.”

There he was again, being kind to her even though she didn’t deserve it. “Maybe,” Anna said, forcing herself not to sound too excited about the idea of spending more time with Kristoff even if it just was taking her to a grocery store.

They drove down the road for a few minutes before Kristoff cleared his throat. “So, ah… your place is nice. Close to the water. That must be nice to be able to walk over.”

It was clear he was trying hard to keep the conversation going. Anna let out a self-deprecating laugh. “You know, I’ve never once walked over.”

“Really?”

Kristoff took his eyes off the road to look at Anna. She shook her head no; glad she couldn’t see his eyes behind his sunglasses. After a moment, Kristoff’s attention went back to the road. Anna turned her body to face more towards Kristoff. His words hit her harder than she was expecting. “You know I came down to make a change and when I think about it, I haven’t really taken the opportunity to do as many things differently as I should. I haven’t even gone out to see the sunset on the beach. Not even once!”

“Well, the good thing about wanting to make a change is you can do that whenever you feel like you are ready.”

“Wise words, Cap. Thank you for that reminder.” Anna turned back to face forward. Kristoff was right. She had kept herself busy since moving to Pensacola but hadn’t taken the time for herself. That had been the whole point. She moved to shake up her life, not fall in the same rut she’d been in. Perhaps some changes were necessary.

“I should take advantage of being close to the water while I can,” Anna said, still lost in her thoughts. “I was thinking about moving.”

“Why?” Kristoff asked quickly, his hands gripping tight along the steering wheel.

“I didn’t know the area when I moved here. It’s nice, but a little farther away than where I’d like to be. I was thinking about getting closer to the hospital. Rent is cheaper. And to be honest, being that close to the water makes me nervous if we have a hurricane.”

Kristoff’s body physically relaxed and his mouth moved to a grin. “Nah, you got time with a hurricane to get out as long as you listen to the evac orders.”

“Still terrifies me.”

“Don’t you go work at the hospital or something when one hits?”

“Depends. Sometimes you’re on the shift that stays, sometimes you are the relief. I haven’t been through one to know exactly how it plays out. Hopefully, that won’t be anytime soon.”

The grin on Kristoff’s face was still there. “You had me thinking you were getting ready to haul ass out of town. But if you’re just looking to move closer to work, you’re probably right about the cost.”

They drove in silence for the next few minutes, Anna looking out the window as she made plans to talk to Dr. Intilli’s office about stepping back from her part-time work there.

“So, no sunset?” Kristoff asked again.

His voice pulled her back to the now as Kristoff turned into the parking lot. “Not even once,” she answered not hiding the sadness in her voice of all the lost opportunities.

The errands went quickly. Kristoff went in with Anna to each store. He said it was to help carry bags, but he mostly kept throwing random things into her cart to annoy her or telling her horrible jokes to see if he could get her to crack. Anna made it to the second store without breaking until Kristoff pointed out a motorized cart at the entrance and said she should use it. He was met with a smack to the chest and Anna telling him with her luck she’d run into something and cause even more destruction. The visual of Anna in a runaway cart set Kristoff into a laughing fit that was infectious, and Anna was soon laughing alongside him. The smile she wore stayed with her the rest of the afternoon.

On their way back, Anna sighed, not wanting to go home yet. Yes, she was starting to worry about her talk with Kristoff, but really Anna was having a fun time with him. It had been a while since she had laughed as much as she did. As they got closer to her house, her thoughts shifted to needing to talk to Kristoff. The idea he may take it poorly weighed on her. She decided to just tell him. Rip it off like a band aid and move on. If he never wanted to talk to her after this, so be it. At least he’d know.

They made quick work of the groceries, Kristoff bringing in the bags while Anna unpacked everything. Once she finished, Anna took a deep breath and made her way out the front door. Kristoff was closing the back hatch. He noticed her and walked along the Jeep, settling on leaning against the front trunk.

She stopped a few feet away from Kristoff. “Thank you so much for today.” Anna wrung her hands in front of her. It was now or never.

