Black Hills Blessing

by A. C. Wilson

  Everything about us is explosive. Attitude, emotion, passion, and circumstances were larger than life. How could they not have their differences! How could they not be so damn similar that it was tough to discern just where he ended and she began when they were together? If passion was the way he had to communicate, then he would share all the important details by claiming her body and then her heart. All of this thinking had put him off his game and as he had tensed so had she. Rayne broke their kiss and slumped into him. Her face was pressed against his shirt as she fought to breathe evenly. Garrett was reluctant to let her lips leave his own, but it was probably for the best. If this led to sex every time she was upset, they’d never get out of bed.

  “What happened?” Garrett asked softly against her ear as he stroked her disheveled, dark hair. He willed his heartbeat to slow to offer some hypnotic comfort to the beauty resting against him. She swallowed hard and he heard her fight back another stray sob. Her palms were braced flat against his chest. “May I read it?” He felt silly asking such a question, but it seemed like a private moment. There were so many things that apparently had shaped and shifted Rayne’s life that originated here in this place in this house.

  “It’s a poem written by my mother.” Rayne offered in a voice just shy of a whisper. He had to focus to hear what she had said. A slight nod and he was reaching for the dropped sheet of paper. It was old. It was worn. From the looks of the creases, it had been folded and refolded many times. Garrett carefully straightened it to find a page filled with very feminine, cursive writing and a signature at the bottom. Love your mother. He could understand why it was so emotional. For a daughter to lose her mother at such a young age, at any age really, was devastating. Silently he said a prayer that he not know that feeling first hand for many, many years.

  He read each word and recognized the hope of a new parent. His heart swelled with the bright future for a new baby and every mystery that would soon come to light. He wondered what it would be like to see everything with new eyes. Garrett hoped he could share that sort of love someday. Suddenly the idea of being a parent and having a child of his own was more appealing than it had ever been.

  As long as it is Rayne’s too. His spinning reality just took a huge hit as his heart inserted this ultimatum. He closed his eyes and tried to steady the careening world. He hoped Rayne wouldn’t look up to see the truth in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t hide the deep longing in the chocolate depths. Focusing on the words again, he saw something that hit home. Rayne’s mother told her that she would never be alone. There was no doubt that Rayne thought she had been. In losing one parent she had lost two and Garrett recognized a lost kindred soul. Lowering the poem, he set it on the arm of the couch. Feeling a need to hold Rayne closer, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and settled her against his chest. If her nearness wasn’t enough, he heard her sigh. He couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. Rayne’s sigh felt as if she’d granted him the world and all the secrets in it.

  Garrett wasn’t sure how long they sat on the couch. However long it was Rayne’s ankle started causing her some discomfort and she needed to move from their position. He was reluctant to let her go. By now the sun was close to setting and his stomach did growl with earnestness.

  “How about I go start the bath for you and then I’ll figure out something for dinner?” Garrett asked as he helped her get off of his lap. Rayne’s face was still puffy from crying and she blinked frequently. Her face was pale and drawn. He ached to bring some joy into her life.

  “Sounds nice. Thank you for not leaving.” Rayne looked up into his face and offered a half-hearted smile. He tipped her chin up and ran the pad of his thumb along the ridge of her jaw.

  “I told you I’m not leaving.” Gently he leaned forward to press his lips warmly against hers. It was more to offer strength than feed their mutual desires. Her eyes filled with tears again and he furrowed his brow in worry. Her distress created a cavern in his heart and he longed to make her whole, if she had ever been. “Come on. I’ll help you upstairs.” The full bathroom was upstairs and she braced her arm around his neck as he supported her. Limping as quickly as she could to keep up with his longer steps, Rayne didn’t vocally share her pain but every hissed breath said as much. On the last stair, she faltered and clutched the banister to catch herself. Garrett couldn’t help the growl that came forth.

  “Just let me carry you. It doesn’t mean you are any more dependent on me than you already are.” He grinned at her wide eyes and the narrowing of her lips.

