Rayne Comes to Town

by Dannie Marsden

  “You just sit down, Rayne. I’ll see to him.” Emma placed a slice of cake in front of her.

  “You stay the hell away from him, you hear me.” Rayne pushed the chair back and stood up fast.

  Tom and Emma were right there to catch her before she fell. As Emma picked up the chair that had fallen, Tom held her steady.

  “Do not speak to me in that tone, Rayne Mathews,” Emma scolded.

  “Sorry I didn’t mean to, but that dog is a danger right now and I won’t have you near him. I’ll tend to him.”

  “But you’re in no condition to tend to him yourself right now,” Emma argued.

  “Emma, if you go near him I swear to, God, I’ll…”

  “You’ll do what?” Emma eyes flashed with a spark of anger.

  “Emma, don’t you understand? If he was bit he could have been infected… I can’t take that chance,” Rayne said.

  “Fine, but he has to eat too. How are you going to manage that? You look like you’re about to fall over.”

  Rayne was sweating by the time she finally made it to the bed. She fell into the soft mattress and passed out cold.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  With the help of her the town men and Emma, Rayne’s ranch was running smoothly. Each morning the animals were fed, and while everyone hollered about it, it was Rayne who fed Lucifer. She felt it was the least she could do since she was the one locking him up. Under no circumstance would she risk injury to Em or to any of the others. Yet it was a battle with the feisty blonde each time Rayne stood to go out to feed Lucifer. Each morning and each evening, she looked for signs of rabies and to her relief each time she found nothing.

  By the time a couple of weeks had passed, Rayne was up and around and feeling back to normal. She sensed that Emma was always watching her to make sure she was indeed as fine as she claimed to be and that made her feel happy. Rayne had settled into a relaxed comfortable pattern of domestic life.

  Emma was up each morning before her and had coffee ready by the time Rayne walked out of the bedroom and headed out to feed the horses and chickens. When she came back in, Emma had breakfast on the table with a steaming cup of fresh coffee ready.

  Each morning when Rayne felt Emma get out of bed, she enjoyed the sound of her bustling around in the kitchen as she put coffee on the small iron holder. At first, it took her some time before she was able to follow her quickly out of bed. For the first week, all Rayne heard was, No sit yourself right there and don’t worry about the animals, I will get to them. Usually, by the time, the coffee was ready, either Doc or Tom would be there, tossing oats and hay to the horses and cracked corn to the chickens. By the time they were done, Emma had a plate for them sitting on the table along with coffee and wouldn’t take no for an answer from them when they would say they just stopped by. If they had to leave, Emma would wrap up the biscuits and bacon to send with them.

  One such morning, Rayne was sitting t the table with Doc and Tom while Emma insisted on feeding the chickens. Rayne only shook her head as Emma left them alone.

  “Ya know, Rayne, Emma is a sweet girl and I am sure glad you rescued her from that saloon. Ever since her folks died and Fern took over her care I’ve worried about her. That was no life for her.” Doc pointed his fork at Rayne. “Now you listen to me.” He narrowed his eyes. “You need someone to take care of you and she needs a home.”

  “You two are a good match,” Tom added. “You couldn’t ask for a better person than Emma.”

  Rayne remained still just sitting there listening to the two men as her heart nodded in agreement.

  A few weeks after Rayne recovered and Doc had given her the go ahead, she was back on Apache, riding fence. As she looked out at her land, the sight of the small herd, her house that sat off in the distance, the green meadow, and the stream that flowed through it all made her feel calm—something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. A sense of belonging flowed through her.

  The slight breeze that blew around her and the scent of the wildflowers in the air mixed with the warmth of the sun gave her such a blessed feeling. She smiled at the realization that she was home. This right here was everything she had wished for, right down to the woman currently in her kitchen fixing lunch.

  With a smile, she nudged the bay and headed toward home.

  When Rayne walked inside the house, she headed straight to the kitchen.

  “Hey, you’re in early. Good thing I put the chicken to fry earlier.”

  “Smells great, is it about done?”

