Rugged Hearts

by Amanda McIntyre

  “‘We were lost and cold.’

  “Somewhere in the back of his mind, the cowboy remembered the words. ‘And you gave us clothes for our back.’

  “‘We were hungry.’

  “The cowboy spoke, recalling with clarity the old Sunday school lesson. ‘And you gave us food to eat.’

  “‘We were thirsty.’

  “‘And you gave us drink.’

  “The old man’s heart eased, as he and the intruder seemed to connect in this strange way. ‘Are you an angel?’ he asked cautiously as he bent to light the lamp.

  “Turning the wick higher he looked back to the corner and lost his balance. Grabbing the table to steady himself, he then picked up the lamp and walked to the corner. But there was nothing but an old wool blanket lying on the floor.

  “Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door, above the fierce howling storm outside. On shaky legs he managed to get to the door and swung it open not sure what to expect. There was a young man and a woman, presumably his wife, with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

  “‘Our car broke down. I have nothing to give you, but if you will let us rest here, I would very much appreciate it. My wife, you see is about to have our child. We could use your help.’ The woman’s gaze met the old man’s and he smiled. All his life, he’d delivered calves, surely he could do this.”

  Wyatt paused and glanced at the rapt attention on the children’s faces. He moved on. “When at last it was clear her time had come, the young man was at her side, providing encouragement and love, while the old cowboy did only thing in his life he knew. The one thing he swore was not worth much in the big picture of life and as the baby uttered his first cries, the old man wept along with the couple for the miracle they’d witnessed this night.

  “‘What’s your name?’ the young mother asked.

  “‘John, ma’am.’

  “‘Then we’ll name him John, won’t we?’ The woman smiled at her husband who nodded, kissed her, and then kissed his newborn son.

  “Giving the new family some time alone, he stood staring out the window. The snow had stopped and the moon was full and bright, casting long shadows on the freshly fallen snow. He could hear the bawling of a calf in the distance and smiled as he saw the figure standing near the herd. Deep down inside, he heard the words as clear as the night sky.”

  Wyatt scanned their faces as he recited the last line, remembering the look in Jed’s eye as clear as if it was yesterday.

  “What you do for the least of them, you do unto me.”

  “The End.” Wyatt closed the worn book. A log snapped in the fireplace in the silence that followed. Something shifted inside of him as well, and he realized how the story was similar to his in many ways. Maybe it was something that only a rancher’s kid would understand, but as he scanned their faces, it was clear they understood. Maybe it was simply the unusual circumstances, but for the first time in a long while, Wyatt sensed the true spirit of Christmas in the house. His gaze met Aimee’s. For a moment, there was a connection of solidarity between them, and he saw the instant she realized it.

  “It was a pretty good story, Mr. Kinnison.” Rory’s zealous appreciation broke the spell. “Even if it didn’t have any sleigh or reindeer.”

  Aimee glanced down and stroked the braided hair of the young girl seated in front of her.

  Wyatt smiled at Rory’s remark, but his mind lingered on the look in Aimee’s eye a moment longer. “Okay, everyone to bed.” He stood and placed the book on the mantle.

  “You think Santa will know to find us out here?” Jenny glanced up at her teacher with a worried look.

  “Jenny, what did you learn from the story?” Aimee inquired, glancing briefly at Wyatt.

  “I know it’s about more than just presents, but I miss home and I miss my mom and dad. At home on Christmas Eve we open our presents. Do you think they’re opening presents without me?”

  Aimee hugged the child’s shoulders. “I am certain all of your families will wait until you are safely home. And if the weather holds like we hope, it may be as soon as tomorrow.”

  A collective cheer went up as they stood and ambled toward the bedrooms. Wyatt followed, bringing up the remaining children. He took charge of tucking in the boys, and Aimee dealt with the girls. They met in the hall, each closing the door behind them. In the shadowy hallway, neither spoke. His futile attempt to disarm the powerful attraction between them caused his heart to race. He swiped a hand over his mouth in hope of thwarting his desire to pull her close and kiss her again. “I need a drink. Is eggnog okay with you?” He considered lacing his with a bit of whiskey.

