by Ciana Stone
Chapter Twelve
"Oh, shit," Mace said as soon as they saw lights in the distance. "This can’t be good."
"What now?" Nash asked from the back seat.
"Well, whatever it is, it can't be blamed on Kal," Bailey commented. "Seeing as how he was with us the whole night."
"Wouldn't someone have called you if it was something big or devastating?" Harley looked at Nash and asked.
Nash looked at her at the same moment Mace looked into the rearview mirror. "Well, duh, color us stupid," Nash said. Yes, someone would have."
"Still, there's something out of the ordinary," Bailey said.
"And we're about to find out what." Mace turned into the driveway leading to the barns. There were ranch hands out with rifles and enough lights to illuminate a football field. He pulled up beside the foreman's truck.
"What's up, Jordan?"
Jordan stepped away from the three men he'd been speaking with. "Lion mauled one of the calves we had penned for sale. Naomie's with the calf in the barn. The lion got away."
"So you've posted lookouts."
"We have."
"Does Dad know?"
"He's the one who gave the order."
"Would anyone mind if I went in and checked with Naomie? Maybe I can give her a hand?" Harley asked.
"That's fine," Nash agreed. "Mace, you and Bailey head on to my place to get Minnie. If Gigi's still awake, tell her I'll be there shortly. I'm going to check with the men and make sure it was just one lion."
"You think it could be more?" Bailey asked. "I thought cougars, or lions, whatever you call them, were solitary and didn't form prides?"
"That's what everyone thought until a couple of years ago when researchers who followed and studied cougars in California discovered there is actually a society the animals live in. The data showed that the society did, in fact, exist and is hierarchical in nature. The boundaries of the various groups are closely mapped to the territory of the males. So, female cougars with ranges that overlap the same male's range are more likely to socially interact and share kills than if their ranges didn't share the same male."
"Interesting," Harley commented. "So, if, by chance, the attack here is in an area where females share a male, there could be other female predators. Correct?"
"Correct."
"Then I see the need for patrols. I'm going to go check with Naomie. Thanks for the evening out. I really enjoyed it."
"How about we have a drink and enjoy the stars for a while after we settle things here?"
Harley gave Nash a smile that lit a quick-fire inside him. "Just come get me when you're ready, big boy."
"I'll do it."
"Okay. Goodnight, Mace and Bailey. I had fun. See you tomorrow."
"Same here," Bailey said.
"You sure you don't need help?" Mace asked Nash.
"Naw, we got it. See you in the morning."
Just as Nash and Harley got out of the vehicle, Kal and Cici pulled up beside them. "What's up?" Kal asked.
"Cougar," Nash answered. "Naomie's working on a calf now that was attacked."
"Then I guess there's nothing we can do to help?"
"Nope, we got it, but thanks, Kal."
"You bet. We'll head on to the house."
"Sounds good. See you both in the morning."
"Okay, goodnight."
As Mace pulled away, Nash fell into step with Harley. "I think I'll tag along and check on the calf."
They found Naomie, on the floor beside the calf, covered in blood and stitching rips in the calf's hide. She looked up as they walked over to her.
"Will it live?" Nash asked.
"If I have anything to do with it."
"Atta girl," Harley knelt beside Naomie. "Can I help?"
"You remember how to clean and stitch a wound?"
"I do."
"Then grab some gloves from my kit and get busy. This little fella has already been through it. We need to get him sewn up and stabilized as soon as possible."
"On it." Harley wasted no time getting started.
Nash watched in silence. The women were completely focused on the calf and oblivious to everything and everyone else. "I'm going to go check with Jordan about what exactly happened."
Naomie looked up at him. "Have him check with Wildlife first thing in the morning to see if there've been any other incidents?"
"I will. I'll be back."
Once he left, Harley cut a quick look at Naomie. "Talk to me, girl. You've got the look of someone with a lot more on her mind than this calf."
