Wild West Weekend

by C. R. Moss

  “Don’t you think it’s too hot out for you to be so close?” He stepped away from the younger woman, annoyed with her flirtatious manners. “Besides, you could have waited for me to come in to tell me about the computer.”

  “I wasn’t all that close.” Marianne huffed, crossed her arms over her stomach. “I came out because I wanted the fresh air. Plus, I also thought you’d like—”

  “There you are,” Kent called out from the horse ring. The man, who was about fifteen years or so Dakota’s senior, tossed a harness onto the fence and loped up to him.

  Dakota rubbed his temples. He loved the ranch, adored his family, but being the one in charge was taxing. Everyone always wanted a piece of him, a moment of his attention. He woke up from nightmares full of the words there you are. Many times he wished he could run away from it all, hand the ranch back to his parents, and not have the responsibilities of overseeing all the operations of the Double D. “What’s up, Kent? And what’s with the silly grin?”

  “I thought you’d like to know that your old flame is back. She finally showed up. What a looker, too. If we didn’t have that silly rule about staying away from guests, I might’ve fought ya for—”

  He thrust up a hand to halt the rest of Kent’s statement and glared at Marianne. He couldn’t even be excited that the hot chick on the porch was actually Cassie due to his employee’s mistake. “I thought I told you I wanted to be informed the moment she arrived? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  The manager’s plucked and penciled brows drew together. “I was about to tell you.” She shot a scathing glance at Kent. “When she got here, you were busy. And how many times have you told me not to bother you when you’re in the middle of chores?”

  “I thought you understood that notifying me took precedence.”

  “Yeah. I did. I’m trying to do what all you guys all ask me to do.” She turned on a high heel and strode back toward the lodge.

  Dakota shook his head. Communication with the high-maintenance office manager had been strained for the past two weeks. Drunk or not, he never should have kissed her. But thoughts of Cassie coming to visit, memories of their times together and an overwhelming bout of loneliness had him reaching for the bottle and the closest available female. He felt bad for leading Marianne on, especially when it seemed she was after bagging a Dougan man, but what was done was done.

  After the hot and heavy make-out session, he had realized his error and told her so. He’d explained he wasn’t in his right mind and that, as long as neither of them said anything to anyone, she’d be welcome to stay employed and living in one of the bunk houses. She had agreed to his request for discretion, said she understood the circumstances. Apparently, she had placated him with saying that just to save her ass and job.

  Even though she was one of the biggest flirts he knew, she was a nice person and meant well. Firing her was the furthest thing from his mind. It was hard to find good help willing to either commute or live on the ranch, especially when there were more glamorous positions down in the valley. Marianne was great at her job. He didn’t want to lose her because of his momentary lapse of reason. At the same time, though, she had to lose her current attitude. He’d have to have a talk with her. He sighed. Another thing to add to my never ending list of duties.

  Kent cleared his throat. “Dak?”

  He turned to his head wrangler. “Yeah?”

  “That lady you’ve been waiting for? She’s in the Pearl Hart cabin.”

  Dakota smiled and slapped the wrangler on the shoulder. “Thanks, bud.” He tossed the rope back into the bed of his truck and trotted across the gravel area, past the lodge and toward the cabin.

  His heart leapt in his chest. After all the time that passed, he was finally going to see Cassie again, the first girl he’d kissed, the only woman he had ever really loved. He couldn’t wait to have her beneath him, her legs wrapped around his hips and his cock thrust in her warm center.

  As his foot hit the grass, he slowed. What if she were attached, married even? What then? Would he be able to give her up or would he fight for her, lure her out of the arms of another? He paused in the middle of the hill, stared at the row of cabins. Well, at least Marianne got something right. She’s two cabins down from mine. Attached or not, he’d at least win her friendship back.

  “There you are!”

  The call from the direction of the lodge stopped him in mid-step. He grumbled, then looked over his shoulder.

  Miguel rushed over. A cloud of brown dust kicked up from his feet trailed behind him. “Mr. Dakota, there’s a problem with one of the freezers. We need you to come take a look. Oh, and Daisy Andrews called and left a message with Marianne. She wanted me to let you know that the real estate agent was passing by on the one fifty nine and noticed there’s some graffiti on the front gate’s sign again. Marianne said that Daisy said it’s not good for business.”

