by Sharon Sala
“I wouldn’t fuss about being stuck in the mud with you,” Cathy said.
Duke grinned. “Well, I would be fussing about getting stuck, so there’s that.”
His phone rang while they were on the way back to town.
“It’s Jack,” he said, and answered. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m home and checking on you.”
“I have the phone on speaker. I’m taking Cathy back to town. Be home soon. I gave her a tour of the farm and of the Bailey place this afternoon.”
“Awesome. Hi, kiddo… The turkey is thawing in the refrigerator as we speak. See you soon.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Cathy said.
Duke disconnected, and then dropped the phone in the console between them.
The rain was coming down heavily now, and they were almost to the blacktop when Duke suddenly slammed on the brakes and shoved the truck into Park.
“What’s wrong?” Cathy asked.
“I think I see the taillights of a car down in those trees. Stay here.”
“Take your phone!” Cathy said.
“Right,” Duke muttered. He dropped it into the inside pocket of his leather jacket, tossed his hat in the back seat, and glanced at her. “Promise me you’ll stay here.”
“I promise,” Cathy said. “Just be careful.”
Moments later, Duke was out of the truck and running. Cathy could see the red taillights now—like glowing red eyes looking up from between the trees—as Duke slipped and slid his way down the slope.
“Whoever it is, please God let them be okay,” she said, and pressed her face as close to the window as she could get, trying to see through the downpour.
* * *
Big Tom Rankin had spent the night with his girlfriend, Ethel, and stayed over this morning to help her repair a hole in the fence around her chicken house. They had discussed the notion of getting married more than once, but neither one of them wanted to give up their own homes, so overnight visits to Ethel’s had become a twice-a-week thing.
His son, Albert, didn’t seem to mind. Ever since they’d lost Junior, Albert’s older brother, in the aftermath of the hurricane, Albert had become something of a recluse and was perfectly capable of tending to their livestock on his own when the need arose.
Big Tom had dozed off in the recliner after their noon meal, and Ethel let him sleep until she saw the thunderstorm brewing and hurried into the living room to wake him.
“Tom, honey…there’s a big storm approaching. If you want to get home before it hits, you’d best be leaving.”
“Hmmm, what? A storm, you say?”
“Yes, and you said earlier you were going to help Albert get that cow with the lame calf up to the barn.”
“Right…okay, thanks for waking me, Ethel.”
He got out of the chair, kissed her goodbye, and grabbed his car keys on the way out the door. He was surprised by how dark the clouds were and made a quick call to Albert as he was turning around.
Albert answered on the second ring, and sounded a little anxious.
“Hello?”
“Son, it’s me. I’m on the way home,” Tom said.
“I saw the storm brewing and already got the cow and calf up.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t get there to help. I fell asleep in the recliner after dinner. Ethel just woke me up,” he said.
“It’s okay, Daddy. No need to hurry.”
“Well, hell, I’m not gonna beat that rain,” Tom said as the first raindrops splattered across his windshield.
“Drive safe,” Albert said.
“I will,” Tom said, and disconnected.
The rain was coming down in sheets, making it difficult to see any distance ahead, and Tom was really having to pay attention to make sure he didn’t veer off the road.
Just as he came over a hill, something darted out of the trees to his left and ran right in front of his car.
Startled, Tom swerved to keep from hitting it, and when he did, he lost control and went flying off the road, then down the slope. He saw the trees coming up fast and braced himself for impact, and then everything went black.
The next thing he knew, there was rain on his face and someone was shouting his name.
“Tom! Tom! Can you hear me?”
Tom groaned, and managed to open his eyes. “Duke? Is that you?”
“Yes. Can you move?”
Tom winced, then cried out from a sharp pain below his knee.
“I don’t think so.”
“I already called an ambulance, buddy. Hang in there. I’ll stay with you until it’s here.”
“Albert…” Tom muttered.
“Yes, I’ll call him later. Right now, let’s just focus on you. Both doors are jammed, or I’d be inside with you,” Duke said. “What happened?”
“Something jumped in front of the car. Maybe a deer. I swerved to miss it…I think. I just remember the trees coming up in my face.” Then he reached toward his forehead. “Hurts,” he said.
“You cut it… It’s bleeding.”
Tom groaned, and then passed out again.
Duke felt Tom’s pulse. It was steady enough, so he turned and ran back up the slope to let Cathy know what was happening.
When she saw him scrambling back up the slope, she breathed a quick sigh of relief and rolled down the window as he reached the truck.
“It’s Tom Rankin, a neighbor. He swerved to miss some animal and went off the road. He came to once, but he’s passed out again and I can’t get to him. The car is wedged between two trees. I already called for an ambulance. I’m going back down to wait with him.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Cathy asked.
“No, and there’s not anything I can really do, either, except stay with him.”
He leaned in the window, kissed her quick and hard, and then took off back down the slope.