  She grinned. “Sounds wonderful.”

  He ushered her ahead and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  ***

  Aimee reasoned the rise in her emotional state was likely due to the fact her fantasy last few days were closing to an end and she’d have to return to reality. More than once, she’d pondered whether she would hear from Wyatt once their lives returned to normal. Preoccupied with her thoughts, she stubbed her toe against the heavy foot of the couch and stumbled forward. Wyatt reached out and grabbed her arm before she fell flat on her face. He smiled down at her. “Maybe the day is catching up to you. How about you sit here and I’ll bring us our drinks?”

  She nodded, succumbing to momentary panic as she touched his arm. If she didn’t let him know how she felt, how would he ever know? This might be her only chance to do so. He glanced over his shoulder.

  “Yeah? Is there something else I can get for you?”

  Confronted by the fear that he might reject her, she fought to dislodge the words perched on the end of her tongue. His dark gaze swept over her, causing her thoughts to muddle. “I-I just want to….” Her heart thrummed against her ribs as she tried to unscramble the thoughts in her brain. He reached for her hand and pulled her into the dark entryway out of view in case anyone should awaken.

  “I hope this is what you were thinking.” He circled his arms around her waist, drawing her to him. “Otherwise, this could get mighty awkward.”

  A small sigh escaped her lips. Aimee reached up and drew his face to hers. Their mouths met in furious need. Hungry to appease the desire ignited between them.

  “Is this moving too fast?” It was the last shred of reason she possessed. Wyatt left a trail of hot kisses down her throat.

  “Tell me to stop and I swear I’ll try.”

  “I should, God help me, but I need a minute more.” She grabbed his face and kissed him hard. He broke the kiss and searched her eyes.

  “Good. Makes,” he kissed her again, “two of us.”

  Each time his lips touched hers, the scant reserve she’d built up since the night in the kitchen came tumbling down. She grabbed his shirt, deep inside realizing that she wanted so much more than it seemed he could offer, but selfish need urged her on, needing these precious moments, even if they were all she’d ever have. Her fingers itched to touch him and slipping her hands beneath his shirt, her palms found his warm, muscled chest. A quiet groan emitted from his throat. He rested his forehead to hers.

  “Do you have any idea how much I want you?” he whispered. His calloused hands eased under her sweater, sliding upward over her flesh setting her skin on fire. He closed his palm over her covered breast, kneading gently as his mouth met hers, tongues mating in the ancient dance. She pushed her hands though his hair, lost in his pleasuring, her body growing desperate with need. His fingers made short work of the snap of her jeans.

  “We shouldn’t.” It was a weak admonishment at best. She pulled his face to hers in a searing kiss, effectively obliterated her lackluster warning.

  “We’d be so good together. I know it.” His breath fanned against her ear.

  Aimee swallowed a sigh. There was no doubt in her mind he was right. “I know. I know.” His mouth moved over hers, demanding, coaxing as he tugged open her jeans. A gasp tore from her throat when he slipped his hand inside her panties, pressing against the warmt
h between her thighs. The constriction of her clothes made the sensation of his pleasuring all the more intense. Aimee swallowed hard, barely hanging on to her sanity, looking into his piercing gaze as he moved the fabric aside and slipped one finger inside her.

  “I’ve thought of you, Aimee, every night since we met.” He kissed her softly, pressing his body to hers. “Do you see how much I want you?” His erection, confined in his jeans, rubbed against her.

  “Yes.” She breathed out a sigh and met his slow, methodical motion, teasing her until she was senseless. Her fingers twisted the fabric of his shirt, her body careening toward an orgasm she could not control. “Wyatt, I can’t….” she whispered and he kissed her slow and deep, stroking her throbbing clitoris, causing her body to teeter on the edge of bliss.

  “That’s it, sweetheart.” His lips moved against her cheek.

  Aimee curled her arms around his head and moved with him, riding the current, finally letting go. “Oh…gawd, Wyatt.” She sighed as a delicious wave rocked her body. “I need you.”

