by Verna Clay
And apparently he felt the same way.
His arms snaked around her waist, his mouth molded itself to hers, and his tongue did things that made her toes curl. Slowly, he began walking her backward toward the door. Once they were in the dining room, he must have decided their progress was too slow, because he reached under her legs and lifted her into his arms.
Still, their mouths never broke contact.
Sally felt the softness of a bed beneath her as flashes of their wedding night ignited the smoldering fire that had consumed her since her marriage. She just had to get her hands on Flatfoot's body and frantically began pulling his shirt out of his jeans. He speeded things up by ripping the shirt off. Finally, she had access to all those corded muscles. He was ripped, no doubt about it.
Flatfoot covered Sally's breasts with his palms and knew he'd just entered heaven. The woman was sweet, soft, sexy, and the best kisser he'd ever come across. She was driving him wild with desire because of her obvious desire for him. He moved his mouth from her lips to her ear and whispered, "I'm yours, baby. Whatever you want, you just ask."
He was rewarded when she said in a breathless voice, "Just keep kissing me like this."
"You got it." He trailed his mouth to hers following a pathway leading to bliss.
Chapter 23: Butch Rhapsody
Dovie wanted to stay in the beautiful meadow with Toby all day, but he kissed the corner of her mouth and said, "Darlin' I've gotta get back to camp because there's something I have to do." She nodded and he kissed her mouth one last time before helping her up and lifting her onto Blue. During the return ride she leaned back against him and often felt him nuzzling her hair and neck. She wished she could make time stand still.
Back at her wagon, Toby dismounted, helped her down, and then bent to whisper in her ear. "Honey, we have a dinner date next Saturday night, right?"
She nodded and he kissed her forehead before reaching for her cane leaning against the side of the wagon. He handed it to her and then placed his index finger under her chin and lifted until her eyes met his. The tenderness in their blue depths almost made her cry. He lowered his voice and said, "God, you're beautiful," before mounting Blue and trotting away.
Dovie hadn't responded and she wanted to cry out, "You're beautiful, too, Toby," but of course, she didn't. Never, even in her dreams, had she felt such love and passion for a man. Oh, she'd imagined what it might be like, but nothing came close to what she felt for Toby Tanner. Was she about to have her heart broken?
Glancing across the camp, she saw Sean and Tessa surrounded by children and adults. The famous couple was signing autographs and laughing with their admirers. Roxy was among the group and looked up to see Dovie and waved. The girl's transformation was amazing. Dovie only hoped it continued after the Trail Blaze was over.
Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing when several whoops and the sound of thundering hooves were heard. Cowboys wearing bandanas over their mouths and with their hats pulled low were barreling down the dusty road toward them.
Beaner, who was standing in the center of camp yelled, "It's the Walton Gang come to rob us blind! Everybody, hurry to your wagons and hide yer valuables!"
For a moment, no one moved, and then pioneers scattered in every direction.
Roxy moved faster than Dovie had ever seen and the girl was laughing by the time she reached their wagon. "Oh man, I can't wait to see what happens now!"
Dovie said, "Let's hide behind the wagon."
Both women made for the backside of their wagon and peeked around it. The leader of the gang was now in the center of camp and his horse reared up on two legs. He yelled, "We're the Walton Gang and I'm Ron-Boy, the leader! Don't think you can hide from me!"
Four more cowboys on large steeds halted behind him and Dovie held her hand over her heart. Even though it was all pretend, her heart pounded as fast and hard as when Toby had kissed her.
Suddenly, another voice yelled, "Ron-Boy, I can't let you rob these innocent pioneers!" Toby had stepped from behind the chuck wagon wearing a low-slung gun belt and holding a large pistol trained on Ron-Boy. The band of bandits each drew their weapons, but Ron-Boy called out, "Holster your guns, men!" The men mumbled, but obeyed. Ron-Boy dismounted. "Well, well, if it isn't Butch Rhapsody. I was wondering if we'd ever meet up again."
"So now you know," Toby, or rather Butch, retorted.