Cathy rolled the window back up and then felt her lips. They were cold and wet from his kiss, and he’d already disappeared again. She shivered, both from the chill of the storm and the anxiety of what was happening, and prayed for help to arrive.
* * *
As it happened, a deputy from the sheriff’s department got there first.
Cathy saw him pull up behind her, and then he got out on the run and knocked on her window.
“Ma’am, we got a call about a wreck out here.”
“Down there,” Cathy said. “Duke Talbot is with the man. He said the car is wedged between two trees and he can’t get to the driver. He said he already called an ambulance, too.”
The deputy gave her a thumbs-up and ran back to his cruiser to call for a tow truck just as the ambulance arrived on the scene.
After that, it was collective chaos. Duke came back up the hill and jumped in his truck, chilled and shaking as he started it up.
“I’ve done all I can, and the best thing I can do is get out of the way. The tow truck will be here shortly, and the driver is going to need some wiggle room to get that car pulled up out of the trees before they can get Big Tom out.”
“Find a place to turn around and go back to your farm,” Cathy said.
“But I need to—”
“What you need is to get warm and into dry clothes, and don’t argue,” Cathy said. “Are you too cold to drive?”
“No. I’m okay,” Duke said, and then quickly found a place to turn and headed back home, out of the way of the tow truck and the rescue vehicles that were now lining the side of the road. “I promised Big Tom I’d call his son. Would you please scroll through my contacts until you find the name Albert, hit Call, and then put it on speaker for me while I drive.”
Cathy’s hands were shaking, but she did as he asked, and as soon as the phone began ringing, she held it up so Duke could talk without taking his hands off the wheel.
> Albert answered on the fourth ring.
“Hello, this is Albert.”
“Albert, this is Duke.”
“Hey, Duke. What’s up?”
“First off…don’t panic, but your dad’s had an accident. He ran off the road and is pinned in his car for the time being. I’ve been with him the whole time, and now help has arrived. He’s got the car wedged between some trees, and we couldn’t get the doors open to get to him.”
“Oh my God! I was beginning to worry why he wasn’t home.”
“He asked me to call you, so I am. They’ll take him to the ER in Blessings.”
“Thank you, man. Thank you.”
“Sure thing. Just keep me posted, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Albert said, and disconnected.
Cathy put Duke’s phone back in the console, and glanced up at the road.
“We’re almost there, right?”
Duke heard the concern in her voice. “Yes, honey. Just a few minutes more, and we’ll be back at the farm.”
She glanced at him once, thinking to herself how fearlessly he’d gone down that hill without knowing what he’d find, and then stayed with his friend until help arrived.
“You do know you probably saved his life,” she said.
Duke frowned. “No, I just—”
“How much traffic is on that road?” she asked.
“Not a lot,” he said.
“If you hadn’t seen those taillights, there’s no telling how long he would have been there before someone found him.”
Duke shrugged. “Some things are just meant to be. And, we’re home,” he added, and pulled around to the back of the house, getting as close to the back porch as he could.
Jack came out the kitchen door as they were getting out, took one look at Duke, and frowned.
“What happened to you?” he asked, as he ushered both of them inside out of the rain.
“Tom Rankin had a wreck,” Duke said.
“Go,” Cathy said, pointing. “Hot shower. Dry clothes. Hot coffee will be waiting.”
Duke grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, dripping water as he went.
Chapter 13
“Talk to me,” Jack said, and turned around to make a fresh pot of coffee.
So Cathy began to relate what had happened, right down to reiterating what she’d said before, about Duke saving the man’s life.
“Wow,” Jack said. “Listen, make yourself at home. I’m going to go check on my brother. Help yourself to coffee. Cream is in the refrigerator…sugar is on the table.”
He left the room on the run as Cathy went down the hall to the guest bath to freshen up. By the time both men came back down, she was sitting at the table nearest the window, watching it rain. She looked up as they walked in.
“Have you heard anything yet? Did they get him out of the car?”
“Yes. I’m sure he’s already at the ER being treated, and his car has been towed away. The road is clear now, if you’re ready to try this again.”
“Not unless you take hot coffee with you,” she said.
Jack grinned. “Finally, someone is telling Duke what to do for a change.”
Duke poured a cup of coffee into a travel mug, then popped the lid on it.
“Will this work?” he asked.
“Are you still chilled?” she asked.
“No. Seriously, I’m fine,” Duke said.
“Okay then, but only because the rain is beginning to let up. Jack, thank you for your hospitality and coffee. I will see you day after tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Jack said.
“You’re gonna get a little wet,” Duke said.
“I haven’t melted yet,” Cathy said.
Duke grinned, then opened the door and stood aside as she strode out onto the porch. They stood for a few moments staring into the rain, and then looked at each other and shrugged.
“I’m game if you are,” he said.
“Let’s do it!” Cathy said, and leaped off the porch. In just a few steps they were both at the truck and climbing in.
