Echoes of the Heart (22 page)

His teeth bit into
his lip while he sucked in a breath and buried his face in her neck.
 
A growl rolled from his throat while his seed
surged from him, filling her with his release.
 
He rested his cheek on her head while holding her tightly against him
and stroked her hair.
 
She enjoyed the
silent aftermath of their lovemaking, just holding each other until the water
began to cool.

They washed each
other and Rae ran her fingers gently over the scratches she had made on his
back.
 
“I’m sorry I hurt you.
 
I did not realize.”

He laughed
aloud.
 
“Believe me, I didn’t even
notice.”

They joked and
tossed water on each other. He tickled her sides and they broke out laughing
when water splashed out on the floor.
 
After drying each other, they used the towels to sop up the water.
 
He pulled a blanket around her body when he
carried her to bed.

She wanted him
with her, though knew he must leave.
 
He
knelt beside the bed and kissed her then stroked her hair murmuring endearments
until she fell asleep.

Twenty-seven

           
Cash
rode away feeling guilty for what he had done.
 
He knew if he ever touched her again, it would lead to this.
 
A moth to a flame she drew him, his weakness
made him uneasy.
 
Would she demand
marriage?
 
If she insisted, he would have
to.
 
It would have been easy if she had
not been a virgin, however the thought of her with another made him
cringe.
 
He liked being her first.

           
How
someone so young and innocent could evoke such passion puzzled him, along with
the truth he could not remember an experience with a woman turning him inside
out.
 
He shook away the thoughts.
 
The moonlight guided him home.

***

A pounded headache
woke him.
 
His first thought was the same
as his last the night before, Raeden.
 
As
the prosthetic wings of his freedom from attachment began to crumble, he felt
desperate.
 
He must go away and think
before he did something irrational.
 
He
would go to the ranch.
 
Maybe some
distance would allow rational thought.

           
John
sat at the desk when he entered, a sly grin passing over his face.
 
He knew why.
 
He could not hide it.
 
Christ, the
whole damn town showed up.
 
“I’ll be out
of town a few days.
 
See you when I
return.”

           
He
heard John’s quiet laughter when he stepped through the back door to saddle
Rabbit.
 
Cash guessed he had better get
used to it.
 
He would be the town
laughingstock before the end of the day.

           
A
few miles out of town, he almost turned back.
 
After all, he had nowhere to run to or nowhere to hide from his
feelings.
 
This would only delay the
inevitable.
 
He knew it would be
impossible to stay away from her since he tasted what she had to offer.
 
Stupid!
 
Stupid!
 
How could he have let
this happen?
 
She had charged through his
barriers like a stampeding herd.

           
Well,
with a few days alone to think, he would straighten this out.

***

Stretching her
arms gingerly above her head, Raeden felt content.
 
It would have been nice to wake next to Cash
enfolded in his arms.
 
Standing to dress,
she had only a tinge of soreness to remind her of the previous night’s passion.
She had no regrets.

           
Everything
seemed different.
 
She had lost her
girlhood and blossomed into a woman overnight.

She wanted to see
him.
 
Perhaps they could meet in town and
talk.
 
Her desire to go to New
York had not changed and she knew him not the type to
want to settle down.
 
She did not want to
either.
 
Maybe an affair.
 
She had allowed herself to be soiled anyway,
so what did it matter.

           
Clouds
partially blocked out the sun’s rays making the air colder.
 
She did not care.
 
The warmth she felt inside radiated through
her, blocking out the dismal climate.
 
After hiding the shreds of her ball gown, she bounded down the
stairs.
 
Not eating much the day before,
her stomach rumbled from hunger.

Breakfast—that’s
what she needed.

           
Joining
Diane at the table, Sadie placed a plate of eggs, bacon and toast on the table,
followed by a mug of hot brew.
 

           
Diane
smiled up from the local newspaper.
 
“What a scene last night.
 
I hope
you and Cash came to some kind of agreement.”

           
Raeden
knew her face blushed and ducked her chin down hoping Diane would not
notice.
 
“He had too much to drink.
 
Just a little bit jealous, I guess.”
 
Raeden continued eating hoping her
embarrassment wasn’t too obvious.

           
“I
knew he had taken an interest.
 
A woman
could not find a better man, if he decided to settle down.
 
Granted, he has some rough edges, but I am
sure you can soften them.”
 
A twinkle
flickered in her bright blue eyes.

           
“I’m
really not interested.
 
There are other
things more important to me right now.”
 
She amended the subject.
 
“Is
Uncle Mike already gone?”

           
“He
left earlier.
 
He will meet us in
town.”
 
Diane continued reading while
Raeden finished her breakfast relieved the conversation about last evening’s
events had ended.

           
Raeden
made sure to carry a rain poncho when she rode to the store.
 
She had learned
that
lesson the hard way.
 
Arte, frisky from the cold weather, required more than the usual effort
to control.
 
