Wild West Weekend

by C. R. Moss

  She raised an eyebrow in silent question.

  “The guns are in case we come across any animals or people who shouldn’t be on my land. According to other ranch owners, there’s been trouble with coyotes and mountain lions. Plus, some neighborhood kids like to sneak onto the ranch and use the pond as a swimming hole. I like to give them a fright with the trespassers will be shot bit.” Chuckling, Dak stretched a hand toward her, handed her a weapon.

  She took it and examined it. It had been a few months since she fired a rifle, but at least she knew how. “What’s the chance of encountering any animals or kids?”

  “Slim to none.” He squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. “But it’s always good to be prepared. You remember how to use it, right?”

  Yes, it is good to be prepared, she thought, then said, “Yeah. I do.” More than you know. Back when she used to visit, Dak’s father taught them how to shoot, and over the ensuing years, she became a gun enthusiast.

  Fingers entwined, they strolled down the wide path flanked by trees and brush. The calls of birds in the branches broke the stillness of the day. She peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, shocked how his gentle grip sent her heart fluttering wildly. Such a simple act of affection and she was giddy.

  They stopped at the curve of the trail bordering a small pond fed by a creek streaming down a hill. The pond’s backdrop was a craggy, brush-covered cliff. A barbed wire fence lined the top of the precipice. Dakota let go of her, placed the shotgun on the ground, then brought the binoculars to his eyes and appeared to scan the fencing.

  Fifteen feet or so away from them, a loud purr vibrated from behind a thick bush near the water.

  Dak chuckled, continued to look through the field glasses. “I realize my touch has been known to excite women, but I’ve never gotten one purring by just holding her hand.”

  Cassie stepped away. “That wasn’t me,” she said, quiet and calm, scanning for the hidden animal. Why did the beast have to choose now to come and get a drink? She thought Dak brought the guns just in case, not will definitely use, kind of like totting an umbrella all over the place and it never raining.

  He turned his head. “If that wasn’t you then—”

  A low growl sounded. He jerked his attention toward the noise. “Aw, shit. Don’t move, Cassie. If we’re lucky, it’ll just go on its way.”

  A sleek mountain lion emerged from the brush. She kept her gaze pinned on the big feline. Its muscles rippled as it paced in front of the shrubbery. The animal appeared gaunt. Its ribs rippled its flesh. She didn’t believe the wild cat would go on its merry way, not when one of them would make a tasty meal. The creature edged closer.

  Damn it, Dakota. Why’d you have to go and put your weapon on the ground? Having never shot at a living target before, she really didn’t want to fire the rifle, but any movement on Dak’s part toward his weapon’s direction would surely vex the lion into an attack.

  The hard wood frame of the firearm pressed upon her hands. With no other choice, she slid her right hand with slow and deliberate motions toward the trigger, releasing the safety as she went, and inched the butt into a place on her arm where she’d be able to slide it up to her shoulder with ease. Her gaze stayed locked to the cat’s face. Should the lion make a move, she’d be ready. Thank God the animal is on the smaller side. I’ll be able to level it if need be.

  “Slim to none, eh?” she asked with as little movement to her lips as possible.

  Dakota grunted.

  The mountain lion crouched on its haunches. Her finger twitched against the trigger.

  The cat swished its tail from one side of its body to the other. Sweating bullets and twisting her wrist, Cassie took a slow even breath.

  “Cassie, darling, please don’t do anything stupid.” Dakota’s request came out mumbled through his semi-closed mouth. “I’ll get my rifle.”

  Who was he to tell her what to do or not do? Trying not to move her mouth, she replied, “I don’t think that’s a wise idea either.”

  A fang protruded from under the lion’s top lip.

  “Plus, I don’t believe we have the time for your heroics,” she added.

  The greenery of the scattered trees and low-lying bushes, the brown of the dirt and small pond, faded. The gray of the rocks, even Dakota standing a couple of feet to her side, blurred, became inessential, as she cleared her mind of everything but her, the animal, and what she would need to do.

  Game on, she thought.

