“It was great, but I need more.”
Climbing to her knees, Maggie wiggled a steamy target for him. Ed didn’t miss his mark.
“Ah, yes,” she sighed. “That’s where I want you.”
He felt her squeeze his erection while pushing back against his thighs, pulling him deeper into her interior. As if both of them wished for time to be suspended, they waited. After what seemed like minutes, she squeezed once more. It was his signal. He began flexing his hips to and fro.
He reached to cup her breasts. Maggie’s breathing quickened. Ed sensed the gathering at her sexual center.
“Faster,” she called out, raising her head. “Now. Don’t wait. Don’t hold back.”
Her command acted like a trigger. His hips traveled at a speed unknown to him. Maggie howled and mewed.
He knew the moment her climax began. He felt her shatter beneath him, her fluids wetting his thighs.
Maggie’s release sparked his own powerful response. His hips ceased moving. He kissed her back.
“My God, Maggie, what am I going to do with you?” he moaned, collapsing, pinning her body to the mattress.
Ed felt her shudder beneath him and he rolled them to rest on their sides, her rear tucked firmly against his thighs. Still intimately joined, he couldn’t imagine life getting any better. He had his life as a trainer back, and he’d at last found a woman to love.
Yes, dammit, he’d admitted it. A woman to love—if she’d have him. Maybe she’d seen more than enough of his indecisiveness. She would never leave the farm; he’d never ask her to. Somehow they could work things out. He hadn’t come this far and overcome so many obstacles to lose her now.
“A body can’t feel better than mine is feeling right now.” Maggie cooed faintly.
Half asleep, Ed cuddled her even closer and grazed her neck with the tip of his tongue. “Me too,” he whispered.
- o -
Loud banging on the loft door and insistent shouts jarred both lovers awake. Ed grabbed his pants from the chair, slipped them on and rushed to respond. Before he opened the door, he glanced back and saw that Maggie had pulled the sheets and blankets over her nudity.
When Ed opened the door, a man dressed in bib overalls stood there with raised fist screaming as loudly as he could. “The barn’s on fire! You got to get out quick.”
“Oh, my God!” Maggie shrieked, overlooking modesty and clambering to get out of the bed.
With their eyes straining, both Maggie and Ed pulled on boots, threw on clothes and rushed down the stairs. They headed toward the broodmares, who were housed in stalls at the other end of the barn.
Maggie had recognized the man who sounded the alarm as her neighbor, Randy Jackson. He already was leading one broodmare out of the barn by the time she and Ed got down the stairway. That left three broodmares in the barn and several younger horses in a nearby shed. The fire seemed to be located in the feed and storage area, but it was spreading rapidly. Flames climbed the wooden walls toward the haymow. It was already too late to save the barn. She turned her full attention toward the mares. They were stomping furiously and whinnied anxiously.
Ed was already putting a rope around Midnight Dancer’s neck and trying to convince the balking animal to leave her stall. With a halter in hand, Maggie entered the stall of another frightened horse. The mare threw her head about so much that Maggie could only get the halter strapped around the animal’s neck. “It’ll have to do,” she muttered to herself, tugging hard on the halter. At first the mare only pulled back. The animal’s wide eyes mirrored the terror which was happening around her.
Without a second thought, Maggie pulled off her blouse and used it to cover the mare’s eyes. She didn’t know what she’d done to win the animal’s trust, but at last the horse stepped forward following Maggie’s lead.
The heat singed her breasts. Flames spit out dangerously close to the mare’s tail. Slowly, but determinedly, Maggie walked the mare down the center of the barn toward safety. She refused to look up at the ceiling above her. She didn’t have to look; she knew it was ablaze.
Grateful for the coolness of the night air, Maggie led the mare toward a paddock and safety. She removed her blindfold-blouse, soaked it in a water tank and slipped it back on. Later, she would attend to her burns; now there was more to be done.
She dashed back toward the burning barn. Ed caught her at the entryway. “Get back,” he shouted. “The second floor is going to collapse at any moment. That guy who warned us is still in there trying to free the last horse. I’m going back in. Stay put.” The fierceness of his eyes invited no debate.
