Catch a Shooting Star jd edit 03 12 2012 html

by Brianna Lee McKenzie

In a few hours, they came to the ridge and followed the path that lead to the crevasse where they would wait for Travis to return. Tito dismounted and whistled to the pack horse that he had hobbled in a thicket and when the horse whinnied, he smiled to himself and then waved a hand at the camp that he had already set up as he told Savannah, “This is it.”

  Savannah stepped from her stirrup and dusted off her skirt as she walked over to the circle of rocks that he had gathered and placed around a mound of wood for the night’s fire. Realizing that Tito had even brought out the pans and coffee pot, she knew that there was nothing for her to do but wait until dinner time when she would busy herself with preparing a meal for them. And as the sun slipped behind the ridge, the air became cool and poignant with the scents that brought back memories of her life at Casa de Flores.

  She shivered and shrugged away the fear that suddenly rose in her. Tito hurried to light the fire, thinking that her reaction was due to the brisk night air. Warmed by the flames, she settled in to making dinner while Tito announced that he would scout around the area to make sure they were alone.

  When he returned, they ate in silence except for when Tito interjected, “I had found a small pool where you can wash your clothes.” After she smiled at him, he added, “I’ll give you some privacy if you want to—umm—bathe.”

  He walked away from the light of the fire and found a boulder just a few hundred yards away and leaned on it while he waited in the darkness. When the dark figure of a man stepped from the shadows, Tito whispered for him to be quiet so that the woman could not hear their conversation. Then he asked of the man, “Did you keep an eye on Corbett?”

  The stranger nodded and whispered in a gruff voice as if the act of talking quietly was painful, “He’s on his way back right now.”

  Tito nodded in approval and then said, “That means we gotta go over the plan and then split up before he gets here. You know where to meet me?”

  “Yup,” the stranger whispered. “That little cantina at the edge of town.”

  The stranger stepped away from Tito and craned his head around the boulder to get a better look at the woman who sat beside the fire and said, “Nice filly you’ve got yerself over there.”

  Tito growled at the man and pulled him back to face him scolding, “Keep your mind out of your pants and on the job ahead. That girl’s off limits for the likes of you.” Then, satisfied that he had the man’s attention, he asked, “You got some men together?”

  A nod told him that the stranger had done his job. He began filling a cigarette paper with tobacco before he ordered, “Well, then, Martinez, get back to town and wait for me. Can you tell time?”

  The man nodded as Tito dug into his pants pocket for a watch, which he handed to the man as he said, “Have your men in position at eight o’clock sharp. I’ll meet you there. Now get on back before you’re missed.”

  The other man waved a hand behind him as he disappeared into the darkness once again. Then, he rode up to the top of the ridge and took his hat off so that he could peer over the edge without being noticed. His smile broadened when he saw the sight that he sought. Down below him was the woman that he had seen as he’d rode toward the camp and she was alone near the stream. He knew that she probably belonged to Tito and that the man would just as soon rip him from buckle to brim as to shoot him dead in his boots if he caught him trying to get near her. But there wasn’t any harm in taking a nice long look at her.

  He crawled to his feet and then down the ledge that circled the little pool where she was bending over scrubbing a skirt. She stood up and swiveled around to slap the soaked garment against a large rock. Then she stretched, placing her hands at the small of her back. A hand flittered up and tugged at the combs that bound her hair, and in an instant, it was unfurled into a cascade of glistening blackness that danced against her rounded hips.

  Martinez licked his lips while he watched her hands drift toward the buttons of her blouse. In seconds, the cotton fabric was parted to reveal the cool linen of her chemise. The blouse was shrugged from her slender shoulders and tossed toward a bush where it floated in a snowy ripple before it attached itself to the prickly branches of a juniper bush. She shimmied out of her skirt then with a flick of her wrist, it joined the blouse on the bush. Martinez moaned under his breath when she began pulling at the tiny buttons of her chemise. He swore silently when she stepped into the cool water before completely undressing. After watching her twirl around in that ever-loving pool, he could take no more. He rose to his feet, intent upon risking his life just to have her for a moment of unabashed passion, whether she wanted it or not. To hell with Tito Sanders and his superiority, he thought as he began his descent toward her. This woman was worth losing his job and the pay that came with it. Hell, she was worth taking his last breath if that meant having a taste of her. She was worth her weight in gold and he was about to strike it rich!