  Everything happened lightning fast. The cat sprang. She whipped the weapon up, fired three consecutive shots at the animal’s torso. Blood streamed in the air and to the ground in a trail of crimson, changed the cat’s fur to scarlet velvet.

  Dakota cursed, the likes which would make a sailor proud, called her a head-strong fool.

  The lion howled, dropped to its feet. It shook off the shock of what happened and crouched to advance once more. Before it could spring, she placed a couple of rounds in its head. Brain matter flecked out with a torrent of blood. The animal fell to its side.

  Staring at the carcass, she dropped her arm to her side, removed her finger from the trigger area. She let go of the breath she had been holding, tilted her head from one side to the other and cracked her neck.

  Dakota stepped into her line of sight, his height and build blocking the sun from her. “Fuck, Cassie. I told you not to do anything stupid. That I’d handle it.”

  “Wow. Thanks, Cassie. Good shooting. If you hadn’t happened to shoot it, we’d be lunch,” she stated, her tone full of sarcasm. “Glad you remembered how to fire.” She flicked the safety on. “Well, thanks, Dak. Back in the cities I’ve lived in, I joined some gun clubs. I’ve been in a few competitions. Got some ribbons.” She shrugged a shoulder playing it off like the accomplishments weren’t a big deal. They were to her. Other than her alternative lifestyle party hobby, her other love, shooting, was something she was actually good at. “It turns out that when a guy finds out you can hit a mark dead center, they respect you more. That’s a great asset to have when you’re a single woman. A nice form of protection.”

  He blinked, pulled out one of the two bandanas he kept in his back pocket, and wiped his forehead with the blue and white cloth. “Dang.” He replaced the bandana. “Good to know. I wonder why that didn’t work for you when you were with the one who did that to your neck.”

  She stared at him but didn’t supply an answer about the marks, still not ready to face her stupidity. “So what do we do with the animal?”

  “I’ll radio Kent to have one of the wranglers come down to take care of it.”

  Cassie shrugged a shoulder, glanced down at the big cat. The adrenaline that had flooded her system disappeared, leaving her feeling drained. Killing the animal pained her. She’d never taken a life before. But she also hadn’t wanted to be the mountain lion’s gourmet lunch. She brushed by Dakota and started to stroll down the rest of the trail. The reason the area looked familiar to her came to mind. Remembering the path and the outcropping of rock in the water up ahead that they used to sit and talk on, she waved at him to follow her. “The large, flat boulder’s still down there?”

  “Yeah,” a hint of a question laced his statement.

  “Let’s go there.”

  “Sure, but when we get there, will you tell me what happened to you? Start with all those years ago when I saw you last?” Dak caught up to her, reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Could you tell me why you never came back or called? Then work up to last night and those fading bruises?”

  Was she ready to explain her life? She gazed into his eyes, saw the hurt, the longing and something deeper smoldering within his expression. Dakota deserved an explanation. After all, they had been close once upon a time. Out of all the people in her young life, she had cared for him and trusted him the most. It wasn’t his fault her life had tanked, that she’d been selfish and cut all ties to the people who cared about her to cauterize the hurtful, emotional wounds her parents ca
used. Realizing she’d feel comfortable at their old secret getaway to tell her story, she nodded. “Yes, I’ll tell you.”

  The area had changed some from what she remembered. There was more overgrowth. The trees were bigger. Thick branches stretched over the rocks, adding some nice shade to the sitting area. She climbed up with ease, sat cross-legged facing the water. Once he settled down beside her, she sighed.

  “Take it as slow and easy as you want, Cassie,” Dak crooned, washing his comforting baritone over her. “I have as much time to listen to you as you need to talk.”

