by Ciana Stone
"Go bag," he explained. "Which means—"
"Extra clothes,” Reese finished. "Cool. Then go inside. You can shower off and change, and I'll fix us something to eat."
"You cook?"
"If you want to call it that. I can scramble eggs, and I have a couple of steaks I can throw in the skillet."
"Works for me."
"Great. Help yourself to the shower."
"You go first."
She waved him away. “There's an outdoor shower on the back deck, and I keep soap and stuff because I'm always getting filthy. I'll clean up there and get started on the food."
"Okay, if you're sure."
"I am. Go."
Mathias headed for the house, and she watched him, trying not to let her mind get too focused on thoughts of him in the shower. Naked. Wet.
Reese literally groaned, turned off the water and slogged around the house to the small deck. Penelope had hung up a curved shower rod on the eave of the house, and there was a water pipe fixed to the wall with an old shower head. The water was cold but when you've been working outside, it didn't matter.
Well, actually it did once you cooled off and then it inspired you to get clean fast. Reese washed up, wrung the water from her hair and dried off with the towel she plucked from the hook on the wall. Once she had it wrapped around herself, she went in and stopped in the laundry room where clean clothes were stacked on the dryer.
Five minutes later, dressed in a tank top and shorts, with her hair plaited into a long braid, she went into the kitchen, pulled steaks from the refrigerator and plopped them in the big cast-iron skillet that always sat on the stove. She turned on the burner and fetched eggs.
By the time she had the eggs ready to go into the skillet and a pan of bread toasting in the oven, Mathias walked into the kitchen.
Despite her worry over what had happened with the crop duster, nothing could dim the impact Mathias had on her. "Wow,” she said when she looked over her shoulder at him. "What you do to fatigues and a t-shirt should be illegal."
"You don't have to put up a front. I know you're angry."
Reese turned to face him. "First, I'm not. Putting up a front, I mean. Second, you're right. I'm pissed. But I can't undo it, so I might as well let things process so I can figure out what to do."
"Is that how it works?"
"People rarely make sound decisions when they're angry, hungry or tired and I'm all three, so the best thing I can do is eat, rest and find something besides anger to focus on and all kidding aside, you do have the ability to take my mind off almost everything."
She turned and poured the eggs into the skillet. "Except food. I'm starving. Do you like omelets?"
"I do."
"Good. I have beer, bottled water, orange juice and uh, bottled water. Grab what you want from the fridge. And would you get me a bottle of water?"
"Sure." He pulled two bottles from the refrigerator and handed her one before opening his. "So, tell me about your bugs."
She chuckled. "My bugs?"
"Bees. Butterflies."
"Well, let's see. Tidbits about butterflies. There are between 15,000 to 20,000 different species. They have taste receptors on their feet and two sets of eyes. Monarch butterflies are known for their long migration. Each year they travel as much as 4000 kilometers where the females lay eggs, and the new generation then travels back and completes the cycle."
Reese cut the omelet in half while still in the pan and then slid the portions onto the plates already bearing steak. She carried the plates to the table and put them down. "Sit. I'll get the bread."
"Tell me more about butterflies,” Mathias said as he took a seat.
"Okay, let me think. Oh, I know. What makes them fly. That's kind of cool." She took the bread pan from the oven, dumped the bread onto a plate and carried it to the table.
"Butterflies have powerful muscles in their thorax that forces their wings up and down on a fulcrum basis. Interestingly, they actually go in a slanted figure eight motion that propels them forward in the same principle as an airplane."
Reese sat, picked up her knife and fork and cut off a bite of steak. "I should have asked you how you like your steak." She stabbed the rare bit of meat and looked at Mathias.
"As long as it isn't mooing it's good."
She laughed at his answer. "I may have to steal that line."
"Feel free. Pretty sure I took it from someone. So back to you. Tell me about bees."
As they ate, she talked and by the time they were almost finished, she felt like she'd just given a lecture on the life of bees. "Bees are amazing, and as you can see, I could talk for hours about them, but unless you've just developed a sudden passion for them, how about we pick another topic."
"Okay. What?"
"Anything. What kind of music do you like?"
"No particular genre, just whatever I hear that speaks to me."
She nodded and continued eating. "Does anything besides music speak to you?"
"Sun, wind, water, the earth."
"Are you getting all Native on me?"
"Is that being Native? Hearing the earth?"
"Perhaps. Most people can't."
"Can you?"
"No. At least I don't think so. Nature speaks I suppose, but what I perceive are the patterns, the flow, and the currents. Its complexity is matched only by its simplicity and an elegance that's so beautiful it takes my breath."
"Sounds to me like you hear a lot."
"I'm not sure hear is the right word, but then I could be wrong. I never really focus on one sense above the other, I just —witness and absorb, as silly as that may sound."
"It doesn't sound silly at all. It sounds like being."
"Being? What do you mean?"
Mathia put his knife and fork on his plate, stood and held out his hand. "Come with me."
Reese took his hand, and he led her outside to the back porch. He had her sit on the step just below him. Stars dotted the sky, and a crescent moon smiled on them while a soft breeze rustled leaves in the trees beside the house.