“Lord,” Duke said, as he slammed the door shut behind him, then glanced at Cathy. The curls around her face had turned into corkscrews brought on by the weather, and the rain had long since washed all the makeup off her face. “You look like you’re about sixteen, and I feel like a dirty old man for what I’m thinking,” he said.
She grinned. “Well, looks are deceiving, and your reputation is safe with me.”
“Buckle up and let’s try this again,” he said, and drove away from the farm.
Whatever mud and tracks that had been on the road during the recovery of Big Tom and his car had long since been washed away by the rain, and this time the drive back into Blessings was uneventful.
Duke pulled up into the driveway at Cathy’s house and parked behind her car.
“Do you have to hurry back?” Cathy asked.
“No,” Duke said, and gave her a look that made her heart skip.
“Want to come in?” she asked.
He nodded, and opened the door, then ran around to help her out. Soon they were on the porch, and then inside the house. As soon as Cathy locked the door, he took off his jacket and hat and then pulled her into his arms.
Cathy sighed. “This is happening, isn’t it?”
“It is unless you send me home,” Duke said.
“I don’t want you to go home.”
He heard the want in her voice, and cupped her face with his hands and then kissed her.
“Are you sure you know what you’re getting into with me? Work is always dirty, and nothing is for sure…especially after all those years of living in the bright lights of Vegas.”
“Bright lights are just that…bright lights. The world behind the scenes is like anywhere else. People live normal lives, raising families and going to ordinary jobs there, too. It has its own level of beauty, but your world speaks to my heart. It’s like the way I grew up…just less dangerous. And I want a life with someone who loves me like Daddy loved Mama. I’m tired of running, Duke. I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
“Then be with me…be my love. I’ll keep you safe, baby. You won’t ever have to be afraid again.”
Breath caught in the back of Cathy’s throat.
“Then follow me,” she said.
But he didn’t follow. He swung her up into his arms, instead.
“Where’s the bed?”
“Down the hall. First door on the left.”
He carried her out of the room and then down the short hall into her bedroom and put her down beside the bed.
Cathy pulled back the covers and kicked off her shoes as Duke toed off his boots, and then they began shedding clothes.
What might have been awkward was overshadowed by desire. When Cathy tossed her last piece of clothing aside and stretched out on the bed, Duke slid in beside her, then paused, taking his time to admire the beauty before him.
“You are so beautiful,” he said softly, and when he lowered his head, her arms slid around his neck.
“Make love to me,” she whispered, and so he did, taking his time to map every inch of her body with his hands and with his lips until she was aching for him.
Duke took her slowly…gently…afraid he’d hurt her, but his fears were unfounded. He’d only meant to love her…not set her on fire.
It was in the moment of joining that it happened. A recognition of souls—from lives long past. And without words to explain it, and no way to understand that frantic moment of sexual greed after a lifetime of unfulfilled longing, all they could do was hang on for the ride.
The ending came between one breath and the next—without warning—without that sensation of a building climax—shocking the both of them to total silence.
One minute turned into
two, and then three before Cathy was able to breathe and think at the same time.
“What just happened?”
Duke rose up on one elbow.
“You happened. I just didn’t expect a resurrection to come with it.”
Cathy touched his face, then ran her finger down the curve of his chin.
“Well, whatever it was, it was magic, and you are one fine magician.”
Duke grinned. “Well, hocus pocus and abracadabra. I think we need to see if we can do that again.”
Cathy sighed with sudden longing. “Lord, I hope so,” she said.
And so they did.
Duke stayed longer than he’d meant to, but then leaving wasn’t as easy as it had been before.
“I don’t want to leave, but I need to get back.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. She didn’t want him to go, either.
“I know. Jack is going to wring both our necks if I keep you here any longer.”
Duke buried his face in the thick tumble of red curls beneath his chin and sighed.
“I love you to distraction, but you already know that,” he said.
Cathy’s pulse kicked, and then she leaned back in his arms.
“I love you, Duke Talbot…and in a way I didn’t know existed, and I’ll see you again day after tomorrow.”
“I’ll come get you,” Duke said.
“No. I’ll drive myself up and back. There will be a lot going on, and they’ll likely need your help.”
“We’ll talk about this again,” he said, then cupped her face and kissed her one last time. “Love you. Be safe. Call me anytime.”
And then he was gone.
Cathy stood in the doorway waving as he drove away, then backed up and closed the door. It was still raining, and she felt a chill to the house now that he was gone. She turned up the thermostat, then looked at the little house that had welcomed her to Blessings and thought about the big house they were going to redo together.
She had never been so certain about a man in her life as she was about Duke Talbot. Whatever the connection they had between them, it was magic, and she didn’t intend to lose it by worrying about propriety. They weren’t even a month into knowing each other. They’d just made love for the first time, and she knew in her heart it was meant to be. If the speed of this didn’t bother Duke, she sure wasn’t going to let it bother her. It wasn’t as if they were kids who hadn’t lived enough of life to make a sensible decision. It was more of a feeling that the lives they’d led before they met had been lived for other people and never for themselves.