  Determined to make the dream that he had conjured up in his mind come true, he began to stumble toward her, to hurry to realize it. But just as his head poked above the rock that he’d been hiding behind, he froze. Quickly, he fell back to the ground, pressing his back to the rock and swearing under his breath at his confounded bad luck.

  “Damn that Corbett,” he seethed as his hand instinctively closed around the butt of his pistol at his side. He eased up and peered over the boulder and swore again. “So that’s how it is,” he growled at the scene in front of him. “She’s Corbett’s woman.”

  Well, he wasn’t about to tangle with the Ranger who’s reputation preceded him. Everyone knew that he’d torture a man until he begged to die and then hauled him back to face the judge. He rubbed his chin decisively and whispered to himself, “Nope. I don’t think she’s worth dying the way Corbett would inflict upon me. Not today, anyway.”

  He crawled from the ledge and ran to his awaiting horse, angry that he had thrown away a chance to possess the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. But, thankful that he had not made good on his promise to himself to ravage her without thinking of the consequences, he stepped into the saddle and patted himself on the back for taking the chance to memorize her every curve and nuance. That, he figured, was enough to carry him through to his dying day.

  Savannah reveled in the luxury of the cool water. With loving strokes, she smoothed the rose-scented bar of soap over her skin and then flipped her hair over her head and rubbed the lather into the rope of her long mane. She twirled around and dipped her body into the water until the pool sizzled with effervescent soap bubbles. Raising her head and opening her eyes for the first time since she had started washing her hair, she gasped in alarm at seeing a pair of men’s boots perched on the ledge beside the pool. Next to them were a belt and a pair of trousers. A plaid shirt hung effortlessly from the branch of a tree. She gasped again when she realized that her own clothes had hung there in that very tree but were now, nowhere in sight. She panicked, clutching her arms to her breasts and searching the darkness for her clothes.

  “Looking for these?” a voice called from behind her.

  She snapped her head around and when she saw who had asked the question, she sighed in relief and then scolded, “You scared the life out of me, Travis Corbett.”

  “Excuse me, Ma’am,” he drawled as he tipped his Stetson before he dropped the pile of clothes at his feet.

  Savannah could not stop the gasp that escaped her lips when she discovered that he was nude behind the bundle of clothes. She had never seen him naked standing in the full light of the moon and the sight of him looming over her with all his striking glory took her breath away. Her eyes devoured the broad muscular shoulders, the trim waistline that tapered from a sinewy barrel chest down to a brawny abdomen, to the thickly muscled thighs that bulged behind the region where she would not dare to stare. Instead, she kept her eyes riveted to the softly matted rippling chest as he walked toward the pool.

  When he stepped onto the small ledge that dropped into the water, she raised her hand as an invitation
and moaned against his neck as he lifted her into his arms and enveloped her in is warmth. Her voice was muffled against the skin that smelled of sweat and leather as she breathed, “I’m so glad to see you”

  Travis found her lips and began a gentle assault on the tenderness that begged for his attention before he whispered, “God, I missed you.”

  “Travis…” she began, intent upon apologizing for her actions earlier, but he cut her off with a forefinger to her lips.

  “Shhh,” he whispered. “Just let me love you.”

  Hearing those words melted her heart and she wound her arms around his neck as she clung to him with all the love in her heart. Their bodies meshed together with nothing between them but the thin cotton chemise, which clung to Savannah’s upper torso like a second skin. When Travis pulled her away from his body, she protested, but only slightly, for he encompassed her mouth with his again while his large, scalding hands covered her heaving breasts.

