by Joann Baker
Gabe had been in the office earlier, and she’d gleaned a lot about the situation and the reason for Cal’s absence from his one-sided conversation with the local sheriff. She’d wanted to rush to Cal then, but she wasn’t sure he’d welcome the intrusion.
Still, she couldn’t stand the thought of him alone with a sick horse, but her confidence level wasn’t quite high enough to allow her to barge in somewhere she hadn’t been invited. They’d had a wonderful day together at the mesa and the weeks before that exchanging lovesick glances—well, lovesick at least on her part—but those things didn’t automatically make a relationship.
They had exchanged cell phone numbers, so maybe she could call him later to ask about his horse. Saying goodbye to Pops who had thoughtfully made her a cup of tea after hearing about the incident with Bill on his return from town, she gathered her stuff and left for the day. She pulled her purse strap higher up on her shoulder, her steps slowing as she neared her car. Standing beside the dented vehicle, she debated once more on whether she should climb in and go home or go to the barn and see Cal like she wanted to do.
Opening the car door, she threw her purse inside. As she stepped back, she noticed a piece of paper stuck under the driver’s side wiper, the edges fluttering in the light breeze. Her heart tripped as she reached for it. Maybe Cal had left a message for her. Eagerly, she parted the folds, her eyes widening at the one-line scrawl.
I’ll get you back.
“Oh, God.” She blinked, torn between fear and a rising sense of anger. She had no doubt it was from the cowboy who had crashed into the office earlier demanding money.
“Hey, Princess, you okay?”
She raised dark eyes to Gabe. Noting her demeanor, his teasing grin turned to quick concern. “What’s wrong?”
She handed the paper to him, watching his frown turn to blazing anger.
“What’s going on?”
Forgetting that she wasn’t sure where she and Cal were on the relationship scale, Kristen flew into his arms. When he held her tightly against him, she felt better immediately. He kept one arm around her and reached for the note Gabe handed him with the other. The hand holding the note closed viciously, crumpling the lined paper into a ball.
“Call the sheriff and tell him to get the hell out here. We’re damn well pressing charges now.”
“Sun Dancer?” Gabe asked quietly.
“Temp’s normal for now.”
“Thank God.” Gabe breathed a sigh of relief. “You two better get inside. No telling what Bill’s thinking.”
“I’m going to take Kristen home.” He looked down at her. “Long enough to pack a bag, then we’ll be back.” Turbulent brown eyes scanned the yard and the surrounding area.
“That’s not necessary.” Kristin automatically protested. She wasn’t use to anyone thinking of her safety and well-being. It had always been the other way around.
“I think it is.” He steered her away from her small compact and toward his pickup. “I’ll feel better knowing that you’re with me.” He opened the door and helped her into the high seat, his hand resting warmly on her thigh. “I don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you.”
Heat spread from her thigh, upward to the most womanly part of her, even as her heart rejoiced at his quietly spoken words. “But mother is still here.”
He grimaced, but said, “Ivy can come too. I wouldn’t dream of leaving her there alone.” He stepped back. “I don’t want you to worry. I’ll take care of you.”
Kristen watched as Cal closed the door carefully before walking around the truck to slide in beneath the wheel. With a flick of his wrist, the big engine purred to life. She settled back, wondering why most of her adult life she’d had a problem with people telling her what to do but now that Cal was doing the same thing, she suddenly thought it was the most charming thing in the world.
Of course, her mother made no protest about moving from Kristen’s small rental house to the Ace in the Hole. No doubt, she’d done a little investigating of her own and realized the dirty cowboys she’d insulted at the restaurant were actually one of the richest families in town. She didn’t necessarily like riding in the ranch’s work truck with the dusty leather seat, but she got over her discomfort quickly when Cal pulled up in front of the big house.
“Well, this is more like it.” With Cal’s help, she stepped down from the truck and walked to the front door, taking in the well-kept lawn, state-of-the-art barns and other obvious signs of the Anderson wealth.
Kristen sighed. Just when she thought her mother might, just might, be turning into a genuine human being, she showed her true colors once again.
Cal helped her from the high cab of the truck and whispered in her ear. “Don’t sweat it, sweetheart. She’ll be fine.”
The look she gave him was more of a grimace than a smile. “Yeah, but will the rest of us?”
He stopped her forward movement by wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close to his big body. A shiver of awareness raced through her. “I know I’m going to have a really, really good night.”
“Oh, yeah? Why is that?” She placed her hands on his broad chest, running them over the hard surface. She couldn’t resist touching him.
He lowered his head until his lips were almost touching hers. “Because you’re finally going to be in my bed.”
“What?” Her eyes opened wide.
“Well, we’re going to have to bunk together.”
“We can’t Cal.”
He nuzzled at her throat, and she let her head fall backward, giving him full access. “Yes, we can.”
“But your grandfathers…” She completely lost her train of thoughts as he gently sucked on the skin between her neck and shoulder.
“Will have no—”
“Calhoun Ezekiel Anderson. Get yourself in here right now.”
Cal tensed the moment he heard Gramps’ voice, but he didn’t release his hold on Kristen. He groaned and leaned his forehead against hers.