Maggie withdrew back into the nearest paddock. She tried not to think. She tried not to feel. She squinted, trying to see through the thick smoke and flames. It might as well have been opaque.
At last she made out the dark figure of a horse. The animal was pulling against the men who were holding one arm over their mouths trying not to breathe in the burning air while coaxing the mare to continue stepping forward. The mare threw her head to the left trying to turn around, nearly knocking Ed off his feet.
As Maggie watched, standing on her toes, leaning this way and that to get a better view through the smoke, she saw the horse rear and then kick back, knocking Randy to the barn floor. She feared that the panicked horse would trample Randy if Ed couldn’t get the animal away from him. Cajoling, pleading, Ed got the frightened mare to inch its way out of the barn doorway.
Maggie ran forward and grabbed the rope hanging around the mare’s neck. Without hesitation, Ed scrambled back into the barn in search of Randy.
She watched with growing horror as four-by-sixes and beams that had been strong enough to hold the barn roof through generations began to crumble like a child’s game of blocks. The end of the barn closest to the house—the end where she and Ed had been so recently—had collapsed. Her hand flew to her mouth. And then she saw Ed step from the barn. He had Jackson swung over his shoulder like a bag of feed.
“Thank God,” Maggie squealed when Ed laid Randy Jackson on the ground beside her. Neither man spoke. Both heaved and gasped for more air. Both had singed hair and eyebrows, but both men were alive. Maggie could breathe again.
First she heard sirens, and then the fire trucks started to roll into yard. But it was too late to save much of anything of the barn. They had saved the horses, and they had saved each other. Thank goodness for neighbors.
She look at her companions and then down at herself. Maggie laughed; she couldn’t stop from laughing. The three of them were so smudged with black soot they could easily pass for chimney sweeps.
Then Maggie started to cry. She shook her head, trying to clear it of fiery images. She didn’t want to appear hysterical, but she couldn’t stop crying. There was no telling if she cried because of the tragedy that happened or because of the tragedies that might have happened or might yet happen.
She thanked God for life as tears rolled down her cheeks. And then she pounded the ground with her fists. Who would endanger lives to get her land? She stood. She flopped back down on the ground and closed her eyes attempting to blot out the sights, the sounds and the smells of the firestorm destroying her dreams.
If Ed asked her to, she would take the kids and go with him to Chicago. Tonight would not be too soon. Enough was enough. Even the land wasn’t worth the lives of those she loved.
Ed and Randy both lay nearby trying to catch their breaths. She moved over to tenderly brush Ed’s hair with her reddened fingers. They exchanged no words. Words were not necessary when their eyes spoke so eloquently. They had each faced death; they had each survived a descent into hell.
“I owe you my life, young man,” Randy said, struggling to get to his knees. “It was dumb thing to do, to come back in after me.” He paused, brushing tears back from peeling skin. “But I thank you.”
“You owe me?” Ed was incredulous. “We owe you, mister. If you hadn’t banged on my door…”
“Well, maybe things sort of canceled ou
t. Sure glad I drove by when I did and saw your light on.” The older man leaned over to wink at Maggie. “Don’t go worrying about what I’m gonna tell people. What you do privately is your own business.”
“Thanks, Randy,” Maggie murmured. “I appreciate that. And thanks so very much for helping with the horses. The future of Anderson Stables could have evaporated here tonight, if it weren’t for you.”
Grinning sheepishly, the man replied, “Just remember to give me a hot tip at the track now and then.”
“You can count on that.”
Maggie turned and held out her arms as Johnny came running at her from across the yard.
“Did he really do it, Mom? Did Ed save Mr. Jackson’s life?” her son cried, clinging to Maggie’s side.
Maggie chastised herself for forgetting about the children during all the commotion. They’d been awakened by the fire engines and had heard the story from one of the firemen.
“He sure did, Johnny,” she said, tousling his hair.
Ed appeared genuinely embarrassed when Johnny ran and jumped into his arms. “It wasn’t all that much, pardner,” he said to the boy. “You would’ve done the same thing, if you had been here.”