Naomie glanced up at her, then around. They were alone in the barn. She turned her attention back to the task at hand but answered softly. "I think I screwed up."
"What do you mean?"
After another quick look around, Naomie started to tell Harley what happened after she and Russell returned to the ranch.
At the main house, Cici was shocked to find her father sitting on the front porch. "Why aren't you out with the men?" she asked. "Are you okay? Is something wrong? Do you feel bad?"
"I'm fine, so slow down," he said with no heat to his admonishment.
"Then why aren't you at the barn? Naomie's trying to save that calf. Your property. Shouldn't you be there?"
"I'm pretty sure she doesn't need my help and Jordan has everything under control."
"That doesn't sound anything like you, Dad."
"Doesn't it?" He knew damn well it didn't. Any other time, he'd be right there, making sure men were posted in pairs, that the animals awaiting transport were covered and there was no chance of another attack.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Cici."
"But–"
"Let it go," Kal interrupted. "He knows what he's doing. Let's go inside. I'm tired, and my head's buzzing from all the noise."
She gave Kal a look that spelled annoyance, and Russell wondered if she'd give him hell when they were alone. He hoped not, as he appreciated Kal stepping up for him.
"Sleep well," Russell said.
"You too, sir," Kal replied and took Cici's hand to lead her inside.
I never thought I'd see this day. Russell blew out a noisy breath and leaned his head back. He might have to do something if this continued because hearing his father's voice in his head was starting to be a nuisance.
Only because you know I'm right. You haven't ever been a coward, son. You've always faced life head-on, and now here you are, running from a woman. No, from the woman. The one you've waited your whole life for.
At that moment it didn't much matter if the voice was a construct of his own conscience or a voice from beyond the grave. Either way, what it said was true. He was running from her. Not because he didn't want her, but because he did and was scared shitless he wasn't man enough for her.
She said she loves you. That thought opened the floodgates and let all the emotion he'd had locked down tight to flow right in. It damn near drowned him, and he knew that no matter how difficult, he had to face this thing with Naomie and he had to do it tonight. She's said she loved him and he had to find out if he was man enough to admit he felt the same.
So, he stood, crammed his hat on his head and headed for the barn. He met Jordan on the way and spent a few minutes talking with him about where and how many men were posted. Jordan informed him that Nash was at the holding pen if Russell wanted to speak with him.
As it turned out, he met Nash and Harley who were coming out of the barn as he reached it. Harley's jeans had blood on them. "Let me guess, you were helping Naomie?"
"Yes, sir."
"And?"
"And the calf should make it. I don't imagine she'll leave it tonight, so I said I'd go to her cottage and get her a change of clothes."
"I told her to use the bedroom and bath off the office if she wanted to get clean and crash," Nash added.
"I see. Well, thank you. I reckon I'll sit with her a spell."
"Okay, we'll be back in a few minutes with her things. Is
there anything else you think she'll need?"
"Is the refrigerator in the office stocked with water and drinks?"
"Yep."
"Then I guess that's all. Thank you. Both." He looked directly at Harley.
"No need. I'd do anything for Naomie and tonight that meant saving a calf."
"You're a good friend, Harley."
"Thank you, sir. We'll see you in a bit."
"All right." He looked at the entrance of the barn and changed his mind about entering. Instead, he stood and waited for Nash and Harley to return, stalling for time and trying to figure out what the hell he was going to say to Naomie.
He still didn't have a clue when they returned. He accepted the backpack Harley offered and asked Nash to let the foreman know that he and Naomie would be staying at the barn with the calf. He then thanked them, waited for a few moments after they left, before he turned and walked into the barn. Aside from the light in the office up front, the only other lights were the dim bulbs in the fixtures mounted in the center of the high ceiling, which were turned down a bit. There was another dim light coming from a stall off to the left about half-way down into the barn.
