by Rachel Angel
Chapter 19
The landing was a bit rough and turbulence was in the air. It normally might have made Savannah feel a bit queasy, but she was on a mission to get to Wild Horse Island regardless of Ryland Roth’s message. Who did he think he was? He could be mad at her all he wanted, but to not look out for his horse’s best interests was just plain old asinine.
A shuttle bus took Savannah over to the small hangar at the edge of the airport grounds, telling her the best place to go for renting a charter flight to Wild Horse Island, adding that you needed permission to land on there since it was private – unless it was an emergency.
“I have permission and it is also an emergency. I guess we’re double covered,” Savannah said. It was partially true. Then she smiled, not even caring about the shameless way she turned her charm on to the pilot. At that moment she would have swam across the Pacific Ocean to reach the island if that was her only choice.
As the plane landed on the small runway strip on the island, Savannah turned her cell phone on and texted: I’m here.
There was an immediate response from Ryland: I told you to stay home.
She replied: It’s too late. I’m already here and I’m not going anywhere.
Savannah’s statement was absolutely true. She’d already waived the charter pilot off, not wanting Ryland to have any excuses to not have her be there on that island to talk about Street Smarts. For a guy who was raised on the streets, he sure didn’t seem like he was being that smart all of a sudden.
Clearly no greeting committee would be waiting for Savannah so she started to walk up the gravel road, making her way toward the house. She was aware that her ankle wasn’t that strong still, but she was determined. She’d rather break her ankle than have Street Smarts die because of his stubborn owner wanted to act like a horse’s ass.
The sound of gears grinding came from ahead and Savannah looked up to see the Jeep blazing down the gravel path. Ryland was driving and his jaw was tense. He slammed on the brakes, not bothering to avoid spraying Savannah with enough dust to make her cough a bit.
“You are one stubborn minx, aren’t you? It seems you can’t take no for an answer.” Savannah caught his double meaning, but she’d deal with that later.
“It’s too important.”
“Look, what’s your angle?” Ryland seethed.
“Angle? What the hell are you talking about. Street Smarts is sick and I know why. What type of angle could that possibly be?”
Ryland grabbed her arm, holding it firmly, and stared at her intensely. “Tell me the truth now, Miss Milo. Did you come out here because you know there’s a huge storm setting in and that no one could get you back to the mainland anymore?”
“Storm? No, I didn’t know about a storm,” she replied, looking pale. “However, if there is a storm it’ll prove my theory right.”
“What theory?” Ryland asked. He looked confused and leery.
“About what caused Star’s death,” Savannah said. She went on to explain her theory as they drove toward the place on the island that Savannah wanted him to go. He was still suspicious of her, but he listened. Just to get the awkward moment of their reunion out of the way, Savannah said, “Look Ryland, you’re pissed at me and I get it, but right now I truly am focused on Street Smarts – nothing else. Got it?”
She thought she saw a glimmer of a smile form on Ryland’s lips. “If anyone else talked to me that way they’d be fired.”
“Well, I’m already fired so it doesn’t much matter.”
Then Savannah looked around. “Stop! This is the spot where you took Star riding, right?”
“Yes, this is it.”
Savannah jumped out of the Jeep and ran over to the trees. “She ate some of this tree bark, right?”
“Yes,” Ryland acknowledged. “Why?”
“There’s something about box elder tree bark that doesn’t work with horses. It’s not technically poisonous and doesn’t instinctually alert them to not eat it, but it has caused many mysterious horse deaths in Australia and various parts of Europe before.”
“But not the U.S.?”
“It’s not native to areas where we have a wild horse population. There were traces of this bark in Star when the autopsy was done, not really triggering anything at first…but then I got to thinking about some things that weren’t adding up.”
“But what about Street Smarts? He hasn’t been out to these woods,” Ryland said. Then he answered his own question. “Through Star’s milk, isn’t it?”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll order these trees all removed from the island immediately,” Ryland said. “That’ll help the wild horses remain safer, but what about Street Smarts? Is there anything we can do for him?”
“There is. It’s actually a rather simple solution. He needs to drink lots of water to flush his system. The bark’s contaminants are slowly working their way through it and lots of water will help it go through more. We’ll keep him on some antibiotics to ensure that he doesn’t get a fever or organ infections from it, but that should do the trick.”
“How long will we have to do that for?”
“About another week or so,” Savannah said. “It’s already been a few weeks that he’s been processing everything and a month is the estimated time to circulate through everything and clear itself out. Of course, that’s just a hunch. There are not a lot of cases to study on this.”