Kristoff’s eyes flicked down to her hands then reached for the back of his neck. A telltale sign of his own nervousness that Anna had grown to know. His hand then went out with a dismissive wave. “Any time. I’m a little busy on the weekends,” he said with a small chuckle. “But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Anna nodded in agreement as she studied Kristoff. “Why are you being so nice to me?” she asked. Anna kept her voice light, half teasing him, but with real curiosity at his change in demeanor towards her.

His arms crossed and Anna instantly felt bad at the defensive stance he took. Kristoff’s head dropped as he stared at the ground. It took a few moments before he spoke, eyes still glued to the ground. “No real reason not to be. Don’t mind the company either.”

Anna’s breath hitched as she watched him. He didn’t dare look up. Fix it, fix it, fix it, her mind screamed at her, yet Anna was frozen in place. What was she doing? He had offered her a small piece of vulnerability and all she could do was stare at him.

“You aren’t a liar.” Anna winced as soon as the words came out. She hadn’t meant for it to sound so blunt. Trying to soften her approach, Anna quickly tried again. “What I meant to say was I owe you an apology.”

His eyes were on her instantly and Anna felt like she couldn’t breathe. He didn’t say anything, only continued to look over at her. Anna started pacing with a fury as the words came out faster than she could keep up. “I know you’re from here…Pensacola that is. I mean, I know now. But I didn’t, and you never corrected me…ever. When I saw you at the hospital that first time, I was so upset. I assumed everything you told me was one giant lie, but it wasn’t. I never gave you a chance and I keep thinking if you…” Anna’s arms flew up from her side. She stopped abruptly, her brain finally catching up to her mouth to stop her rambling. “For what it’s worth, which probably isn’t much, I’m really sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

Kristoff was locked onto Anna, the intensity in his stare was overwhelming. She had a million thoughts and emotions running through her head, none she was able to voice.

“Ok.” Kristoff nodded his head quickly.

Anna wasn’t sure what response she was expecting from Kristoff, but it sure wasn’t a short ‘ok.’ The familiar anger began to bubble up. “That’s all?” she exclaimed. “I lay everything out. Admit I was wrong all this time and all you give me is an ok! Don’t you have anything to say? Anything at all?” She crossed her arms, biting at her lower lip before she met his gaze with as much ferocity as she could muster.

A mischievous lopsided smile formed across Kristoff’s face, his eyes crinkling in amusement. He pushed himself off the Jeep. “Are you hungry? Cause I’m starving.”

The anger rushed out of Anna , replaced with bewilderment as her hands fell to her side. “…what?”

********************

“Fort Pickens?” Anna read the sign over the security gate as the Jeep slowed to a stop.

Kristoff showed his pass to the attendant and pulled away. “You said you hadn’t seen the sunset yet. This is the best spot to see it, at least in my opinion.” He watched Anna from the corner of his eye look down and smile, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

He drove along the road to the parking lot at the west end of the island. Fort Pickens was part of the Gulf Islands in Pensacola Bay with the perfect viewing advantage of the sunset with the city as the background. The old fort was still on the grounds, part of a national park now. Kristoff pointed across the water right after he parked, picking out the Naval base for Anna to orientate herself to where they were.

“You lead the way, Cap.” Anna said as she slipped carefully out of her seat, mindful of her foot. Kristoff reached back, grabbing the bag of food. They had stopped at a local place on the way over to the island. Kristoff hadn’t been there in years, but he knew they still held their reputation for great food. It was only a few minutes away from the island, ensuring their food would still be fresh and hot when they got to their destination.

“Ok, I take back everything I said about the name,” Anna said before taking another bite of her grouper sandwich. “This is amazing.”

They were sitting at a picnic table in an area that overlooked the bay. Kristoff had to chuckle at how Anna was enjoying her meal. “And you thought good old Peg Leg Pete’s would let you down.”