"What are we—"
"Shhh." Mathias put his finger to her lips. "Just sit here with me and let the earth talk to us."
Reese nodded, and he draped his arms over her shoulders. Reese liked the feel of his arms around her and being sandwiched between his muscular legs. She looked at the sky, felt the wind on her face and the bare skin of her arms and the heat of Mathias' arms around her.
It lulled and calmed her without her even realizing. Her mind stilled, and she heard it. His heart. Strong, slow and steady. Like a drum. The sound of an owl rang out and was answered. Crickets chorused, and in the distance, frogs croaked, and it all blended into an orchestra that carried a message.
Peace and protection.
Reese felt her tension melt away and turned on the step to wrap her arms around Mathias' waist, pressing the side of her face against his abdomen. He held her, and she melted into his embrace, surrendering to the bliss of the moment.
She didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until he placed her on her bed. "Shhh,” he released her and pulled the spread over her. "Thank you for dinner and for being."
"Mathias." She caught his hand and ran her free hand up behind his neck to pull his face down. "You are magic, my warrior. Thank you."
He accepted her kiss but didn't press for more. When it ended, he touched his hand to the side of her face. "Sleep well."
Reese smiled and closed her eyes, hoping to fall into the land of dreams where a strong warrior held her, and she felt safe and loved.
Chapter Five
Reese walked silently beside Mercy, looking out over the land. The construction crew had not yet started for the day, and it was quiet. She’d gotten into something of a habit of driving into town before dawn to go for a morning walk with Mercy. It calmed and centered her, and she liked the feeling. Now, the sun had crested the horizon, and she held up one hand to shade her eyes.
"Mercy, can I ask you
something?"
"Yes."
"People around here don't like me, do they?"
"I like you."
"Thank you. The feeling is mutual. But a lot of people don't. I'm not sure why. Have I said or done something to offend someone?"
"No. You're just different. Kind of like me. I'm an Indian, so I stand out in this sea of white faces."
"Does that bother you? Make you uncomfortable?"
"Does it make you uncomfortable to be a genius?"
"No."
"Well, there you go."
Reese smiled and bent over to pick a couple of wildflowers. "Bees like these, but there's not enough nutrition for the butterflies."
"Then we shouldn't use them for butterflies. Did you find out who the crop-duster was that dusted your land?"
"Yes. We found the plane."
"How did you do that?"
"I saw its numbers and remembered, so Wiley was able to track it down. But the man claimed he was paid in cash by someone to dust that area, and he didn't know the man, had never seen him before and assumed it was the person who owned the land."
"That's odd."
"Yes."
"Why would someone do that?"
"I don't know – to slow my research, maybe?"
"What exactly is your research, if I may ask?"
"Learning the patterns of the pollinators and breeding more."
"Why do you need to learn their patterns?"
"Insatiable curiosity?"
Mercy rolled her eyes. "Okay, I get it, and I won't ask again. Did Wiley tell you that his brothers Lincoln and Deacon are coming to dinner?"
"No, he didn't mention it."
"Lincoln has most of the single women in Cotton Creek in a twitter."
Reese smiled. "He is hot."
"But not enough for you to be interested?"
Reese looked out, shading her eyes at the glare of the rising sun. "He's not my type."
"Oh? But Mathias Gray Horse is?"
"Oh yeah." Reese then looked at Mercy and saw Mercy's knowing smile. "He is so – you know."
"Indeed, I do. Have you seen him since the crop-dusting incident?"
"No. We've talked on the phone but not in person. I've been tied up with Wiley and the plans for Venture, and he's been working on some kind of strategy for some war games they're going to do at the training center, and our schedules just haven't meshed."
"Well, maybe they will soon."
"I hope so. He's a pretty special guy. Hey, let me ask you. Is it a Native American thing to listen to the earth? To just be."
Mercy laughed. "Child, it's a human thing. Why do you ask?"
"It's –never mind."
Mercy stopped walking, and Reese stopped as well. "Why do you ask?" Mercy repeated.
Reese knew she could trust Mercy, she just felt a little foolish and hoped Mercy wouldn't judge her as such. "The day of the crop duster, I had a date with Mathias." She looked off to the side as she spoke. "But I had to clean up, and he stayed and helped me. I fixed dinner, and after we ate, we went outside and sat on the back steps. He said we would listen to the earth."
She looked at Mercy. "I heard it, Mercy. It was like an orchestra - the wind, the night-birds and insects and frogs, all singing, and his heart was the percussion it was all timed to. I lost myself. Completely. So much that I didn't even know I had fallen asleep until I woke with him putting me on my bed and covering me up. Is that – does that sound crazy?"
"No, child. It sounds beautiful and rare."
"Really?"
"Really." Mercy took Reese's hand. "You don't spend a lot of time listening with your spirit because you're always observing, calculating and quantifying. He helped you to just be."
"You help me with that, too. I'm calm when I'm with you. Why is that?"
Mercy shrugged. "Maybe I represent the mother you lost. Everyone wants a mother, someone to comfort and care for them. I don't know much, but I suspect you lost your mother at a very early age."
"I did, but it's more than that. There's something different about you, and not just that you can read people. You influence them, too."
