by Kim Redford
She smiled, considering his words. “If I feel a need to run, I could always take off for the ranch.”
He returned her smile. “Out-of-town gigs are a possibility, too.”
She nodded in agreement. “I had an idea while singing today.”
“Yeah?”
“I guess I sort of fell in love with Sure-Shot. It’s cozy, just like your farmhouse.”
“Down-home folks like it here.”
“There must have been a dance hall, or more than one, in Sure-Shot back in its heyday, like our Wildcat Hall.”
He started to grin, chuckling under his breath. “I know just where you’re going with this idea.”
She grinned back at him. “You like?”
“I love.”
“Perfect. Is it still standing?”
“Not sure. Maybe one or two might have survived the years. If so, they’d be out of town, on the old cattle drive trail like Wildcat Hall. I doubt they’d be in very good shape, and they’d probably be overgrown with trees, vines, weeds.”
“Phooey. That doesn’t sound so good.”
“Anything in town is already preserved and in use. Still, when we get time, we could check old maps and plats for locations.”
“I know we don’t need anything else on our plates right now, but still…it might be fun.”
“And it could make a viable business, as well. Folks are getting out of the cities and looking for a comfy home at the end of the road. They’ll want entertainment and a taste of the past.”
“Plus, it’d be another venue for entertainers.”
“Maybe it could serve more than one function.” He looked thoughtful. “Education. Arts. Crafts. Music. It could all be in the western tradition.”
“If we can’t get funding reinstated for Wildcat Bluff’s school, maybe we just need to establish a private venue that serves the entire county.”
“You know what you’re doing, don’t you?”
“What?”
“You’re talking yourself right out of leaving Wildcat Bluff County ever again.”
She rolled her eyes at him, realizing he was stating the truth. “Let’s get out of this pickup before I come up with any more bright ideas.”
“It’s a good one…just like you. A keeper.” He opened his door. “Come on, let’s go inside and get comfortable.”
“Is that where I get to hear all about your ideas for relaxation?” She picked up her purse that had the essentials in it, but not nearly enough for an overnighter. She shrugged, realizing she cared a lot more about safety than looks or comfort.
He stepped outside, then glanced back at her. “That’s where I’ll demonstrate my relaxation techniques.”
And she was out the door.
Chapter 19
Fern lingered on the front porch as Craig inserted a key in the lock. She caught the scent of old-fashioned lilacs and glanced around to find the big pale-purple blooms in a border along one side of the house, which were so appropriate to the lovely setting. His pioneer ancestors had probably planted the flowers to remind them of their old Kentucky home, as the classic song went. She treasured the deep connection to land and home that had sustained the Thorne family for generations.
When he opened the door and waited for her to enter first, she felt as if she’d been given another great gift besides his love. She’d come to this county to nurture others, and here she’d found nurturance—perhaps even for herself—in abundance. She’d fallen hard for Wildcat Hall Park. Now she was continuing that fall right into the waiting arms of Thorne Horse Ranch.
As she stepped inside, he flicked a switch that turned on lights in an overhead fan that whirled to distribute cool air-conditioned air. She took in the living room décor that perfectly fit the age of the house. Two chairs with blue-and-pink floral upholstery stood sentinel on either side of the redbrick fireplace. A lapis-blue sofa and a cherrywood coffee table with a silk floral arrangement in a porcelain bowl looked too feminine for Craig, so she suspected his mother must have added pieces or refinished original items. Pale blue-and-pink floral wallpaper added more color to the pretty room.
“I doubt you expected to see me live in a place that looks like a ladies’ tearoom.” Craig chuckled as he gestured around the area.
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “It looks cozy. I can see sitting by the fire in winter and reading a good book.”
“You can change anything you want.”
“Oh, Craig, let’s not even go there. This is lovely.” She put a hand on his broad chest, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek. “This is perfect for a hundred-year-old house.”
“Yeah. But it’s kind of fussy, too.”
“I bet you have a den or someplace where you like to hang out.”
“Kitchen.” He caught her hand. “Come on.”
She gasped in surprise as she entered a large room with a wall of tinted glass that extended across the back of the house. French doors led outside, onto the wide porch where white wicker furniture with forest-green cushions and a white cast-iron table with matching chairs beckoned her to lounge and watch colts frolic across the bucolic acres of pasture. And even closer, an infinity pool urged her to throw off her cares and lose herself in the cool water on a hot summer day.
“Like?”
“Oh yes!” She whirled around, grinning in happiness. “I’m totally captivated with the outdoors, but let me look in here.”
“Be my guest.” He pointed at the stainless steel appliances. “I took out walls between the smaller rooms to make one great room back here.”
“I like the space.”
“I needed something besides small rooms and flowery stuff.”
“It’s perfect for you.” He’d utilized an open floor plan with the kitchen on one end with a bar and barstools separating a large family room on the other side. She liked the big brown leather furniture in the den that also contained a large hand-carved cedar desk with a laptop, keyboard, and papers on top, as well as a flat-screen monitor on the wall above it all. She set her purse down on top of the bar, then ran her fingers across the smooth, utilitarian stainless steel.
