Fires of Autumn (19 page)

He shook
his head. “Not true,” he said firmly. “We’ll go back to Washington as a couple.
I consider myself the luckiest man in the world to be able to work side by side
with my girlfriend. It makes going to work such a pleasure. But I want it to be
more than that.”

“What do
you mean?”

He sighed
faintly. “I know you have your boys, and your sister, and your life back in
Falls Church,” he said softly. “I’m under no illusions that it’s just you and
you alone.  I realize any decision would involve your family.”

“What
decision?”

He
suddenly sat up and faced her. “I love you, Casey,” he whispered. “I know I
said that my job makes it difficult to have relationships, but I swear to God
I’d give it all up for you. I want to come home to you every night, and sleep
with you every night, and go to the grocery store with you or fight about who’s
not putting the top back on the toothpaste with you.  I don’t care what we do
or how we do it, as long as we do it together.”

She stared
at him with big eyes, shocked by his admission.  She was speechless for a
moment, gazing into his handsome, if not slightly apprehensive, face.  Finally,
she reached out and put a hand on his cheek.  He held her hand tightly against
his face, kissing her palm.

“Oh…
Colt,” she murmured. “I love you, too.”

“You do?”

She
nodded. “Of course I do,” she whispered. “How could I not? You’re so sweet and
attentive and intelligent and kind.  Of course I love you.”

She
pitched forward, throwing her arms around his neck.  He hugged her tightly,
realizing he felt more complete and more content than he ever had in his life. 
He kissed the side of her head, her cheek, finally her sweet lips. He could
taste her cherry lip balm on them.

“I want to
marry you,” he whispered. “I know you have your boys to think about so I’m not
in any rush.  We’ll take what time we need to make the boys comfortable with
the situation.  You do what you feel is best.”

She just
stared at him, such hope and delight and fear in her eyes. “But… we’ve only
known each other a week,” she breathed. “How can you already know you want to
marry me?”

“Because I
do,” he kissed her again. “You’re what I’ve been waiting for my whole life,
Casey Cleburne.  You’re in my heart and you’ll be there forever.”

She kissed
him sweetly, her long hair all over her shoulders and on his arms.   Colt
kissed her passionately, finally just holding her against him like he was
incapable of letting her go.  He just wanted to hold her. But eventually, he
let her go and between them, they finished off the bottle of wine and the rest
of the food.  Then they cuddled up on the blanket, talking about their plans
for the next day.  Casey wanted to go into Santa Fe and see all of the art
galleries, and he wanted to stay in their room and leave their clothes off. 
She giggled at him, knowing he wasn’t entirely serious, even when he tried to
undress her as she lay on the blanket.

Eventually,
the sun began to set and they loaded everything back up into the saddlebags for
the trek home.  It was a beautiful day, growing cool as the sun set, and Casey
bundled up in her jacket as she followed Colt back down the canyons and creek
beds to the resort property.  It was a shadowy and romantic trip. By the time
they got back to the resort, the sun was almost down completely.

Turning
the horses back over to the wranglers, they proceeded back to their
casitas
,
preparing to change for dinner as Colt skimmed through his smart phone looking
for good restaurants in Santa Fe.  Casey got into the shower and as soon as he
heard the water, he stripped off all of his clothing and joined her.  They made
love slowly and sweetly, Casey with her arms and legs wrapped around Colt as he
held her aloft in his arms, her back against the tile of the shower.

They
actually ended up using the shower for what it was intended at some point and
he carried her out of the bathroom, damp and wrapped in a towel, and laid her
down on the bed and covered her with his big naked body.   He was about to get
busy with her again but Casey’s cell phone alarm suddenly went off,
interrupting their momentum.

“Oh, no,”
she groaned, arching her neck back to see her cell phone on the charger in the
corner. “I haven’t even looked at my messages since we left this morning. I
probably should in case there’s one from Russ.”

He was
nuzzling her damp neck. “He can wait ten seconds.”