Johnny shook his head, his eyes bulging. “This is bigger than winning a fight. Wait until I tell Dennis Baxter. He thought you were a coward because you let two men beat you up.”
As the barn continued to burn behind them, Maggie watched Ed set her son on the ground. She watched him place a hand on each of Johnny’s shoulders. His admonishment was clear, and she knew it came from his heart. “Don’t ever measure a man’s courage by the outcome of a fight, son. There are many more important things that are a true test of a man’s grit.”
Maggie’s heart warmed. How she hoped Johnny would listen to and remember that wisdom. She wondered at how easily the man called her boy son. Shaking her head, she reminded herself of Ed’s letter and how he was free to reclaim his life without her, without any of them.
Maggie sat alone on the porch swing the following morning, the stench from soaking, smoldering wood and leather permeating her entire world. There was no way to avoid its heaviness. Neither could she escape the icy despair strangling her heart.
With the stewards in Chicago clearing Ed’s name, he was bound to leave for the big city. The barn was a total loss. At least no horses were lost—and no humans. Maggie shuddered. They’d come so close.
Every muscle in her body ached. She’d applied aloe to her burns and those suffered by Ed and Randy. They should have gone to the hospital, she supposed, but neither she nor Ed wanted to leave the farm. And a volunteer fireman drove Randy home.
Her eyes ached from staring at the gray-black scene—and from tears that refused to come. Maggie realized she was still in shock, but knowing that didn’t help a damn bit.
One by one, the rest of the family emerged as if from a shared nightmare. Maggie managed a half smile in greeting. She had her children; things could be much worse. Buck up, girl, she ordered, people still depend on you and your strength.
After murmuring good mornings, Johnny and Carolyn sat down on porch chairs; both children remained uncharacteristically quiet. Each appeared lost in disbelief as they, too, stared at where the barn had stood only hours before.
Maggie watched Ed’s bent form moving toward the house. He could hardly place one foot in front of the other. He’d stayed up all night and into the morning, checking along with the firemen for hot spots in the dying embers. The last fire truck had left about an hour earlier. Several of the men indicated they would return later to make certain everything was still safe.
That was a bad joke. How could their lives ever again be safe?
“Carolyn,” Maggie said softly, “bring out the coffee pot, please. Ed will want some.”
Ed entered the porch and collapsed into the chair across from her. He shut his eyes and kept them closed for a long moment. Then he opened them, brushed soot off his forehead, and gave her a look filled with concern. “How are you holding up, Maggie?”His voice was scratchy, probably from swallowing so much smoke and from lack of sleep.
She shrugged. “I’ll survive. How about you? You lost everything in that fire. Your clothes, money, mementos.”
He coughed and then smiled weakly, reaching for the cup of coffee Carolyn offered. “Thanks, Carolyn. Don’t know how many gallons I’ve drunk since last night, but this is still a lifesaver.” Turning back to Maggie, he continued, “You’re wrong, Maggie. I didn’t lose everything. What I lost is replaceable. We are extremely lucky not to have lost more. Extremely lucky.”
Maggie bit her lower lip. She couldn’t stop trembling, no matter how hard she tried. She noticed her children listening intently, trying hard not be noticed. They didn’t have to try so hard—she wasn’t about to send them away. What she had to say, they all needed to hear.
“You’re right. We were terribly lucky.” Maggie sighed heavily. “We took a risk—or I forced us all to take a risk.” She ignored Ed’s eyebrow flash. “I took a risk that we were dealing with a reasonable person who merely wanted some land that wasn’t available. I didn’t know we were dealing with someone so crazy he’d stoop to killing cats, burning barns, and not caring a whit about life—animal or human.”
“At least this should get the attention of the law,” said Ed, jumping in when Maggie was forced to pause for breath. “I’ll call Clint later today.”
“Why bother?” Maggie’s voice shook and her cheek twitched wildly. “I’m done. They can have the land. It’s not worth the price of human life.”
“What?” Johnny and Carolyn gasped in unison.