Mercy shrugged and smiled. "Maybe so, but then we all exert influence, don't we? Like you."
"I don't."
"No? I think he might disagree." She moved her chin up and looked behind Reese.
When Reese turned to look, she felt a bit like a teenage girl watching the star quarterback walk across the gym at homecoming to ask her to dance. Mathias walked toward them, his eyes shielded with sunglasses.
"Hey there,” Reese greeted him. "What're you doing here?"
"Looking for you. Good morning, Mercy."
"Yes, is it. How are you, Mathias?"
"Couldn't be better. What're you ladies doing out here?"
"Walking. Talking." Mercy answered. "And I have to go start breakfast. Join us, please?"
"Are you sure it's not an imposition?"
"How can a friend impose? I insist."
"Then I will. Thank you."
"See you at the house then." Mercy looked at Reese. "You can set the table in about half an hour."
"Yes, ma'am."
Mercy smiled and headed toward the house. Reese and Mathias both watched for a moment then looked at one another. "So, what really brings you here?" She asked.
"You."
"How'd you know I was here?"
"Wiley told me you come almost every morning to walk with Mercy."
"Ah. Well, here I am. Now what?"
"This." He took off his sunglasses and hung them on the neck of his t-shirt.
It'd never happened before, but it did now. When Mathias cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, Reese felt her breath hitch. It was disconcerting and wildly exciting at the same time and following closely on its heels was a rush of desire stronger than anything she could have imagined.
She gripped his arms, holding on loosely despite wanting to pull him firmly against her and feel that long length of hard body touching her. Wanting but not wanting. This kiss. This was being in its purest, at least in her mind.
"I've been thinking of that since I left your house," he whispered against her lips.
"Me too."
"Yeah? So, what should we do about it?"
Reese smiled. "Touch and go."
"What?"
She moved her hands to his chest and saw surprise when she moved them down to the waistband of his fatigues. Reese leaned in close. "Tag, you're it."
With that, she took off running. She heard him behind her and cut a look over her shoulder. That cost her time, and he caught her, wrapping one arm around her body. Mathias lifted her off her feet and swung her around.
Reese laughed and then threw her arms around his neck as they came to a stop. Mathias ran his hands up her side, and his thumbs tracked over the sides of her breasts before he gave her a quick kiss and said "Tag."
She made a grab for him when he pushed away, but he dodged and took off. Reese could run reasonably fast but was no match for his long legs. It wasn't until he looked back at her and changed direction that she got within feet of him, and when she did, she launched herself at him.
Mathias caught her, but let the momentum take them down. Reese laughed and wrapped her hands around his wrists, pinning them to the ground. "Gotcha."
He smiled. "I surrender."
"Hmmm, I kind of like the sound of that." She lowered down and kissed him. His arms went around her, and he rolled her over so that she was beneath him. The kiss became more heated, hands roamed, touched, squeezed and stroked and within minutes Reese was ready to strip naked and ride him like a prize bull.
From the feel of things, he was thinking along those same lines. While a field wasn't the ideal setting if he'd asked she wouldn't have said no. But he didn't, so she indulged in something she'd not done a lot of. She made out with a sexy guy with no intention of having sex.
“There’s a celebration at the high school tonight. The team won state last year
and the new season will be starting soon so there's a thing happening. Want to go?”
“You follow high school football? She was shocked.
“Baby, everyone in the county follows high school football.”
“Seriously?”
Mathias nodded. “Texans are dead serious about their football. And one of my ex-teammate’s brother is the new coach. Dillon Walker. Last year was his first year coaching here, and he took them to state, so it’s a pretty big moment for him.”
“Well, in that case, I’d love to go.”
“Good, then it’s a date.” He kissed her and then got up and pulled her to her feet. “Come on, I’ll help you set the table.”
Holding hands, they headed for the house and Reese smiled at him. This was one of the best mornings she could remember, and it was all because of the man holding her hand.
*****
“Wow.” Reese was shocked when she got her first look at the high school football stadium. Major universities would love to have such a setup. “You must be right about Texans and their football. This place is state-of-the-art.”
“Yeah, it is.” Mathias agreed and waved at someone in the stands. Reese looked to see a beautiful young woman with raven black hair and two men with similar coloring waving back.
“Who’s that?”
“Some of Dillon’s family. The man on the left is Nash and on the right is Mace. They’re twins. The woman is Delaney, she’s Dillon’s twin sister.”
“Two sets of twins in one family. That’s interesting.”
“And from different mothers,” he added.
“Even more interesting. Are we sitting with them?”
“Do you mind?”
“No, not at all.”
They made their way to the fifty-yard line and up only four rows. “Glad you decided to come.” The woman said to Mathias.
“Thanks for the invite. I don’t think there were a lot of seats left. Looks like the whole county is here.”
“Close to it.” The woman said and then smiled at Reese. “Hi, I’m Delaney Walker, proud sister of the head coach.”
“Reese Quinn, and it’s a pleasure. Congratulations to your brother on the achievement.”
“Thanks. Have a seat.”
Mathias gave Reese the seat beside Delaney and sat on the other side of her with the brothers.”