The exhilarating cool air
blew through her hair and across her face.
 
The landscaped appeared different, in a state of dormancy.
 
The weather had definitely made a change.

           
She
stayed dressed in her riding clothes.
 
Customers kept them busy and there was no sign of Cash
.
 
He
has a lot to take care of;
I will
just stop by his office on my way to
lunch.
 
Perhaps he will come along, too.

           
When
it neared two in the afternoon, she entered the jail, excited to see him and
found John at the desk.
 
She tried to
hide her disappointment.
 
“Hi, John, it’s
nice to see you.
 
Did you have a good
time last night?
 
By the way, you are an
excellent dancer.”
 
John stood to greet
her, a broad smile curled his lips showing straight white teeth.

           
He
grinned at the compliment.
 
“It has
always been a fun affair, I never miss it.
 
You sure looked great.”
           
“Thanks.
 
Is Cash around?”

           
“No
he left for a few days.
 
He didn’t say
where.”

           
Raeden
skipped lunch.

           
While
attempting to update some dresses for a client, she had difficulty
concentrating and her mind wandered.
 
To
hide hurt feelings, she tried to remain cheerful.
 
The
coward, he used me and now he will not face me.
 
He just ran away.
 
Using his
sweet talk and phony concern, she had allowed him to sweep her off her
feet.
 
What did she really know about men
and their methods to seduce young women to give their innocence?
 
To make matters more humiliating, she had
practically begged him for an encore performance in the bathtub.

           
She
could play his game and act as if the liaison meant nothing, to keep her pride
in tact.

           
Raeden
stomped through her work area straightening up the tables then approached
Diane, sitting in her office.
 
“Aunt
Diane, I need a rest.
 
I’m going blind from
sewing.
 
I need a few days to
myself.”
 
Frustration made her words
sound edgy. She sucked in a breath and softened her tone.
 
“Is it okay with you?”

           
Diane
appeared puzzled.
 
“Of course, take as
long as you like.”

Raeden bounced
over to peck her on the cheek.
 
“I’ll see
you at dinner.”

           
She
sped to Arte, threw herself in the saddle and gave him his head.
 
He reared and spun around on his hind legs
then bolted into the grasslands, his long mane a black flag blowing in the
wind.

***

Raeden stepped from
her bed after two days of resentment, convinced she needed to end the self-pity
and get on with her life.
 
She would go
back tomorrow, send more letters to New York,
and continue the tasks waiting and forget about Cash.

           
It
had been a bitter pill to swallow, but knew she would get over it in time.
 
Perhaps she should just leave and go to New
York to meet with wholesalers in person.
 
She could be very convincing when she made up
her mind.
 
Dressed warm for riding, she
ate a light breakfast then readied for her morning ride.

           
A
few clouds dappled the sky and the air was freezing cold.
 
Donning a heavy jacket and thick woolen cap
to ward off the cold, she passed through the mudroom grabbing warm cloves and a
rain poncho along with her handgun.

           
Arte
nuzzled her hand when she approached him, ready to set out.
 
She tied the poncho to the back of the saddle
and mounted her restless steed.
 
She
headed north keeping the Black Hills in her line of
vision.
 
Dew crystals covered the ground,
white glittery sequins.
 
She thought of
Christmas as the cold air stung her face.

           
On
her ride, she came across a small farmhouse appearing deserted for some
time.
 
Once it had been the center of a
family’s life.
 
Now it just looked tired
and derelict.
 
A small barn in back had loose
boards hanging by rusty nails.
 
She too
felt abandoned.
 
It would change in
time.
 
Everything changes.

           
Riding
out another few miles, dense gray clouds roiled across the darkening sky.
 
The air grew colder and she decided it was
time to head home.
 
She covered herself
with the rain poncho.
 
It started to
snow, enormous flakes like small lace doilies.
 
She had seen nothing like it.
 
Flurries circled around almost euphorically.
 
When she could not see, a fear rose inside.
She knew she would never find her way back through the blinding snow.

She gave Arte his
head.
 
He would find the way home, at
least maybe to the farmhouse.
 
They could
take shelter inside until the storm passed.

           
A
thick blanket covered the ground.
 
Everyone spoke about this long hard winter and she wished she had been
more careful.
 
Deeper and deeper, Arte
trudged through, his head lowered, snow adhering to his forelock and mane.
 
Ice stuck to her own eyelashes.
 
The cold penetrated to her skin, even through
the heavy clothing.

Her eyelids
drooped, and she felt sleepy.
 
The wind
slung sleet like daggers stinging her face.
 
How could the weather vary so abruptly?

Twenty-eight

           
On
the third day of his hiatus, Cash grew even more restless than he had been the
two days before.
 
He worked with Slim
during the day but the nights were too much to bear.
 
The creamy white skin, perky pink breasts,
the aroma of roses, it all drove him crazy.
 
He could almost taste her.