“Calhoun!” Pops voice joined Gramps and Kristen giggled.
“You really think we can get away with sleeping in the same room now, cowboy?”
“Not if they know about it.” His eyebrows wiggled. “But what they don’t know can’t hurt them.”
“What do you mean?”
His brown eyes glinted. “I mean I plan on sneaking you into my room after they go to bed for damn sure.”
Dinner was not as bad as Kristen thought it would be. Surprisingly, her mother and Gramps had quite a bit in common. They both were old movie buffs, something she barely remembered her mother enjoying. Knowing that about her somehow made her seem just a bit more, well, normal. After the dishes had been washed, Gabe made a beeline for the front door, heading to the Sundowner. She smiled as Pops and Gramps grumbled over the behavior of their eldest grandson.
At Cal’s suggestion, they walked down to the barn to check on Sun Dancer. The moon was full and lit the way. Cal had surprised her by taking her hand, holding it tightly in his. “I really like having you here, Kristen.”
She gave a little tinkle of laughter. “I’ve been here for weeks.”
He frowned down at her. “You know what I mean.”
“You mean you like walking in the moonlight with me.”
“Yeah, I really like that.” He squeezed her hand.
“Me, too.” She leaned her head against his arm.
The walk to the barn was far too short for Kristen. She could have walked to the end of the state and back with him beside her.
The barn was dimly lit when they walked in, but a cowboy was sitting outside Sun Dancer’s stall watching something on his phone.
He glanced up as they approached. “Hey, boss.”
“How’s he doing, Jim?”
The cowboy rose to his feet and they all three looked into the stall that held the sick horse. “Not too bad. His fever is down, but he’s still a little agitated.” As if to give credence to the cowboy’s observation, the horse
snorted and pranced around the small stall for a moment or two.
“Why don’t you take a break, Jim? We’ll be here for a while.”
“Okay, boss. I’ll be back in about an hour?”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
“Did you ever find out what really happened to him?” Kristen asked quietly as the barn door closed behind Jim. The big bay was the same one Cal had ridden the day they’d gone to the mesa.
“Got hold of some bad feed,” Cal answered, giving her the standard line that he, Gabe and Ry had decided on. At this point, they had decided not to share their suspicions about Bill with anyone else on the ranch—except their grandfathers of course—until they had more concrete evidence. Besides, they had no way of knowing if any of the seasonal hands still maintained a friendship with the disgruntled man.
While Cal brushed the big animal, Kristen explored the rest of the barn. The low, melodic sound of Cal’s voice talking softly to Sun Dancer followed her as she roamed the quiet confines and she found herself relaxing. She’d discovered that the atmosphere on the Ace in the Hole was usually pretty laid back. Oh, she knew everyone there worked hard, but there didn’t seem to be the overwhelming sense of rush, rush, rush she would have associated with such a huge operation.
Touched by the care and attention Cal gave the big animal, Kristen leaned against the stall, watching the gentle way he handled Sun Dancer. The horse had settled down as soon as Cal entered the stall and now stood docilely, enjoying his master’s touch.
You enjoy it too, a tiny voice whispered.
“He’s sure got a way with horses, ma’am.”
Kristen jumped, turning toward the voice.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t. I was just watching Cal.” A smiled shyly and the cowboy smiled back.
“Hey, you’re back and right on time.” Cal exited the stall, giving the horse one last pat on his silky head. He moved closer to Kristen. Although Jim was a good employee and had proven himself loyal to the family, Cal still didn’t like the way the cowboy was looking at her.
“I brought my bedroll. Figured I’d spend the night.”
Cal nodded. “I appreciate that. If anything happens, you’ll call me?”
“Right away.” Jim nodded.
Cal turned to Kristen. “Let’s let Jim get settled.”
“Okay.” Kristen smiled at the somber man. “Goodnight.”
“Night ma’am. Cal.”
“Goodnight, Jim. And thanks again.”
Stars studded the night sky, and a soft breeze blew through the cottonwood trees. “Let’s set on the porch a while,” Cal suggested as they walked slowly toward the house. Although not pretentious in any way, the home was big, boasting a wraparound porch complete with rockers and wooden swings. Cal led her to the swing, her hand engulfed in his large one once again.
He sat down first. When she went to sit on the other side of the swing, he stopped her with a gentle tug on her hand. “Don’t go so far away, honey.” He eased her down beside him, draping his arm around her and setting the swing in motion with a light kick of his boot against the porch.
“It really is beautiful here.” She snuggled against his warm body, not really cold, but loving the feel of the heat and strength of the man she was slowly but surely losing her heart to. The view from the back porch was indeed beautiful. The moon hung bright and low in the night sky, so vivid she could see the faint outline of the mountains in the distance. “And the mesa was…”
Her thoughts trailed off as she remembered all that had happened there.
He laughed softly and nudged her face up to look into her eyes. “The mesa had always been my favorite place on the ranch because of the peace it offered. And now,” his eyes glittered, an almost dangerous gleam in the dark depths, “now it’s the most perfect place because of you.”