  Good. I have her attention again. He lifted her the rest of way into his arms and took the last ten steps to the bathroom. She caught the light switch as they entered. This room at least had been cleaned and the faint smell of bleach hung in the air. He glared at her from the corner of his eye.

  “What?” Rayne’s innocent question didn’t fit with the defiant gleam in those golden depths. Setting her on the toilet, Garrett pulled back the shower curtain and made a face at the faded vinyl of purple and black plaid. It was hideous, even by his bachelor standards. Leaning down to turn the knobs, he got the water running and the plug positioned. As the tub started to fill with steaming water, he straightened and turned back to Rayne. She was looking rather dejected as she stared at the yellowish tile floor.

  “Do you need help getting undressed?” He hoped she would say yes, but if she did, he didn’t know if he could contain the need to rediscover her lush body with his hands. A veritable wonderland lay at his fingertips. He applauded the stiffening of her spine and that don’t you wish glare.

  “Not with my clothes, but I could use a towel. They used to be down the hall in the cupboard.” She began to shift on the toilet and he took his cue to leave. He’d bring her the towel when he came back up to help her down.

  “Just holler and I’ll bring the towel with me when you’re ready to get out.” Garrett didn’t wait for her to answer. He went back downstairs to find something to eat. He hoped it wouldn’t be too tough to find something edible.

  Garrett despaired at finding anything in the house. There was some lettuce that was starting to turn brown and some bananas that had already gone way past brown. He threw the lettuce in the trash and wrapped the bananas up in a baggie to throw in the freezer. Perhaps he could convince his mom to make some banana bread in a day or two. He let out a frustrated breath as he thought about the phone conversation between him and his parents. His father had asked him how he was and then immediately gone into wondering when Garrett would be home to finish their discussion.

  No doubt he thinks I’m hiding out here! If Garrett was honest, it was a pretty great place to hole up. Pretty girl with a questionable past and commitment issues notwithstanding. Garrett clicked open the cupboard doors individually, but not really seeing the contents. His mother had offered her love and as any mother might, wanted him to bring Rayne home to the Crossing Pines.

  Wouldn’t that be fun! He rolled his eyes thinking about his family spying on Rayne Randall and trying to make sense of the complicated woman. Hell, he was trying to make sense of her too. If he had any hope of elevating this relationship to something more permanent, he needed to figure out just what secrets she was hiding. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Relationship and permanence was never supposed to be the plan. She had even told him that she only wanted the sex and although as incredible as it was, he was convinced that given the choice Rayne would choose to walk if love became a factor.

  If love became a factor! Oh he was in so deeply over his head! This was going to be the largest and most dangerous gamble of his life. Rayne had the power to decimate every shred of his hope at finding love with someone and spending the rest of his life with her. He felt a chill run up his spine. This train of thought wasn’t exactly comfortable for him.

  Knock. Knock. Garrett jumped a bit at the sound of a heavy fist against the mudroom door. Knock Knock. He pushed away from the counter and turned the corner, wondering who would be out in t
his weather. He gritted his teeth and put his hand on the door knob. It surprised him who was at Rayne’s door and it must have shown on his face. There on the poor excuse for a porch stood his brother, Matt. The brothers stood there staring at the other until Matt quirked that famous Johnson grin.

  “Hey brother! Was I not who you were expecting?” Matt was wearing a heavy Carhartt jacket with cowboy hat firmly in place and a thick scarf wrapped about his neck.

  No doubt the last was an accessory from Matt’s wife, Andy. Garrett couldn’t help but shake his head and wave his little brother inside the house. Garrett closed the door firmly against the cold and led the way into the kitchen.

  “I wasn’t expecting anyone to come this early. I just got off the phone with Dad a while ago and told him to send Randy to dig out my truck.” Garrett leaned a hip against the counter top and crossed his arms over his chest. The protective stance made his brother quirk a brow and for sky blue eyes to shift over Garrett. Matt was good at reading people and he sure enough could figure Garrett out most of the time.

