by Rita Hestand
"You would have fired me, wouldn't you?" She asked coming to stand in front of him again.
"Probably."
Something was wrong. Something about this whole conversation was wrong. He should be shouting at her about now. He should be firing her now!
"So why didn't you?" She challenged her hands going to her hips with exasperation.
"Beats me," he said casting her one last look over his shoulder and walking off.
Emma's mouth dropped open, but nothing came out.
For days she worried over what he said, and what he didn't say. She hated this not knowing. Yet what was it she wanted to know? He obviously wasn't mad enough to fire her. That was good, wasn't it? She still had a job, a roof over her head, a way of earning a living for her baby.
Her baby! God the words sounded so nice. At last she could honestly call Sammie Jo her baby. The freedom to love her and keep her with her always.
She needed time to enjoy it, to embrace it.
The time had come and gone for the courts to award Sammie Jo to her. A piece of paper. All for a piece of paper.
But the tension that was mounting between her and Deke was so tight they couldn't be in the same room without a sizzle. Even Cal noticed it. No one seemed to want to be around them lately. Not even Sammie Jo.
"Why don't you two settle your differences, so the rest of us can relax?" Cal spouted one afternoon when Deke stormed out the door for the barn.
"What's to settle? What can I say?" Emma asked throwing her hands in the air in a gesture of helplessness.
"Don't know, but you'd better get to it, gal. He's steamin'."
"But–Cal?"
"Don't look at me, ask him." Cal pointed to the barn.
"You don't think I will, do ya?" Emma blurted, angry that everyone had suddenly turned against her in favor of Deke.
"Nope," Cal answered in that typically Travers' voice.
"Well I'll show you. Watch Sammie Jo for me. I'm going to settle this once and for all. I may be packing my bags when I come back, but at least I won't have to watch him storm about any longer."
"Go get 'em girl," Cal called after her with a chuckle.
Emma threw her apron in the air, letting it flow to the floor, straightened her jeans and blew a tendril of hair from her face as she marched with her head held high into the barn.
A dim light in one stall told Emma, Deke was still there.
She marched to the stall gate. "All right, Deke Travers. Let's have this out, here and now. I won't have you coming in every day and stomping about. What's wrong with you?"
"Shh-h." he raised his finger to his lips. "Josey time's comin'."
"She's calving?"
"Tonight," he said getting to his feet, and moving the lantern toward her.
"Can I help?" She asked, momentarily distracted by the sight of the cow in labor.
"Not yet. Now what did you want to know?" He asked staring down into her face.
She'd never seen him look quite so handsome. The urges inside her nearly overtook good sense. She wished she could touch that clean shaven cheek, kiss that stern set mouth, hold that tensed up body.
"I–I can't work for you like this," She began, moving away from the railing.
"No, why not?"
"You look and act like a thunder cloud about to burst every time I'm around. What's wrong with you?"
"You haven't figured it out?" He growled with a frown.
"No–I," she began but he was approaching her now, with such purpose. She gulped, her hands began to sweat, her lips trembled and her heart lurched as he swung the railing aside and pushed her backward until she was up against the barn wall, and surrounded by him. Penned by his big arms, staying her there.
She wet her lips, her eyes searching his for answers.
"Emma," he barely whispered, his head bent, his lips hovering just above hers, his long finger caressing the side of her cheek. He smiled down into her face. "What's wrong is I can't keep my mind on my business anymore. I can't eat, think, tend to cows, or sleep without thinking about you. I want you–" his voice faltered like a hushed whisper, as his lips brushed slightly against hers, like a feather teasing her. "I want you by my side, working with me, laughing with me, encouraging me when I'm down, holding my hand when I'm sick," his lips dipped against hers once more, this time for longer, breath-taking moments. Long enough for her to melt against him, to feel absorbed by him. "I want you all the time. I want Sammie Jo too. I want her to have my name not just my love. I want us to sleep together, love together, be with each other for the rest of our lives. I want to marry you Emma."
And then he did it. She totally fused against this powerful man as he took full possession of her mouth and body. He left no doubt of his sincerity in his kisses as he enveloped her soul. Soul mates, she had heard the expression, never envisioning there could be someone out there for herself, like Deke. But all doubts fled from her mind when Deke swooped her up into his arms and carried her to the stall.
He looked into her eyes and smiled the warmest smile she'd ever seen. "I'm not going to make love to you here, Emma. But you're gonna want me to before the night is over. Because we'll sit and help ole Josey bring a new life into the world, and share the precious moment with her, we're gonna be dreamin' about the same things for ourselves. And I promise you the day will come when I make you mine."
"How can you forgive me for all the lies?" she asked between kisses.
"I had to, darlin'," he caressed her cheek again, drawing an imaginary line down her cheek. "You were only doin' what nature told you to do. Taking care of your young, defending, protecting. A mother's instinct. And you didn't really lie, Emma. She is your daughter. Soon to be our daughter. And we'll have more, darlin'. I can guarantee that. And I only wish we could start on that tonight. But we've got work to do . . ."
"Oh Deke, I love you so," she whispered as they both reached to pet Josey.
"I know darlin'." He glanced at her surprised face. "I only wondered how long it would take you to realize it."
"Why Deke Travers, you conceited–," she laughed and pushed him into the hay, falling on top of him and he pulled her closer for another mind-boggling kiss. A kiss that went on and on forever and took her to places only dreamed of.
"Nope–convinced. You just convinced me. And if you don't get up, we aren't going to make it to the alter in white," he chuckled kissing her endlessly.
But Josey let out a loud moan and they raised up from the hay. "Okay Josey, we'll behave–for now . . .But later–me and the chief cook are gonna roll in the hay."
The End