  “Miguel,” Dakota growled, leveling a stern look at the cook before the man could make any jokes to lighten his mood.

  That sign was a fucking pain in his ass. He did what he could to deter the kids, but the delinquents kept finding ways around his security measures. For years he kept asking his parents to get rid of the ground level sign. What he wanted was an arc over the entrance, stating DD on the top line and The Dougan Family Ranch on the bottom line. He even showed them estimates of how much it would cost to change. They kept telling him only when they were dead could he change signage at the gate.

  “I know. I know. You hate it when the local kids mess with the sign. Come, you can fix the freezer. Take your mind off them and their meddlesome ways.” Miguel turned and headed back toward the kitchen entrance.

  Dakota glanced with longing at Cassie’s cabin, but followed the cook in the opposite direction. For a moment, he wondered where his brother or other ranch hands were and why one of them couldn’t be called upon to help in the kitchen. Then he remembered they were either off doing their own thing or down at the campsite helping out with the roping and shooting lessons for the bachelorette party group and other guests. All work and no play… He shook his head again. It was no use wishing for something different. He had responsibilities, and duty in the form of a broken freezer called.

  * * * *

  The triangle chime outside the lodge rang, signaling it was time for dinner. Showered, clean-clothed and rested after her long trip, Cassie had a fresh perspective on life. She’d relax and enjoy the weekend. Hopefully have some good, clean, old-fashioned fun. No drunks or gambling. No pinches to her ass, leaving red welts behind, as she walked through the areas of wherever she was working to get to and from the tables and break rooms. She made her way to the main building.

  Cassie pushed open the door to the lodge and the smells of fried chicken and gravy wafted into her nose. Closing her eyes, she took in another deep breath. The aromas of country home cooking were heavenly. Her mouth watered.

  A memory uncoiled. An image of a teenage boy took center stage in her mind.

  * * * *

  Golden highlights, the result of being out in the sun all summer, shone in his shaggy brown hair. He flipped a long lock out of his eyes, brushed the rest behind his ear. They sat on the fence of the training ring, watching the patriarch of the ranch, Drake Dougan, and his son, Drake Junior, also known as Duke, break in a foal. The tall, burly men worked with ease in the ring, stepping gracefully away from and around the bucking horse as they held onto the long leads. Dust and dirt kicked up and floated in the air around them.

  “Dakota, you watching us, boy?”

  “Yes, Dad.” Dak nudged her, pointed at the men in the ring with his chin. “He and Granddad will tame that colt in no time.” He smiled at her. Braces adorned his teeth.

  “I’m sure they will. And someday you’ll be in there breaking foals of your own.”

  “And you with me?” His gaze, the color of the deep blue Nevada spring sky, held anticipation and desire.

  She shrugged a shoulder, looked down at her l
egs and picked the frays at the bottom of her denim shorts. During the past couple of summers, he kept asking her to move to Nevada, stay with his family if need be. He wanted to be with her, told her he wanted a future with her. She never knew how to reply. How could she commit to something so drastic like changing her residence and submitting the rest of her life to one boy? First of all, she was only seventeen. Secondly, her parents, mainly her father, would have a conniption if she asked to stay with her cousin, Rose, in sin city or on the Dougan ranch. Three, she was too young to dedicate herself to just one person. She also didn’t know if she wanted to get married and have children. Committing to a life like that scared her.

  As much as she liked Dakota, dreamt of how handsome he’d be when he was older and wanted to tell him they could date, she couldn’t. She didn’t want to lead him on, to get his hopes up about her. Besides, she and her parents lived in New York City. From what her friends told her, long distant relationships never worked. And she didn’t believe either of them would be happy with just dating each other during the summers. That is if she could make it back next summer. With the way her parents had been fighting before she left, she wasn’t sure what would happen when she returned home in a couple of days.

  “Catherine, darling,” a woman’s voice rang out over the hillside. “Your aunt is on the phone.”

