Page 15

Chapter fifteen

For the chance to be touched by your divine lips

Mason

Ford has a side by side idling at the bottom of the stairs, and we both jump in.

My body feels like it has electricity coursing through it.

She pushed back.

Her fingers wound through mine, and they still tingle from her touch.

I’m so screwed.

It’s one thing to wish for it; it’s another thing entirely when she might want it, too.

My lips were so close to her skin, I could taste her with every breath.

If it hadn’t been for Ford knocking, I’d probably already have her bent over that counter. Did he save me from making a mistake I’ll regret? Or postpone the inevitable?

Should I sneak into her room when I get back?

Like a creepy old man. No.

Rein in, asshole. She’s half my age. And worse, my daughter’s best friend.

There’s no way it ends well.

A hard bump brings me back to reality.

“That good, huh?” Ford chuckles as he fights the steering wheel.

“What?” Was he talking?

“I said it looked like I interrupted something. Starting or finishing?” His wide brim blocks his face as he looks out to the left.

“Neither. Nothing was, er, is going on.” If I lie to him enough, maybe I’ll believe it.

He glances over long enough for me to catch a glimpse of his narrowed eyes.

Shit.

I let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what the hell is happening. I think she wants it, too. And that part is fucking with me.”

He shakes his head and lets out a low whistle. “So, you both want it, and you’re both fighting it. Sounds like a match made in hell.”

I lift my hat to run my hand through my hair and then mash it back down on my head. “It’s complicated.”

He turns us hard and fast onto the pass road. “Don’t make it complicated. Enjoy the damn ride. If you knew Carolyn was going to die, would you have still married her?”

Ford has been through his own shit with women, but a different kind of heartache than me. For him to be encouraging me is a big thing.

I thought he swore off the existence of happy relationships after his last one.

But, he’s right.

“Yea. I’d do it all over again.” My chest tightens thinking about the night I lost her.

The slam and grinding of metal. The screams. Holding her bloody hand that went limp in my grasp.

Ice runs through my veins. I’d never want to relive that though.

Once is too much.

But, I had eleven happy years with her. And have two wonderful kids.

Lori is the same age that Carolyn was when she had the twins.

Does she want children?

God damn it, stop.

“Why are you worrying so much about how it’s going to fail when you should start thinking about how nice it’d be until then?” Ford aims the rig towards the flashlights of our guys.

“When did you turn into some sort of wise one?” I push out of the half door and around the front of the Ranger.

He meets me in the headlights, and grabs my shoulder, making me look at him.

“When I realized that I lost someone I loved because I was so worried about the ‘what ifs’ that I didn’t focus on what was in front of me.” He pushes me when he lets go.

Maybe he didn’t want me to see that vulnerable expression that flickered over his features before he masked it.

The silhouettes begin to take shape into familiar faces and their horses as we approach.

“Wade? I didn’t expect to see you here.” I extend my hand to Sheriff Rowland who’s standing leaning against his pickup.

“I called him when you didn’t answer,” Ford says low enough that only the two of us hear him.

Lori had me all messed up. I don’t remember my phone even ringing. All I heard was my pulse beating in my ears.

“Happy to help track down rustlers. You know, I was telling my grandpa about your issue the other day, and he regaled me with a story about having to drag eight of ‘em to the closest tree almost three miles away to hang ‘em.” His white teeth flash in the dim light. “He said ‘those were the good ol’ days.’”

“Was that when he was sheriff?” I know Wade comes from a long line of law enforcement, but I didn’t think they had been in the area for that many generations.

“Shit, probably. My great-grandpa was a U.S. Marshall before him and he made sure he was a deputy when he was sixteen.” He chuckles and throws his empty coffee thermos through his open window onto the front seat. “Judge and jury back then. Nowadays, it’s the fifty strikes, get fifty more, rule.”

Wade, Ford, Dixon and I have our share of skeletons in the closet.

He’s a handy friend to have.

“Did you call Dix, too?” I ask Ford as we walk toward the other men.

He shakes his head. “It’s a two hour drive for him.”

Makes sense.

“Trevor, tell us what you saw.” Ford steps ahead of me, then to the right.

I know what he’s doing. It’s why he’s the best ranch boss anyone could ask for. Getting the men in the zone before I get there.

“There were three of ‘em. They cut through the canyon and came up the back. I bet they was pushing twenty or thirty head.” Trevor shifts on his feet, glancing between me and the sheriff.