Anna giggled, putting her sandwich down. “You can’t blame me for being a little skeptical with the place having a name like that.”

“You got me there. But it’s good, right?”

“Definitely deserves a return visit.”

As they ate, Kristoff listened to Anna tell stories about her work. He admired her passion and love for what she did. Kristoff found himself fully engrossed in Anna’s tales, enjoying being able to sit and just listen with no expectation. He was even getting a kick at how animated she was.

After tossing the remnants of their dinner, Kristoff came back to the table and sat on top of it, his feet on the bench. Anna hopped up a minute later next to him. He was impressed that she managed to get up with only hitting her booted foot on the bench once. She had a huge grin on her face as she bumped her shoulder with his, her boot swinging in the air. Anna stayed tantalizing close to Kristoff, but he held back the urge to reach out and touch her. Instead, he focused on the conversation, or lack of one, back at her house. Anna’s apology had caught him off guard. He wasn’t expecting that. Hadn’t yet wrapped his head around the idea if one was even deserved. But they did need to talk.

“So, uh…” Kristoff paused to clear his throat and internally chastised himself for sounding so nervous. “Thank you for your apology earlier.”

“Oh, so he does have something to say.” Anna’s tone was teasing.

Kristoff could see the small upturn of the corner of her mouth and it helped him relax. “Yeah, well give me a little time and some food and I’ll get there eventually. But really. Thanks again. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I think I did.” Silence fell like a wedge between them. Anna kept her gaze out to the bay, watching the fishing boats coming in from the day. Kristoff felt Anna’s focus turn to him before looking back at the water with a resolute sigh. “Can I ask you something, Cap?”

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

This wasn’t the direction Kristoff wanted the conversation to go. But a part of him knew it was inevitable. “You really want to do this?”

Anna closed her eyes. “Yes.”

Kristoff wrestled for a second on how best to answer Anna. Out of all the excuses he could give her, the honest answer was the simplest. “Because I didn’t think it would make a bit of difference.”

Anna swallowed hard at the confirmation. “Kristoff, I…”

“And if I’m being honest,” Kristoff interjected before Anna could say anything again. “I think you needed me to be the bad guy and believing that about me helped.”

“I think I did too,” Anna admitted quietly.

Neither of them moved, the air heavy. Kristoff watched as two patrol jets headed towards the base, the sun slowly lowering behind them casting deep oranges and reds across the sky. He could leave things as they stood. A small vindication with Anna’s admittance. But it would be hollow.

She didn’t push for anything from Kristoff. Anna seemed accepting of the blame falling on her shoulders. They’d move on. Maybe they’d be friends in the orbit of Sven and Nicole that strung them together. Most likely not. But that’s not what Anna deserved. Not what Kristoff wanted either even if it was admittingly selfish on his part.

“I had fun with you that night we met.” Kristoff wouldn’t look at Anna, his gaze set off in the distance. He heard a soft scoff. “I mean it. I did. Kind of shit how things turned out.” After a few seconds he turned his head with purpose and met Annas’ eyes. There was a softness there and it gave him the courage to continue. “But I wasn’t trying to meet anyone and you see, we were scheduled to leave for California in a few days and we were going to be gone for three months and...” He stopped at how laughable his words were. “This sounds like horseshit. Is it a bunch of horseshit?”

Anna gave him a small smile laced with amusement. “Pretty much.”

He laughed ruefully. “I don’t know how to say this the right way, so I’m just going to say it, ok?” Kristoff waited for Anna’s acknowledgement. “I liked you. I had a fun night. But then I could tell you had too much to drink and I got frustrated at the whole situation. I saw things heading into either a one-night thing or you’d forget about me. Then you were trying to push things along and I didn’t want that to happen. I couldn’t stomach the thought of taking advantage of you and I knew you’d regret it. So, I went cold. I thought what I did was better than what could have happened. But I handled everything wrong. I’m an asshole, I know.”

“You are an asshole.” Anna could only hold onto the serious expression for a few seconds before a small smile was back on her face.

