One Night with You

by Francis Ray

  “Sure,” Billy said, a wide grin on his face.

  “Good-bye, Cynthia. Come back anytime.”

  “Good-bye,” she said, but her attention was on Billy.

  Raven left them alone. Billy had another chance. She hoped he was smart enough to capitalize on it. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw them standing close. Yep, Billy was a smart young man.

  Duncan dismounted and led Black Jack into the barn. It had been a long, tiring day, yet he couldn’t get Raven out of his mind. He still couldn’t understand why she wanted to protect scum like Crane.

  He took his hat off to any man who understood women. He was afraid he never would.

  He took two steps inside the barn before he saw the open stall door. He took off running, knowing Belle and Midnight would be gone.

  He turned in a circle, hoping against hope that Billy had moved them while he cleaned the stall. They weren’t there.

  Jerking his cell phone from his belt, he called Billy. After five rings it went into his voice mail: “Belle and Midnight are missing. Call me.” Putting his cell phone away, he picked up his radio.

  “Ramon. Where’s Billy? Belle and Midnight are missing.”

  “Missing? Billy completed his chores an hour ago and went to the movies on a date,” Ramon said. “I’m on my way to the barn.”

  “Alert all the men.” Duncan looked at the full moon. “We’re going to go after them. Tell the men to bring their rifles.” Duncan dragged the saddle off Black Jack, then started for the shed and the ATV. He glanced toward the house and pulled up short.

  Raven’s Jeep wasn’t there. That was all he needed. Pulling his radio from his belt, he hurried to the shed. “Rooster, I thought you said Raven came home. Her Jeep isn’t out front.”

  “She lent it to Billy to go on his date,” Rooster answered. “What’s the matter?

  Seated on the ATV, Duncan started the motor. “Bring my rifle and a lantern and tell her to meet me in the front. Belle and Midnight are gone.”

  Ramon entered the shed and got on the other ATV. “The men are saddling up. I called the rest of the men off-duty and told them to come back. We’ll find them.”

  Duncan didn’t say anything. Midnight was still unsteady. If he broke his leg—Duncan roared out of the shed and saw Raven running toward him.

  “Oh, Duncan, I’m sorry. What happened?”

  “Do you know where Billy went?”

  “The movies. I let him take my Jeep.”

  “Call until you find him. I want to know the last time he was in the barn,” Duncan said.

  “About thirty minutes before he left,” she told him. “He was hurrying to get through so he wouldn’t be—” Raven stopped abruptly.

  Duncan’s mouth flattened in a hard line. “And left the stall door open.”

  “Duncan—”

  “Here are your rifle and the lantern,” Rooster said. “I can go with you.”

  “Stay here and take care of things.” Duncan put the rifle in a specially built holder. “When you find Billy, tell him—,” he muttered, then sped off, Ramon and the men following.

  “The boss doesn’t blow often, but when he does, it’s best to stand back,” Rooster said from beside her.

  “Billy wouldn’t have left the stall door open for anything,” she said, worried about the mare and foal, concerned for Duncan and Billy.

  “He might if his mind was on something else. We both know it was.”

  “We’ve got to help.”

  “They took all the automobiles and the horses in the barn except Black Jack, and no one can ride him except the boss,” Rooster grumbled. “Leaving me here like I can’t help. I should be there with him.”

  “I’m not sitting here doing nothing when Duncan needs me,” she said, going back into the house. “I’m finding Billy.”

  “You do that. I can try to find some of my friends, but if you can find Billy, he might be closer. With your Jeep, we could go help search,” he said, following her into the house.

  “It’s worth a try.” She ran up the stairs for her cell.

  “I don’t remember closing the stall door, but I’m sure I did,” Billy said. “The boss has to believe me. He loves that mare and foal.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Cynthia said from the backseat, shining the high-beam flashlight into the thick darkness on the right side of the Jeep. Billy shone his on the left side.

  Raven didn’t say anything, just continued. Rooster had insisted on searching in her Jeep. With his poor eyesight, she couldn’t allow him to go by himself. Billy wasn’t about to stay, and neither was Cynthia.

