by Jane Toombs
“I told him I wanted to go home, and he laughed and said our home was going to be in Mexico, that’s where we were headed and wouldn’t I like to be a little Mexican señorita? He didn’t act at all like the Uncle Clint I knew—he’d turned into a stranger.
“So then I knew that I’d done a bad thing—I’d gotten into a car with a stranger, after all. He wasn’t the nice, kind man I was so fond of.”
She paused, trying to find words to go on.
“So right then you decided it wasn’t safe to ever be fond of anyone or anything again,” Shane said softly, almost into her ear.
She nodded. “Something terrible would happen. Like what happened with Uncle Clint.”
“What did happen?”
“He drove and drove. I found a way to hide inside my mind so I could stop thinking. Finally he stopped and I didn’t want to get out, but he hauled me from the car and when I recognized where we were I got scared all over again. It was his cottage by the lake—we’d been there lots of times in the summers. I began to cry when he brought me inside, so then he made me swallow something that tasted awful, and I got dizzy and sick, and then I started to fall asleep.
“All the time he kept moving around, talking, talking, telling me how he was going to be my new daddy and take me to Mexico where we’d never be found. I was afraid to go to sleep, but I couldn’t help it.”
She unclenched her hands. “When I woke up I was awful sick and threw up and somehow Mama was there and Daddy was muttering about ‘that son of a bitch Clint’ and so I knew it’d been real and not a bad dream.”
“How did they rescue you?” Shane’s breath was warm on her ear.
She began to relax, leaning into him. “Nathan saw me get into the car and recognized Uncle Clint. He’d overheard Daddy that morning say he was going to have to call the cops about his partner, so he ran home and told our folks what had happened. Daddy did call the police then and told them where Clint lived and about the cottage and they found me. I didn’t even know I’d been rescued because the drug he’d given me made me sleep all through it.”
She turned around and clung to Shane, leaning against his chest as she told him what had troubled her all her life. “Nobody told me what happened to Uncle Clint, but I saw on the TV news about how he’d put a pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger when the police drove up to the cottage. He killed himself, and it was my fault.”
“No way,” Shane told her. “No child is responsible for a man killing himself.”
She raised her head. “But if I hadn’t gotten into his car—”
“That has nothing to do with his suicide. Why was your father intending to turn his partner in? Embezzlement?”
“Something like that. He cheated Daddy. I didn’t ever want to learn the details.”
“Ghosts of the past,” Shane said, “made you cling to your child’s reasoning. Think about it.”
She gazed into his eyes, seeing the warmth and concern. Taking a deep breath, she tried to order her mind to coherent thought. “If I hadn’t liked Uncle Clint, I wouldn’t’ve got into his car,” she said finally. “If I hadn’t gotten into the car, he wouldn’t have scared me. And he wouldn’t have killed himself.”
Shane nodded. “That’s how little Laura reasoned. But you’re no longer a child.”
His words settled over her like a balm. She was an adult, not a child. Why was she still thinking like one? Remembering all her hours of therapy as a teenager, she realized that if she’d been able to bring herself to talk about that Halloween to the therapist as honestly as she had to Shane, she might have led an entirely different life.
But then she wouldn’t have met Shane. He was the one who’d found a way to burn her ghosts in the fire. He was the only man in the world she could ever love.
She reached up with both hands and pulled his head down until their lips met.
At that moment a chorus of coyote wails drifted on the evening breeze. Shane broke the kiss long enough to murmur, “That’s applause, you know.”
If anyone had ever told her she’d be sitting in a desert camp, listening to coyotes, while hoping a man with a wild heart would make love to her, she wouldn’t have believed a word of it.
But her dream hadn’t ended this way. Her dream had ended with Shane walking away from her. He could still do that. Except in the dream she hadn’t told him about the past. So this wasn’t the same.
Wrapping her arms tightly around him, she found his lips again, putting all she felt in her heart into her kiss.
Chapter Fifteen
Unsure at first whether Laura was merely seeking consolation in a kiss, Shane leashed his passion, waiting for a clear signal. When she began to unbutton his shirt, he decided she had something else entirely in mind. Exactly the same thing he did.
He shucked off the shirt and reached for her again. Before he gathered her to him, she managed to pull off her T-shirt, surprising him, sending a flare of desire into his loins.
“There’s never going to be anything between us,” she whispered against his lips. “Not anymore.”
Joy blazing through him, he murmured, “In that case, we’ve still got too many clothes on.”
Their lips met in a slow, hot kiss. He meant to keep everything slow, to savor every inch of her, but it was soon clear from the way she tugged at his belt buckle that she had other ideas. A quick and eager learner, this beautiful and passionate woman who was his wife.
Yielding to her insistence, he flung the rest of his clothes aside, at the same time watching her shed everything she wore, wishing the moon was full so he could appreciate the sweet curves of her body. He wanted to see as well as touch as she stretched out on the sleeping bag beside him.
She ran her hand over his abdomen, her caress making his muscles contract as her fingers dipped lower. He groaned as she found his arousal. Her inexperience increased his pleasure.