  She stared at the pond. A slight breeze blew, disturbing the glossy surface. Keeping her focus on the water, she started, “I’m sorry I hurt you by not coming back, not calling or writing. The last summer I was here was the beginning of the end for my parents’ marriage. I was scared how life would be when I went home. Remember, they’d been fighting since the Christmas prior, threatening each other with divorce. Sure enough, when mom and I returned home, they filed. I returned to that private, all girls’ school I used to complain to you about. Ended up living there twenty-four-seven. Stayed there during the summer, too, after I graduated since I didn’t want to live with either my mom or dad. Though I turned eighteen shortly after the school year started, my phone calls and mail were monitored. I had no contact with people that weren’t approved by my parents, which unfortunately included the people I cared about out here. It was like living in a convent. I almost had no interaction with the outside world and was only allowed home for two days that year. Christmas and my birthday. Thank God Bristol and some other friends were around most of the time since they attended school there, and their families lived nearby.”

  “Geez, Cassie. That must have been hard.”

  She waved a hand as if she could brush away that time in her life. “After I graduated, I worked in the nearby town during the summer to raise some cash. Then I moved from New York City to Salt Lake City.” She shook her head. “I started on a life path I never expected. I mean I never really wanted to settle down with a husband and kids, but cutting all ties and moving around so much hadn’t been a plan of mine either.”

  “You could have come here, you know, after you left New York.”

  The unspoken to me she heard at the end of his sentence chipped at the wall around her heart. “I couldn’t,” she replied quietly. “I had to escape my family and that meant leaving everyone associated with them.” She stole a glance at him. The concern on his face appeared genuine.

  God, how do I explain to him what my life’s been like? She was into alternative things–underground parties, going to nude beaches, experimenting with people in and out of the bedroom, living a nomadic lifestyle. For someone like her who wasn’t into the marriage and kid scene, having the quaint house with the white picket fence, showing her emotions and all that, the alternative activities were things she found she enjoyed. How would he feel knowing that about her? Would he think his world tarnished by the knowledge of her recreational habits? Some people, she’d learned, saw what she did as against the norm. Would he feel the same? Her fear of being rebuffed by him over the choices she made long ago, when they were finally able to be together now, stilled her tongue. She didn’t want to tell him. Yet, she trusted him back then and probably could now. He claimed to love her once upon a time, and with the way he looked at her, he probably still did. If they were to move forward into any kind of relationship, he needed an explanation as to what happened during the years between then and now. And she finally needed to open up her heart to someone again.

  “Cassie?”

  After a deep breath, she continued, “Long story short, I went from one job to another, one city to another after putting myself through college. But, while I was in college for my bachelor’s in business, I became involved in the underground party scene, had fun role playing, some light submissive, domme, switch stuff. Nothing outrageous.”

  Dakota coughed. “Submissive? Domme? As in BDSM? I should have known something was up last night.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that. Force of habit. Figured we were two consenting adults having a bit of fun last night. It’s not like I haven’t had my share of non-committal one night stands. And, by the looks of you, I doubt you’ve been living like a monk either.” Cassie raked her gaze up and down his body to make her point. A slight pink tinge graced his cheeks.

  “True. You got me there. I’m no celibate priest, but what’s with the other stuff?”

  “The dom and sub stuff?” At his nod, she continued, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t live that lifestyle. I just dabble in it.” She shrugged. “During the fall semester of my last year, I attended a party a friend of mine thought I might enjoy. The people there were into role playing, some were into the BDSM scene. Since she and I had a good time, we went to more parties. I took up the underground scene as a hobby you could say, hooked up with a trainer to learn a little more about it all and was his sub for a while. Eventually, I worked my way to becoming a soft glove Domme. But I found that, though I love control, I missed the other side and started switching. But, I haven’t done all that in ages. For the most part, I’ve just flitted around the country working in casinos waitressing and dealing to make my living before ending up back in SLC. The underground parties are mainly because I like to try new things and be naked in public. Attending them can be a nice change of pace from the drudgery of everyday life.”

  “Hmmm...” He picked up a pebble and tossed it into the water. “Naked in public, eh? Bet that feels liberating.”