  Raven had radioed Duncan that they were all out searching. Her hands gripped the wheel. He’d tersely told her to go back to the ranch house and take Billy with her; he’d done enough. The thought of complying never entered her mind.

  She went over another rut; down and out of a shallow ditch, glad she had new tires. A sudden growl in the darkness cut through her.

  “Cat,” Rooster muttered. “Over there.”

  Raven turned the Jeep in that direction, then turned up the radio, hoping to scare the animal away, praying Belle and Midnight were all right. “Cynthia, call Duncan on the radio, then keep your lights high in the trees. Rooster, you and Billy shine yours to the right and left of the headlights.”

  “I see headlights,” Cynthia said. “Duncan didn’t answer. That could be my father and his men coming to help.”

  “Keep trying to get Duncan on the radio.” Raven kept her hands gripped on the steering wheel. Isaac was a good man, as Duncan had said. Out here when a man was in trouble, his neighbors came without being asked.

  “There!” Billy shouted. “Belle.”

  Raven jerked the steering wheel, jostling everyone. The mare was running all out. Midnight wasn’t with her and couldn’t have kept up if he were.

  The radio crackled. “Hello,” Cynthia answered.

  “The boss said to stop and cut your motor,” Ramon ordered.

  Raven wanted to ask why, to argue. She did neither. This was Duncan’s area of expertise, not hers.

  As soon as she did, she heard a piercing whistle. Belle kept running. The whistle came again. The mare slowed, finally pulled up.

  “Duncan trained that mare from a filly,” Rooster murmured.

  “But where is the foal?” Cynthia asked.

  There was total silence. Raven felt tears crest in her eyes.

  “My fault,” Billy said. “My fault.”

  “We’ll find Midnight,” Raven said, with more assurance than she felt.

  In the lights of the automobiles, she saw Duncan slowly walking to Belle, his hand outstretched. The horse kept shying away.

  “Something spooked her bad,” Rooster said.

  Raven put the Jeep into gear. “Duncan can handle this. We need to keep searching for Midnight. Billy, did you see the direction which Belle came from?”

  “Over there, due east toward those trees in the distance.”

  “Billy, radio Ramon where we’re heading,” Raven told him.

  Rooster ran his hand over the rifle butt in his lap.

  Billy stood up. “Through those trees.” He glanced down at Cynthia. “You scoot in front of me and stay there. And please don’t argue.”

  Raven glanced in her mirror to see Cynthia do as she was told. They hadn’t gone a mile before they heard the cat scream again.

  “It’s prowling and running from the noise,” Rooster said.

  They came to thick underbrush. Raven started to go around, but then she heard a sound and switched off the engine. This time she clearly heard the frightened whinny of a young horse.

  “Midnight!”

  Raven grabbed Rooster’s arm as he started to get out. “You stay here with Cynthia.” Raven stepped out of the Jeep.

  “Billy, stay here with Cynthia.” His face full of resolve, Rooster rounded the Jeep. “Two pairs of eyes are better than one. I’m going.”

  Raven reached for the rifle he held. With
his poor eyesight she couldn’t let him go alone. She didn’t want to hurt his pride by pointing that out.

  “I should be going. This is my fault,” Billy said, his voice strained and quivering.

  “And Cynthia is your responsibility, and arguing is wasting time.” Raven turned to Rooster. “Let’s go get Midnight.”

  Rooster nodded and picked up the lantern from the floorboard. Together, they entered the dense area of brush and trees.

  Chapter 13

  Duncan held the radio with one hand and drove with the other. “Tell Raven and Rooster to wait until I get there.”

  “Boss, they’re already gone. I would have gone, but I couldn’t leave Cynthia,” Billy said, clearly upset with the way things were going.

  “I could have gone,” Duncan heard Cynthia say.

  “Drive the Jeep as close as you can to the trees. Keep the lights on and honk the horn every thirty seconds,” Duncan told Billy. If the cat they heard was anywhere around, the noise should scare it off, unless it had a fresh kill. The cat would fight to protect it.