  She raked her teeth over her bottom lip and reached for the top of his jeans. At that moment, an odd sound on the other side of the front door startled them both. Wyatt straightened to block her from view of whomever was about to enter the house, giving her the chance to hastily right her clothing. The door creaked open and immediately the foyer light came on, illuminating their indiscretion to anyone with half a brain. A handsome dark-eyed face peered around the corner and a wicked grin slid over his unshaven face. He dropped his duffle bag to the floor with a resounding thud and both Wyatt and Aimee responded with a vigilant, “Shh!”

  On the heels of the first man, another, equally handsome, appeared. “What the hell, Dalton. Move your ass. It’s cold out here.”

  Aimee felt her entire body awash in an embarrassing blush.

  “It’s a bit crowded at the moment,” Dalton called over his shoulder. “Looks like Christmas came early for you, big brother.” He stuck out his hand and shook Aimee’s. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Dalton Kinnison.”

  The second man, his sandy-blond hair covered with a brown cowboy hat, looked as startled at stumbling on the scene as she and Wyatt were to be caught. “What is all the shushing about? It sounds like a pile of snakes in here.” His stark blue eyes grew wide as he spotted Wyatt and Aimee stuffed in the corner. He dropped his duffel, then winced at his faux pas.

  “Could you two lugs keep it down? The kids just got to sleep and believe me, that’s no easy chore.” Wyatt planted his hands on his hips. “You might have thought to call.”

  “The kids?” The fair-haired man wedged himself inside and closed the door. He removed his brown cowboy hat and gave Wyatt a curious look as he hung his hat on the deer antlers. He too, stuck out his hand to Aimee. “Rein MacKenzie, ma’am.” He gave a short nod and shot Wyatt another look. Aimee wanted to melt into the woodwork.

  “It’s a long story,” Wyatt responded. “This is Aimee Worth. She teaches second grade at the elementary school.”

  Aimee raised her hand and offered a weak smile.

  “And here I was worried you were sitting here twiddling your thumbs,” Dalton teased. “Okay then.” He clapped his hands together quietly. “I sure hope you two haven’t polished off all the holiday libations, because after that frickin’ flight, I sure could use one.”

  “He forgot to call again, didn’t he?” Rein tossed at Wyatt.

  Wyatt shrugged.

  Rein followed Dalton into the living room and both came to a halt. “I’ll be da—” Dalton nudged Rein, hard, in the ribs. “Darned.”

  The tree, with the old-fashioned colored lights, glittered in the dark room and with the fireplace aglow nearby, it appeared like a quintessential postcard on a serene Christmas night. Sadie bounded up to the two men, greeting them with exuberant tail-wagging.

  “Looks like you’ve been one busy little buckaroo, Wyatt.” Dalton smiled as he looked over his shoulder. “Oh, sorry.” He reached around the wall and flipped off the light, plunging her and Wyatt into the dark. Wyatt stepped forward and shoved Dalton’s shoulder. “Smart ass.”

  Aimee waited and considered the ideas that maybe she should sleep in the room with the girls, freeing at least one bed for Wyatt’s brothers.

  Wyatt came back and took her hand. “Well, you’ve met my brothers.” He blew out a quiet sigh.

  “Yeah.” Aimee cleared her throat returned his smile. The initial embarrassment was wearing off. She hadn’t determined yet if his brothers’ nonchalant attitude was a good thing, or bad.

  “Let’s go get some eggnog.” He eyed her. “That is if you think you can stand it. I promise to try keep them on their best behavior.”

  “Sure.” Her body tingled still from their private seduction, which turned out to be not so private.

  “Hey.” He spoke quietly and pulled her close. “This is far from over, Aimee Worth.” He kissed her quickly, but it was enough to remind her how easily she could surrender to him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Wyatt leaned against his truck and watched as the children ran to their respective parents and leaped into the safety of their arms. It was midmorning when they loaded up the kids in Wyatt’s and his brothers’ pickup trucks and headed back to town. As a gesture of goodwill and because it was Christmas and everything was closed, Wyatt told Principal Kale that he’d take care of getting the Suburban pulled out of the ravine and back to the school garage. He figured, too, that Aimee could use his support. She’d kept a clear head under the circumstances and he wanted to be sure that her boss knew it.