“You’ve made that pretty clear. And I deserve it. How I treated you this whole time. All of it. Even when you were a pain in the ass and pissing me off in the parking lot. It was the opposite of what I wanted to happen.”

“What did you want to happen?”

“To take you out like you deserved, not for you to end up in bed with me and for me to disappear right after that.”

“You’re right. It is kind of shit how things turned out.” A regretful laugh escaped Anna’s mouth. “In all fairness, I acted worse. I felt humiliated when you turned me down and my reaction was to try to make your life miserable when you were just trying to make sure I didn’t try to drive home.” Anna stopped. “Huh, look at us acting like adults.”

“What a concept.”

“I’m sorry I called you an asshole.”

“I’m sorry I was an asshole. …and that I took your FOB.”

“I’m sorry I threw my keys at you.”

“You do have some arm on you. But I’m not sorry you got home safe.”

“And I’m not sorry I met you.”

Kristoff’s face flashed red. “So, now what?”

“I have no idea.” Anna grinned, then looked back out to the bay. “But right now, I believe we have a sunset to catch.”

Kristoff followed her gaze. The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon. Multiple colors of reds, oranges and yellows danced across the bay and the sky above. The sun’s deep red intensifying as it slowly disappeared. Kristoff felt Anna’s hand nudge slightly against his. He turned his palm up slowly allowing their fingers to intertwine as the sun slipped behind the waters of the bay.

#up in the air #Kristanna #Frozen #Anna #Kristoff #Up In the air chapter 13

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lukin08 · 2 months ago

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Big Sky Ranch - 9

Kristanna Modern AU Rated: Explicit WC: 3877

Chapter Index

-------------------------------------

For the day before being the best of his entire life, the day he found himself in now was absolute horseshit.

Davy had informed them all in the morning that he was moving back home to the East Coast to help his mother who had suffered a massive stroke. Kristoff, Sven, Buck and the Greenhorn all felt for the guy, and silently wondered about how much it left them in the lurch to pick up his portion of the work while trying to find someone to replace him.

Old man Weadick didn’t want to be bothered with any of the menial shit that happened on the ranch, except when it came to purchasing, selling, and staffing changes. Buck had let him know that Davy was leaving, and he told his ranch hand to handle it and bring by any perspective applicants for his personal approval after they were vetted.

Sven was sent into town to try and scrounge someone up, which meant Kristoff had to go repair the damn fencing by himself as Buck and the Greenhorn were busy with other things. And of course, the fence that needed mending was the one for that brute of a bull, Bruce.

A couple of the fenceposts had rotted out and collapsed, leaving a tangled mess of wood and barb wire for him to sort out. It was hard to work while he kept his eyes peeled for that damn bull. He was just about done when the beast showed his ugly head from the thicket of trees on the north end of the pasture. As soon as the bull locked eyes with Kristoff, he charged.

Being on the other side of the fence didn’t put him in any sort of ease. He backed up quickly to the gator, ready to jump in as the bull surged towards him, then it skidded to a stop a nose length away from the fence and huffed at him.

“Jesus,” he muttered, watching the one-ton animal eyeing him furiously.

He had a bad feeling that one of these days that bull was going to get him. He’d never even done anything to the animal. It was just a mean old asshole and no one believed him. Kristoff had to wait twenty minutes for that bull to stop staring at him before he wandered away and he could quickly finish the last of the repair by hammering in the top row of barbed wire into the newly repaired fenceposts.

Sven had no luck in finding anyone in the local hardware store who wanted work, so he left after placing an ad on the bulletin board and no one to pick up the slack. It was perhaps an archaic practice in their day and age of computers to find someone looking for a job, but in their town, that was where ranch hands went to look for work. With no joy, Kristoff had to call Anna and let her know he was going to be late to pick her up for their date.