The two men faced each other from a distance of about twenty feet and then Ron-Boy yelled, "I say we settle this once and for all with a shoot out. If you win, my men will load me onto my horse and leave. If I win, I get all the valuables on this train and I'll let you go in peace."
Butch lowered his gun into his holster. "I think that's fair enough." He glanced at Ron-Boy's gang members and shouted, "Do you men agree?"
One by one, they called out: "Yeah." "Yep." "Alrighty." "Don't want to but I will."
Butch Rhapsody and Ron-Boy faced each other with their hands hovering above their holstered guns.
Dovie held her breath and Roxy grasped Dovie's good arm. The entire camp was silent and fixated on the gunfight in their midst.
Both men circled each other. Suddenly, they made their moves. Loud pops broke the silence. Ron-Boy's face went from cocky to surprised, and then he dropped his gun and clutched his heart, stumbling backward until he finally fell to the ground.
One of his men dismounted and rushed to bend over him. He felt for a pulse in his leader's neck, lifted his head and yelled, "He's gone to meet his maker!"
Butch kept his gun trained on the man beside Ron-Boy. His voice sounded ominous when he demanded, "Now uphold your end of the bargain and get this outlaw out of our camp."
The cowboy nodded, motioned toward another outlaw who dismounted, and together they lifted Ron-Boy across his saddle until his head dangled on one side and his feet on the other. With a final glare at Butch, the men galloped out of camp with one of them holding the reins of Ron-Boy's horse.
Every eye watched the bandits leave and then turned back to their fearless leader. In a magnificent display Butch twirled his gun and smoothly holstered it. He grinned and called out, "Let's move 'em out, Pioneers! We got a lot of ground to cover before nightfall!"
No one moved, and then suddenly, someone started to clap. Soon, everyone was clapping and hooting for Butch Rhapsody.
Butch lifted a hand, waved, glanced in Dovie's direction, winked, and then disappeared behind the chuck wagon.
Roxy loosened her grip on Dovie's arm and breathed, "That. Was. Awesome!"
Chapter 24: Date Night
By the third day of the trail blaze, Toby could see that the pioneers were growing weary, as was always the case by the time they reached the end of the trail—the barns of Lazy M. Most of the group had dressed back into their 21st century clothing. Toby was both sad and happy that this year's Trail Blaze was over. He'd been working the wagon train adventure since childhood and always looked forward to it. Over the past five years, his father had gradually taken a less prominent role and handed the reins over to his sons. The brothers had always worked together, but now that they had the vet clinic, one of them would have to stay behind. Toby already missed the days when he and Preston would ham it up as Old West cowboys.
He smiled as he watched the comradery between the pioneers. It never failed to happen that lifelong friendships were formed and bonds were sealed.
Everyone was now pitching in to unload the wagons so they could head to their rooms and collapse or just hang out together. Hank was already in the kitchen with his helpers unloading supplies.
Toby assisted Skipper in unhitching the horses from the wagons and caught a glimpse of Dovie carrying her backpack and a bundle of blankets toward the dorm. Something had happened to him during their time in the meadow and he knew he'd never be the same. He'd fallen hard for Dovie and the thought of being with another woman simply did not compute. He was looking forward to their date and subsequent conversation. She was complicated, intelligent, fascinat
ing, and sexy as hell. She stopped before entering the dorm and glanced around. He tipped his hat when she saw him and waited to see her reaction. She smiled shyly and then hurried through the door.
Skipper said, "She's one fine lady, boss."
Toby returned his attention to the horses. "You got that right, Skipper."
Dovie turned in front of the mirror and asked Roxy, "Do you think the skirt hangs right? It seems to droop on one side."
Roxy, who was sitting on Dovie's bed, replied, "Dovie, it's gorgeous. It's supposed to have kind of a floppy look."
"Well, what about the blouse? Do you think I should change into the white one?"
"Heck no. That would be boring. The green one is really pretty and brings out the green in the skirt. Geez, you're really nervous about this date, aren't you?"