  “Well Randy is on his way. He’s using the tractor to pull out the truck and I came ahead with the blade. There’s a decent path into this place now. It might need another pass in a day or so just to clean it up when it starts to melt, but it’s passable.” Matt said, taking off his hat and scratching his short brown hair.

  The brothers looked generally alike, except that Garrett was broader in the shoulders and had brown eyes instead of blue. Matt was also a fairly open person, but Garrett had learned that being open caused a great deal of pain. In some ways, Garrett felt like a coward. Matt seemed to have a clear purpose and he stuck with it, even when things were hard. He had found his wife, Andy and her daughter, Harper, crying outside his friend’s apartment door in Rapid City. As if those girls were his calling, Matt stayed his course and taught them each what it was to be loved and cherished. Even a psycho ex-girlfriend trying to kill Andy hadn’t shredded his resolve to remain steadfast. Garrett envied that certain trait of his brother’s. He wished he could be driven on one course, certain that it was the only one. Only a day ago it might have seemed like a crazy thing to wish for, but now that he’d found Rayne, well, it felt like something he wanted to change.

  “Good. It will be nice not to feel so cut off from the outside world. Thanks for stopping up here and letting me know.” Garrett tried not to wonder what the heck his brother was thinking, but the smirk that appeared on Matt’s face was something Garrett wanted to smack off of him. Garrett tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “What?” He grimaced inwardly.

  Like that wasn’t a dead giveaway, Garrett!

  “I didn’t say anything.” Matt shrugged innocently and maintained eye contact. Garrett couldn’t help but fidget under the scrutiny. He pursed his lips together and looked down at the floor.

  “Oh, come on, Matt! Say whatever it is you are going to say, but be warned, you cross the line and I’m sinking your teeth down your throat.” The growl at the end made his younger brother chuckle. Leave it to Matt to find the mirth in everything and that is just how he was. There was a lightness of heart where Garrett carried the heavier.

  “You’ve claimed her, haven’t you?” Matt widened his eyes, a wicked grin on his face. Garrett’s eyes widened too, but more so in surprise and confusion.

  “What do I look like, a Viking? I’ve not claimed anyone.” Garrett wanted to wipe that stupid grin off his brother’s face and send him packing. He had no idea why he was hoping to keep Rayne to himself for another day or so. It seemed like this thing he had to do.

  “That’s not what I meant and you know it! Jesus, Garrett, I never thought I’d see the day that a woman snagged you.” Matt chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. Garrett growled again and adjusted his arms across his chest.

  “Snagged? That’ll be the day. Just because you’re so damned happy doesn’t mean we all want to join you.” Garrett fidgeted against the counter and thought about how dumb the words were that just fell out of his mouth.

  “Shit, brother! You have been landed. I can see the hook! Don’t even try to deny it.” Matt tapped his cowboy hat against his thigh and hooted over his new found information. He would have a hay day sharing this news with everyone.

  “Matt, if this gets back to Mom, I’m going to not only dismember your body, but I’m going to leave it somewhere to rot!” Garrett snarled like a cornered wild animal. He felt that way. He liked to think he was defending Rayne from his family, but he knew if Rayne got wind of this and was startled, she’d run as fast and as far as she could.

  “All right, all right!” Matt made a show of putting his hands up like he was held at gunpoint. “I think it’s awesome. I always hoped you’d meet someone and she’d turn your life upside down.” Matt half whispered across the few feet between them. Garrett shook his head.

  “I’m serious, Matt. She’s a female version of me and if you screw this up for me…” Garrett left off what he was really thinking. He felt the rawness inside him come back to life and it bothered him. Already he was worried about losing Rayne. This did not bode well for what lay ahead.

  “Well, if that is true and she is a female version of you, then you know what her hang ups are and you have a chance to defuse them. If she’s the one, man, you gotta do what you have to hold onto her.” Matt stood straight and leaned his tall frame against the door jam. Garrett saw his brother with whole new eyes at that very moment.

  “When did you know that Andy was the one? I mean, I would never ask this, but I need to know.” Garrett felt the ice melting like a springtime thaw and it was shattering all of his confidence.

