****
After leaving Denver, the mountainous roads became curvy and more treacherous. Boone knew he could drive faster, but Delilah had a hard time keeping up. “Next time I drive,” Boone suggested.
“Put that in the pro column for us working together,” Delilah commented.
As promised, the two arrived in Grand Junction in three hours. When they turned south, they knew they would arrive home in less than two hours; much less as long as the weather held out. Few people traveled the road and they would take advantage of it. Even thought they had kept their phones on, in order to talk to each other, the ride was quiet. Neither knew how much they could or should divulge.
The duo reached Red Mountain in less than seven hours. They both sighed aloud as they pulled onto the dirt road which led to their homes. Boone chuckled, “All this time we were neighbors, and I never knew it.”
“Sorry for the deception,” Delilah grimaced, her voice apologetic.
Boone stopped his vehicle at the entrance to the road which led up the mountain to Raven Hill. Delilah parked hers as well. Both got out. “The weather is going to change soon,” Delilah advised looking towards the sky. “We are going to start getting snow by the end of the week. Maybe we should plan to get together in a few days for dinner.”
“Sounds like fun. Thursday?” Boone suggested.
“Just come on over around 6 p.m. I am the only house on the hill. I will have dinner ready. And bring swim trunks.”
“You have a pool?”
“I was thinking hot tub,” Delilah snickered while imagining Boone’s bare muscular chest. “We can relax and discuss our merger.”
The moment became awkward. Neither knew what to do next. Should they hug, kiss or just shake hands? Boone proffered his hand. Delilah accepted. But neither wanted to let go of one another. They needed each other. They needed a friend, a confidante. They needed companionship. They held each other’s hand for what seemed like forever. But it would never be long enough for either of them. They smiled a bittersweet smile and said good night finally releasing the handshake. Delilah turned and walked back to her vehicle.
Boone watched Delilah pull away, up the road to her home. He stood frozen until he could no longer see her gold-colored SUV. Then he headed to his cabin. After lighting the fireplace to warm his small home, Boone stepped back outside and looked to the top of Raven Hill. He smiled as he saw the lights of Delilah’s home. Boone found comfort in knowing she was safely home. He stood there for an hour feeling closer to Delilah just by seeing the lights. They were like a beacon to his soul.
The next three days seemed like an eternity for both Boone and Delilah. Boone spent most of the time ordering groceries and supplies for the winter. Having a well-stocked pantry and freezer was imperative if the winter turned harsh and he became snowed in. Delilah did much of the same. Then Boone searched the national databases for any fugitives who might be on the run in neighboring states. Maybe he could find a job he and Delilah could team up on. He was looking for a reason to see her again.
Boone found one that interested him. Without a moment’s thought, he dialed Delilah. “There is a big reward posted for an escapee in Nebraska,” Boone announced, as she answered the phone.
“Speller’s already closing in on him,” Delilah advised. “I talked to him this morning.”
“It is going to be a long winter,” Boone said with a worried tone. “Once the Arctic air moves south, we are going to have a dry spell of escapees. It happens every year.”
“We have both got enough funds to get us through the winter. We will be okay. Just think of it as an extended vacation,” Delilah laughed.
“I like working. It keeps me busy,” Boone sighed in despair. Sitting still was not his strongest forte.
“So we will find other work,” Delilah suggested. “We can work as P.I.s during the winter.”
“Like doing stakeouts on deadbeat husbands cheating on their wives or vice versa? No thanks,” Boone sneered.
“I am sure there is other stuff we can do,” Delilah countered. “Just think about it and we can talk more tonight.”
“Yes, tonight,” Boone growled low and sexily.
“Did you just growl?” Delilah giggled in anticipation.
“No!” Boone quickly denied. Yes, he found Delilah attractive but there was no way in hell he was going to cross the line and embark into a sexual relationship. It went against everything he believed in.
“Snow is moving in late this afternoon, so you may want to come up the hill a bit early,” Delilah suggested. She wanted to see Boone as much as he wanted to see her. She had been hiding on Raven Hill for more years than she was ready to admit to Boone or anyone.
“I will come up after I run into town and grab a bottle of wine or two,” Boone barely whispered while trying to regain his composure. The memory of helping Delilah remove her jeans and seeing her nearly see through red panties was racing through his brain again.
“No need. Daddy sent another supply of wine,” Delilah advised. “But thank you for offering.”