“Fuck.” A wave of cold sweat blankets me, making goosebumps erupt on the back of my neck.

Each one of those animals is worth two grand as they sit. I hope they didn’t get any of my bulls.

Ford curses under his breath and spits into the dirt at his feet.

“Which way were they heading, son?” Wade asks calmly.

Trevor turns, pointing into the night. “They followed that far fence toward the main road. It was, um, couple hours? My phone doesn’t work out here and my radio’s dead. I had to go find Russ.” His shoulders slump.

Russ nods, the brass buttons on his hat catching the headlights. “Yea, that was about an hour ago, boss.”

“Why were you alone?” Ford peers around the rest of the men. “Where’s Sean? He was scheduled to ride with you tonight.”

Trevor shrugs. “Dunno. He didn’t show, so I went out like I was ‘posed to.”

That pulls a grunt out of me. “You’re only nineteen, Trevor. And only been here for a few months. You shouldn’t be out on your own. Why didn’t you let Ford know that Sean didn’t show?”

His impetuous bravado might have just cost me a hundred grand.

It’s hard not to get riled at him.

He falters, his lower lip quivering before he clenches his jaw. “I can do it. I done it before.”

Jesus. Although I’m not surprised. Sean is pushing sixty, his wife left him, his kids don’t talk to him, and he crawled in a bottle years ago.

The only reason I keep him on payroll is that he’s loyal and was friends with my father when he ran the ranch.

Might be time he stayed home if he’s proving unreliable.

Ford and I exchange a look. I gather he feels pretty similar.

“I’ll head down to the road. There’s a chance they haven’t loaded up yet.” Wade heads to his truck and fires it up. “You call me, Mason, if you hear anything else.” His hand sticks out high in a wave before he revs into reverse.

I watch his headlights bounce further away and fade into the darkness.

“Take us to where you saw them.” If my cows run true to pattern, they’ll be moving slowly.

Trevor nods and walks quickly to his horse while Ford and I jump in the side by side.

Russ and the rest saddle up and we all head through the prairie by moonlight.

I’m proud of these men, ten of them, counting Ford, who answered the call of trespassers threatening our livelihoods.

We’re all in this together. For the love of the life, for the honesty of the work, and the bonuses at sale time.

Everyone here drives new pickups. I’ve been blessed with their sweat and they should be well compensated.

But, it’s nights like this that I realize they’re more than hired hands. They’re friends.

There’s a crisp that forms in the air as the time slips deeper into the pitch of night.

I’d rather be home, pulling Lori into a warm bed with me.

Doubt I’d be sleeping much.

The trotting horses slow and the dust drops ahead of us. They part around Trevor, who circles his gelding while he leans over, staring at the ground.

Ford puts us in park and we both jump out.

“I swear it’s in this area.” Trevor’s voice cracks as his search area grows.

Flipping on the flashlight on my phone, I join him and several others looking for fresh hoof sign.

Smooth, dry dirt is all I can see.

“Spread out. Holler if you see something.” I climb back into the Ranger’s passenger seat.

Ford takes off in low gear, and both of us hang over the doors, peering at the ground.

Fucking nothing.

It’s hard to stomach the growing irritation that borders on frustration. Especially when I’d much rather not be here.

“Everyone head back to their watch stations. We’ll come back in the morning.” Ford’s voice carries through the darkness.

I wonder if he heard me grinding my teeth in anger.

We travel in silence. It’s too damned late.

As tempting as it is to sneak into Lori’s room at one in the morning, I doubt she’d appreciate it.

Her little pushback against my thigh is a long way from admitting she wants me.

Knowing my luck, she’s already regretting that and won’t want anything to do with me.

Trudging into the dark and quiet house, the weight of the world feels like it’s sitting on my shoulders.

Should I? Standing at the end of the hall, I’m torn.

Going to her room would open a can of worms we wouldn’t be able to put back. Part of me wants to so badly it aches.

But, my brain is telling me this is a bad idea.

I should be flattered that someone as young and beautiful as her even gave me a fleeting taste of joy. I’ll never forget that moment when she stood still, letting me brush the flour off of her cheek.

Too antsy to sleep, I pull out my notebook, scribbling a reminder to myself.

We gotta find those assholes, so it means being on that fence line by daybreak.

Maybe it’s best I give Lori some room to breathe. I’ll just plan on taking Sean’s shift tomorrow night.

It’s the right thing to do.