  “It is. I actually have it in the Dutch oven to keep warm. Are you hungry now? I can fry up some potatoes real fast if you are.”

  “Why don’t we throw the chicken in a basket along with some apples and head on down to the creek?” Rayne leaned back against the door jam. “It’s a beautiful day, would be a shame to let it go to waste.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly. I have the house to clean, laundry to do.…” Emma said.

  Rayne let a slow smile cross her face.

  “Are you serious? You aren’t just teasing me are you?”

  “Sure, I’m serious. Come on, what are you waitin’ for? If you take any more time, the afternoon’ll be gone.” Rayne walked over to the storage room and fetched a small basket.

  “Here, I’ll get that.” Emma reached for the basket and began placing towels in it before she pulled out the chicken from the oven.

  With a big smile, Rayne went into the bedroom and grabbed a blanket, went back outside, and strapped it to the back of the saddle that sat on Apache. She reached for her canteen, went to the water barrel, and filled it with cold water before replacing it on the saddle beside her rifle. She went back into the house to get Emma and the basket of chicken.

  Emma grabbed her sunbonnet and followed Rayne out the door.

  Rayne put her foot in the stirrup and pushed off and up onto the bay. She reached for the basket, and hooked it to the saddle horn. She then reached out for Emma and helped her mount the horse behind her. With Emma’s arms wrapped around her waist, Rayne guided Apache toward the meadow and a shady spot by the creek.

  †

  Emma smelled the fresh wildflowers as the warm sun shone down on her. She was the happiest she had ever been, of that she was sure. In the few short weeks that she had lived with Rayne, she knew Rayne was everything she had ever dreamed of… and exactly who she dreamed of.

  As they rode up to the spot where Rayne chose to stop, Emma gasped. As Rayne helped her off the horse, she looked around and smiled. Emma was in awe at the beauty of the spot

  Rayne dismounted, untied the blanket, grabbed the basket, and the canteen while Emma walked around just breathing in the scent of nature and listening to the birds and the sound of the water trickling softly over the rocks, making its way to who knew where.

  “Do you like it?” Rayne walked up behind Emma and wrapped her arms around her, and placed her chin against Emma’s head.

  “It’s beautiful, Rayne. So quiet and peaceful.”

  “Yeah, that it is.”

  “Do you come here often?” Emma asked.

  “No, I don’t…haven’t had the time. I found it when I first got here but then…well, things started happening and I got busy. Come on, let’s spread out the blanket.”

  Rayne reached for Emma’s hand and they walked to a spot where she had dropped the blanket, the chicken, and the canteen.

  Together they spread out the blanket, sat down, and opened the basket.

  After the meal of still-warm chicken, they lay on the blanket and looked up at the clouds, pointing out shapes. Their hands brushed and touched whenever possible. With the passing of the afternoon, their touches lasted longer and became bolder.

  With a sigh of regret, Emma smiled at Rayne. “This has been lovely. Thank you.”

  “I’m happy you liked it. It is getting close to the time when the animals need feeding and bedding down.”

  “It’s been a wonderful afternoon, one I’ll never forget, Rayne. I hope we do thi
s again soon.”

  Rayne let out contented sigh. “Me too.” They packed everything up and she mounted Apache holding out her hand for Emma. Once Emma was settled behind her, Rayne nudged the horse toward home.

  As they rode back to the homestead, Emma had her arms around Rayne’s waist with her head resting against the solid, warm back. She knew she belonged with Rayne and God help her, it was where she would stay.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  The yard was quiet when they rode in, and instantly Rayne felt something was wrong. Her eyes carefully took in everything, and stopped as she caught sight of the building that housed Lucifer. She stopped Apache instantly and pulled her long legs over the saddle, careful not to knock Emma down. Without hesitation, she reached up, pulled the blonde off the horse.

  “Stay put,” Rayne told Emma before running to the building.