Since returning from the Trail Blaze the previous weekend, Roxy had been hanging out with Dovie and surprisingly had not displayed a rotten attitude. Just as Dovie had predicted, the wagon train adventure had changed the girl. In fact, it had changed Dovie, too. She felt happier, not that she had been unhappy before, but this new happiness came with a peacefulness that had always eluded her—except that she wasn't feeling peaceful right now. She was so nervous she was sweating. Entering the bathroom, she applied more deodorant.
Roxy started laughing. "You'd think it was your wedding day. Of course, that may not be too far in the future the way Toby's panting after you."
Dovie shook her head. "You have a vivid imagination, child. He's just being nice. Have you seen some of the cowgirls that stop by the ranch? He's probably dated every one of them. They're pretty and they know all about horses, cattle, ranching, and cowboy stuff."
"Yeah, but they're not you. And Toby wants you."
Dovie decided that arguing with Roxy was pointless and went back to messing with her skirt. There was a knock on her door and she inhaled sharply, glancing at Roxy.
Roxy grinned. "He's heerreee."
Dovie took several deep breaths and then walked to open her door. On the other side, Toby had his hat in his hand and a smile on his face. Dovie's heart collided with her breastbone. The man was tall, lean, tanned, and gorgeous dressed in crisply pressed black slacks, a white button-down shirt with shiny cuff links, and ostrich boots. She wished she'd changed into another skirt.
In her living room, Sarah peeked through a crack in the drapes. "They're leaving now," she reported to her husband.
Leaning back in his recliner and resting after a long day in the saddle surveying his herd, Sage said, "Honey, are you going to relax now that they're gone?"
She closed the drapes. "I guess so. But you know Dovie's time with us will be over in two weeks. What are we going to do?"
Sage lifted his eyebrows. "Do I detect a note of manipulation in your voice?"
"Damn straight, you do."
"Hmm. Do you have any ideas?"
"Well, since you asked…" She grinned at Sage.
He laughed, placed his chair in the upright position, and patted his lap. "Come sit on my lap and tell me what that pretty head of yours is conjuring up."
Chapter 25: The Shadow Returns
Flatfoot pulled Sally closer and snuggled his head into her hair. He loved the smell of her hair and body. She'd been lightly snoring and he'd kissed her awake while teasing her about how cute she sounded. With fake indignation, she'd adamantly declared, "Ladies, do not snore!" That's when she'd climbed atop him and slowly lowered her mouth, whispering, "So, I guess I'm not a lady."
In one swift movement, he'd tossed her onto her back and kissed her with a passion that only increased whenever they were together.
Now, holding her close, he decided he was in love and she was definitely enjoying his attention. Every day he did simple things to show his love—like making coffee and bringing it to her in bed, cooking breakfast, picking wildflower bouquets, going for long walks with her. He sighed contentedly and dozed with his head still buried in her hair. They woke again mid morning and he urged her into the shower with him, keeping them both entertained for over an hour. After that pleasant diversion, they prepared a brunch and leisurely ate on the back patio while listening to chirping birds and laughing at Rambo chasing mischievous squirrels. They discussed what they wanted to do since it was Sunday.
Together they washed dishes and playfully splashed each other before once again kissing passionately. A knock on the door interrupted them.
"Dang!" said Flatfoot as he drew back from Sally. "Maybe if we're quiet, whoever it is will go away." He squeezed her rump and she playfully slapped his hand.
"I am not going to ignore someone at my door. Now behave while I get rid of whoever it is." She returned his pinch in exactly the same spot and promised, "Then we can continue where we left off." Quickly kissing his mouth she rushed from the kitchen.
Flatfoot cleaned up the water they'd splashed on the floor and then decided to see who was visiting. There was no one in the living room so he walked to the front door that was cracked open. Through the screen he saw a man with his head lowered to Sally's height. Flatfoot frowned. The man turned his head slightly and he caught a glimpse of thick glasses. Immediately, he knew this had to be Howie. He heard Sally say, "Like I said, I'm married," and Howie replied, "But I love you, Sally."