Shane seemed to like her touching him, Laura told herself as she explored his masculinity. She doubted if she’d ever tire of seeing him naked, of caressing him everywhere. She found his body beautiful.
“Whoa,” he said huskily. “Take it easy, honey. Let me have my turn before it’s too late.”
He began nuzzling her breasts, taking first one, then the other into his mouth, making heat coil in her lower abdomen until she began to ache with longing. When his lips finally met hers again, she wriggled her body against him, the feel of his warm skin against hers driving her wild with need.
His kiss deepened, so that she could taste his flavor, enticing, erotic. His hands explored her body with intimate caresses that made her moan with pleasure. The scent of sage crushed by the sleeping bags rose around them, and the smell seemed so right. Was right.
Just as their lovemaking was right.
And then he eased into her and all thought fled, replaced by the indescribably wonderful sensations that were a part of their love for one another. Again they traveled a wildfire path of passion neither could have found without each other.
She snuggled against him afterward, warm and content. “This is so wonderful,” she murmured.
“It’s always going to be this good,” he told her, “because I’m always going to love you. I can’t say nothing bad will ever happen, but if it does, we’ll face it together.”
“I know. You burned the ghosts. It’s all right for me to love you. Even if it wasn’t, though, I couldn’t help myself.”
“So you admit we were meant for each other, after all.”
“You said yourself Grandfather is usually right.”
Shane raised himself on one elbow. “Did he tell you we were made for each other?”
“Not directly. You know Grandfather. But when I look back, it was clear from the beginning that I was his pick for his grandson to marry. And not just for Sage’s sake, either.”
“What can I say? We Bearclaws have good taste when it comes to women.”
She poked him in the ribs, discovered he was ticklish, and their playful wres
tling turned into something else, something timeless and wonderful.
Shane woke abruptly near dawn, finding himself zipped into their joined sleeping bags with Laura. He lay quietly, listening for what had awoken him and heard the soft whuffle of a horse. Cloud, greeting other horses. Which meant the wild ones were near.
“Mustang alert,” he whispered into Laura’s ear. “Wake up.”
She opened her eyes, blue as the Nevada sky.
“Don’t move quickly,” he warned. Easing onto one elbow he bent and brushed his lips over hers in a good morning kiss.
Cautiously sitting up, he peered through the cottonwoods in the uncertain predawn light and saw the white-spotted bay, yesterday’s loser. Three other stallions trailed behind him, all heading for the creek.
“The bachelor herd,” he whispered to Laura who’d eased up beside him.
He counted four—only the white stallion who’d stolen the mare was missing. The bay didn’t look too badly hurt—he wasn’t bleeding.
They sat unmoving while the mustangs advanced to the creek and drank their fill. Only when the bay began circling Colly, the mare, did Shane haul himself free of the sleeping bag.
“You can’t have that one, pooggoo,” he called. “Better luck with the black next time.”
Long before he finished, the mustangs were racing away, tails flying.
“I love to see them run,” Laura said, standing beside him. “What’s that word you called the bay?”
“Our word for horse.”
“He seemed in pretty good shape considering how violent that battle looked. I guess it’s a case of ‘he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”’
“You don’t have any clothes on,” he told her.
“My dear sir, neither do you. Whatever shall we do about it?”
He pulled her into his arms, murmuring, “I’ll think of something.”
Much later, mounted on his gelding, Shane, with Laura beside him on the mare, headed home.
“Would the mare have gone with the bay if she hadn’t been tethered?” she asked.
He nodded. “The gelding, too, possibly. The mustang stallions are always trying to steal mares wherever they can, and geldings also can feel the call of the wild.”
“The mustangs don’t mind geldings joining them?”
“Even stallions with harems have been known to tolerate stray geldings.”
“Interesting that they realize a gelding is no competition,” she said. “So, anyway, I’ll be reporting three herds on the reservation. Will the black stallion accept the white one being on his range now that the white’s starting his own harem?”
“With some posturing and feinting if they happen to meet, probably. My take is the white’ll steer clear of him as much as he can.”
They discussed horses for most of the ride back home. A smug-looking Sage met them at the corral. Though her expression made Shane a bit suspicious, he was glad to see she no longer seemed upset.
“What’s up?” he asked, as he dismounted and caught Laura as she slid off.
“How come you’re not letting go of her?” Sage asked.
“I like the way she feels. You didn’t answer my question.”
“Grandfather and I have been invited to a barbecue,” Sage told him. “You and Laura, too.”
“When and where?” he asked.
“Tonight. I told them we’d all come.”
Shane frowned. “You couldn’t be sure we’d be back.”
“I could, too. Grandfather said you would.”
“Where is the barbecue?” Laura asked.
“At somebody’s ranch over in Carson Valley. Jade said you’d know how to get there ’cause you were there before.”
Shane looked at Laura. “So where are we going?”
“It must be Zed Adams’s ranch. Remember, I mentioned him before—one of Jade’s brothers.”
“Yeah, Zed’s the name Jade told me,” Sage interrupted. “We can come any time after five. Grandfather’s looking forward to it. So’m I.”
Laura looked up at him, and Shane bent and kissed her, forgetting for the moment where they were.