Just before they were going to quit at noon for a quick lunch, the greenhorn got buried when a couple of stacks of square bales collapsed on him in the barn. Kristoff was the only one around to hear the commotion, and dug frantically to get him out, choking on the straw and dust. He found the kid plenty quick enough, and as he pulled him from the stack, the kid screamed out in pain.

Apparently, he’d broken his arm. Kristoff had to drive him to the urgent care centre in the bigger town over, and with no other choice, left him there to go back to the ranch and finish the chores. He had to call Anna and tell her he needed to cancel their date. She was very understanding, likely hearing the utter dejection in his voice, and he could tell she was disappointed too.

Two hands down meant him and Sven had a lot to do. Buck still pulled his weight and worked as hard as any of the guys. However, he wasn’t a young man anymore. He moved slower. Not only that, Kristoff had to take an hour out of his chores later that afternoon when Coop called him to be picked back up from urgent care.

He had a broken ulna from where he fell onto a stack of railroad ties they used for repairing old posted gates around the property when they deteriorated. He’d be in a cast for four to six weeks meaning he was going to be pretty useless around the ranch despite him insisting he could still work hard. The kid had gumption at least, except you should not ride a horse with a broken arm. The doctor specifically told him that.

The whole incident had been his own damn fault. He was trying to take a shortcut by pulling on a middle bale to get the stack to tip over instead of grabbing the tractor. In the end the entire stack had come down, pulling three others along with it, burying the kid. If anything, it was a learning experience for him.

Coop sulked in his room for the rest of the day while Kristoff and Sven worked past nightfall to finish what they needed to get done. When they got back to Sven’s place, both men were frustrated, tired and hungry.

Kristoff tossed his hat upside down onto the couch when they entered Sven’s house and ran his hands hastily through his hair. “Fuck today.”

“Agree,” Sven said, putting his own hat on the hook by the door. “Think Weadick will send the kid away while he heals? Can’t pay him if he can’t work.”

He shrugged, sitting at the kitchen table with a faint groan. “I dunno. Right now, I don’t really give a shit.”

Sven set a bottle of beer in front of him. “Man, I’m sorry you had to cancel your date. Was she pretty upset?”

Kristoff smiled faintly, shaking his head. “Not at all. Just disappointed. Like me.”

It was things like this that made him afraid Anna would start to lose interest in waiting around while he broke plans. It wasn’t the first time something unpredictable had happened on the ranch, leaving them scrambling. He told Anna he’d keep her posted with when they could go out again and that he would be working late, meaning that they couldn’t talk after his day because she would be asleep. They needed to find two more guys to cover for Davy leaving and Coop being injured to return to normal, and he had no idea when that was going to be.

Sven pulled a bag of All Dressed chips from the cupboard and dumped it into a large bowl. He brought it over to the table and set it between them as he took a seat. All the hands agreed they were too tired to gather for and make dinner, and that they were going to just find whatever they had on hand in their own places.

“Has the kid gone up to the house to tell the old man yet?”

Kristoff shook his head. “Nah, he’s just sleeping it off. I told him to do it in the morning.” He shoved a handful of chips in his mouth.

Sven sighed. “I kind of wish Dixie was going to be back sooner. She could help us pick up the slack while she’s here.”

“You talk to the old man yet about her comin’ on when she’s not on the rodeo circut?”

“Eh, not quite yet,” Sven said through a mouth full. He swallowed. “Figured I’d talk to her first when she got back in case she changed her mind.”

“She back for that break in two weeks?”

“Yeah, she said she can stay for ten days then she has to head out again.”

He smiled. “I bet you can’t wait to get her back for a bit.”

Sven leaned back in his chair with a loud exhale. “Brother, you have no idea. Phone sex ain’t nothin’ like the real thing.”

Kristoff sneered his nose. “Dude, I don’t want to hear about that.”

He laughed. “Let’s talk about you then. How was last night?” Sven waggled his eyebrows.

“Again, I am not sharing that with you.” Kristoff took a sip of his beer, his cheeks feeling suddenly warm as he thought back to Anna making love to him. It had been special, and he was not going to talk behind her back about it to anyone, even his brother.