  Wild, delightful shivers overtook her when his thumbs circled the protruding buds that pressed against the cool, damp linen that formed a diminutive barrier against his gentle assault. A resounding moan of pure pleasure rose from deep within her to expel into his mouth, propelling him into a frenzy of ecstatic reactions. Searching kisses that tugged against her lips, a probing tongue that parted them and then delved into her, reverting back to lips that danced upon her chin and cheeks and finally, an insatiable tongue that thrust back into her mouth, alternated to send her farther into an abysmal chasm of delectable ecstasy.

  With one swift movement, the thin fabric was whisked down her shoulders to flutter around them in the quivering water like gossamer wings glowing in the moonlight. Free of the restricting linen, Savannah’s body melted into his, yielding to his passion-heated skin. His hands drifted up to cup each side of her face while he stared into her violet eyes for what seemed like a lifetime.

  And yet, time seemed to speed past them like a hungry hummingbird, zipping and darting all around them while the bubble of love that encased them halted time’s continuous flow inside it. In slow motion, his hands slid down each side of her neck, tickling, caressing, pausing and then easing down to warm her breasts once more. His lips followed the burning path that his fingers had blazed upon her tingling skin, branding her, taunting her until she groaned and threw her body into his as if begging for the ultimate release that only he could bestow.

  Savannah was swept away with his need to possess her, to crush her to his body and to melt her into his very soul. Her body ached to be possessed by him, to be sucked into that vortex of swirling, undulating motion, which would activate that miraculous enormity of emerging emotions, a mixture of bliss and wonder, amazement and disbelief. And yes, love.

  Travis maneuvered her backside into the side of the pool until the moss-covered rocks stopped her from moving any farther. Then, with deft hands, he lifted her knees until they encircled his waist while he eased into the warmth of her inner body. Cupping her supple hips, he pulled her closer and then moved her backward, repeating the motion until she threw her head back and purred uncontrollably. Slowly, gently, he rocked her against the hard surface behind her until a series of huffing whimpers puffed from her clenched lips. He covered her mouth with his in order to stifle the scream that threatened to burst from her inflating lungs while he increased the repetitious plunging until tears of euphoria streamed down her upturned cheeks.

  Wave after wave of rippling water splashed between Savannah and the rocks, between her and Travis’s body, until they were soaked with the icy liquid, encouraging them, invigorating them, and enticing them into obtaining the rapture that they both so craved.

  In the coolness of the pool, they traveled down the river of passion, floating along the stream of wanting, swirling with the stirring current until they reached the white-water rapids of Love’s churning, undulating excitement. Then, all at once, they fell over the exploding falls to the awaiting abyss of overwhelming ecstasy.

  Travis kissed her dampened forehead and lifted her effortlessly onto the ledge and then followed with a splash to land in a sitting position next to her. He looked into her violet eyes and saw something that he had never seen in a woman’s eyes since his sweet Melody had shown him what seemed like ages ago. And with that light, he could see that she would never love any man but him. The feeling of knowing that truth was enough to warm his heart. Yet knowing that, too, made a pang of fear shoot through him. The thought of losing her like he’d lost Melody was more than he could endure. He touched her cheek with the back of his finger and then let his hand drop into his lap as if the weight of it was too much for him to bear.

  The solemn expression on his face gave Savannah great concern. With a trembling voice, she asked, “What is it?”

  “Nothing,” he lied. Then, he raised his hand again and twirled a lock of her dripping hair between his fingers as he said, “We’d better get you dried off and back to camp before Tito comes looking for you.”

  The obscure yet ominous expression that had shadowed his face before was replaced with a bright smile that revealed his straight, white teeth that glowed in the moonlight. Savannah knew that he was proficient in masking his feelings with wit and wiles, but she smiled back and tenderly touched a hand to his chin before she dipped her head to hide her own bewildering emotions.