  Maybe I’m crazy to even be thinking like this! Maybe Rayne will be the one woman I cannot tame! Matt must have seen the same flashing lights over Garrett’s head and took pity on his older brother.

  “The first moment I saw her.” Matt grinned and looked up at the ceiling. “I thought she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen; tear stained face and all! I knew she’d change my life forever.” Matt was a sap when it came to his wife of just about a year. The couple was inseparable and for the most part, it seemed they were each other’s other half. Together they were a complete unit. It made Garrett swallow hard.

  “That’s what I thought.” Garrett barely murmured in the quiet kitchen. His younger brother only nodded his head and stayed silent. The words that passed between the two cowboys spoke volumes. It wasn’t until Garrett heard Rayne yell from upstairs that the brotherly understanding was broken.

  “I had better go, I guess.” Matt settled his hat back on his head and took out his gloves. “I will keep everyone clear of here as long as I can. Randy will still bring your truck.” He looked to Garrett.

  “Thanks.” It was all Garrett could think to say. He knew there was much more to talk about, but right now didn’t seem the right time.

  “Hey, uh, you got everything you need?” Matt looked concerned and in Garrett’s confusion, he didn’t realize exactly what his little brother was talking about. Garrett’s brow creased in question. Matt wiggled his eye brows and in that instant, Garrett choked.

  “You son-of-a-bitch! Why would you ask something like that?” Garrett chuckled in shock.

  “Well, I know how careful you are and if she’s enough to turn your head, you are lucky to be out of bed.” Matt laughed so hard over this that his chest shook. Garrett couldn’t help but grin and shake his head in mock disapproval.

  “Yeah, yeah, little brother, laugh it up!” Garrett threw a dish towel at the retreating back of Matt. “Just be careful going back.” He only heard a barely verbal assent and the mudroom door shut with a loud click. Only then did Garrett breathe deeply. As he turned to go back upstairs to retrieve Rayne, he decided he should have told Matt that he didn’t have everything he needed. If Randy did get his truck back up here though, there was a sufficient stash in there. He chuckled in good humor up the stairs. Suddenly he felt better about this need to pursue and conquer the beauti
ful Rayne Randall.

  Chapter 11

  Garrett felt his heart somewhere in the vicinity of his gut. Matt’s impromptu visit had settled some questions and raised others. He knew his brother was deeply in love with Andy and he was enamored by Harper. Garrett swallowed the lump in his throat and wished his head would clear. He walked slowly through the living room towards the stairs.

  So it was possible to know at first sight the person who would change you forever. Oh hell! His heart thumped heavily in his chest at the thought of Rayne being that one person for him. She was incredible and unlike any girl he had ever met. He wasn’t ashamed to think so. He was terrified of finding out just how much damage she could do if he couldn’t convince her that what was happening here was nothing short of magic.

  A blessing of souls. The phrase reverberated in his head as he set his stocking feet onto the stairs and climbed them with eyes firmly locked on the top of the stairs. While he felt almost nauseas with uncertainty about how she would react, there was a boldness underlining it with the knowledge that he had waited for this for a very long time.

  “Garrett, can you hear me?” Rayne shouted from the bathroom and Garrett chuckled.

  “Sure can, darlin’. I’ll be up in a minute.” He shook his head featuring a goofy grin on his handsome face. Just as he reached the top of the stairs, his big toe met the stair rather than the floor. Grabbing the railing firmly, he jerked his foot up in pain. “Ah, that hurts!” He just barely kept his voice below a yell. He rubbed his toe that had taken such abuse from the damned stair. Grumbling for a moment as the smarting toe stopped throbbing, he looked for the hall closet where Rayne had said the towels were kept. Just to his left was a narrow door and he figured that must be it.

  “Are you ok out there?” Rayne shouted again from the bathroom. Garrett mumbled under his breath as he jerked open the door to find a couple of thread bare towels. Furrowing his brow, he lifted them out and turned back towards the bathroom door. Light spilled out from the room and he noticed as he neared that everything was steamed up from the hot water.