She
giggled, pushing away from him and crawling across the bed because his body
weight was on her.  She flipped onto her stomach, still giggling as he lay on
top of her, dragging at her, his mouth on her back, her buttocks and her thighs
as she pulled herself across the bed and finally flipped off of it.  Landing on
her feet, she went over to the phone and pulled it off its charger, noticing
she had six messages.   As Colt crawled off the bed and surrounded her with his
big body, his mouth on her shoulder, Casey managed to get the phone up to her
ear and listen to her messages.

Colt
didn’t like the panic in her expression as she listened.

***

Tracy
wanted to go to the airport with Casey but the Secret Service determined it
would be too much of a security risk and a circus to allow her to go, so Russ,
Peter and Colt determined who would be best suited to accompany Casey to the
airport and fly with her back to Washington.  She was distraught and no one
wanted her going alone.

Brody
Nantz had been riding his skateboard to a friend’s house and had been hit by a
car.   Riley had called her sister repeatedly, trying to get a hold of her, but
truly having no idea where Casey was.  She’d eventually called Chris Eckart,
who told her that her sister had gone into town to stay at a resort.  Soon,
everyone was looking for Casey, calling the Sunrise Springs resort and leaving
messages for her.  Peter Harrios and Steven Case had even gone over to the
resort looking for her but she was nowhere to be found.  She wasn’t even a
registered guest, but Colt Sheridan was. He was nowhere to be found, either.

Brody was
at Children’s National Medical Center with a broken arm and a broken collarbone. 
Casey was nearly hysterical and he helped her pack up, driving back the ten
miles to the Apache Gap compound so they could get her a flight out of
Albuquerque back to Washington D.C.

Peter had
met them at the compound entrance and told them that Chris Eckart had already
gotten her a flight back to D.C. that left in seven hours. It was the first
flight out they could get. So they took her to the ranch house where Russ and
Tracy were, and the President and his wife comforted the young woman, remembering
well what it was when a child was ill or injured.  It brought back terrible
memories.

While
Tracy sat with Casey, Colt, Peter and Russ made the determination as to who
should return with Casey and drive her to the hospital to see her son.  Colt
was struggling, very much wanting to go with her but knowing his duty was to
the President.  He was trying desperately to stay on an even keel as Russ and
Peter discussed the logistics of it. He tried to say as little as possible,
fearful that anything he said might sound too concerned or protective.  He was
in turmoil.

It was
late in the evening when Russ finally chased Peter from his study, leaving him
alone with Colt.  Colt sat heavily on the big leather chair in the room that
was full of the feel of the Old West. Everything was leather, with Native
American accents, and it smelled like cigars.  Russ sat behind his antique
desk, one his great grandfather had used, and regarded Colt over the soft glow
of the desk lamp.

“So tell
me what’s on your mind, Colt,” he said softly.

Colt
looked up at from his hands. “Sir?”

Russ shook
his head. “I’m not as stupid as I look,” he said with a grin. “Peter told me
that they went to the resort looking for Casey but that she wasn’t registered.
You, however, were.  You left this compound with her and you returned to the
compound with her. If I was a betting man, I’d say that there’s something going
on between you two.”

Colt’s
gaze was steady on him. “If that’s true, it will, in no way, affect my job or
my work. You are my priority, sir, and on the job, that will never change.”

Russ
nodded. “I believe you,” he said. “I’m not condemning you. Hell, she’s a
beautiful woman.  But I want to know the truth. I want to know what’s going on
around me.”

Colt
regarded the man for a moment. “What else did Peter tell you?”

“That was
it,” he said. “But he suspects there’s something going on, too. The man isn’t
an idiot.”

Colt
digested that statement. It wasn’t in his nature to be cagey and he was having
a difficult time with what, or how much, to say.  He finally shook his head.

“I’ve
worked hard to be where I am, sir,” he said. “I wouldn’t do anything to
jeopardize that.”