  “Coming,” she called back and hopped off the fence, happy for the interruption so she wouldn’t have to see the hurt in Dakota’s eyes when she couldn’t give him the answer he sought. “I wish your nana would call me Cassie like you told her to. It’s a better cowgirl name than Catherine.”

  “She’s old and set in her ways.” Dak jumped off the fence, stood close to her. He had grown since last summer and now had a couple of inches of height over her. His scent of rich spices and woods after a rain with hints of leather and suede enveloped her. “Meet me tonight? Down by the pond?”

  His warm, moist breath against her ear sent shivers down her side. Giddiness pulsed within her. She became aware of his presence in every pore of her body. Need and want, stronger than the urge to buy a really cute pair of shoes, coiled within her, demanded she turn her head and plant her lips on his. Using all her willpower, she refrained from turning and making a fool of herself. Were the feelings running rampant in her body what her friends meant when they tittered about their boyfriends in the cafeteria? She gulped and finally nodded. “If I can sneak away from mom, Rose and Aunt Lilly, sure. They keep a pretty good watch on our cabins, ya know? What time?”

  “Just after the campfire.”

  “Catherine,” Mrs. Dougan’s voice drifted over the distance again.

  * * * *

  “Catherine? Ms. Harding?”

  She jerked out of the strangely detailed memory and met Miguel’s concerned gaze.

  “Are you all right, Ms. Harding?”

  “Yes, quite.” She smiled to allay his worry, taking pleasure in the remembered sensation of first love. “Just enjoying the smells and remembering Nanny Gwyn’s cooking. I can’t wait to say hello to her.”

  A sad expression crossed over Miguel’s face. “I’m sorry, but Miss Gwyn and Mr. Drake passed on several years ago.”

  “Oh… um… I didn’t know.” Sorrow rippled through her. Miss Gwyn and Mr. Drake were surrogate grandparents, the cookie-baking, wood-carving, story-telling, hugs and kisses kind of grandparents. I really should have kept in touch. She glanced over to the food stations where people were being served buffet style. “It’s been years since I’ve been back.”

  “Twenty.”

  Shocked the cook would know such a detail, she cocked an eyebrow.

  Miguel chuckled. “Word travels faster around the ranch than brush fire. As Kent puts it, Mr. Dakota has been excited to see you. He’s mentioned many times how you were friends when you were younger and how long it’s been since he saw you last.”

  “Interesting.” She thought over his statement for a moment, decided to see if she could find out more about Dakota. “I’m sure Mrs. Dakota is probably not too happy that he’s excited about another woman.”

  The cook tutted, apparently knowing she fished for information. “There’s no Missus. Not even a miss-right-now. Mr. Dakota is as single as the day he was born. Now, come.” The gorgeous cook winked and waved. “Get something to eat. We’ve used Nanny Gwyn’s recipe so you should like the meal.”

  As if on cue, her stomach rumbled. She clasped her hands over it. “Fabulous. It’s been a while since I last ate. Along with my hatred of flying, I can’t stomach airplane food, pre-packaged or not.” She followed Miguel over to the buffet and grabbed a plate.

  Each course was in its own sterling silver serving pan. The fried chicken was crispy and golden. The mashed potatoes appeared to still have some lumps and skin in it. The creamy white gravy looked absolutely decadent. Miguel went behind the line and helped her fix a plate. After piling some salad on a separate dish, she took her meal to a round table near the stairway and sat with her back toward the kitchen. She breathed deep again, hoping the aromas from her plate would spur on more pleasant memories, but no more came to mind. Trying not to let it bother her, she speared several lettuce leaves and stuffed them in her mouth.

  Behind her, silverware and dishes clattered as a few more stragglers received their food and others who finished put their dirty utensils and plates in a bin. Hinges squeaked.

  “Mr. Dakota, your lady friend is right over there,” Miguel’s voice carried over the dining room noise.

  Her heart skipped a beat and her muscles tensed tighter and tighter with each footfall that clomped on the tiled floor behind her. Slowly, she munched on the greens. Sitting as still as a thief hiding in the shadows from the police, she kept her gaze on her plate. The footsteps stopped. Her side warmed from the presence of the man standing beside her. She breathed in his woodsy scent.