He lowered his head, and his lips touched hers. The kiss was gentle yet firm, his lips softly moist. She opened her mouth beneath his, enjoying the light, sensual exchange. Not that she didn’t want more. She wanted a heck of a lot more. But, that wasn’t appropriate for a back porch swing.
Time and place faded as their mouths gently explored each other, tongues teasing and stroking. It wasn’t long before he was groaning. “Come here, baby.”
With a show of strength that continued to amaze her, he lifted her onto his lap. “That’s better, don’t you think?” He grinned at her, his eyes luminous with want and need. She knew hers looked the same.
He kissed her again, and this time his touch held more than a hint of fire. His hand slid beneath the soft knit shirt she wore, caressing over curves she was no longer afraid to share. Soon his palm closed over the heavy weight of her breast, squeezing tightly. “Do you know how much I want you right now?”
“I can pretty much guess,” she answered, moving her hips so that he knew she could feel exactly how much he wanted her. It was a wonderful feeling to know, without any doubts, that it was her that he did, indeed, want.
Boldly, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Kiss me like you mean it, cowboy.”
That seemed to be the breaking point for Cal. His kisses grew deeper and deeper, and his hands delighted in finding her most sensitive areas. She suddenly felt lightheaded as emotion after emotion rolled over her. She gave as good as she got, learning what made him emit those deep, low growls that went to the very core of her being.
When they came up for breath, she placed her fingers on his lips as he started to dive right back in. “Cal, can’t we, umm, go inside now?” she writhed against him, her voice husky with a need she didn’t try to hide.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Another heart stopping, panty-wetting grin and he rose from the swing with her in his arms.
He opened the front door quietly, hoping against hope his grandfathers—and Kristen’s mother—had decided they all needed an early night. Not that he was ashamed of the fact that he was about to take Kristen to his bed and keep her there until the early morning hours… but, he was technically still living under his grandfathers’ roof and abiding by their rules. Even Gabe had never been brave enough to bring a woman home. Well, if you didn’t count that one time when he snuck in a buckle bunny from the rodeo when he was eighteen. That landed him in more hot water than he’d ever been in. And produced a stern lecture for all three boys about safe sex.
The living room was dark when he entered, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief that quickly changed to a low curse when he banged his knee against a piece of furniture. The pain was forgotten when Kristen giggled. When he playfully threatened to drop her, she tightened her arms around his neck.
“You seem a little out of practice. I can’t be the first girl you’ve tried to sneak into your room, Calhoun Ezekiel Anderson.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes, his voice a low, yet intense whisper. “You are the one and only woman I’ve ever considered taking to my bed here, Kristen. I want you to know that…that you mean something to me. I know it’s all happened pretty damn quickly, but—”
She placed a gentle finger on his lips. “I know, Cal. I feel the same way. Like there’s no other place to go but forward. And I want that. A lot.” The smile she gave him filled him with so much emotion it made his heart ache. He didn’t reply. Didn’t know how to reply. He knew his face closed up as he started up the stairs to his room.
He suddenly felt as if he were up on the mesa again, at the very edge, about to fall over. He kicked his door shut behind him, letting her down from his arms near the side of the bed. She was watching him with round, curious eyes. There was no fear, just an odd look of acceptance. As if she knew the emotions burning through him were conflicting. He lifted his head and brushed the hair back from her face.
“I really don’t know where this is going, Kristen.”
“I know, and that’s okay. Isn’t there a saying that the journey is more important than the destination?”
He smiled, speaki
ng softly. “Well, I can guarantee you one hell of a ride, that’s for sure.”
“Bring it on,” she whispered back.
And just like that, doubts vanished, and passion overtook them both.
With eager, hot hands they reached for each other. His hands made short work of the buttons on her white tailored top. “Did I ever tell you how sexy you look in this?” he mumbled as he kissed the curve of her throat before licking the tops of her breasts just above the satin cups of her bra.
“Do you mean the bra or the blouse?”
Her fingers were once again tangled in the dark strands of his hair, tugging lightly as she encouraged him to move even closer.
“Both.” With a flick of his thumb, the front fastener of her bra gave way, and he eagerly pushed the white material aside, groaning as the crinkled centers of her breasts were revealed. “But nothing compares to you, baby. You are so damn beautiful you make me ache.”
Kristen had to blink away the suddenly forming tears at the sincerity of his words. All thoughts were soon erased from her mind as he bent his head and took her into his mouth. A warm, wet mouth that expertly sucked at her nipples. Her insides began to tingle and suddenly she wanted to feel his touch where she needed it most.
She pulled gently at his hair, getting his attention. “Please, Cal. Take me.”
With a low growl, he did exactly as she requested. Lifting her, he placed her in the middle of the bed, quickly divesting her of the rest of her clothing before taking off his own. He stood before her, his breathing almost a ragged as hers. His eyes glittered as they looked down on her, naked as the day she was born. She realized she could shy away, hide as she had before when she found herself in this situation with a man. But with Cal, none of that mattered. She was so damn glad she’d never given in to Roger’s demands to have sex.
Something had always held her back. She now realized that something was love.