Sven appraised him and nodded. “Well, I’m glad that whatever happened with you guys, you sure did look pretty fuckin’ happy when you turned up this mornin’.”

He had been happy, and then the day turned to shit. He had wanted to take Anna out for dinner, and maybe to the little bowling alley or something, before maybe ending back up at her place. More than anything he wanted to have her again. Despite the frustration of the day, it was on his mind throughout.

“You’re in love, aren’t you?”

Kristoff had been picking the label off the bottle of beer and his eyes came up quickly.

Sven laughed heartily in response. It was the exact same thing Kristoff had said to Sven nearly a year ago when he’d been dating Dixie for a while. They both had a good poker face, neither of them betrayed too much emotion when they didn’t want to. Only when it was just the two of them, well… they could read each other like an open book.

“I knew it, man.” Sven grinned at him. “From the moment you took a second glance at her in the diner, I knew.”

Kristoff was surprised, thinking he’d been rather subtle. “You saw that?”

“It was a long look, dude. Yeah, I saw.”

It was hard not to smile then. As shitty as the day had been, talking to his brother and thinking about Anna… he was indeed a happy man.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A knock at his cabin door woke him up.

Kristoff groaned as he got up. He looked at his alarm clock to see that it was a quarter to four in the morning. His alarm wasn’t set to go off for another fifteen minutes. That could only mean that whoever was at his door was there to deliver him some more bad news.

“What now?” he muttered, blinking his bleary eyes as he made his way through the cabin. Sven would have called him. Buck too for that matter. So, who the hell was at his door at this hour?

He flicked on the porch lights when he got to the door, then unlocked and opened it. His eyes went wide.

Anna was standing there with a sweet smile, looking eager and excited. “Hey! I’m sorry I woke you. I figured you were sleeping when I didn’t see any lights on, then I also guessed you might be getting up soon anyway, so I… uh…”

Her eyes went down his body as her voice trailed off. He slept in his boxers and realized looking down that he had woken up with some morning wood. His confused mind was taking it all in slowly as he looked back at Anna. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help.”

“Huh?”

“On the ranch,” she clarified.

Kristoff’s mind was still groggy with sleep. That and she kept looking down at his body, making him a little warm under the skin.

“Come in,” he said, and stood back. He was still trying to process what was going on.

Anna walked into his place and pushed herself into him as soon as he shut the door. He knew what she wanted, so he kissed her gently, hoping that he didn’t have horrible morning breath or something.

“When do you have to go to work?” she asked, hands trailing down his lower back to his waist, resting on the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs.

He knew exactly what she was getting at. Perhaps Anna would be the death of him. “I have to get ready in about ten minutes.”

She gave him a wicked smile as she hooked her fingers between the waistband and his skin. “Well, we both know that’s more than enough time for me.”

He wondered, as he kissed her again, if there would come a time when he didn’t succumb to her whim. He’d done it after their first date, promising himself he would be patient, only Anna wasn’t taking no for an answer. It didn’t take him too long to cave, did it? Just like he was doing right now, her hands sliding off his underwear as she kissed him and fondled him clumsily while she pushed him back to his bedroom.

At least they made good use of his erection.

-----

They drove over to the ranch houses in the gator Kristoff had taken home the night before. While the morning tryst was going to make him late, it was worth it.

“So like I said,” Anna was saying to him. “I’m here to help.”

“I thought you worked today?”

“I switched my shift. I just felt so bad for what happened to you guys yesterday. I sure hope Davy’s mom can recover quickly. How is Coop doing?”

Kristoff shrugged. “He’s okay. Pretty choked up about getting hurt, but he’ll heal just fine.”

“Poor guy.”

His mind was still a little confused with the surprise wake up as well as the incredible, albeit quick, sex that they just had. “So, forgive me, what are you helping with?”

“Anything!” Anna answered cheerfully. “I figured I may not know how to ride a horse or whatever, but I can figure out how to feed some cows and stuff.”