“It sounds like you’ll have a good topic for your first veterinary journal,” Ryland commented.
“That had never been a goal, but it sounds good. If this works I want to tell everyone so they know what to expect and can be prepared. It’d save many a beautiful equine’s life.”
A loud thunder sounded out nearby, making Savannah jump. “Come on, we’d better get to the house before this storm hits. It’s going to be a bad one.”
“Worse than the one when I first got here?”
“That was nothing compared to what this one is supposed to be like,” Ryland commented.
At least he’s not going to make me sleep outside…the stables, maybe, but not outside. Of course the stables wouldn’t be too bad. They’re nicer than most people’s house.
“Will the horses be okay through this, Ryland?”
“I had them transported to the mainland today after hearing about the forecast. They’re protected.”
“And Miss Baker?”
“She’s with the horses, ensuring they’re okay. I sent everyone to the mainland. If it floods here I don’t want to be responsible for anything that might happen to the people I rely on.”
“You think it’ll flood?”
“It has before.”
“Then we better get making some sandbags or something to protect your house.”
The wind howled and carried away Ryland’s response. Rain started to pour down just as the Jeep pulled into the carport that was attached to one side of the house. All of the outside lighting was flickering on and off, showing that power lines were already struggling against the furious storm that was approaching quickly.
Savannah repeated herself. “What about sandbags? Should we do them?”
“Well, I was doing them and finishing up when I kept getting these pesky messages and some texts from a crazy, but beautiful vet that insisted on coming where she wasn’t welcomed.”
“Are you sorry I did?” Savannah asked. It was bold and she braced herself for any answer she may receive.
“No, I’m not sorry you did. I know I was stubborn. I could almost hear your thoughts about what you thought of my resistance to you echoing in my mind.”
“Well, I did have a few choice words,” Savannah admitted.
“Let’s get the sandbags on the perimeter of the house in the window sills to protect them and stop the shutters from blowing open. I’m almost done so it won’t take long.”
The two did that and just as a big lightning volt came down, making them scurry into the house.”
“Well that was an ad
venture,” Savannah said.
“It sure was,” Ryland agreed.
“I’m glad I came even if you wouldn’t take my calls. And then there’s the matter of you firing me because of what happened.”
“What do you mean?” Ryland asked.
“After what you saw in the stable the other day, not wanting me around afterward. I’m so sorry about that.”
“Why should I be mad about that?”
“It was a horrible thing to do and things got out of control. It wasn’t what I wanted. I was surprised to see him there.”
“Well, he was your fiancé at one time. It’s natural you’d still have feelings for him.”
“Then why didn’t you want to see me afterward?” Savannah asked. It was a fair question because he clearly went out of his way to avoid her.
“I didn’t want to get in the way if you two were getting back together,” Ryland said. Savannah stared at him. His eyes didn’t match what his words were expressing.
“That’s not what I want, Ryland. You know that too,” she said. Through the forced conversation she had no other wise choice to make besides being honest about what was going on with her. If she got rejected at least she’d know. However, she didn’t think she was the only one in the room that was feeling that way.
“How would I know that, Savannah?” Ryland asked. He looked dead serious, void of all emotion and expression as he stared at her, waiting for her reply.
“Ummm…”
“You know, all I have ever known in my life are people who use me, people who don’t mean what they say, a family who abandoned me until they found out they had a wealthy child, women who want my money and not the man inside, and the list goes on and on. So, you tell me how I would just know that you want me; especially after I walked in on you and your ex-fiancé in a rather intimate moment.”
“I do want the man inside. The money is irrelevant to me in comparison to that,” Savannah said, trying to fight back the stinging in her eyes. She felt like such a monster at that moment, someone who’d betrayed a trust.
“I don’t know if you are like the others. You come to the island with a purpose – being a vet – so I give you that. You didn’t come outright to seduce me either. I realize that. Things happened and so-be-it. However, I don’t see how you can go from having the hottest sex of your fucking life, which is what I thought it was, to screwing around with the Blackworth bastard in the next breath. That is what doesn’t add up so you’ll have to forgive me if I don’t just take your word for it. Your actions spoke pretty loud and clear in comparison.”
Savannah felt guiltier than ever, but also kind of furious. She wasn’t a whore and didn’t want to be thought of as one either. She’d been with two men in her life – Robert and Ryland. Now she’d fallen hard for Ryland and if he thought of her as nothing more than a whore she knew it didn’t pay to try to make a relationship out of what she believed they had, which was something very special.