That's where he found Naomie. She sat on the floor with the calf's head on her legs, stroking it and talking softly in a language he didn't understand. Naomie looked up as he stopped at the opening of the stall and everything he'd thought he might, or could or should say, fled his mind, leaving him in a bit of a panic.
He couldn't just stand there like a damn knot on a log. He had to say something, but what? The truth is always a good place to start. Once more, his conscience sounded remarkably like his father. And this time, since he had no other straws to grasp, he took the advice.
"I was on my way to you when I heard gunfire."
"Why?"
"You know why?"
"No, sir, I don't."
"Please, for the love of God, stop that, Naomie. No more Misters, or sirs. No more. If that's your shield then please throw it in the fire and let it burn."
"What if I need that shield? Particularly now?"
Russell set the backpack beside the opening and went in to kneel beside her. "The calf will live?"
"Yes. It's sedated right now, but I think it will be okay. It may be blind in its left eye, and there's a chance it will have a limp. The front left leg was broken, but we set it."
"We won't be able to sell it."
"Yes, you can. I want to buy it."
"For what?"
"Just because. I'll pay for its upkeep, but I don't want it destroyed. Please."
"Fine. It's yours."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. Now, get up."
"Why?"
Russell wasn't aware he was about to make a snap decision, and it almost surprised him when the words came out of his mouth. "Because we're going to get you cleaned up and then we have something to settle."
"Do we?"
"We do."
She nodded, gave the calf another rub and gently moved from beneath it. Russell took her hand and led her from the stall, pausing to pick up her backpack. Once he was in the small, bed-bath combo beside the office, he locked the door, set the backpack on the bed and took off his hat.
Naomie stood watching, not saying a word as Russell walked over to her. "The first time I saw you, time did stop. I knew without question you were the woman I'd dreamed of and it scared the hell out of me. Had I met you when I was thirty or forty I wouldn't have hesitated, but I'm past fifty, and even though I know others have made successes from relationships with age differences, I guess I've got too much ego because the idea that maybe I'm not man enough to satisfy you undoes me."
"But–"
"No, not yet." He put his fingers to her lips. "You shared your truth, and now you need to know mine. Because of you, I know what it's like to take the fall, too. I don't want to keep circling, pulling close and then backing away because I'm afraid. I've never been a coward, Naomie, but you turn me into one, and I don't like the feeling. So that ends now."
She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could emerge, he kissed her. And he kept on kissing her as he marched her backward to the bathroom, literally tearing off her shirt and tossing it aside.
When they reached the shower, he released her from the kiss, turned on the water and made short order of undressing her. She wasn't shy about doing the same, and within moments they were naked, locked in another kiss with flesh meeting flesh.
Russell worked her hair free from the ponytail tie, backed her into the shower and under the water. For a few minutes, he was all business, washing the blood from her arms and chest, and where it'd soaked through her jeans onto her legs. Then his touch changed. He turned her to face the wall and ran his hands over her back and ass and then around to cup her breasts, and he pressed against her back and kissed her bare shoulder.
Naomie bit her lip to keep from making a sound when his hands squeezed her breasts, and then one hand traveled down to the junction of her thighs, and his fingers parted her sex. It wasn't long before a sound escaped her, one of pleasure and longing. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed against her ass and all she could think about was him inside her.
She turned around to face him, and the look on his face made her temperature climb up a few more degrees. How he could not realize he was a walking turn-on was a mystery to her. Those smoky eyes alone were enough to make her hot. Combined with a body that was still lean and taut and the package was downright irresistible.
Russell sensed the change in her, saw it in the way she looked at him. This time it was Naomie who took the lead, reeling him in for a kiss. Her hand slid down to wrap around his erection, spiking his lust high enough to have him wanting to forget the niceties and have her right then.
That's the power she had over him. Russ couldn't explain it other than that. Naomie had something – something he couldn't define and couldn't control. Hells bells, he couldn't even think straight and had to brace his hands against the shower wall for support when she crouched down, and those beautiful lips and hot mouth closed on him. He had to stop her before long. If he didn't the party was going to be over before it started.