Flatfoot opened the screen and Sally and Howie jerked around. He saw that Howie was holding both of Sally's hands. When she saw the direction of his gaze, she quickly removed her hands, but the damage to Flatfoot's heart was complete. He reached back inside the house for his Stetson on a peg, and said, "I'll be in the barn if you need me."
Without a word he descended the steps of the porch and stalked to the barn. Inside, he sat on a makeshift stool and petted Rambler. The dog wanted to play, but he was in no mood. Against his better judgment, he stepped to the barn window and saw that Howie's car was still there, but he and Sally were no longer on the porch. They must have gone inside the house. The shadow haunting his marriage had returned.
Imagining his wife's reunion with her lover put a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and he spat out several cuss words, reached into his pocket for his truck keys, and stormed to the side of the garage where it was parked. The tires squealed as he left the woman and the home he'd come to love.
Sally heard Flatfoot's truck start up and tires squeal. She rushed to the window, but all she saw was dust. Suddenly feeling free of the past she faced Howard and said, "Howie, we had a good thing going for years, but now its over. I–"
He interrupted, "Sally, I didn't know what I was doing when I left you. Now I do. My marriage was a mistake and so was yours. We–"
Now Sally interrupted, "I didn't make a mistake, Howie. I love him."
Howie shook his head. "You don't mean that. Not after all the years we were together."
"We were never together. You weren't here long enough for us to be together."
"But I've changed. I promise I'll never leave you again."
Impatiently she said, "Howie, I've got to go find my husband." She reached for her purse, dug through it for her keys, and waited at the door for Howard to leave.
"Sally, you're making a big mistake–"
"Goodbye, Howard."
He didn't move.
She shrugged. "I don't have time for this. You can let yourself out." Without a backward glance, she rushed to her garage, pressed the fob on her key ring to open the garage door, jumped into her car, and also left in a haze of dust. When she reached the highway she hesitated and then turned in the direction of town. Her heart pounded with anxiety. What if Flatfoot had just put the pedal to the metal and left for good. She couldn't bear the thought and her breath caught on a sob.
Several minutes later she slowed when she reached the outskirts of Paxtonville. Halfway through town she saw his truck parked in front of Dixie's Cuppa Joe and went weak with relief. Being the weekend, the coffee shop was full so she had to park some distance away and walk back. Mrs. Hornblower was leaving when she opened the door.
The elderly woman said, "Hello Sally, Cecelia's come up with a new drink called Raspberry Rambo and you've got to try it. It packs a punch."
Sally searched the interior of the coffee shop and she replied automatically, "I'll do that, Mrs. Hornblower."
The lady saw one of her friends outside and said, "I don't mean to be rude, Sally, but I need to catch up with Mrs. Doolittle to talk about our church's Divine Recipes Cookbook this year. I don't think including a recipe called Delectable Devil's Food Cupcakes is wise."
Sally spotted Flatfoot sitting at a corner table with his back to her. Mrs. Hornblower was already out the door calling to her friend. Several patrons recognized Sally and nodded or waved. Jackson and Ann Martinez glanced up and Ann called, "Sally, come join us."
Flatfoot immediately turned around and their eyes met. In that instant she knew exactly what she had to do. In a loud voice she said, "Thanks Ann, but first I've got to talk to my husband."
Everyone in the room jerked around to stare at her and then started scanning the room for the "husband." Purposefully, she walked over to Flatfoot and called out, "Folks, I'm now Mrs. Charles 'Flatfoot' Trotter." Patrons started calling congratulations as she sat in the chair across from him. Neither of them said anything. Finally, Sally reached her hand across the table. Flatfoot stared at it, lifted his eyes back to hers, and asked, "Are you sure about this?"
"You better believe it. Howie is a memory. I don't want you to become a memory."
A smile slowly spread across Flatfoot's face and Sally thought her heart would burst with love. He reached and placed his hand in hers, and squeezed. She surprised even herself when she launched her body across the table and planted her mouth on his. His arms went around her as they locked lips and the patrons of Dixie's Cuppa Joe started whooping and clapping.