Boone pushed the end button and looked at himself in the mirror. He had not shaved for several days, and he realized he was in need of a haircut. Nice clothes. I do not have any dressy clothes, he thought in a panic. Too late now.
Boone showered, first a cold one and then a hot one, and shaved. No time for a haircut. Boone found a clean pair of jeans and ironed a white long sleeved shirt. It was his occasional night on the town outfit. No one had ever complained before. The woman always smiled. Boone cleaned the mud off his boots and took one last look. It is just dinner, he reminded himself. And maybe a business merger.
Boone started up the long driveway ascending to Raven Hill. He had no idea how far up the mountain Delilah’s house was. Boone kept watching after each turn hoping he would see the house. He held his breath at every turn. His life was changing. He had a friend and maybe a business partner. His life would never be lonely again. He felt himself smiling but with the last turn, his smile went away.
Nestled in the peaks of Red Mountain was Raven Hill. At first, he did not see the house; only the gate to the ten-foot high black metal fence surrounding the house. On the ornate gate were two black metal swans with their heads facing each other. Just feet away from the gate, the gate opened. And the fog which concealed the house lifted.
Boone gasped at the palatial sized mansion before him. All white stone which seemed to sparkle like diamonds in the sparse sunlight. A bright, warm glow surrounded the estate. It was like entering heaven. Damn woman. Who is your daddy?
Boone drove up to the house and parked near the door but still in the driveway. He walked towards the elaborate portico and double doors. The doors were big and tall, tall enough for a giant to enter. Both were white just like the facade of the stone mansion. Both doors were adorned with the same swans as the gate, but this time, they were carved of wood and white in color.
Before Boone could finish pondering the meaning behind the swans, the doors opened, inviting him in. Boone had expected Delilah to meet him at the door, but she was not there. Alone he entered the foyer and gaped at the opulence. Everything was in white marble and gold accents. It reminded him of a palace or at least what he imagined a palace would look like.
Boone heard Delilah calling to him and followed her voice to the kitchen. The kitchen was small compared to the rest of the mansion but still quite large. “Dinner will be at six, but I have some starters just about ready. Pour yourself a glass of wine and make yourself at home,” Delilah smiled warmly. She was happy to see him.
“Who is your daddy?” were the only words Boone could utter.
“In time, Hooxei,” Delilah laughed. “I have set up a table on the patio for dinner and then after dinner, we can relax in the hot tub. I hope you like it hot.”
Boone could only nod as he looked around in amazement first at Delilah and then hi
s surroundings. Delilah was wearing a faded pair of blue jeans instead of her usual black. The jeans were worn and torn in all the right places. Her feet were bare showing her perfectly manicured toes adorned with red polish. She wore a pale pink silk camisole. She looked more like an innocent girl than the intimidating bounty hunter Boone had seen time and time again over the past decade. Delilah looked relaxed with her long wavy brown hair softly cascading around her shoulders.
Then Boone looked around the large eat in kitchen with large bay windows which overlooked the patio. The room was bright and welcoming. Despite having all the modern accouterments, it felt homey and comfortable. “My place is a dump compared to this,” Boone muttered.
“I am sure your house meets your needs,” Delilah stated, trying to put Boone at ease. “Daddy was a bit over the top when he had this built for me.”
“Ya think?!?”
“Yeah, I think. There are rooms I have not seen in years. I live in only a small part of the house. It is way too big; too much to keep clean.”
“So why do you live here?” Boone pondered aloud.
“It makes Daddy happy. And no one likes pissing Daddy off,” Delilah chuckled nervously. “Plus it is close to you.”
“Are you going to tell me about that?” Boone asked suspiciously.
“Some of it. Later; after dinner. I thought we would talk about our merger first,” Delilah suggested. “I believe that it could be fun. We can pick and choose our assignments. Only take the jobs which sound fun. No mundane crap like sitting in the parking lot of a no-tell motel waiting for cheating scum to come out of their rented by the hour room, freshly showered and photo ready.”
“Do you really want to do this?” Boone asked. “It will be less money to put into our personal coffers. But then again, you do not look like you are hurting for money.”
“Daddy may have given me the house, but I still have to make it on my own, Huxley. Daddy does not pay the bills or buy the groceries,” Delilah snapped.
Boone knew he had pushed one of Delilah’s buttons. She had only called him Huxley once before, and it was when she was filled with disdain. “Sorry Angel. I guess I do not know the whole story yet.”
“You will. In time.”
Red Wolf Page 10