  The door to the shed stood open and Rayne heard no sound coming from inside. Slowly, before making her way inside, she drew the forty-five that was strapped to her hip. The coppery smell of blood reached her nose and when her eyes adjusted, she caught sight of the lifeless body of the black dog. With her chest heaving, she stumbled back, turned away, and headed for the back of the building before she lost the contents of her stomach.

  “Rayne what is going on?” Emma called out.

  “Stay where you are, Emma.” Rayne’s voice brooked no argument.

  Emma stayed put.

  Rayne steeled her emotions and came around the building

  Emma started walking toward Rayne and stopped suddenly. “Rayne, are you all right?”

  “Yeah, though I think we are heading to town again. I’ll saddle up Delilah. Stay away from that building. Do you understand me?”

  “Rayne, what happened? Where’s Lucifer?”

  “I…we don’t have time for me to tell you…I need to get Delilah saddled.” Rayne walked toward the barn.

  Emma went toward the shed and walked inside.

  The only thing Rayne heard was the piercing scream coming from Emma, and she was out of the barn like a lightning bolt. Not seeing Emma, she ran to the shed where she found Emma standing with her hands over her mouth.

  “Em, Emma, look at me, come on, let’s get out of here. No…stay with me. Shit.” Rayne caught Emma in her arms before she slumped to the ground. Picking up the beautiful blonde, she walked directly to the house, and with her foot kicked open the door. She walked to the sofa and gently placed Emma down. She stroked her cheek before she turned on her heel and went into the bedroom for a washcloth from the washbasin on the dresser. As she kneeled beside Emma, she tenderly placed the cold cloth on her forehead.

  With her voice low and soft, Rayne said, “Come on, baby, it’s okay. Open your eyes. I swear I won’t let anything happen to you. I know I’ve let you down before but not this time. I’ve learned my lesson. You are all that matters. Wake up, honey.”

  “What…Oh, God, Rayne, what happened?” Emma regained consciousness and her arms reached for Rayne.

  “I don’t know, baby, I don’t know. But I do know we need to get to Tom’s as quick as we can. Do you think you can ride?”

  “Yes, I think I can. Can we go now please?” Emma answered in a shaky voice.

  Rayne walked behind Emma, already deciding that she would not be riding Delilah to town. She knew Emma had very little experience riding a horse on her own and didn’t have the strength to stay on the animal. She reached for the horse and tethered her to the closest post. Emma looked at her questioningly. “You’re riding with me. I don’t think you have the strength to ride alone. I won’t leave you here alone.”

  “Rayne, I’ll be fine on Delilah.”

  “Well maybe, but ever consider I might need you with me and I was just looking for an excuse?” Rayne replied shakily.

  “All right,” Emma said. “Let’s get going before it gets much later. The sooner we see Tom, the sooner we find out who did that to Lucifer.”

  “That’s my girl.” Rayne smiled a halfhearted smile. She helped Emma up onto Apache once more and got on behind her this time. With the reins in hand and Emma wrapped in the circle of her arms, Rayne spurred the large bay into a run.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Once Tom finished looking around Rayne’s place, he and Rayne buried Lucifer.

  Tom pushed his hat back on his head and rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. “Don’t know who would do this to your dog, Rayne. You have my word I will do all I can to find out.”

  “Thanks, Tom, I appreciate it.”

  “I don’t have a good feelin’ about this.” Tom shook his head as he mounted his horse. “I guess I’d better head back to town. You and Emma goin’ to be okay?”

  “We’ll be fine.” Rayne nodded and slapped the horse’s hindquarter and watched as the sheriff moved up the road before she headed into the house.

  Rayne walked inside and dropped into the nearest chair. She felt extremely guilty, and had experienced that feeling the entire ride into and back from town. She had a huge sense of relief that they hadn’t been home when whoever it was paid them a visit. She also had a deep sense of sorrow. She wondered if she could have saved Lucifer’s life, or at least made his death not so callous. She knew from looking at Lucifer’s body, that he had suffered and that his death had been painful and drawn out. She also knew that had they been home, that could have very well happened to them. A very angry person was behind the killing and that thought both scared and worried her.

  “Rayne.”

  The soft voice broke into Rayne’s weary thoughts.