He didn’t know what to say. It was the sweetest gesture he could imagine. How could he tell her that there was nothing she could do. All the cows were grass fed from Spring to Fall. Short of pushing them to a new pasture when they’d eaten through the one they were on, there was nothing she could do to help with that.

“Did I… overstep?”

Dammit, his silence was upsetting her. “No, no,” he said quickly. “Anna, it’s so nice of you to want to help… really, it’s amazing. There’s just… not much that we can throw to you that doesn’t involve teaching you how to do it. You understand?”

“There are things I can do without that,” she insisted, smiling at him again. “I can muck out the horse stalls. I’m pretty sure I can shovel horse poop without too much instruction.”

Kristoff glanced between her and where he was driving. Fuck, he was absolutely in love with her. Head over heels.

“Not to mention I can brush the horses. And… well, I can make you guys lunch and dinner. Or! I can go and get groceries for you. Or pick up anything you need from town.”

“Okay, Anna,” he said softly. “We’ll see what there is.”

She nodded happily and turned her attention back to the pathway to the ranch houses. Kristoff kept stealing glances at her, suddenly feeling a little unworthy of her. He loved ranching, it was his life, and yet there was a little part of him that felt Anna’s life could be so much better with someone else. That left him wondering if he could walk away from the life he’d built for himself if Anna demanded it. Not that she ever would, and if for some reason she did, he was pretty sure he’d go… it just made Kristoff wonder how much things might change going forward.

They pulled up to the ranch houses and Buck was standing there talking to Sven. As soon as Sven noticed Anna, he broke out into a grin. “Anna! Nice to see you! What brings you in with Kristoff this morning?”

They slid out of the gator and walked over. “I’m here to help,” she announced proudly.

Sven glanced quickly at him before looking back at Anna. “Awesome,” he said to her.

Kristoff saw the question in his eyes, however. It was the same one he had. Besides mucking stalls, what could they really give her to do that they didn’t have to take a bunch of time to teach? A lot of what they did around the ranch actually involved a fair amount of skill.

Buck and Sven started to talk with her a bit about maybe showing her around the horses, when Kristoff noticed Coop walking back down from the main house with old man Weadick.

“Head’s up,” he said quietly to the group, and they all shushed their conversation.

The old man had a scowl on his face that Kristoff was familiar with. It was basically permanent. The only time he didn’t look ready to beat the shit out of somebody was when he was talking about his own ranching days. In contrast, Coop looked miserable and sorry for himself, which Kristoff supposed he was. While he might be able to stay while he healed, he wasn’t going to be paid for sitting around.

“Buck, Sven, Kristoff,” Weadick addressed each man with a nod of his head. “We found ourselves in quite a predicament this morning, don’t we?”

“Yes, sir,” Sven spoke up. “I’m headed into town this morning to try and wrangle up some help.”

“I’m taking over Davy’s chores for today,” Buck told him.

“And I’m going to pick up all the other slack,” Kristoff chimed in. “Coop’s, and Sven’s while he’s busy.”

Weadick nodded his approval. “Scrap the horses off your lists. Everything except riding them is going to be Coop’s job while he heals.”

Kristoff sensed Anna stiffen at his side and spared a quick glance in her direction. She was still smiling, only he could see there was disappointment behind it.

“You boys know I like to keep things above the board. Coop will be knocked down in pay for not being able to contribute his full portion. He’s gonna stay on and he can help y’all out with gettin’ food and cookin’ yer meals and all that as well.”

He looked to Anna again, her smile was gone, replaced with a patient expression that was hard to read. His heart felt for her in that moment. She had been so excited to help out. So willing to lend a hand to make thigs easier on him and the guys, and everything she could have possibly taken over on her own was now assigned to Coop. She was as generous as she was beautiful, and that love washed over him again, oddly making him a little melancholy.

He looked back to the old man who was now looking squarely at Anna. “And who is this?” he asked.