  “Is Belle all right?” Billy asked, his voice tentative and unsure.

  “As far as I can tell,” Duncan said. Part of him wanted to hurl blame, but the most important thing was finding Raven, Rooster, and Midnight. “I’m almost there.”

  Duncan came over a rise and gunned the ATV. Just behind him were his men and Isaac with a few of his hands. Duncan had sent Ramon back to the stable with Belle. He had wanted to argue, but Duncan hadn’t the time.

  Stopping beside the Jeep, Duncan reached for his rifle and lantern, then stepped from the ATV.

  “They went in dead center. We haven’t heard anything,” Billy said as Duncan approached. “I’ve been blowing the horn.”

  Duncan thought of a cat protecting its kill. “Stay here.” He could tell Billy didn’t like it any more than Ramon had. Duncan stepped into the underbrush. “Raven. Rooster.”

  He hadn’t gone very far when he heard a noise behind him. He turned to see Billy.

  “Mr. Marshall is with Cynthia. I can hold the flashlight, just in case.”

  The growl of a cat pierced the night. Duncan thrust the light at Billy and took off running, fighting underbrush, jumping logs. “Raven! Rooster!”

  “Raven! Rooster!” Billy called from beside Duncan when possible or just behind when they had to be in single file.

  “Raven!” Duncan called. He stepped over a fallen log and heard the colt’s whinny. “That way.”

  They hadn’t gone more than fifteen feet when they heard the cat’s growl again. Their light intersected with another beam of light to reveal a large mountain lion perched on a limb. “Stay here and keep that light on it.”

  Duncan sighted the cat with his rifle, then moved cautiously forward. “Raven, slowly back away and come around behind me.”

  Waiting until the beam of the other light became fainter was the most difficult thing Duncan ever had to do. If the cat decided to jump once they were out of sight, it wasn’t likely it would follow them or come at Duncan and Billy. But cats were unpredictable.

  The mountain lion raised on its haunches. Duncan took the slack out of the trigger. “Stay there,” he whispered to the animal.

  “Duncan.”

  Raven. Relief flooded him. “Billy, get them back to the Jeep. I’ll follow.”

  “Dun—”

  “Go!” The light wobbled, then steadied. “Billy, when I give an order I expect it to be carried out.”

  The light remained fixed. As the cat leaped to the ground Duncan cursed. He turned to back up slowly and stared into Raven’s face. Cursing wouldn’t do any good. He simply caught her by the arm and began to move, yelling and making noise. Moments later it was joined by honking horns and blaring radios.

  “They made it back,” Raven said, clearly relieved.

  Duncan was too angry to say anything. He was furious with Raven for putting herself in danger. He didn’t breathe easier until he stepped in the clearing where all the vehicles were parked.

  “Dun—”

  “Why can’t you listen and do as I say for once! I could have handled this! All you did was get in the way and make things worse!”

  Her eyes were huge in her face. “I only wanted to help.”

  “I don’t need your help! I don’t need you!”

  She flinched. Wordlessly she turned and walked away. It was only then that Duncan became aware that they had an audience and there was condemnation in the eyes of those watching.

  He’d never felt lower. He wanted to go to Raven and beg her forgiveness, but that would have to wait. He needed to find Midnight, but all he seemed to be able to do was watch as Raven backed the Jeep up and drove off. His gut in knots, he had started to turn toward the trees when he heard the soft whinny.

  “Midnight!” He rushed over to the colt and knelt down, his eyes and hands going over the trembling animal, looking and feeling for injuries.

  Rooster stood beside the colt with a belt looped around his neck. “It was Raven’s idea to search for him in the direction we saw Belle run from once she saw that you could handle Belle. She was right on the money.” He stared down into Duncan’s face.

  “Raven found him tangled up. He wouldn’t lead and he was too jittery for me to carry by myself, so she helped. We spotted the cat the same time you did. A little ways back, we’d found its kill. She had a bead on it quicker than a man could blink, but she didn’t panic and pull the trigger. Somehow she knew it was you before you said anything. She told Midnight that you were here and everything would be all right.