  Prolonging the anticipation of seeing him again, Cassie looked down at the floor and at a pair of dusty black boots with silver tips. Long feet. Nice. She took a deep breath, gazed up a pair of jean-clad legs to a black leather belt with a huge silver belt buckle in the shape of a horse’s head. A bulge curved outward beneath it. Her pussy contracted with need at the sight of his cock straining against the fabric. She fought the urge to unzip his jeans and free him, see what he was packing. But the buckle. Really? Stifling a snicker about the accessory, she trailed her attention along his white dress shirt clothed torso.

  Oh please. Please tell me he’s the wrangler. Her gaze jumped to his face—the same face with its prominent cheekbones and strong jaw covered with five-o-clock stubble she had seen earlier. The man she had used as fodder for her daydream.

  His wonderful eyes, the ones she’d remembered from her youth, stared down at her. Lines crinkled around them. A straight, pearly white smile tipped up the corners of his sexy mouth. “Hello, Cassie.”

  Warmth spread around her neck under her gold silk scarf. Hot blood rushed to her cheeks. His baritone drawl reverberated through her, weakened her body and resolve. Whew, I haven’t been unnerved like this by a man in a long time. Doing her best to blank her mind and gain command of her body again so she wouldn’t make a fool of herself, she stood on wobbly legs. “Dakota. Good to see you. It’s been a long time.”

  Before she could take her next breath, he swept her into his arms, held her tight. “It’s been too long. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  The top of her head rested against his collar bone. She felt his strength, loved his deep, voice. His scent of rich spices and woods after a rain with hints of leather and suede enveloped her. A comfort she hadn’t felt in ages settled in her soul. She sighed, then purred. “Yes, Dak, we do, don’t we?”

  His heart beat fast and strong beneath her ear. Lustful desire pulsed within her. Every pore in her body soaked in his vibrant male essence. The sensations she had experienced in her youth repeated. Need and want, stronger than the urge to buy a really expensive pair of heels, coiled within her, demanded she turn
her head and plant her lips on his. Her nipples budded, strained against her bra under her white blouse. Her jeans had become uncomfortably tight.

  She tilted her head back, grasped the back of his and planted her lips on his mouth. Cassie kissed him with a surprising hunger, as if she had never kissed him or another man before. What shocked her on top of her own response was his. He returned her passion with his own, claiming her mouth with his tongue, silently demanding more from her with his ravishment.

  “There you are.”

  Both Cassie and Dakota growled at the intrusion of the office manager’s voice and broke apart. Though she disliked the woman’s interruption, Dakota really seemed to take exception to it. He rolled his eyes and walked around Cassie to Marianne who stood in the doorway to the recreation room. “What is it now?”

  “The computer. It’s acting up again.”

  He ran a hand through his gold-highlighted brown hair, stole a glance at Cassie. “Marianne, I was just about ready to sit, have some dinner and catch up with my friend.”

  “I’m sorry, but you have a way with that machine. If I try to fix it, I’ll probably bust it and then you’ll be mad you have to buy a new one.”

  “All right. I’ll be right there.” He turned. A look of frustration edged his features. “I have to take care of this, then we’ll continue this, uh, conversation. Okay?”

  Cassie nodded, grabbed the chicken breast and bit into it. The moment Dakota turned the corner and disappeared, she looked around the lodge wondering where Bristol was. When another wrangler strolled in, she hurried over to him.

  “Kent, right?”

  The big guy nodded.

  “Is Bristol here? I’d like to find her while Dakota’s busy with work.”

  “Work?”

  Am I not speaking English? “Yeah. Marianne came in and wanted his help with the computer.”

  He shook his head. “Ah. Marianne. Yeah, that might take a while.”

  She cocked her head, wondering what the dynamic was between Dakota and Marianne and feeling a ping of jealousy over the chance there could be something between the co-workers. She followed the ranch hand out of the lodge. He told her that her friend had hooked up with one of the Dougan boys and could be anywhere with him.