Russ
nodded. “I know,” he got up out of his chair and went to the sideboard
containing an array of alcohol bottles.  Taking two glasses, he poured a
measure of Wild Turkey into each one and handed one of the glasses to Colt.  He
lifted his glass. “You’re the best of the best, Special Agent in Charge
Sheridan. I know you wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your position and neither
would I. I’m proud to have you.  I’m proud to have Casey, too.  Son, I’m not
going to tell anyone and I’m not going to bust you, but I want to know the
truth. Is there something going on between my Special Agent in Charge and my
personal assistant?”

Colt
couldn’t deny a direct question. He couldn’t lie about it.  He realized he
didn’t want to. “Yes,” he finally murmured.

“How
much?”

“We’re in
love.”

Russ’
eyebrows lifted. “Really?” shocked, he sat down next to Colt. “But… you two
just met and, I seem to recall, your introduction didn’t go all that well. What
changed?”

Colt
tossed back the whisky; he found he needed it. “I don’t know,” he said
honestly, setting the glass on Russ’ desk.  “One minute, she was calling me a
jerk and the next minute, I was madly in love with her. I can’t even tell you
how it happened, only that it did. She’s the most amazing, beautiful,
intelligent and wonderful woman I’ve ever met. I’m crazy about her.”

Russ was
staring at him, his eyebrows still lifted. “Oh, my,” he tried to get past his
shock of the news, downing his drink. “Well, that certainly puts a spin on
things.”

Colt held
up a hand for emphasis. “She doesn’t want anyone to know because she’s afraid
that it will reflect badly on me and the trust I’ve worked to achieve,” he
said. “I’ll tell you this much; this isn’t an office fling.  Casey and I are
going to get married and if that means being reassigned, then so be it.  But I
have to tell you, I sure would hate to lose my job over this.”

Russ’ dark
eyes regarded him carefully. “Would it be worth it?”

Slowly,
Colt nodded. “Yes, sir. Without question.”

Russ
exhaled slowly and finished off his drink.  He stood up and went back to the
bar with both glasses in hand. “Well,” he said after a moment, “I sincerely
don’t have a problem with it but Casey’s right; you shouldn’t spread it around.
You need to keep it as low-key as possible during office hours. After hours, I
don’t care what you do.”

“Then
you’ll keep our secret, sir?”

Russ
poured two more drinks. “You bet,” he said. “I’m kind of proud, you know. I
brought the North and South together. Me and Mr. Lincoln, that is.”

Colt gave
him a lop-sided smile, accepting the drink and downing it in one swallow. 
“She’s a wonderful woman,” he said softly.  “I hope my parents think so before
I tell them she’s a Cleburne.”

Russ
laughed softly as he reclaimed his seat again, watching the man’s pensive
movements and distant expression.  The smile on his face faded.

“You
should be the one flying back with her,” he said. “She needs you.”

Colt shook
his head immediately. “My place is with you, sir.”

Russ waved
him off. “I’ve got forty secret service agents, Colt,” he said. “Harrios can
take over the detail. You need to fly back with Casey and make sure she’s okay.
I know what it’s like to have a child in peril.”

Colt
looked up at the President, seeing that the man was downing his drink, gazing
off into the dimness of the room as if reflecting on his boys that never got to
grow up.  It also made Colt think that this assignment for Mr. Meade was
becoming more and more difficult. He liked Russ; he didn’t want to cause the
man’s downfall.  Torn, he got up himself and collected the bottle, pouring the
President another shot before pouring himself one.

“I don’t
think I should, sir,” Colt said softly.  “People will… suspect.  I know Peter
will keep his mouth shut, but if he’s observed us together, then others have. 
It could get back to Mark.”

Russ
glanced up at him. “You let me handle your boss,” he said firmly. “I’ll be
flying home in a couple of days.  I’m sending you back with Casey to prepare
for my arrival. There’s nothing strange about that.”