  Inside, her heart screamed the phrase that she was not yet ready to say aloud, for past and future uncertainties kept her from proclaiming how she truly felt. An intensifying surge of words welled up into her throat but she choked it back. Words that would be moot if either one of them died in the not so distant future yet words that profoundly echoed the intimacy that they both had shared. Words that would seal the bond between them, putting to rest the doubts that might have surfaced during their disagreements, yet which would be annulled in the event their relationship died.

  Still, her bursting heart screamed, I love you! But, instead of blurting out those words, she smiled sweetly and pulled him toward her so that her lips engaged his in a silent declaration of the adoration in her heart. As they parted, a sudden overwhelming sense of despair overtook her, causing her to shiver.

  “I’ll get your clothes,” Travis said while he quickly retrieved them from the ground where he had dropped them.

  All she could manage to do was to nod and thank him when he handed the bundle to her, for her helpless heart ached to proclaim her love for him while her mind demanded for her to wait until she was certain that they would be together forever.

  They dressed in silence and Savannah gathered the clothes that she had washed before they walked together back to the campsite as the evening drew to a close and darkness surrounded them.

  Tito looked up abruptly from a pad of paper that he had been scratching into and quickly stuffed it and the pencil into his shirt pocket.

  “There you are, Savannah,” he said with a smile. “I was just about to come looking for you. But, I see you’re being taken care of.”

  “And very well, I might add,” she crooned as she circled her arms around Travis’ waist and smiled up at him.

  He smiled down at her with a wink of his brown eye and squeezed her shoulder with a strong hand. Then, he guided her to the log next to the fire where they sat and talked.

  “How’d it go?” Tito asked as he spread out a paper to roll a cigarette and then placed a pinch of tobacco upon it before he raised his eyes to Travis.

  “Fine. I found out a lot of information,” Travis answered with a nod.

  “Well, then, what did you find out?” Tito asked insistently.

  Travis glanced at Savannah before he warily began, “Well, to start, I confirmed what I’d suspected all the time.”

  “That Fernandez is the leader?” Tito asked.

  Travis nodded and said, “Yep. And it seems that El Diablo has been spending his time robbing banks.”

  “Robbing banks?” Tito asked, his mind reeling with questions.

  “Yep. While his men were raiding homes,
and keeping the authorities busy, he was robbing banks back in town,” Travis revealed to an astonished Savannah and a confused Tito.

  Savannah touched his arm and said, “But he was home when I was there.”

  “He probably had someone else do the bank jobs while he stayed home,” he explained. Then he offered, “Besides, I learned something else that was interesting.”

  Tito’s eyebrows lifted in question as he drew in a breath through the smoldering cigarette. He was eager to learn all that his friend had to tell him and this information was certainly important to him. Nonchalantly, he leaned backward and blew out the smoke before he asked, “What’s that?”

  Travis stretched his long legs out in front of him before he answered, “He’s got a nice little operation going on here. The money that he takes from the banks is invested in other products like drugs made from Opium such as…”

  “Laudanum,” Savannah breathed with sudden anger.

  “That’s right, did you know about that?” he asked as he turned to her.

  “He kept me drugged with it while he kept my son hidden from me with another woman and while he’d told me that Benito was dead,” she told him.

  “How did you escape?” Tito asked incredulously.

  “I just woke up one day. I guess the drug must have worn off or someone missed giving me a dose,” she explained while the memories came rushing back to her, filling her with anger and doubt in herself that she could go back there and steal her son back.

  “And you got away,” Tito said with a nod.

  “Yes, and I found my baby and tried to run away but Diego caught me and took my son back from me and then left me to die in the desert,” she told him.

  Tito whistled through his teeth and shook his head, “I knew that bast—pardon me, Ma’am—man was mean, I even witnessed it a few times, but to do that to his own wife? That proves that he is a cold-blooded sonofa—well, there I go again. Anyway, Travis, how was it that you could find all this out in one day when I was under cover in that man’s army and never learned anything more than the fact that he was a ruthless tyrant.”