“Whoa, that’s more like it,” Sage said. “Want me to take care of the horses while you guys go in and change clothes?”
When she got to her bedroom, Laura was surprised to find the dresser top empty of her belongings. She opened a drawer and found it bare. She was heading for the closet to look inside when she heard Shane call her.
“Come here a minute, Laura.”
Hurrying into his room, she gasped. On top of his double dresser lay her brush, her makeup kit and her other things. Shane opened a drawer and held up one of her bikini panties.
“And your clothes have joined mine in the closet,” he added.
“Well, I admit I was seriously considering moving in,” she admitted, “but no one knew that except maybe you.”
“Grandfather.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Ten to one he told Sage to move your stuff.”
Staring at Shane, she said, “How could he possibly have known?”
“He’s as wily as they come, that old poohaguma.”
“Dare I ask what that means?”
“Medicine man. He’ll take credit for the entire affair, wait and see.”
Laura started to laugh. After a moment Shane joined her, and soon they both collapsed onto the bed, laughing so hard tears came to her eyes. He pulled her close and kissed her and one thing led to another until she finally pulled away.
“I didn’t think to close the door,” she said breathlessly. “Anyway, it’s after four. We’d better shower and change for the barbecue.”
“Together?”
Seeing the glow in his eyes, she couldn’t refuse.
Considering everything, Laura thought it remarkable that they all were in the extended cab pickup and on their way by five-fifteen.
She felt dazed, as though she were existing in a dream state, a pleasant sensation, and she wondered if it happened to everyone who fell in love with the right person.
“Does Zed have any kids?” Sage asked from the back seat.
Coming back to reality, Laura thought a minute, then said, “Yes, two at last count. Jade and Nathan have Tim, so that’s at least three kids who’ll be there. If Zed’s brother is home, there’ll be three more.”
“Good. I hate being the only one,” Sage said.
“You’ll be the oldest of all the kids, though.”
“That’s okay. My teacher last year said I was a good organizer. Maybe I’ll teach them some games and stuff.”
“If Jade brought her guitar we’ll probably all wind up singing folk songs,” Laura said.
Shane thought most likely he’d enjoy the evening. Barbecues were held outside, which meant he’d be free to wander around. He and Laura’s brother might not yet be buddies, but Nate was no longer hostile, which would go a long way toward making the others accept him as Laura’s husband, no matter how rushed and secret the marriage might have seemed to them.
When he finally reached the ranch driveway Laura pointed out to him, he pulled in, noting with interest that there seemed to be quite a few cars and trucks already parked near the ranch house. More than family had been invited apparently.
“It looks like there’s lots of people here,” Sage piped up. “Maybe there’ll be some kids my age, after all.”
They piled out of the truck and started toward the sound of voices and laughter. Two boys chasing one another were the first to see them.
“Hey, Danny, that’s Laura and Shane,” the dark-haired one called, changing course to intercept them. Tim, Shane saw.
Both boys ran up. “Hi, I’m Danny,” the sandy-haired one said, staring at Grandfather, who had his hair in two braids, as usual.
“I’m Grandfather,” the old man said. He put his hand on Sage’s shoulder. “And this is Sage.”
“You’re her grandfather?” Danny asked.
“Everyo
ne calls me Grandfather,” he said. “It’s the name I like best.”
Danny nodded. “Okay. Come on, I’ll show you where my mom and dad are.”
“Oh, there’s Linnea,” Laura said as they neared a laughing group of people. “Talal must be back. He’s Jade’s other brother.”
A blond woman approached and hugged Laura. “I’m Karen, Zed’s wife,” she said, looking from Shane to Grandfather.
Danny began pointing. “He’s Shane and she’s Sage and he’s Grandfather. That’s what he wants to be called. He told me so.”
“I’m so glad you’re here,” Karen said. “Danny, why don’t you take Sage to meet the other kids?”
“Okay.” He turned to Sage. “Except for Tim and me and Yasmin, they’re pretty much babies,” he told her.
Once Sage went off with Danny, Karen took the three of them in tow and made the rounds, introducing them. When they came to Gert Severin, Grandfather detached himself, saying to Gert, “You may be a kindred spirit.”
She smiled at him. “If that proves to be true, we’ll both be the richer.”
Karen stopped beside a man she introduced as her brother, Steve, telling him to take Shane to the barn so he could meet Zed. “All the guys gather there,” she added.
Laura, she led off and, collecting Linnea, Victoria and Jade, she claimed she needed help in the kitchen.
Laura knew Victoria was Steve’s wife, having met her when she and Steve were married, so she suspected this family gathering of wives had a hidden purpose. She soon discovered she was right.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Jade asked, as soon as they were more or less private in the kitchen. “Shane’s some hunk, isn’t he?”
“He is gorgeous,” Victoria agreed. “Where did you meet him, Laura?”
“Actually, he literally swept me off my feet and onto his horse,” Laura told them, enjoying the sensation of knowing her man intrigued them.
“You’re kidding,” Linnea said.
Laura shook her head and launched into a brief explanation. She didn’t mention why they’d married. Some day she might confess to Jade, but not now. They seemed to believe she’d married for love—which is how it had turned out to be.