“It’s not like that between Robert and me. He just showed up and wanted to get back together. Before I knew what was happening too much was happening.”
“He just happened to show up out of nowhere, huh?”
“Well actually, that isn’t true, Ryland. He had some friendly and manipulative persuasion.”
“Excuses? Really, I would have expected more from you, Savannah.”
“Let’s just say that someone told him I was on the island, lonely, and available to show him the horses while you were away.”
“Who would…” Ryland stopped his sentence short. “Miss Baker,” he mumbled.
“Yes, but she is not important at this moment, oddly enough. I was ready to slap her one a few days ago. Back to the moment…I don’t understand how it all happened with Robert, but it had just started when you got there and I was glad.”
“It sure looked like you were enjoying yourself.”
“I enjoy everything a whole lot more with you though,” Savannah said. “In fact, it was you that I was thinking of then…probably why it got as far as it did.”
“And what about your heart? I really need to know about it because I don’t let people close to me easily. The last days that you were here I really opened up in a way that I never do. I told you things that I don’t like to share.” Ryland moved closer and Savannah saw such a vulnerable look in his eyes and it melted her. It was a look that no person should ever have. “Please tell me you feel the same way that I do, Savannah.”
“It’s been hell without you these past few days,” Savannah said. She stepped closer to Ryland and they were within inches of each other. Every one of her nerves was jumping around, making it seem like you’d be able to see them moving right through her skin.
“Tell me about it,” he said, folding her into a warm embrace against his chest. “You know, I’ve never acted the way I do with you around anyone else. I cannot control my hormones…kind of like a teenage boy going through puberty. I always want to touch you, hear your voice, fuck you, love you, sleep with you, hold you, and do everything with you. I can’t even stand to go to the mainland to my office and be separated from you. It’s rather maddening, you know.”
“Ryland, I never thought I’d say this to a man, especially after breaking off my engagement with a certain someone, but I was afraid to get too lost into you and that you’d want me to lose myself – who I am and what makes me tick. I love this island though, I love all your horses, Street Smarts, and I love you.”
With that, the two kissed and it was the best kiss ever – an emotionally raw and honest kiss. In fact, it was so great that it made the ground shake.
Chapter 20
Savannah jumped, realizing that the ground wasn’t shaking from the kiss she’d just shared with Ryland, but from the severity of the storm.
“Are we safe here?” she asked, feeling her heart racing so quickly.
“I need to check out what’s happening to the west,” Ryland said. “Follow me. I want you to stay close by.”
The two went up two flights of stairs to the observatory on the third floor of Ryland’s home and he pulled out some binoculars from a shelf and looked to the west.
“It’s really dark and severe. It’s going to be a crazy ride.”
“That bad?”
“It sounds worse, but it is plenty ferocious none-the-less, not the sort of storm you can mess around with and come out alive.”
“I’m all in favor of living, especially now that we’ve talked,” Savannah said. Ryland looked at her and winked, taking her hand and guiding her back down to the main floor. She was glad to get there too because that tower had been swaying in the breeze like she was standing on top of the Empire State Building.
“Are you hungry? We should get some food in case we lose power.”
“Sounds great.”
The two hurried around the kitchen, making a makeshift picnic basket out of microwave dinners and getting a few bottles of wine from his cellar. Then they made their way into the dining room, which was located in the center of the house. It showed windows from all angles, but was still far enough away in case one of them would break.
The two slid Ryland’s long dining room table against a wall, making a picnic area on the plush carpeting that was in the room. Ryland got candles set out and lit them all, assuming that the power was going to go out.
“This is the most romantic microwave dinner I’ve ever had,” Savannah chided, taking a bite of her Salisbury steak and trying to eat it seductively for Ryland.
“I know how to impress a girl, huh?” he said, leaning in and nuzzling her neck softly with his hungry lips. “You sure taste better than this dinner though. I can’t deny that.”
“Then that’s what you should have,” Savannah said. She slowly began unbuttoning her blouse and stared at Ryland, tantalizing him with the candlelight strip tease. A loud thunder boomed out just as she’d slid her blouse off and she jumped, making her breasts bounce right out of her black lacy bra.
Ryland reach
ed up to her breast, touching it gently with his hand and then gestured for her to come closer. She did and he slowly took off her bra and then began kissing her breasts greedily, nibbling on her nipples and licking them passionately. Her ample sized breasts were consumed in his masculine hands, making her feel more arousal from the seductive action than she’d have ever thought possible.