Naomie stood and lifted one leg high to provide room as she wrapped her hand around him again and rubbed it between her legs. Russ bit back a groan. One push and he'd be there. In her with the glorious hot flesh squeezing him. Then he looked down at her.
There she was, devoid of makeup, hair slicked back from her face and bare to him. Physically and emotionally bare. He saw something he hadn't expected. A kind of innocence and vulnerability. He saw her fear and more than that, he finally got it. There was something there, something she kept covered that had happened in her life and kept her from truly loving. She was as broken as he, but in a way he didn't understand.
When he realized the truth, that she was a victim, it slayed him.
He stopped her in the act of guiding his erection inside her. “Slow down, honey. We have all the time in the world.”
Naomie went still in surprise. She'd heard Russell's voice carry almost every kind of emotion. Anger, humor, patience and the lack of, and love when he spoke of or to his children, even sexual teasing and flirtation. This tone wasn't one she’d heard before. It was the gentle croon of a lover. Not a sex partner. A lover. Someone with emotion invested.
Tears threatened, and she tried to look away, but Russ held her face in both hands, his eyes searching hers. Oh God, he was killing her. Seeing inside her to places she didn’t want to be revealed.
“It’s okay,” he whispered and lowered his lips to hers.
This wasn’t just a kiss of passion. Slow and tender, his tongue tasting and exploring, he took his time. It excited her, thrilled her, unhinged her. Naomie felt herself come undone. Completely. No matter what happened after this moment, she was his, and she'd never be able to deny it or walk away.
When the kiss ended he reached down to turn off the water. “Let’s take this to the bed.
”
She nodded since she couldn't quite trust her voice. Russ grabbed a towel from the rack and handed it to her, choosing another for himself. Once they were dry, he took her hand and led her to the bed, stripping back the cover and sheets. Russ lay her back on the bed and sat beside her. His hands traced lightly down the length of her body and back up. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, Naomie. Tell me what you want. Anything you want, if I have it to give, it's yours."
“This,” she said and sat to slide her arms up and circle his neck. Naomie pulled his head down, and when their lips met she surrendered, offering everything. Not just her body but herself, the whole deal.
Russ probably didn’t understand what she meant with the kiss, but she hoped he would recognize on some innate level deeper than consciousness or verbal communication what it was she offered.
He must have. His response was to wrap his arms around her and pull her close and deepen the kiss.
"Tell me," he whispered against her lips when the kiss ended. "I need to hear it."
"I love you," she complied without hesitation, but with a measure of trepidation because she had no idea how he would respond.
Just then someone pounded on the office door. "Mr. Walker? Sir? There's been another."
Naomie and Russell looked at one another. "You've got to be kidding," Russell griped then replied. "We'll be right there."
"I'm sorry," he said to Naomie.
"I am too, about the cattle. Not this."
"We'll get back to this, honey."
"Will we?"
"You can take that to the bank."
She smiled up at him. "I'll hold you to that, Mr. Walker."
He gave her an obviously mock look of anger. "Girl, if you start that again, I'm going to have to take you across my knee and paddle your fine ass."
"Hmmm," she teased, "You do know how to tease a girl, don't you?"
"Smart ass," he smiled. "Come on, let's get to it."
"I'm with you."
Naomie was pretty sure he didn't realize just how true her words were. She was with him. All in, all the way.
Chapter Thirteen
Harley smiled at Nash as they walked along in the early morning, watching the mist rise as sunlight warmed the earth. She sipped from the mug of coffee in her hand. "You make a good cup of coffee, Nash. Thank you. And I apologize for passing out on you. I don’t even remember going to sleep, to be honest. One minute we were talking about the rodeo and the next I was waking, hugged up on you like a kid with a teddy bear."