  The interest in his voice piqued her attention. She cocked an eyebrow and glanced at him. Would he be willing to expand his horizons on occasion? Play with her once in a while. Her heart warmed with the idea of having a friend and lover who could also be a partner with her in her interests. She doubted Dakota would want to pursue it though. He seemed pretty straight laced, which was cool with her. Vanilla sex in a serious relationship would be a good change of pace for her if she decided she could stick around. “It can be. Especially for people like me who’ve had control issues, thrive on it, can’t live without it. Stripping down and being exposed in front of a group of people shucks off everything. You give over to the experience of being laid bare. You can’t worry about what people think or what they’ll say. You’re just there…you just are. It’s almost like you’re forcing yourself to take a break from your responsibilities, making yourself enjoy life. For me it was a way to learn that I didn’t always have to be in control because sometimes a situation doesn’t allow me to be.”

  “Cassie?” He took her hand, stroked his thumb over her fingers.

  She turned her head, gazed into his beautiful eyes. In them, she saw compassion and a passionate heat she remembered seeing when they were teens. “Yes?”

  “Would you be willing to help me experience that liberation, that freedom?”

  Chapter Five

  “What?” the shocked question burst out of Cassie’s mouth.

  Dakota hadn’t expected that reaction from her. Especially not after what she’d just told him. Second by fleeting second, the cheerful animation in her face morphed to that of confusion. He brought her hand to his chest, cupped it in both of his. “I can tell you’re reluctant. Let me prove to you that you can trust me with who you are, what made you… you during our time apart.”

  She pulled her hand from his, scrambled to her feet and stood at the edge of the boulder, facing away from him. “I can’t believe you’re asking me. You. Sweet, loving, normal, Dakota.”

  He stared at her back, the tense bearing of her shoulders and legs. “I understand. I don’t want to force you to do anything you’re not up to doing.” He rose and approached her. She twitched as if she didn’t want to be touched. The few inches between them when he stopped felt like miles. “But really? What is normal? One person’s normal is another person’s taboo, isn’t it?”

  She sighed, relaxed a bit.

  Would she do it? An eager anticipation built within him. He wante
d to taste the liberation she mentioned. He needed to feel freedom from the responsibilities that hung over him like the fabled albatross around the mariner’s neck. Most of all, he couldn’t wait until he was the object of her undivided attention again.

  She turned. Her deep blue-eyed gaze bore into his.

  Fearing what words might flow out of her mouth, he tried to deflect them. “Cassie, if I don’t want to do something, I don’t ask about it or do it. Like you, I’ve been on my own for quite some time and have come to rely only on myself. Rarely asking anyone for anything. So the fact that I’m willing to strip down, out here in a place where we can be seen, must mean something, right?”

  Her confused gaze softened a little, but she still said nothing.

  “Cassie, darling, you know I loved you when we were younger and I’ve even loved you during the years you weren’t here. I want to understand you, what you’ve been through. I want us to be a couple. And if I’m to experience what you call the different or the non-normal aspects of intimacy, of passion, I’d like it to be at your hands. And, how could I not trust or feel safe with a woman sharpshooter who protects me from the beasts of the wild?” Patiently, he waited for her response.

  She took a long, deep breath, cocked her head. “Fine. Cool. You know you shocked me with your request? Didn’t think you’d have something like this in you. Stunned me for sure,” she stated with a grin, surveying the rock. “Do you have any blankets in that truck of yours? This way we can make the rock a little more comfortable to sit on, ya know?”

  “I’ll be back in a sec.” He almost couldn’t contain his excitement. The prospect of doing new things he never thought he would do, especially with Cassie, turned him on.

  Jogging on the trail back to his truck parked on the service road, uncertainty reared its ugly head. What if he found the experience distasteful and resented her for it?

  He shook his head. No, he didn’t believe that would happen. The idea of having sex outside to spur on physical and psychological releases was too attractive, the timing too advantageous for it to turn out bad. He hungered for her love, for the chance to relinquish his power to her femininity. Maybe if he surrendered his body and control to her outside in a private but still public area, to someone he instinctively trusted, it would feed over into other aspects of his life. Perhaps his brother would stop calling him a hard-ass, amongst the other names he loved to use. Perhaps Cassie would open her heart to him, love him for real this time… and stay.