  “Look what Santa brought me.” Jenny held up the orange, candy cane, and one of Wyatt’s horse statutes.

  Her mother looked at Wyatt with a grateful expression. “Isn’t that wonderful? What a nice man Santa was to come all the way out to the Kinnison ranch.” She mouthed a thank you over the top of the child’s head as she hugged her daughter.

  Wyatt nodded with a tip of his hat. Those old toys would bring another generation of children some happiness and perhaps somewhere down the line, they’d think of this Christmas as special.

  “Thank you, Mr. Kinnison.” Rory ran up to Wyatt and hugged his leg. The sun ricocheted off his glasses as he smiled up at Wyatt. He held his new toy gun and holster in his hand. Maybe not the best gift for that kid, in retrospect.

  “Stay away from mountain lions with that, you hear?” He ruffled the boy’s stocking hat.

  He shot back a grin. “I will and don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone our secret.”

  “Good man. Now get on over to your parents and stay out of trouble, if that’s possible, Rory.”

  “Well, everyone’s safe and sound.” Aimee turned to face him, her backpack clutched in her hand. “Guess we’re pretty lucky the snow let up early and the plows got through the pass.”

  “Yep, and we got these guys home early enough they still have time to enjoy the day with their families.” Wyatt eyed the crowd over her shoulder. “So, what are your plans?”

  She gave him a brief smile. “I’ve been invited to Sally’s for dinner.”

  “Creative-poetry-class Sally?” he asked.

  “Yes. She also teaches music at End of the Line.” Aimee looked over her shoulder and for a moment they watched as one by one the families drove off, reunited with their children. Wyatt had about run out of small talk when he noticed Principal Kale’s urgent stride. The man was heading straight for them.

  “Ms. Worth? I’d like a word with you before you leave, please.” He stopped to catch his breath and then straightened and stuck his hand out to Wyatt. “Mr. Kinnison, I presume?”

  “Yes, sir.” He was a bit surprised by the man’s enthusiastic handshake.

  “Seems I owe you a debt of thanks, young man.”

  Wyatt glanced at the ground and smiled. Young didn’t exactly describe him anymore. “No need, sir. The kids are very well behaved.”

  The principal cast a brief glance at Aimee.<
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  Wyatt, not particularly comfortable with the look, leaped to her defense. “Ms. Worth had a good handle on those kids. We could use more dedicated teachers like her, that’s for certain.”

  Aimee gave him a tolerant glance. Okay, maybe it was a little thick, but in his mind, it was the God’s truth. Her level head had averted near disasters more than once in the past couple of days.

  Principal Kale cleared his throat, and made it clear who had the authority in the situation. “I’m sure she did, Mr. Kinnison. Just the same, I think you and I are due a chat in my office after the holiday, Ms. Worth. I’d like to discuss the matter of field trips with you.”

  “I’d be happy to, sir, but with all due respect, I did get your approval for the field trip. Do you remember signing the form?” she asked.

  Wyatt suppressed a smile. Her self-assurance was one of the first things about her he liked. Since then, he’d started a mental list of her attributes, and had only recently become aware that it might take a lifetime to discover them all.

  The principal nodded and cast a brief glance at Wyatt. “Of course, but I’m speaking of the unorthodox method of accosting community members on the street to make arrangements.” His gray brows peeked over his round spectacles.

  Wyatt cleared his throat and glanced at Aimee. “If I may interject something, Principal Kale. It’s true, Ms. Worth approached me in the middle of the drugstore, but that didn’t bother me too much.” His gaze shot to meet Aimee’s. “But the point is, the question she posed got me to thinking. This children in this community deserve to understand the town’s history and the businesses and people that keep it going. If we don’t instill a pride in our kids about this town, how can we expect them to come back, if they don’t first see the value of living here?”

  “Impressive as that sounds, Mr. Kale, I’m afraid Mr. Kinnison is being overly generous when he says we discussed this….”