“Thanks.” He put his hands around her waist and tugged her back against his chest. “Think you could be happy here?”
She covered his hands with her own smaller ones, feeling his heat, his solidness, his love. “Yes.”
“Good. I can’t imagine living in this house without you now.”
“And I can’t imagine leaving you here alone.”
“We’re together here.” He turned her in his arms and lowered his head to kiss her.
She reached up and grasped his shoulders, wanting nothing more than to be close to him—as close as humanly possible. As she pressed her lips to his mouth, she heard a text buzz on the cell phone in her purse. She stopped, puzzled, and glanced over there.
“Are you expecting a text or call?”
“No. Folks know we’re in Sure-Shot today.”
“Forget it then.”
“Okay.” Yet the texts kept coming and coming, demanding more and more of her attention. “Maybe it’s the Settelmeyers.”
He sighed. “I guess it could be an emergency with the Hall or Wild West Days.”
“But they’re not trying to reach you.”
“If it’s important, I’m probably next on their list.”
“Yeah. Let’s wait and see.” She sighed in relief when the phone stopped annoying her…but then it started up again. More text alerts.
“Guess you better check and get it over with, then we can go back to what’s important today.”
“Hold that thought.” She patted his chest as she stepped back. “Your relaxation techniques are on my mind.”
“Keep them there.”
She turned to the bar, picked up her purse, pulled out her phone, and
checked her messages. Chills hit her. She felt weak in the knees. She abruptly jerked out a stool and sat down.
“What is it?”
She held out her phone so he could see the messages.
With a frown on his face, Craig started scrolling and reading aloud. “Did you enjoy the roses? I’m thinking of you stroking their soft petals while you inhale their scent and think of me. Are you? Right now? Why don’t you answer me? You looked beautiful today. Sunlight becomes you. Were you as happy to see me as I was to see you? Yes, I know. I felt as if our hearts beat in unison. We need to meet soon. I can’t wait much longer to hold you. Text me a time and place. You know I’ll be there because nothing can keep me from our love.”
“Don’t read any more.” She put her face in her hands, so she couldn’t even see her phone. “I can’t stand it.”
Craig turned off her cell and slammed it down on top of the bar. “Okay. This has gone way beyond rational behavior. He’s a stalker on the prowl now.”
“He’s delusional.”
“Did you talk with him at all on the cruises?”
“Never.” She wrapped her arms around her waist, feeling as if her world had just slipped out from under her.
“Let me handle this.” Craig gave her a warm hug, then pulled his cell out of his pocket. “It’s best if you don’t use that phone again or at least not until you change the number.”
“I’ll never touch it again. It’s too dirty for me now.”
“We’ll get you a new one.”
“But how could Simon have my number?”
“Don’t use his name.”
“Okay. I forgot. I don’t want to give him any more power.”
“We’re using our phones for Wildcat Hall and Wild West Days. He could have found your number that way or another. It’s not like we have much privacy in our lives anymore.”
“True.” She felt colder by the moment. “I’m going outside in the heat.”
“Good idea. Let’s go.” He unlocked the french doors, then gestured for her to go before him.
She stepped into the summer heat and immediately felt better. She quickly walked across the porch, down the steps, and out into the sun. She needed those golden rays to penetrate her skin and warm clear to her bones. She sat down on a chaise near the pool, taking a deep breath to calm her emotions. She couldn’t let Simon scare her, but his texts read as if he was contacting somebody he knew well, but that wasn’t her. Roses, that’s all. Nothing but roses in all this time, until suddenly it was like a dam burst—and he revealed his true self…one she couldn’t possibly understand or want to know.
Craig walked up, talking on his phone. “Sheriff, I hate to tell you, but Fern’s situation escalated this afternoon.” He sat down beside her, hitting the speakerphone button so she could listen to the conversation.
“Can’t say I’m surprised, but I’m sorry to hear it,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “Do you need me or a deputy right now?”
“No. We’re at my ranch, so she’s safe.”
“Excellent. I’m listening, so give me details.”
“We gave an impromptu performance at the gazebo in Sure-Shot this afternoon. He showed up and left flowers.”
“Like before?”
“Yes…except how did he know she was in Sure-Shot?”
“Bird-dogging,” Sheriff Calhoun said. “It wouldn’t be hard to do around here. Did you get a look at his vehicle?”
“No. We were onstage, before a crowd. He just slipped away. We came straight to the ranch.”
“But that’s not all,” Sheriff Calhoun said, “or you wouldn’t be calling me. What else did he do?”
“He got her phone number and sent a series of disturbing texts.”
“Stay where you are. I’m sending a deputy right over to pick up her cell. We may be able to get something from tower pings, but I want those messages off her phone right now.”
“I’ll meet your deputy at the gate and give him the phone.”
“Good. In the meantime, I don’t need to tell you to be careful and stay safe.”
“I’m on it, but we need to get back to Wildcat Hall tomorrow,” Craig said.
“Fern should be okay if she isn’t left alone.”
“Right.”