Kristoff’s eyes flicked over to Anna. She looked a little taken off guard to be addressed. “This is, Anna,” he said quickly, looking back to Weadick, knowing how intimidating the man could be. “My girlfriend.”

Weadick didn’t take his eyes off of Anna. “Can you cook?”

Anna’s mouth moved a second, like she wasn’t sure how to respond, then she finally spit out a response. “I can… make food, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Can you whip up a proper meal off the top of your head based on what’s in the fridge?”

She winced. “Um, I don’t really know… I’ve never done that before.”

“Can you follow a damn recipe?”

Kristoff watched the exchange anxiously. Weadick was mad about something and he knew it wasn’t directed at Anna. He just hoped she knew that, because she still looked a little shocked. It was just the way the old man was.

“I can follow a recipe, sure,” she answered tentatively. “Unless it’s something that involves a tricky technique or something seriously gourmet.”

“How about stroganoff? Can you handle stroganoff?”

She nodded. “Yeah, definitely. I’ve made that for myself before.”

Weadick got to the point. “I fired my cook yesterday. He never makes it right no matter how many times I ask. Always changing my recipes and adding some extra spices that I can’t stand. I like salt and pepper and I need a new cook. You want a job?”

Anna looked to Kristoff, and she appeared just as surprised as he was. She seemed to gather her thoughts quickly and turned back to Weadick. “I work at the diner. I have a shift tomor-”

“I’ll pay you what I was paying my last cook,” he interrupted. “I imagine that’s about double what you’re making now, with tips. And if you don’t work out, I’ll make sure the diner takes you back. I know the owner.”

Of course, he does, Kristoff thought. The old man had more pull around their town than anyone he’d ever seen. If only be bothered with any of it.

“What are you expecting of me if I take the job?” Anna asked.

Every man except Weadick glanced at each other. All of them, likely including Anna, knew that this job wasway better than the diner and she’d be crazy not to take it. The guys all took the ‘accept then question’ approach with the old man for things like this, not the other way around. He was very fair, but he did have a reputation for being volatile to those who did not agree with him.

“Three squares a day. Light housework in between to fill your hours. You go home after cleaning up from supper. And don’t worry, I take an early supper.”

Anna dared to frown at him, her nose wrinkling as if she smelled something bad. “Every day? I don’t get a day off?”

Weadick stared at her, and then he did something Kristoff hadn’t seen in years. He slowly smiled. It was almost as if you could hear the rusty hinge sound of those barely used muscles.

“I like you,” he stated to Anna. “You’re hired. And no, I won’t make you work every day. You can take off any days you want or need. Just prepare me some things I can heat up.” He raised his eyebrows and flicked his head over to Kristoff without breaking his gaze with her. “I imagine your days off will coincide with his.”

Anna nodded, her expression turning happy again.

Weadick turned back to Sven. “Find two guys. Once Coop’s all healed, it should make things easier on all of ya. Sometimes I don’t see your house lights on until a lot later than I would expect.”

“Sounds good, sir,” Sven agreed right away.

Weadick turned his attention back to Anna. “When can you start?”

“Um, when did you want me to start?”

“Right now. Haven’t had my breakfast yet.” With that, he turned and started walking back to his house.

Anna turned to Kristoff and gave him an incredulous smile. “What the hell just happened?”

“Sounds like you found yourself a new job.” He smiled back at her, then leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. “Better hurry, he gets grumpy when he’s hungry.”

“Oh boy,” Anna joked with a laugh, and pressed her lips to his once more before running after her new boss.

---

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#I am so worried that bull is going to get Kristoff #there’s a Til tok account called Rufus the bull (I think)#one of the bulls is what I image Bruce to be like. it think it’s Redford. anyway that account is hilarious #what a shit day #I love the conversation between Sven and Kristoff #Sven just knows #anna got a job there!#and their boss having a hint of a soft spot #i can see Anna getting along with him #does Anna get to live at the ranch now???!

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