  “We circled just like you said until we reached Billy. She knew Billy and me could carry the little fellow faster, so she stayed with you. She’s one courageous woman. Too bad you can’t see that.” Rooster handed him the belt. Raven’s belt. “I’ll ride back with someone else.”

  Duncan had thought he couldn’t feel any lower. He’d been wrong.

  Raven vacillated between tears and anger as she hurriedly packed and ignored the ringing of her cell phone. She’d check messages later. She didn’t want to talk to anyone, couldn’t. She’d start crying again.

  I don’t need your help! I don’t need you!

  She cringed as she relived hearing Duncan’s heated words. More than the words that sliced though her was the final acceptance that no matter what she did, she’d never be able to help him get over his fear of failure in another relationship.

  She jerked the suitcase from the bed. She’d have no problem finding a replacement to study the caves. There was no way she could stay and face Duncan or any of the other men. She didn’t want their pity and couldn’t have Duncan’s love. She stopped and closed her eyes. She loved a man who wanted no part of her.

  Her eyes opened. She’d survive. But at the moment, she didn’t see how the gaping hole in her heart would ever heal.

  Her keys clenched tightly in her fist, she hurried out of her room and stopped dead in her tracks. Standing there was the last person she’d expected to see.

  “Please don’t go,” he said, his voice tortured, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know.” His fists clenched and unclenched. “Knowing you were in danger scared me more than anything in my life. If you had been hurt—” His words halted abruptly, his chest heaved.

  Tears sparkled in Raven’s eyes.

  “Don’t go.” He took a halting step toward her. “I’ll get on my knees and beg if I have to.”

  Her lips began to tremble.

  Duncan’s knees began to bend. Dropping the suitcase and keys, Raven ran to him. Catching her around the waist, Duncan tightly held her to him. “Forgive me. Please forgive me.”

  Her mouth fastened on his. She loved him too much not to forgive him. The kiss rocked them both. His tongue swept greedily inside her mouth, mating with hers.

  Grabbing her up in his arms, he quickly went down the hall to his room. Raven had a fleeting thought of all the nights she’d heard him go to his room and wanted to be with
him.

  At the side of the bed, he stood her to her feet, took her face in his hands. “You still with me?”

  She tugged his shirt out of his pants. “And getting ahead of you.”

  Laughing, he tumbled them into bed. The laughter turned into a groan when his hand slid under her blouse, felt her silken skin. He pushed it up over her heaving breasts, his own breathing growing short and harsh on seeing her lush breasts in the provocative bit of pink lace.

  He had to put his mouth there. His head lowered, placing a kiss in the valley of her breasts, then slowly moving to the dark nipple that beckoned. Teeth gently closed around the point, his tongue laved. A desperate need tore through him.

  “Duncan,” she moaned, her voice hoarse with arousal.

  He needed to slow down and get them undressed. He wanted the first time to be special, but as he looked at her, all he wanted to do was touch, taste, bury himself in her hot sheath.

  Groaning, he buried his head in the curve of her neck. “I need to take things slower, but I want you too much.”

  “How about we go slower the next time?”

  His head snapped up. In her eyes he saw a passion as deep and hungry as his. He kissed her, deeply, thoroughly, while he released the buttons on her blouse, the snap on her jeans.

  Sitting her up, he tossed her blouse aside. She tugged the shirt from his chest, then splayed her hands there. “You’re so beautifully made.”

  He shook his head. “Not me. You.” He unhooked the front clasp of her bra and slowly pulled the material away. He stared, fascinated, aroused. The back of his hand brushed across her nipple. The turgid point hardened.

  “You’re so responsive.”

  Her nails raked across his nipple, and she watched it harden. “So are you.”

  “Just for you.” He leaned forward, brushed his lips across hers when he unzipped her jeans, then slid them off her long legs. Knowing if he touched her he wouldn’t want to stop, he quickly shoved off his jeans and briefs.

  She frowned.

  He stopped in the midst of reaching for her. If she had changed her mind he hoped he wouldn’t go stark raving mad. “What’s the matter?”