  “Come eat something.”

  “I’m not very hungry,” she answered quietly.

  “I know, but you have to at least try, Rayne,” Emma replied. “It’s not much, just some soup and biscuits.”

  Rayne sighed, and tiredly stood.

  Emma took hold of her hand and they walked into the kitchen.

  Rayne sat down and looked at Emma who sat across from her. She tried to smile, just as Emma did, but both finally just gave up and half-heartedly ate.

  As Emma cleaned up the kitchen, Rayne stepped outside for some fresh air.

  Rayne hadn’t been outside long when she heard the squeak of the door and felt a soft warm hand on her shoulder. She turned and they wrapped their arms around one another in mutual need.

  “Long evening…” Emma said.

  “Yup, it has been. I’m sorry you saw Lucifer like that. I shoulda told you to go inside or somethin’.”

  “It’s not your fault. You told me to stay put and I chose not to listen.” Emma tightened her arms around Rayne.

  Before Rayne knew what she was doing, she softly placed a kiss on the top of Emma’s head. She breathed in the sweet smell of the soap Emma had washed her hair with earlier that morning.

  Emma slowly lifted her head with eyes searching Rayne’s face.

  Rayne slowly lowered her face and her lips gently touched those of Emma. At first, it was a simple brush of their lips, then another and yet another. Before either knew, Rayne’s tongue was slowly parting Emma’s warm, welcoming lips.

  As quickly as she had started it, Rayne ended it.

  Emma stepped back and, casting her eyes downward, walked into the house.

  Oh, God, what did I just do, what must she think. She must think I’m some kind of sick deviant, Rayne thought with a lurch of horror.

  †

  Emma didn’t realize it was Rayne who kissed her. Confused by her own actions, Emma heard the door close behind her. It was only then that she realized that Rayne was standing behind her. She leaned into the lips nuzzling her neck and the hands gently resting on her hips. Only when she heard a soft moan did she even realize that it was coming from her throat. She turned into Rayne’s arms and met her kiss with one as hard and fiery as the one Rayne was giving her.

  With the fire burning hotter, the two worked at removing layers of clothing as they moved to the bedroom. Naked, they landed on the bed as their mouths and fingers
explored one another.

  †

  Rayne couldn’t recall anyone tasting as sweet and feeling as soft as Emma did, and she was lost in the sensations. The kisses were fiery and added to the ache that had developed in her and, she suspected, in Emma too.

  Rayne’s hands roamed over the soft warm body that lay under her. Feeling it created a need inside her that she had not felt as strongly before Emma. Slowly her mouth moved to Emma’s neck kissing and gently nipping as her hand moved to cup a full breast. Her thumb brushing over the nipple caused it to become hard and Emma took in a quick breath. Rayne moved her mouth down and found the nipple. She gently flicked her tongue over it, back and forth, alternating between gentle and hard. She could feel the need in Emma when her hand moved to hold Rayne’s head in place.

  Rayne’s hand made its way to the juncture of Emma’s legs and felt the slick wetness that she was creating. Her fingers began to stroke Emma’s pink nub gently. With Emma breathing harder and faster, Rayne continued to stroke and suck on the nipple, before slowly sliding a finger into Emma’s wet center. Deeper and deeper she went, trying to keep things slow but failing as Emma brought her hips up, urging her to push her fingers deeper. Before Rayne realized it, a rhythm was set, one that would quickly drive Emma over the edge.

  It seemed to Rayne that she had just shut her eyes when the sun dawned. With a contented sigh, she looked at Emma whose head was resting on her shoulder. This feeling of complete joy and happiness was what she had searched for her whole life.

  Where do we go from here, though?

  It was hard being a female rancher and farmer of the Rocking M Ranch. As far as she could tell, the people of Willow Springs accepted her and didn’t give her much trouble. She realized how lucky she was in that respect for they could have made her life much more difficult. The only real trouble with anyone around was with Sprigs and whoever tore up her home, tried to rustle her cattle, and had killed her dog. Sprig, maybe?