“Another thing. As much as I hate to say it, there’s not a lot we can do until he makes an overt move. Still, folks in the county will be on alert, along with my deputies.”
“Thanks. We can’t ask for more.”
“Call if there’s anything else.” And Sheriff Calhoun was gone.
Craig put his phone back in his pocket. “You heard it. What do you think?”
“I think I’m really glad I’m sitting in the sun or I’d be shivering all over.”
“Come here.” He took her in his arms and held her close.
“Thank you.” She felt better so close to him. “I just need to get my feet under me, then I’ll be okay.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“But it seems like it. I mean, it’s me he’s after.”
“I told you before that it’s all on him. You’re an entertainer, and you deserve respect for what you give to your audience.”
“Yes, I know.”
“And nobody—absolutely nobody—gets more than you’re willing to give.”
“I needed to hear those words.”
“I’ll repeat them as often as necessary till we get this guy and he gets what he deserves.”
She nodded in agreement as she stayed still, soaking up heat from Craig and the sun as she stared out over the pastures with green grass and trees under a beautiful blue sky. She heard crows caw overhead, then they wheeled on wide wings and floated down into the spreading limbs of a hundred-year-old post oak tree. She envied the birds their freedom. She wanted it. She would get it back just as soon as they caught Simon and put him in his place. As those calming thoughts spread through her, she felt better, more herself again.
“Deputy ought to be here anytime. I’ll take your phone down to the gate. You just stay here.”
She clutched his arm a moment, then felt foolish at her anxiety. She’d never been afraid before to be alone. She wouldn’t start now. “Thanks. I’m happy to wait here where I’m comfortable.”
“Good.” He stood up and walked back into the house.
Alone, she took stock of her surroundings. She wasn’t about to let a stranger dictate her life from a distance. She was in the wonderful world of a terrific man who’d promised her happiness. Who was she to turn down paradise?
Now that she’d warmed up, she felt hot. She was definitely overdressed for an August afternoon beside a shimmering pool of water. From hot to cold, that’s what she wanted now.
She reached down and tugged off one boot, then the other, followed by her socks. She wriggled her toes, liking the peach polish she’d chosen for her toenails. Still, she was too hot. She jerked her shirttail out of her jeans, jerked open all the pearl snaps, and tossed her shirt aside. Much better. Still, her jeans were too hot and tight. She stood up and shucked them down her legs until she could kick them to one side. Nothing left but peach lace bra and thong. She could feel a little breeze against her bare skin. Even better. And yet, the water looked almost cold…and plenty inviting. Maybe just a quick dip before Craig got back.
She sat down on the edge of the pool, slipped her feet into the lovely coolness, and moaned in pleasure. Maybe just a few laps. And that’d be best with no constriction at all.
She unhooked her bra, slipped it off, and turned to toss it toward her other clothes. She stopped in midmotion at the sight of Craig grinning as he stood there looking down at her with enough heat to rival the sun. She grinned back and held up her bra by a single strap dangling from one fingertip.
He plucked the bra from her finger, tossed it over his shoulder, and sat down on
a nearby chaise. He watched her watching him as he took off his shirt, boots, and finally jeans. Nothing left but his briefs. And her thong.
She raised her hips, slipped off her thong, and tossed it at his feet. He grinned even bigger as he picked it up and draped it over the edge of the chaise. And that’s where he hung his briefs before he walked over to the deep end of the pool and made a perfect dive into the depths with his perfect body.
When he came up for air, tossing his shiny hair back from his face, he started for her. She pushed into the water with both hands and swam toward him. When she met him in the middle, they stopped face-to-face and lowered their feet to the smooth bottom. And smiled at each other.
He reached out, dripping water from his arms, and cupped her cheeks with both palms before he lowered his face and placed a soft kiss on her lips. From there, he trailed rough fingertips down her throat to the upper slopes of her breasts, then he used his thumbs to coax the tips into hard peaks.
She felt the hotness of his skin through the coolness of the water, urging her along the path he blazed as he moved lower and lower, teasing and tormenting until he clasped her bottom with both hands, pulled her upward, and entered her just as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He carried her to the edge of the pool, where she sat as he moved inside her, harder and faster and hotter, splashing water over the edge and into the air as he stoked their blaze higher and higher. She clung to his broad shoulders, feeling the sun hot on her shoulders, the water cool on her legs, and Craig as the center of her universe.
And she wanted more…so much more—riding him, kissing him, completing him until they reached the peak of passion together and water arched overhead in a sparkling rainbow of endless possibilities.
Chapter 20
Several days later, Craig was doing his best to keep things under control, but he felt as if he was on the edge of losing ground even as he continued to push forward with Wild West Days. He glanced around the pocket park beside the Chuckwagon Café, with its closely trimmed grass and wildflower garden in one corner. Fern was inside discussing menus with Slade, Sydney, and the rest of the Steele family. They’d need extra of everything for the big upcoming event, since folks would want to get inside, not only for the great meals but to get out of the Labor Day weekend heat. Foot traffic in the stores would be high because everybody would crave the AC indoors, as well as shopping for gifts and mementos.