Ed showed no evidence of surprise. “Why don’t we put off major decisions for a day or two, Maggie? Give it some time. Let’s reassess our resources—practical and emotional—and then go from there.”
Laughing out of control, Maggie slumped further in her chair. “That’s easy for you to say,” she accused. “You’ve got a career to go back to now. I don’t know what I’ll do. After I sell, maybe I’ll take Ben’s advice and go back to school. There must be some skill I can learn.”
“Mom, I don’t want you to sell the farm,” Carolyn cried, jumping to her feet.
Johnny grabbed his mother’s hands, tears sliding down his cheeks. Watching him, Maggie thought her heart would surely break. “No way, Mom. I’m not scared. Ed can take care of us. We’ll beat those bad guys. Don’t give up, Mom. We can do it.”
Maggie could feel herself losing it. Her spine, her muscles, her strength unraveled. She might have cried in front of her children, but she’d never bawled. There was little doubt that she was on the verge of a full scale bawl. “You two have been great throughout all of this, but I don’t think I can fight anymore. And Ed has his own life to live. We can’t expect him to stay and help us now.”
She paused, trying to focus on her kids through a rainbow of tears. “With the fire and all, we never had a chance to tell you that Ed has been cleared by the Racing Board in Chicago. He can go back and pick up where he left off now.”
Speaking calmly, Ed did not take his eyes off of Maggie, “Carolyn, Johnny, I know all of this is very important to both of you. But I think your mom and I need to talk about some things privately. Would you mind leaving us alone for a little while? We’ll bring you up to speed when we’re done.”
“Fine,” Carolyn declared, “maybe you can help her find that Magee backbone she’s always telling us about.”
Disheveled and exhausted, Maggie tried to focus on Ed. Why didn’t he just leave? She didn’t need his pity. She felt defenseless now that the kids had left. Why had he made them go? Squaring her shoulders, Maggie prepared for the worst.
“Did I fail to live up to your expectations?” Ed leaned forward. His gray eyes burned with an unfamiliar emotion. “I’m sorry your barn burned down, Maggie. Maybe I should’ve done more to protect it and to protect you.”
“No, no,” Maggie blubbered. “You do too much protecting. But you got what you wa
nted. The Board reinstated you. Now you can go back to Chicago and pick up where you left off.”
“So you thought I was going to leave you and go back to my old ways?”
Maggie didn’t know what to make of his smugness. She was missing something. “Yes, of course,” she replied hesitantly. “Weren’t you?”
Ed shook his head slowly. “What did you think last night was about? Before the fire. Was that just a farewell kiss to you?”
“But…but you wanted to memorize my body.”
His pained look haunted her, making her speechless.
“Good God, Maggie, I wanted to memorize your body because I can’t stand ever being apart from you. I want to be able to breathe you and feel you when I’m in the barn and you’re in the house. But you didn’t trust me.”
Maggie was speechless. She’d been terribly wrong.
“Did you believe I was so fickle that I’d play with your emotions until something better came along?” Ed stood and passed to the end of the porch.
Her eyes widened as she realized that she’d hurt him while trying to protect herself—her pride had not only led her to believe what he would do when he was reinstated, but worse, prevented her from asking him directly. So she’d been content to skip along in her presumptive world, making him much less than the man he was. He wouldn’t break his word. Clearly, he’d stay to help her rebuild the stable, if that was what she wanted.
“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself? You’re usually much more verbal than this. Or is it still the shock of the fire?”
“I don’t know what to say,” she murmured. “I’m sorry, I underestimated you. I’m glad you’re willing to help, but I’m still not sure I want to rebuild.”
“Help! Haven’t you heard anything I’ve been trying to say?”
As he stood before her, Maggie stiffened. It was her land, dammit. And if she wanted to sell, she would. She began to speak, but he pressed a finger across her lips.
“Woman, I have no plans of leaving, now or later.” His voice was deep and guttural. “It never seriously occurred to me that you would be willing to leave this place. I won’t leave you, Maggie Anderson, until you kick me out. I love you too much for that.”
Heat Wave (Riders Up) Page 24
